This Sunday (10-16-22), we will have our first Town Hall Meeting to discuss our proposed new Church Constitution out here on the prairie. This Town Hall Meeting is for members and friends of Prairie Flower and will take place during the Sunday School hour from 9-10am. Before I take the congregation’s questions, I plan to give the following opening remarks:

“Welcome to our first Town Hall Meeting at Prairie Flower Baptist Church. The purpose of this meeting is to answer your questions about our proposed new Church Constitution. I have several things I need to say before I take your questions:

1. Both our current Church Constitution and our proposed new Church Constitution are not the most important documents at Prairie Flower Baptist Church. In order of importance, here are the most important documents out here on the prairie: 1) The Word of God, 2) The Articles of Faith, 3) The Biblical Principles of Church Membership, 4) The Church Constitution, and 5) Our Standard Operating Procedures Booklet. These are the most important church documents in order of importance…Indeed, it has been said, “If the Articles of Faith are King of the church documents, then the Queen is the Church Covenant (i.e., The Biblical Principles of Church Membership), with the Church Constitution being the Prince of the church documents.”
2. Our proposed new Church Constitution went through a rigorous editing and accountability process that spanned the last five years. After we ratified our new Articles of Faith in 2016, we began the process of revising our Church Constitution in 2017. This process has been lengthy, at times frustrating, but in the end, so very good. This five-year process proceeded as follows: 1) Pastors make revisions of Church Constitution, 2) Deacons double check the work of the pastors and make their own suggested edits for improvement, and 3) Once the pastors and deacons are fully synched up, the document then went to the Constitution Review Team (of which Phil Parsons was the Chairman) for final analysis and feedback. This simple three-step process took place many, many times over the course of the last five years. In the end, no one (myself included) got everything they wanted in terms of wording in the proposed new Church Constitution, but what has been presented to you is good, right, and fully vetted. To be clear, the purpose of this meeting is not necessarily for you to make suggestions for additions or deletions of the proposed new Church Constitution, but to simply ask questions to gain greater clarity on the vision and direction of our church family.
3. Some of you may wonder: “Why a total rehaul of the Church Constitution? Why not simply edit the current Church Constitution, but keep the overall structure the same?” This is a great question, and I love the illustration that Pastor Tim gave to me some years ago…Illustration = Farmhouse Addition…“

So, there you have it. A little sneak-peek of what’s to come out here on the prairie this Sunday, October 16th at 9am. So, come on out and bring your questions! It will be worth attending.