Stewardship Month Begins

Sisters and Brothers of First Baptist Church, 

What an exciting year this has been! We began 2024 without a senior pastor, with a nascent pastoral search committee, and had yet to experience the blessing of a sermon from our interim pastor. Now, as we close the year, we rejoice in welcoming our new senior pastor, Rev. Dr. Kevin Van Hook, along with his family—Vicki and Olivia—who have become part of our First Baptist Family.

Reflecting on this journey, I would like to propose Hebrews 11:1 as our stewardship theme for 2025: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” This verse speaks directly to the heart of stewardship, where faith leads us to act in trust, even when the results are not immediately visible. It is through faith that we plant the seeds for tomorrow, trusting in God’s promises and provision.

Throughout the rich history of this congregation, we have seen time and again how God has been faithful. When we step out in faith, God meets our needs, often in ways we could never have anticipated. This faithfulness is not merely a story from our past—it continues to be our living testimony. When we give generously of our time, talents, and treasures, God multiplies those gifts, enabling us to do even more for His kingdom.

As we move forward together, I ask you to consider how your giving can help shape the future of our church. The more we give of ourselves as a congregation, the more we can offer in terms of programs, outreach, and support for those in need. We have a proud history of mission: trips to Nicaragua, monthly food distribution in our community, and our involvement with PADS, which empowers women in our midst. We also have strong programs to share with our community, such as the Christmas Pageant, HELP productions, Vacation Bible School, and youth and children’s ministries. None of these programs would exist without your financial support.

Yet, the opportunity remains to expand our reach—to serve more people, deepen our discipleship, and become an even brighter beacon of God’s love in our community. But we cannot do this without your faithful partnership.

I encourage you to prayerfully consider how God may be calling you to step out in faith through your financial giving. Whether continuing your current support or embracing a new level of generosity, remember that God honors our faithfulness. As we trust in Him, we will continue to see His faithfulness unfold in the life of our church. Together, let us press forward in faith, trusting in what we cannot yet see, knowing that God will provide abundantly as we work to further His kingdom.

Pledge cards are being mailed out the first week of the month. We would ask you to fill these out with an indication of your intentions to give next year. Completing your pledge helps the Property and Finance team prayerfully allocate resources in 2025. We will be collecting these as part of our service on Sunday November 24th. If you are unavailable to worship with us in person that day please use the enclosed envelope to mail them to the church office.

In Christ’s service,
Daniel J Brown