Mission Catalyst
The goal of the Mission Catalyst Team is to encourage, equip and empower church missional initiatives, facilitate partnerships and champion the church planting focus supporting the BUV’s 50 year vision to be a union of 500 flourishing churches.
Church Planting and Community Engagement
The team focuses on supporting the local church in every expression of its mission across Victorian Baptist Churches. Key responsibilities include accompanying churches as they assess their missional engagement, fostering and supporting church planting initiatives, and nurturing community development projects.
The team runs an annual church planting learning community for new church plants and churches undergoing revitalisation efforts. Ongoing coaching is provided to church planters and new and existing missional communities. Churches are encouraged to support church planting efforts through prayer, giving, and releasing church planters, while efforts to establish LOTE (Languages Other than English) churches are actively supported.
The team builds and nurtures a network of missional church leaders and communities while administering the BUV Mission Grants Committee, overseeing applications and reviews for church planting and community engagement grants. Churches are also guided in developing community engagement strategies, utilising tools like the Community Portrait Tool for local assessments and integrating diagnostic tools, ethnography, and discernment processes. Workshops and congregational responses are analysed to help churches discern their preferred future, with ongoing collaboration to implement strategies.
The team supports existing community development pastors in nurturing local faith communities and encourages financial support for church planting in local churches. Additionally, the team engages through speaking opportunities with local churches, regional ministry forums, and pastors on sharing the good news of Jesus.
Networks
The team facilitate connections with parachurch mission organizations, other denominations, and local or regional networks to enhance church planting and missional efforts. New networks actively explored to expand opportunities for engagement.
Key responsibilities include participation in the ABM’s Crossover task force to promote evangelism initiatives, and liaising with training opportunities for church planters to ensure ongoing development and resourcing.
Justice and Advocacy
A significant focus of the team is mobilizing Baptist churches to advocate for justice issues. Resources are developed and distributed to raise awareness and support justice initiatives, while campaigns are organized in collaboration with Baptist agencies and organizations.
The team facilitates the BUV Justice and Advocacy Working Group, engaging with various stakeholders to promote and support justice work and ensuring the visibility and effectiveness of BUV’s advocacy efforts as well as being a member of the National Advocacy Round Table.