Recognizing that local churches are the key to effective evangelism and church planting, the Atlantic Baptist Mission Board exists so that the churches of the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches will be healthy, growing congregations, committed to the Great Commission and the building of God’s Kingdom.

To achieve this outcome, the Atlantic Baptist Mission Board will utilize available resources and enter into strategic partnerships. Evidence that this outcome is being achieved will be people becoming disciples of Christ, new churches being planted, and new people groups being reached for Christ.

Healthy, growing churches will have the following identifying quality characteristics:

• Leadership that empowers Christians for ministry by mobilizing, equipping, supporting, and mentoring them so that they realize their full potential as disciples of Christ and work together to accomplish Christ’s mission.
• Leadership that helps Christians to discover, develop, and exercise their spiritual gifts in appropriate matching ministries in their church, their community, and beyond.
• Members who have a loving intimacy with God through Jesus Christ, who expect that God through the Holy Spirit is powerfully at work in and through them, and who live their faith with contagious enthusiasm.
• Organizational structures that work together to facilitate spiritual health, growth, and outreach.
• Worship inspired by the Holy Spirit, which results in a personal and corporate encounter with the living God that spiritually encourages and strengthens the worshippers.
• Small groups that are disciple-making communities in which individuals experience acceptance and mutual caring, and are helped to grow in Christlikeness through interaction with one another in conversation, prayer and the study of God’s Word.
• Evangelism that shares the good news of Christ in the context of authentic relationships, appropriate ministries, and genuine faith-stories that focus on and respond to the questions and needs of non-Christians.
• Genuine, loving, grace-filled relationships with one another within the fellowship that attract others to God’s family in order to experience and share in the same love.

Churches committed to the great commission will, both locally and globally:

• Depend on the empowerment and direction of the Holy Spirit in the work of evangelism and discipleship (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8).
• Go to the lost with the same love and on the same mission that Jesus was given by his Father (John 20:21).
• Preach repentance and forgiveness through Jesus Christ to all peoples (Luke 24:46-47).
• Be deeply involved in making disciples of all peoples, teaching them to live out in everyday life the teachings and commands of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20).

Churches committed to building the Kingdom of God will, with love and compassion:

• Live under the rule and authority of God, seeking to do his will in all areas of their lives individually and corporately (Matthew 6:10).
• Work to facilitate the deliverance of persons and institutions from the power and control of Satan into the power and the peace (Shalom) of God, beginning with the new birth and continuing with the ministry of reconciliation (John 3:3-8; Acts 26:17, 18; Colossians 1:9-14; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
• Practice and promote justice, peace and righteousness in their communities and in the world (Romans 14:17).