"Thy Kingdom Come: Shalom"
This vision emerges from a desire for wholeness and a Healthy Community. In our broader community we have a need for a myriad of services and opportunities for employment, home-caregiver support, drug treatment and personal rehabilitation, support for grandparents raising grandchildren, etc. From a community health perspective, access to preventive care and chronic disease management are compounded by social disparities and social determinants of health. Chief of these are lack of affordable access to care, transportation issues, food insecurity and housing insecurity.
First Baptist Church cannot, and should not, address these issues in isolation. However, it can demonstrate the moral mandate and model collaboration, generosity and commitment to all of God’s creation.
As a congregation, we will focus both inwardly and outwardly. Inwardly, we will insure the spiritual growth and health of our members through discipleship, education, worship, prayer, stewardship of our bodies, pastoral care and Bible study to create a healthy congregation (mind, body, spirit). Outwardly, we will reach and care for others through evangelism, individual and community service, education, and a message of acceptance and grace.
The ministries in which we engage will be an expression of what we have discovered about our gifts and resources through our inward journey (“how has God equipped us?”). We will also discover the needs and opportunities for service as we engage the community outwardly (“where is God already at work and what are the needs that call forth our gifts and resources?”).
This holistic approach will also be reflected in our care of nature (gardening, landscaping, waste stream issues, etc.), our use of our physical plant, partnerships in the community, attention to creating sustainability of programs and services, and generosity without judgement.