We have moved into this new year of 2012 with a concerted effort to fulfill our Purpose Statement: “To Reach the Lost and To Develop the Saved in Being Devoted Followers of Jesus Christ.” Every area of ministry of our church is to be focused upon this Purpose Statement. Matthew 28: 19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The Great Commission is our marching orders as a church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the month of February at our Sunday morning services, I’ll be preaching a series on the B.A.S.I.C.S. of the Christian life, which also includes First Baptist Church life. During the Sunday evening services I will be preaching a series of messages on the book of Genesis. This reminds me of a story I read about some scientists who went to a super computer to find out the origin of all created things. They put into the super computer all the information that they could and excitedly waited to see what the super computer would tell them of the origin of the creation of all things. The super computer came out with the answer, “Read Genesis 1: 1.”
At the Sunday evening time on February 12th, we are going to have a fund-raising banquet meal for our youth to be able to go to the East Baptist Encampment in July. I hope that you can be a part of this Valentine Banquet.
On the February 26th Sunday we will begin our Great Commission Sunday School Campaign. This Campaign is a concerted effort on the part of our Sunday School classes to fulfill the Purpose Statement of our church. We will have Sunday School class testimonies each Sunday leading to the Sunday of April 1st which will be Great Commission Day. We will celebrate what God has done through our efforts, and we will have a meal to follow the morning worship service.
GROW will begin in March. GROW is an outreach ministry where we come to the church on a Tuesday evening to pray, to call, to write post cards and letters, and to visit prospects for Sunday School and Worship attendance. Behind all that we do is to fulfill our Purpose Statement as a church. There will be four major groups, a G-team, an R-team, an O-team, and a W-team of members who will meet once a month to reach people for Christ. We are only asking members that can to take one to one-and-a-half hours a month to either to pray, or write, or call, or visit some prospects. More information concerning GROW will come in February.
See you Sunday with God’s Word in hand and heart,
Bro. Forrest
