The start of a new year always brings the opportunity to begin again, turn over a new leaf and release what’s behind us to stay behind us.
And if you’re like me, the freshness of it all provides the exact confidence and energy needed to give it a try.
Does it mean we’ll accomplish all we might dream up for the coming year? Not at all.
Is it possible something significant will derail us along the way? Likely.
But God calls us to continue growing deeper in our relationship with Him and to seek to become more and more like Jesus every day.
So with the primary goal for our new year already outlined for us, we technically can remove the pressure because if we give our primary energy to the main goal, then everything else we need to develop, remove, sharpen, repair, learn or polish will surface.
Focus on Jesus
We’ll have an opportunity, or maybe multiple opportunities, we could have never dreamed up for ourselves — and in some cases never wanted to experience. Either way, if we keep our focus on Jesus, we’ll find our way through as we tackle some with sparkling competence and others more diligently one difficult step at a time.
As you settle into this new year, what are the areas you already know need a little smoothing out?
Do you have a plan in place for how to get started? What resources will you need?
Will you need to find more space in your day (specific time set aside), your mind (expanded mental capacity) or physical location (less clutter)? If so, what are your first steps to find that extra space?
How can we at The Alabama Baptist better serve you or those you love? How have we made a difference in the past years? We’d love for you to share those with us.
Not only does it provide encouragement for our team, but it also helps us know where to focus our attention as our team seeks to polish all we do through our service to the Lord by serving you.
And as you spend a few minutes reflecting on your connection to The Alabama Baptist, think about others in your life who might benefit from one of the many aspects we provide through our print publications, digital media offerings and podcasting platforms (see a quick recap below).
Also, reach out to your church staff and let them know you appreciate all they do for members and ministry efforts as well as the community at large.
The past two years required a good bit of adapting for those serving in ministry, and a kind word goes a long way toward them maintaining the strength needed going forward.
If by chance you aren’t able to genuinely share appreciation, then it’s also important to share those concerns as well.
Consider writing out what upset you this past year. Then, summarize the points and prioritize them to use as your guide for explaining your concerns.
A quick look back before we lunge into all 2022 has in store for us at The Alabama Baptist and TAB Media
A quick glance at 2021 for The Alabama Baptist and TAB Media Group shows an active year with the launch of new products and several rebranding opportunities.
We also surpassed 1 million website views for thealabamabaptist.org in December, our flagship website, which underwent a major update in June.
In May, we launched the new national newspaper that is mailed out every other week — The Baptist Paper — and its online extension thebaptistpaper.org.
We continued a strong presence with our weekly edition of The Alabama Baptist newspaper, which got a fresh logo and look in 2021.
Other expansions included the popular serial-style Stories podcast that runs seasonally as well as The Weekly news recap podcast and Amplify, which showcases a conversation about life and faith every Monday.
The TAB Media Special Report video interviews got off to a great start in 2021, as did the new young adult-focused online content provider: the-scroll.com.
Pastors have their own Pastor Connections communication piece now, and we’ve started discussions on how we can best serve the “Next Gen” (next generation/upcoming) audience.
It’s because of your support we are able to continue growing and serving. Thank you.
