To be as simple as possible—we exist to make every one of our churches a success in the eyes of God! We want to be the key to the success of our churches!
As our website says, “The LBHA exists to Resource, Assist, Coach, and Equip the leadership of local churches, empowering them to make disciples, and launch new churches and ministries.
“We see a day by 2020 AD when these two million plus people in southern LA County have had multiple opportunities to receive and respond to the life-transforming gospel of Jesus Christ. We seek to help our church and pastor partners to reach the lost and unchurched throughout the state, nation, and world, as God calls them and equips them in His wisdom and power.
“We are a partnership of diverse churches, cooperating to encourage and empower one another to carry out the will of God by taking full advantage of Kingdom-building opportunities.”
We exist to enable our churches to fully follow Jesus Christ—in obedience of the Great Commission and the Acts 1:8 Commandment, in fulfillment of the six functions of the church (prayer, worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, and ministry), to fully focus on their stated priorities (as identified by our pastors to us in 2007) of . . .
That’s a Big Job! How Does the Long Beach Harbor Southern Baptist Association Do It? By Funding From and Working with Our Partner Churches and Pastors, and (to a lesser extent) Our Partners at the California Southern Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention.
We Do It through Leadership Development and Vision Casting from our Staff Members!
We also do this through Leadership Training and Resources:
We Do It through Outreach and Evangelism Training and Facilitation
We Do It through Helping Our Churches Meet Facility Needs of All Kinds
We Do It through Helping Our Churches Meet Community, Family, and Social Needs
What Is It That We Ask of Our Partner Churches and Pastors?
Recognizing that every Southern Baptist Church is autonomous, we know that we cannot require these things. But to the extent that every church does, to that extent our association of partnering churches will be able to fully achieve all the visions and mission that our Lord Jesus Christ has commanded us to achieve!
We hope that you and your church will recognize the value that our association is and/or can be to your congregation. We want to be the greatest value we can possibly be to you. With your assistance, we can be! Then not only will your congregation achieve fully the plans that God has formed for you, but His Kingdom will grow and multiply, and He will be honored in all our churches, and in all our area, and in the world!
Richard Graham, Director of Missions, Long Beach Harbor Southern Baptist Association
4508A Atlantic Avenue, #101, Long Beach, CA 90807. cell 562-676-5640, www.lbhchurchimpact.net.