The start of a new year brings with it many goals and aspirations that we would like to achieve in the year ahead. Perhaps you’ve set a goal to lose weight, save money or get organized in 2020. We often think about making resolutions that could help us physically, and that is good. I would like to encourage you to prayerfully consider what you should resolve to do in this new year that will help you be of greater spiritual service to God’s kingdom.

As we begin a new year, I want to challenge and encourage you to look for opportunities to get involved in North Carolina Baptist life. I’m thankful for the approximately 4,300 churches that are part of our North Carolina Baptist family who affiliate and work together in cooperative missions and ministry efforts. Many of you actively serve in your local congregations in many different capacities as full- or part-time pastors, church staff and lay leaders. I have heard it said that every church member is a minister, and I’m grateful for everyone who exercises their gifts, talents and abilities in service to our Lord.

There are many opportunities for you to get involved in North Carolina Baptist life through various boards and committees of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and its related entities. Serving with the state convention allows you to provide perspective, insight and leadership to the ministries of our convention as we seek to assist the churches in their divinely appointed mission. Each year, we seek nominations for these places of service, and you do not have to be a pastor or church staff member to serve.

We value the wisdom and perspective of our laity, and our desire is that those who fill leadership positions on these boards and committees would reflect the diversity of our churches and their members. This means we desire individuals to serve from churches that are large and small, urban and rural from all across our state. We also desire that individuals who serve in these roles would include individuals who reflect the rich ethnic and cultural diversity that is found among our N.C. Baptist brothers and sisters.

Would you consider recommending someone you know to serve in N.C. Baptist life? Would you ask someone to nominate you to serve on a convention committee or board? Recommendations of North Carolina Baptists for these places of service and leadership are essential for ongoing missions, ministry and evangelistic endeavors.

To make a recommendation or to learn more about how you or someone you know might get more involved in N.C. Baptist life, visit ncbaptist.org/recommend. At that web page, you can learn more about service opportunities that exist and make a recommendation online or print out a form to submit by mail. Nominations are open until Jan. 31.

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” — 1 Peter 4:10 (NKJV)