Our Purpose

Encouraging Complete and Courageous Living in Christ!

This sense of completeness stems from 4 key questions we ask ourselves everyday-

1] Have I met with God today personally? ~WORSHIP

2] Do I have any 2 a.m. friends? ~PREPARE

3] Have I discovered my sweet spot of service? ~SERVE

4] Am I close to someone who is far from God? ~ENGAGE

Worship is an opportunity for us to praise God and experience fellowship and unity with others. As we lift up the name of the Lord with gladness we are lifted up in Spirit and in Truth.

Hebrews 10:22-25 gives five exhortations for courage and strength to those who trust in the Lord. We are persuaded to:

· spend time with God and seek His face

· hold steadfast to our belief of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

· have tender consideration and concern for each other

· gather together as a body of believers

· support, watch over, and lift one another up in word and deed

Following these instructions will yield an invaluable harvest. Lucy Sizemore says “My husband and I work a lot in children’s ministry and we went on a mission trip this summer. We enjoy coming together to worship. It’s easy for all of us to get caught up in serving, serving, serving; what we really need to get caught up in is worshipping.”

Prepare. Without preparation, our serving and engaging are empty. LIFE groups and discipleship groups prepare us to grow in our relationships with God. We serve from an overflow of that relationship.

Serve. As we prepare ourselves to serve, we often grow closer to those in our small groups.

When Donna Druell retired from teaching school at E.P. Todd Elementary, she wanted to fill that void. But she wasn’t sure how. She loved being with the children and missed them. But she wanted a flexible schedule. When Donna heard the Good News Club needed volunteers it sounded like a good fit.

Three years ago one of the third graders came to know the Lord through the Laotian Baptist Mission but she was full of questions. Living in a Buddhist home the little girl was very confused. She was told one thing at home and then something totally different at the Laotian mission. At Good News Club the child heard the same thing as at the mission.

As Donna answered this little girl’s deep questions, she saw the child grow in her faith. Today, the girl comes in singing Christian songs. “I’ve been telling people about Jesus,” she says, smiling. Donna’s husband Ned now joins her at Good News Club every week.

Recently, the Druells made their weekly stop for a hot dog before going to E.P. Todd. Rob and Treva Webb, also church members, learned where they were going and offered to treat the children to hot dogs. Another Sunday School friend donated Moon Pies.® The opportunities for service multiplied. “If I can help one child a year,” Donna says, “then I’ll be there.”

Donna Druell

Engage.Unless we become completely committed to living out the four-part strategy, we are missing a great blessing.

Ruthi Neely often drives through to get her favorite diet coke at McDonald’s. That’s where she met Susan.
“You know, often we don’t even take time to look at the folks who are serving us in the eye. It is nice to get to know them when you encournter them frequently.” Susan was a twin, a church attender and a former North Greenville University student. She had dropped out of school to work but Ruthi began to encourage Susan to return to her studies. Recently Ruthi missed seeing Susan at the drive through. When Susan returned, Ruthi told her she had missed her and Susan told Ruthi of her cousin’s terrible accident. A few days later, Ruthi went to the hospital to visit a friend, When she looked around the ICU waiting room, there was Susan and her family. Because of Ruthi’s ongoing relationship with her, Ruthi got to meet Susan’s family and reach out to them during a difficult time. Ruthi Neely

In order to be well-rounded disciples of Christ, we should participate in some aspect of each of those four words. If any of the four parts becomes weighted too heavily, the imbalance will make us ineffective in our individual ministries. All of the ministries at First Baptist are designed to help us use our God-given abilities to serve others or to equip us to engage our world in a meaningful way – everywhere we go, with everyone we meet.