The Annual Church Profile helps in church revitalization
Draper, UT – One of the best ways to know where you are going is to look back to where you’ve been. Numbers, the fourth book of the Old Testament, is full of names, places, events, and the results of two important censuses of Israel. It is often overlooked, until such time that future events refer back to things referenced in this important record. For example, Joshua 2:9-11 shares the report of Rahab when Israel spied on Jericho and discovered that 40 years earlier, the people they feared the most actually feared the Israelites even more. Joshua and Caleb were right about the promised land being ripe for the taking all along, as recorded in Numbers 13. This record gives their journey into the promised land greater perspective in the way that God works through His people.
As missionaries that work with churches across Idaho and Utah, we work with a teams of volunteers, pastors, lay leaders, fellow churches, our executive board, and national partners to use many tools at our disposal to help churches understand challenges they face seeking to fulfil their mission in their communities. We know that many of our churches are plateaued and want to do more to impact their communities with the gospel. One of the most relevant and important tools we use is the Annual Church Profile. Through this important survey, we can help a church track their growth or decline in key areas of church ministry. This timeline and the data gathered helps us determine events that create challenges within the life cycle of the church. When data is missing and gaps are in the timeline because they neglect to report that information in consecutive years, we lose the ability to accurately track those events. We recognize it is difficult to see the immediate value in completing the ACP, but for churches wanting to revitalize, the value is greater than we can imagine.
The ACP is an annual statistical report churches voluntarily submit to the Southern Baptist Convention. The numbers reported provide a snapshot of the impact Southern Baptists are making through their local churches in reaching their communities with the gospel. We’ve provided quick and easy options to complete your church ACP. If you are a pastor or church officer, please take a few minutes to provide this important statistical information. These tools are available in English and in Spanish direct from our website. For questions or for more information, contact Sally Teny, one of our Staff Ministry Assistants.