WHY WE GIVE

Because Churches Give to the Abilene-Callahan Baptist Association 

    Funding for the ACBA comes entirely from offerings from the partner churches of the association.  The ongoing ministry of the ACBA depends upon each church’s consistent and vision-oriented giving to the work of the association.  Because of such cooperation, the churches of the association are supporting mission efforts and expanding the mission impact of our Lord Jesus.  
Through your monthly offerings for the ACBA you support various ministries and mission efforts:

For Evangelism/Outreach/Discipleship and Benevolence Ministry

  • Christian Job Corps: equipping women and men with job skills, people skills, and Christian discipleship, CJC builds confidence and self-esteem for self-sufficiency, preparing/training individuals for employment.  One graduate (Fall 2017) said this to the staff and volunteers of the CWJC: “Thank you for giving my life back to me.”
     
  • Hope Camp: 3 days of Christian Camp at Big Country Baptist Assembly (BCBA) for at risk teens – good kids who live in difficult circumstances.  To one of Hope Camp’s primary sponsors and supporters, a youth minister from the Waco area recently said, “I was one of those ‘at risk’ kids who went to Hope Camp.”
     
  • Abilene Baptist Association Social Ministries: offering food and clothing for financially distressed families, including food delivery to shut-ins with nutrition needs.  As volunteers deliver food to homes, they are becoming aware of other needs with which to help.
     
  • Associational Disciple Now Weekend: providing an association-wide Disciple Now weekend for the teens of smaller churches. 
     
  • Baptist Student Ministries of Abilene Christian University: providing outreach, discipleship, and leadership training for college students (The BSM of Hardin-Simmons University is funded by Texas Baptists).
     
  • Prison Ministry: although currently paused, this outreach provides an “Appreciation” meal for security guards and employees of our local federal prisons.  Three ACBA churches provide one meal each over a 2-day period of time.  One security guard said, “This is so nice; we have such a ‘thankless’ job, and it is very nice to feel appreciated.”  They prize the “Thank You” cards, which are hand-crafted by children of ACBA churches.  This event engages churches with their neighbors, who happen to work at the prisons; and it exposes Prison employees to the kindness and love of God’s people.
     
  • Eunice Chambless Hospitality House: providing a safe and comfortable lodging for the other innocent victims of crime – families of the incarcerated.  The ECHH provides Christ’s presence for families who make this long, awkward, and difficult trip.  
     
  • Lend a Hand Ministry: an effort to connect churches to neighbors, and neighbors to nearby ACBA churches.  Referrals generally come from Abilene’s Code Compliance Officers, and are generally older, single adults with health issues and limited finances.  The Director of Missions meets the homeowner, surveys the project and prays with the individual; he then contacts a nearby ACBA church to determine if they have the ability to help the individual (occasionally 2 churches collaborate in a project).  The ACBA covers costs: materials for repairs, debris removal, and when appropriate to hire licensed contractors (for minor repairs).
     
  • Big Country Baptist Assembly: our local Baptist encampment, providing a setting for Christian camps, conferences, and retreats.

For Strengthening the Ministry of ACBA Churches

  • Associational Prayer Calendar: Each week, a partner church is listed for prayer, as is one of our missions (see front page of the monthly newsletter “The Key,” and our website www.acbaptists.org, under the tab “Weekly Prayer Calendar”).  
    Larry Tarver’s testimony: “I was a part-time, bi-vocational pastor of an ACBA church, and in 2003 I had planned to resign on a Sunday at the end of the worship service, after the invitation time.  During the invitation, a man and his wife came to join, and the man took my hand, looked me in the eye and stated, ‘Just don’t stop what you are doing.’  Stunned, I did not resign.  Later I learned that the church had been on the Association’s Prayer Calendar that very week.  I remained as Pastor of that church another 13 years. I believe in the impact of this ministry of prayer of the ACBA.”  
     
  • Strengthening Existing Churches: connecting pastors and churches with resources to enhance their ministry efforts.  Some of the support efforts by the ACBA:
  1. Occasional mini seminars/dialogues at the ACBA Resource Center: discipleship processes, leadership recruitment in small churches, church renewal practices, insurance issues, evangelistic practices, ministry in declining communities and/or with broken families… 
  2. Connecting pastors with BGCT resource personnel for information, advice and/or assistance for legal, ministry staff, organizational, and ministry issues.  
  3. A designated fund is available to support our smaller, aging churches with a variety of expenses, such as minor facility repairs (plumbing, roof, etc.,), financially supporting local mission efforts by ACBA churches, and materials for special events.
  • Demographic and religious beliefs studies for ACBA churches wishing to know more about the people/families living in their neighborhoods/communities.
     
  • New Church Starts: The ACBA works in partnership with an ACBA church and the Baptist General Convention of Texas to assist new church plants.  The Association’s role may be that of simply officially endorsing a church plant and pledging to help fund a church plant for 3 years, or the ACBA may assist by offering the ACBA Resource Center for initial services of the church plant.  The Director of Missions becomes a friend, mentor, and encourager to the pastor of the new church.

For Pastors and Wives

  • Pastors Prayer Breakfast: food, fellowship, worship and prayer for pastors and ministers, local churches and missions of the ACBA.
     
  • Pastor to Pastor: a regular gathering of pastors/ministers to discuss and dialogue about a variety of ongoing, important ministry topics and personal issues.  This ministry is currently paused during this DOM transition time for the Association.
     
  • Pastor Support Fund: a designated fund used to assist pastors and their family during difficult financial situations.  Additionally, this fund can be utilized to help pastors with tuition for college education, retreats for pastors and for pastors and wives, ministry materials, and other financial needs as deemed appropriate by the Administrative Council of the ACBA.  This fund is made possible by a generous donation from an individual who believed in and desired to support area pastors.
      
  • Pulpit Supply: The ACBA provides a list of supply preachers for pastors to utilize in their absence, and for churches in need of an interim pastor.  About a dozen experienced and well-qualified men are listed on our website: acbaptists.org  
     
  • Ministers Wives Fellowship: once a month, wives of ACBA ministers meet for an encouraging time of sweet fellowship, food, and prayer.

ACBA Resource Center 

  1. Meetings: the various teams/committees of the ACBA meet at the RC, as do the Directors of EC Hospitality House and the ABA Social Ministries, and committees from Big Country Baptist Assembly Executive Board.  There are also occasional gatherings of pastors and ministers for a variety of discussions/business.
     
  2. Drop Off Location: The RC is a convenient “drop off” location for various supplies and donations for the ministries supported by the ACBA.  Additionally, many offerings for ACBA supported ministries are mailed to the RC, which are processed and deposited appropriately by our Ministry Assistant (who performs other administrative duties for ACBA ministries).  
     
  3. Ministry Referrals: On occasion we receive ministry assistance calls/requests, which we pass along to a local neighborhood church, or refer the person to an appropriate source of assistance.  Additionally, churches in search of a pastor contact the ACBA for possible referrals, and pastors in transition contact the ACBA for church referrals.
     
  4. Storage: The RC also houses association and church records and supplies for Hope Camp and other ministries.
     
  5. Office Equipment: Computer, printing, and copying equipment and supplies are available for ACBA churches.

Communications

The ACBA Resource Center is an information hub, receiving and passing along notices to area pastors/churches.  For example, area pastors/churches have been alerted by the ACBA about revivals and special meetings, Christian concerts, training events, opportunities to engage in a mission effort, the availability of hymnals/pews/desks/pianos/organs for donation to ACBA churches, disaster events and subsequent efforts and opportunities in which to assist, security training…  

Ministry of the Director of Missions:  assisting churches and missions of the ACBA.

  1. The DOM has administrative roles, providing observation, guidance, support and direction for the operation of the ACBA and the ministries/missions we support.  The DOM is also a promoter of these various ministries – nurturing awareness of, involvement in, and financial support for ACBA missions.  
     
  2. Communication: The DOM regularly communicates with pastors via email, phone, and personal interaction, seeking to encourage and stimulate them for their unique ministries.
     
  3. Presence: The DOM regularly visits each ACBA church for worship services.
     
  4. Discovery: the DOM is involved with the discovery of needs within the communities surrounding the churches of the ACBA, and to nurture awareness of, and response to, such needs through the ministries of each local congregation.  
     
  5. The DOM is available to help equip and stimulate local congregations for engagement in the mission of Jesus, for participating in the ministries of the church, association, or personal engagement with friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors.  The only thing he needs is an invitation to do so.
     
  6. The primary “role” of the DOM has been that of support for pastors and churches of the ACBA – through the ministries of presence, friendship, counseling, prayer, and availability.  The DOM is available as a resource, encourager, counselor, and whatever else he may be called upon to be.          

Annual “Rally for His Mission” 

Our annual family gathering of local Baptists is in October; it is a time to encourage fellowship among our partner churches and stimulate engagement in the Mission of Jesus.   Participants enjoy a fellowship meal, hear testimonies from various pastors and ministries supported by the ACBA, and see what local churches are doing to expand the ministry reach of our Lord Jesus in their communities.  Over the meal we receive reports from various entities connected with our work, and we conduct the business of the ACBA.  We spend time in worship and praise to our Lord as an area-wide family of local Baptists. 


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