Associate Director, Gregg Boll, recently explained some changes that BR-KC will make to further encourage and equip our pastors.

Through conversations with our churches and pastors and because of recent opportunities which have presented themselves, BR-KC will be reshaping our ministry to churches and pastors this fall. In the past we have offered a quarterly pastor’s/staff prayer luncheon at the geographical corners of the Association. This has been attended poorly in some areas and better in others. This fall, we will not offer the pastor’s prayer luncheons, but instead plan to do one lunch and learn in September and one leadership seminar in November. We have also been holding a monthly Revitalization
meeting for pastors to equip them to turn around declining and dying churches. The Revitalization group will continue to meet and it is open to all pastors and staff. This group often has guest speakers addressing the areas of revitalization and replanting. This event has been immensely helpful to those who participate.

We have recently become aware of the ministry of Dr. Richard Marks. Dr. Marks is a PhD trained counselor who does leadership seminars for both corporate world and the church, couples marriage retreats, counselor training and personal counseling. Dr. Marks is a master at synthesizing the complex field of psychology and human behavior with the Scriptures. He has a unique grasp of the social and cultural factors that are driving the personality disorders, anxiety, depression and loneliness that you confront daily in your ministry. We plan to invite Dr. Marks to lead a lunch and learn from 11am to 1pm with lunch served on Thursday, September 19th. Dr. Marks will be available to speak in your church on Sunday morning, September 22 on a love offering basis. We are also making him available to personally consult with you, your church staff or lay leadership during the week. You must request this ahead of time and it will be on a first-come basis.

We will invite Dr. Marks back for a Leadership Seminar on November 5th. He will be discussing what healthy, mature leadership looks like in the local church setting. This is a discipleship issue at its core. We as believers/pastors are attempting to disciple people into fully mature disciples who not only know biblical truth but who also model mature, biblical behavior towards those inside and outside the church. We are all aware that there is big difference between knowing Bible truth and “being” a disciple. This seminar will run from 9-noon with lunch served. Again, Dr. Marks will be available for personal consultation for a limited number of requests. He will be available to preach in your church on November 3rd on a love offering basis.

We are excited about this fall and the ministries we will offer to equip and encourage our churches and pastors.