Gleanings from the Field

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.’” Jeremiah 29:11

Bert Browning, CBFV Moderator-Elect, and Larry Hovis,
CBFNC Coordinator, visit during the CBF Virginia coordinating council retreat

Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center is a holy place to me. This mountaintop is the place I first attended youth camp and discovered my call to ministry. It is the place I often find renewal for my spirit, and I am reminded of God’s plans for my future.

Three weeks ago, the CBF Virginia coordinating council met at Eagle Eyrie for a time of retreat and renewal. In a spirit of prayer and creative collaboration, the council crafted and adopted a new strategic plan for CBF Virginia. Click here to read the full stragegic plan. The plan is formed around three new CBF Virginia Ministry Councils: Mission, Formation, and Innovation. Each ministry council developed a timeline of mission and ministry activities to be implemented within the 2009-2010 year. Highlights of the plan are as follows:

Our Mission:
Connecting free and faithful Baptists in Virginia as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

Our Vision:
Our vision is being the presence of Christ in the world.

Our Ministry Areas:
Mission
Formation
Innovation

Save the Dates:
September 12, 2009: Current’s Eleven-on-11 Mission Projects
November 1, 2009: “Go live!” with new CBFV website 2.0.
November 17, 2009: “Splash” at BTSR-CBFV luncheon at BGAV. Daniel Vestal to speak.
March 11 & 12, 2010: CBF Virginia General Assembly at FBC Virginia Beach.
April 9 & 10, 2010: MISSION MADNESS at Central Baptist, Richmond.
June 24 & 25, 2010: CBF National General Assembly in Charlotte, North Carolina

God does, indeed, have plans for free and faithful Baptists in Virginia! Our coordinating council gave energetic testimony to that during our retreat. We are now beginning to see the signs of our future filled with hope. You are critical to this future, so please free to send your questions, comments, and suggestions. May God bless us as we move forward on mission together.

Grace and Peace,
Rob Fox
Field Coordinator, CBF Virginia
rfox@thefellowship.info

To view view more pictures from the retreat, click here.

CBF Virginia Strategic Plan 2009-2010 is Online
Adopted by the CBF Virginia coordinating council on June 5, 2009, the strategic plan is now online and ready for your review. Click here to view the full plan as a PDF. Please send any questions or comments to Natalie Kline, Moderator, or Rob Fox, Field Coordinator.

Join CBF General Assembly on Twitter next week!
Can’t make it to Houston for the CBF General Assembly? Or do you plan to be in Houston, but want an easy way to catch up with friends? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, join CBF Virginia on Twitter next week. Learn more at the CBF national and CBF Virginia Facebook groups OR you can email Dale Tadlock.

Happy Independence Day! Friday News takes a summer vacation.
The CBF Virginia coordinating council and staff wish you and yours a very happy and safe Independence Day and summer season. Friday News will be published less frequently during the summer months, but will return on a weekly basis in September 2009. If you have stories, announcements, or photos you would like to share with the CBF Virginia family, please feel free to contact Rob Fox.