Vision for FBC, Poplarville 2011
Vision statement- We are Christ followers.
Mission statement-We will do our best to obey the Great Commandment, and the Great Commission.
Explanation of vision and mission
We want to give of our best to the Master. Our God assigned task is to spend our lives seeking to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission; to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This task thrusts us literally into all the world to make disciples, baptizing and teaching them to observe all Christ has commanded us.
As members of First Baptist Church Poplarville we are committed to a Kingdom Vision that we believe comes from the very heart of God. Jesus made it clear that His disciples should work from Jerusalem, Judea and unto the uttermost parts of the world giving witness to His presence in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Good News that Jesus is Lord is to be announced to all people. Forgiveness of sin is available by His blood.
Motto for 2011- “There’s a place for you at First Baptist Church!”
Statement of Purpose expressed through the motto
FBC is a place…
- of worship
- of welcome
- of walking with Christ to become like Him
- of working with Christ to build up His Body
- of witness for Christ in the world
Explanation of Purpose
We understand the purpose of the church is not for us to be comfortable. It is not our church, but His. We discover in Scripture five things that will characterize a local expression of the Body of Christ. It is a place of worship, of welcome, of walking with Christ to become like Him, of working with Christ to build up His Body, and witnessing for Him in the world.
Worship We believe we should be first and foremost a place of worship. When we speak to others and assure them we have a place for them it is an invitation to come before the feet of Jesus and to join us in adoring Him.
Welcome As we encourage people to join with us we want them to discover a sense of belonging. God intends that we make a commitment to Him, and to one another.
Walking with Christ to become like Him We also seek to inspire every member to grow in their relationship with God. The process of discipleship is a matter of knowledge and understanding, but it is also a mysterious dynamic that is worked in us by the power of the Holy Spirit as we yield ourselves to God. Jesus uses the analogy of a growing plant to describe Kingdom growth. We want to do all we can to intentionally foster growth and at the same time to trust that Christ will build His church.
Working with Christ to build up His Body Being a member of FB means finding a place of service. Everyone has a roll to play, and each task is important. We will help members find a place of service that fits how God has uniquely shaped them for ministry in the Body.
Witnessing for Christ in the world At FB we believe in giving to missions. We channel a portion of every dollar given through our church directly to the missions efforts of Mississippi Baptist and the Southern Baptist Convention. In addition to the regular offerings given through the Cooperative Program we take up three special missions offerings; the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions, and the Margaret Lackey State Missions Offering. We also give systematically to support the Baptist Student Union at PRCC, the Pearl River Association, Brother’s Keeper, and there are at least two individuals on the field that we sponsor directly. Each month a small percentage is set aside to go for church directed missions to help our members get active in missions. This fund helps with things such as support of our members making short term trips. It has been used to purchase supplies for teams from our church, or to help support students who go with the BSU. Our desire is that every member has the opportunity to be involved in giving to missions and going on mission, either overseas, or in North America. We also look for ways to be on mission and to witness wherever we are; across the globe, or across the street.
