GOING
Proclaiming the gospel in our community and to the ends of the earth

SHOWING
Ministering to the joys, hurts, & needs in our church, community, & world

First Baptist Church is a community of followers of Jesus committed to being a part of Christ’s mission in Fort Payne and around the world. We participate in missional living when we actively bring the message and love of Jesus into the lives of their neighbors, friends, colleagues, and community.

We are committed to making Jesus known by proclaiming His gospel, and we are committed to loving our neighbors, caring for our community, and living gracious, attractive lives.

MAKE DISCIPLES

We are commissioned to make disciples by intentionally pursuing ways to engage with people who are far from God and evangelize them with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are called not only to proclaim the gospel, but to disciple those who choose to follow Jesus according to God’s Word as they seek to live in God’s grace, as members of God’s people, and for God’s glory in the world. Our desire is that we would be consistently building relationships with friends, neighbors, and family members who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus, ministering the hope of the gospel to them, leading them to faith in Jesus Christ, and discipling those who choose to follow him with us.

LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS

We believe that following Jesus should make us the best kind of neighbors. Because of the love we have received from God in Christ, we also love our neighbors.  We further love those around us because every person is made in the image of God and deserves our time and energy as those made with intrinsic dignity and worth. This means we serve others and seek their good, love our enemies and pray for them, seek mercy and healing for the oppressed, the voiceless, the vulnerable, and the poor.

As a church, we also partner with other local ministries and community agencies who focus on various needs in our community.

We further hope that each of us would actively seek out opportunities to leverage our lives for the sake of others as we encounter the various physical, social, and spiritual needs of people around us.

GLOBAL COMMITMENTS

Jesus commissioned His church to make disciples of all nations; therefore, we commit ourselves to efforts, domestic and international.

We partner with our missionaries by consistently praying for them and the fruitfulness of the gospel among the unreached places and peoples where they are serving.

We provide for our missionaries by generously giving for the spread of the gospel, the making of disciples, and the planting of churches around the world. Each year FBC gives generously toward funding missionaries and church planters our state, national workers with the North American Mission Board (NAMB), and international workers with the International Mission Board (IMB).

When we have the opportunity to go, we take trips which encourage, serve, evangelize, and disciple alongside established missionaries and their endeavors worldwide.

We desire for the gospel, disciples, and churches to multiply among all peoples everywhere. We pray for more cross-cultural missionaries to be raised up, equipped, and sent by our local congregation to share Christ and serve among the nations.

LOCAL COMMITMENTS

We commit to making disciples and loving our neighbors right where we live, work, and play.

Mercy ministry is helping people with practical needs in the name of Jesus Christ. We believe God has been merciful and generous to us and His generosity and mercy is to be shared, most notably with those who are suffering because of poverty.

At FBC, we care about orphans. Some of us are going to bring children in our homes as family; the rest of us are going to find ways to serve and support them. We prioritize care for the fatherless through foster care, adoption, and partnering with local agencies because God our Father has adopted us as His children and comforted us in our affliction.

We partner with two ministries which serve the Sequoyah Mobile Home Community. “Hesed House” is a ministry hub for building relationship through mentoring, tutoring, and sharing the love of Jesus. Also, we partner with Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana as they do gospel ministry to Spanish speakers in Fort Payne.

Nehemiah Teams mobilizes young people to be sent out as cross-cultural workers to unreached people groups. FBC serves at its local training center (near Fort Payne) as they train, equip, and send missionaries out each year.