WACO, Texas — The foundation Christ Is Our Salvation has given the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) a $1.5 million grant to transform CBF churches into “missional” congregations.
To be a missional church, according to advocates, means to orient a congregation’s entire life around “God’s mission in the world,” rather than to treat missions as merely one among many church activities. Congregations exist for God’s purposes, not their own, advocates say. The grant will be spent over the next three years. Half of the funds will go to congregations that complete the eight-week CBF program It’s Time: A Journey Toward Missional Faithfulness and meet other requirements. Rick Bennett, CBF associate coordinator for congregational life, said the grants provide a much-needed resource for congregations. “The grants [help churches] as they ask the question, ‘How is God calling us to be the presence of Christ in this time and place?’” he said. Founded in 1952 by Paul and Katy Piper, the Christ is Our Salvation foundation is based in Waco, Texas. Previously the foundation has made grants to the Alabama Baptist State Convention, among others.
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