Identity Statement

FIRST FAMILY IDENTITY STATEMENT

WE ARE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, ARKADELPHIA

As a body of believers at First Baptist Church, Arkadelphia, we reaffirm our commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ, to each other, and to our community.

We resolve to pray individually and as a church that we will be sensitive and obedient to God’s leadership.

We celebrate the diversity of gifts, talents, work place responsibilities, backgrounds, and generations within our congregation. In addition, we celebrate the diversity in our congregation through work and support of Baptist life, worship, missions, and ministry.

In Baptist Life:

·        We affirm our involvement in Baptist life with participation at associational, state, and national meetings.

·        We affirm our support of Baptist life though missions offerings and budget appropriations, which support the association, state, nation, and world.

·        We affirm our support of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries programs on the Henderson and Ouachita campuses.

·        We seek opportunities for review and discussion of Baptist heritage and principles.

In Worship:

·        We rejoice that our traditional elements of worship blended with the contemporary continue to bring a reverent spirit to our services. The Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper and lay leader involvement are dynamic forces as we encounter God in worship and respond in obedience.

·         We rejoice in the growth of our sanctuary choir and the inspirational worship experiences it fosters, with the aid of superior accompanists and instrumental musicians.

·        We rejoice that the proclamation of God’s Word is presented in a variety of ways.

·        We pledge to seek ways to take worship experiences to the community.

·        We strive to further our paramount purpose of worship, which is to honor Almighty God.

In Missions:

·        We challenge our church to continue and to expand the Arms Around Arkadelphia program to include mission opportunities in other areas of local service.

·        We celebrate and support the good works being done in the Nursing Homes, Hispanic outreach, meals provided and served to the bereaved following the funeral, and the Homebound Sunday School.

·        We encourage more of our members to become involved in organizations like the Baptist Disaster Relief Teams, Kairos Prison Ministry, Kairos Torch Youth Ministry, Meals on Wheels, and other state and global missions, such as our youth group’s trip to Russia.

·        We celebrate the Missions Education programs and mission action including Mission Friends, GA’s, RA’s, Acteens, and Women on Mission.

·        We honor those who are devoting many hours and much energy to these mission projects and programs.

·        We support the Mission Development Council’s planning of a national and an international summer mission trip, alternating yearly.

·        We challenge our congregation to organize a comprehensive outreach program focusing on witnessing to others.

·        We will actively seek additional ways to use our people, our gifts, and our facilities for the common good of our community and world, providing places of service for our members according to talents and interests.

·        We strive to continue to follow our mission to glorify God and to love all people by following Jesus Christ. We seek to fulfill this mission by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ locally and globally in word and in deed.

In Ministry:

·        We acknowledge and appreciate the outstanding music ministry offered to preschoolers, children, youth, college, and senior adults.

·        We celebrate the growth of the Women’s Ministry program and the Men’s Fraternity program which offer abundant opportunities for Bible study, fellowship and spiritual growth.

·        We appreciate the resources of the Media Center which offer enrichment for all age groups.

·        We affirm the food services ministry and will seek to find creative ways to extend it to the community including increased support for the church’s food pantry.

·        We rejoice that the Retired Volunteers’ Ministry is a vital service to our church.

·        We appreciate the strengths of Vacation Bible School and Discipleship Training.

·        We are grateful to offer Sunday School and support to our Special Friends who are developmentally disabled adults.

·        We acknowledge the innovative use of G-Force Children’s Sunday School material for grades 1-6 and the Children’s Church option for kindergartners and first graders.  We acknowledge the nurturing of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers during the Sunday School hour and in extended session.  We commit to prayer and support seeking growth in participation in these areas.

·        We are grateful for the Parents’ Night Out program, the Fall Festival, and the Spring Fling which are all open to community participation.

·        We celebrate a vibrant student ministry and the financial support provided by church members to assist with its activities.  We rejoice that our student ministry includes missions and servant leadership opportunities as well as in depth Bible study

·        We acknowledge that the college and international populations in Arkadelphia are great assets.  We are grateful for the student adoption ministry and for outreach to internationals as well as caring Sunday School classes. We seek to strengthen and to under gird our outreach to these groups. 

·        We are thankful for adult Sunday School classes which minister to class members and to the congregation as a whole.

·        We appreciate the strong Young at Heart senior adult program.

·        We are thankful to have volunteers who work with the Hospice program.

·        We support the deacons in their work and in the Widows in Need program.

·        We celebrate a strong, active Church Committee system.

·        We honor all the dedicated workers involved in these and other ministries.

·        We will seek God’s leadership and direction for expanded and new ministries including seeking ways to minister to young adults in the community. 

·        We give thanks for and pledge our support to our ministry staff as they seek to equip all church members for service.

As a church body we challenge each other to pray, work, tithe, and financially support these programs and ministries.  As a congregation, we commit these works and these workers to God and ask His continued blessings upon them and upon First Baptist Church, Arkadelphia.

This Identity Statement was adopted by First Baptist Church on November 13, 2005.