First Baptist Church Jonesboro
“FORWARD 2016”
Preface:The Long Range Planning Committee of First Baptist Church recognizes our one mission shall always be fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ to “…go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” (Matthew 28:19-20, NLT) Therefore, the following Long Range Plan is presented as an expression of our obedience to fulfill our Lord’s commission within the context of the First Baptist Church of Jonesboro.
The mission of First Baptist Church Jonesboro is to build a community of faith connecting with God, growing together, and serving the world—all through Jesus Christ. We will fulfill our mission during the next three years through this long-range plan. (For planning purposes a “year” is based on our “church year” cycle, which begins in late August through the middle of the following August)
Connecting with God
1. We will strengthen our Sunday school. Believers connect with God, each other, and His Word in Sunday School. During the next three years, August 2013-August 2016, we will increase our netaverage attendance by more than 20% by taking these steps:
·Organizing each department and each class to achieve quality teaching, caring, fellowship, ministry, and outreach by December 31, 2013
·Training leaders to fulfill the various class and departmentroles by December 31, 2013
·Establishing standards for measuring the involvement of each participant and each class in the life of our church by December 31, 2013
·Measuring involvement of participants and classes each year starting August 2014
Our average Sunday school attendance in 2012 was 547 people. Our goals are to have a net growth of averaging 575 people in 2013, 620 people in 2014, and 675 people in 2015.
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2. We will strengthen all our worship services. In gathering for worship, joining our voices in praise, and hearing the Good News preached, we affirm and expand our community of faith. During 2013, our church family will prayerfully examine all our worship services. We will consider their time, style, attendance, and demographics. Mindful of the Spirit’s urging,FBC Jonesboro will decide how we can best renew all our worship services as soon as possible.
3. We will strengthen each member’s involvement in ministry. Our church family is large, diverse, and involved in many activities and ministries. We need to connect with God by joining hands in ministry. In worship services, in publications, and in social media, we will regularly remind each other of these many opportunities. We will foster bonds across generations in all activities and ministries. Starting in 2014, each group in the church—Sunday school class, choir, bible study—will participate in at least two ministry or mission projects each year.
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Growing Together
Growing together, both internally and externally, is essential for the life of our church. As we grow internally, we develop sound doctrine, a sense of belonging, close friendships, and a closer relationship with our Lord. As we grow externally, we minister to others and reach out to non-believers, fellow believers looking for a church home, and children desiring knowledge of God. Ministry, evangelism and discipleship are the good fruit of growing together toward our God.
1. We will grow together in leadership.FBC Jonesboro will develop and implement a teacher/leader training process by July 1, 2013. This process will:
·Identify new teachers and leaders
·Keep us focused on The Church
·Provide training and resources
·Provide screening and feedback
2. We will grow together in membership. Our challenge is to transition attenders to members. By August 31, 2016, we will increase our membership by 12% (60 people yearly over three years). To accomplish this goal, we will take these steps:
·Develop a better system to follow up with visitors through social media and in person by June 30, 2013
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·Hold a new-members class at least twice a year
·Have quarterly fellowships for regular visitors
considering membership
·Encourage every regular visitor to become involved in some ministry
FBC Jonesboro is the church home for 800families(one or more persons are a family). We will expand our membership to 860 families by the end of 2014, 920 familiesby the end of 2015, 980 families by the end of 2015, and 1040families by the end of 2016.
3. We will grow together in discipleship. Sunday morning is our church’s front door and Wednesday night is our living room. We will encourage members and potential members to attend services and activities on both days. In 2013 we will continue the renovation of Wednesday night activities to reach parents of children attending GLOW and parents of youth, as well as young to senior adults.
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Serving the World
We will serve people in our church, community, state, nation, and world.
Our Church
1. We will complete our Master Plan. We will pay off the Life Center debt by December 31, 2013. We will start planning now how best to finish, without incurring any new debt, the rest of the Master Plan: relocating the Care Center, removing the hotel, and installing the parking lot.
2. We will create and implement a mission’s partnership strategy. By the end of 2013, the Missions Council will develop a process for considering, approving, evaluating, and ending long-term missions partnerships. Every partnership will be evaluated each year. In January 2014, the Council will report annually to the congregation. The Council will be kept informed of one-time mission trips, and one-time mission projects, that do not involve a long-term partnership.
Our Community
1. We will renew our commitment to the Care Center with time, talent, and treasure. This year, and in each of the next two years, we will increase the number of people served, the number of volunteers serving, and the amount of our church’s financial contribution.
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2. We will fulfill our commitments to the Hispanic Mission, Huntington, and Country Garden. We will nurture the Hispanic Mission until the end of 2014. We will assist Huntington Mission Church in becoming a fully independent church by the end of 2013, phasing out our financial commitment by the end of 2016. We will assist Country Garden Fellowship in developing a strategic plan by the end of 2013. No new church plants will be undertaken until we fulfill our commitments to these partnerships.
3. We’re committed to international students and residents within our community. In the many nationalities represented in both students at ASU and residents of Jonesboro, the world has come to our community. We will develop a plan for investing our Christian witness among these various groups by July 31, 2013. We will prayerfully evaluate and adapt the implementation of this process over the next three years.
Our State and Nation
1. We’re committed to Together for Hope. We will sponsor at least four mission trips to Helena, Arkansas, each year for the next three years. We will support this partnership financially, especially during the State Missions Offering, and with focused prayer.
2. We’re committed to one-time mission trips. We will support all our members, especially our youth and university ministries, as they serve in Arkansas and other states on one-time mission trips.
Our World
1. We’re committed to international missions. We will participate in international mission service through two multi-year partnerships. One of these will be continued on-site service, focused prayer, and support for Jason and Amanda McCall’s work in North Africa. We will decide on the other partnership by the end of 2013.
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