CMBA recently held its regular Advisory Team meeting at GraceChurch of Columbia prior to an Executive Team meeting, which is held twice a year and open to all CMBA member church members. Moderator Cameron DeBrew led the Executive Team meeting, during which several items of interest to members of the CMBA Family of Churches were discussed.
In the January Advisory Team meeting Associational Missions Strategist Jamie Rogers invited members to serve on smaller teams to help address the primary focuses that CMBA has in support of churches. These focus teams have already met several times to begin this work.
“Focus teams have already allowed for us to hear more from our churches, as the Advisory Team members can speak to CMBA church staff and congregational needs. This helps our association to truly be an association, which is what I love about it. We are utilizing our churches to help drive what the association is doing together,” Rogers explained.
A recent CMBA article regarding these focus teams also announces which Advisory Team members are serving on the specific teams. Rogers told churches that an idea from the Community Missions Focus Team to create a page on the CMBA website sharing local mission partnerships is already in process. CMBA will update churches on news from these focus teams in the coming months.
During the Executive Team meeting Rogers shared several upcoming initiatives to serve senior pastors, including Forged Together fellowship lunches and a Fireflies baseball game for senior pastors and their families. He reminded pastors to complete a survey they received about how CMBA can better serve congregations.
Carolina BCM Director Adam Venters updated churches on the campus ministry. A BCM student group saw more than 270 salvations through Beach Reach held during Spring Break. In addition to the variety of BCM partnership ideas for churches that CMBA recently published, Venters said BCM asks for prayer regarding worship space decisions related to the ministry’s recent exponential growth and continued church partnership needs.
In other news, CMBA WMU Director Ralphetta Davis updated churches on her work to reestablish WMU in churches throughout the association and Rogers said the hiring process for the vacant virtual administrative assistant position is expected to begin shortly. Advisory Team members also approved three grant requests.
Important upcoming CMBA events and opportunities include:
- April 21-23 – CMBA trip to IMB Headquarters – register here
- April 30 – International Student and Teacher Dance Night at BCM, 6:30-8:30pm sign up
- May 2 – CMBA Evangelism Summit, 8:30-11:30am, St. Andrews Fellowship Hall sign up
- May 7 – Bivocational Pastors and Wives Fellowship, 6-8pm, Earlewood
- May 14 – Forged Together Pastors Fellowship Lunch, 11:30am-1pm, at FBC Ridgeway
- May 26 – GO Day! CMBA Evangelism Tips
- May 29 – Pastors+Family Fireflies Game, limited tickets so register immediately to participate!
- June 25-July 5 – About 10 volunteers are needed for a scheduled basketball camp mission team through CMBA’s partnership with Spain June 26-July 5. Team leaders would also like additional volunteers to lead a cheerleading camp. Cost is $2,500 per person. Contact Jamie Rogers for more information or to sign up for this mission team.
The next Advisory Team meeting will be held on May 19 at Temple Baptist.