Future @ First

2. Dear Church Family, Throughout history, God has given his people a vision to join him in his work in their midst. It is my belief that God has given our church a vision that inspires us to make a greater impact on our community than ever before for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. With vision comes opportunity. This brochure introduces you to the vision of our church and door of opportunity into which God invites us to enter. Through "The Future @ First" capital stewardship campaign, we have the ability to secure the ministry of our church for generations to come. Please take the time to study this brochure. As you do, pray for God to give you clarity about His will for you and your family and how you can take advantage of this opportunity to invest yourself in something eternal here at First Baptist Church. It is a simple prayer: "God, what is Your will for me as it relates to Your will for the future of our church?" Then, by faith, follow His leadership. What all of us will find as we enter this new door of great opportunity will be exciting. May God bless us in these challenging, holy days. Pastor Shane

3. Our Vision Proverbs 29:18, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish…’ Over the last 25 years, the church has set aside times to pray and assess the "Future @ First." Throughout these times of study and prayer, several common themes have emerged - The need to make serious commitment to ministry action - The need to ensure multi-generational ministry to our families - The need to enlarge our current facility to meet the social, recreational and educational needs of our church - The effectiveness of recreational ministries in reaching communities for Christ - Space needs for future growth - The need for a facility to enable our entire church family to come together for fellowship, meals and special events

4. Our Needs - More space for AWANA ministry - The need for facilities to help outreach through sports programs - Elevator access to 2nd floor - Centrally located staff offices - More storage space - Preschool space designed for preschoolers Our Plan Throughout the last 25 years, our church has acknowledged the need to build a family life center. We have had to wait on God's timing. In recent years, God has provided the land necessary to move forward in fulfilling this dream. Recognizing the open door God has placed before us, we are finalizing a building plan to be adopted by the church. Very shortly our building committee will be presenting and recommending an architect's rendering of the proposed building, floor plans and a site plan. Our stewardship committee is leading us forward in "The Future @ First," a three year capital campaign to fund this bold project. "The Future @ First" will enable us to raise funds from within and decrease the impact of long-term debt. The three year campaign will consist of five phases: preparation, awareness, inspiration, response and follow-up.