We believe that every Canadian Baptist of Ontario and Quebec congregation is called to Thrive. We want to help you discover or rediscover what God is calling your congregation to and to help you flourish in it. God is calling each and every one of our congregations to know God’s call for them and to live that out.
There are five questions that congregations need to navigate. Some of these questions we should be able to answer with clarity and conviction. Some of these questions may raise issues where we have partial clarity. Some of these questions may unearth areas where we have competing priorities. Asking these questions may be challenging. Our desire is that in raising these questions, your congregation can discover its calling and to help you live it out with greater conviction, clarity and action.
Thrive is a conversation guide, designed to assist your congregation in listening, discerning, responding to and resting in God’s unique calling. Thrive can be used as:
We have been listening to our CBOQ leaders tell us that they are looking for resources that can help their congregation be faithful to God’s leading and turn great ideas into a reality. In response, Thrive is a resource:
Our CBOQ pastors have been trained in preaching, teaching, pastoral care and more. What they are looking for is tools that can help them lead their congregation in their mission and to help them navigate change. Generally, pastors have shared that they like to create their own sermons and sermon series. Thrive is meant to be a tool that can help a congregation map out important conversations and to provide some discussion starters.
Thrive is a conversation map. If your congregation is well on its way to thriving, you can use some of these discussion starters to focus even further on what God has called your congregation to do. You can use these as appropriate for your context. If you congregation is struggling or seemingly going on circles on some matters you may want to take months or even years to used these materials. If your congregation is struggling with negative patterns around leadership, or with issues such as gossip, or a lack of clarity, or a pattern of talking about big ideas, then a quick response won’t be the answer. It will take time, prayer, study and new ways of conversing to build healthy patterns of dialogue. This process may take months to years.
Thrive was developed, tested and redeveloped over a three-year timeframe by CBOQ staff in consultation with leaders and in a variety of different types of congregations. The framework is an adaptation of doctoral research developed by Dallas Friesen.
Want to know more about Thrive?
Connect with us at thrive@baptist.ca or fill out the form below to request your digital copy.
© 2024 Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec
