The present step: The vision where are we going specifically Our purpose in context of who we and who our community is

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1 1 THE GO-TO CHURCH Heb 10: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Introduction The process up to date The Purpose Statement o Begin in May of 2011 staff meets for a day at BBA o Share with groups in church o Vote as a church to amend constitution o Video which was shown in church o First Baptist exists to grow a Christ-exalting, loving, evangelistic, maturing church. Examining Who we are o Listing our core values what is important to us o Surveying our church over 250 adults Examining Where we are o Demographic study of Seguin o Survey of community leaders How are we doing o Presentation by Robby Partain & JK Minton o About 100 members meet to come to consensus on our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers The present step: The vision where are we going specifically Our purpose in context of who we and who our community is The last step: the plan how are we going to get there will have another meeting of membership shortly Where are we at Attendance has been steady at around 350 in Sunday School for several years Budget offerings have been steady at around $750,000 for several years while inflation has been going up. Money budgeted for utilities, insurance and other nonnegotiables has been going up, forcing our budget for ministry items to go down. Baptisms have been per year, around 5% of our average Sunday School attendance. This comes as the population in an eight mile ring around our church is increasing at a rate of about 750 people per year.

2 2 We are 93% Anglo in attendance, while Seguin over the next three years will become over 50% Hispanic. Our facilities are aging outside of our auditorium, facilities were listed as a barrier by many. Our nursery facilities are split between two different buildings with multiple entrances on each of them, the restrooms in the fellowship hall are inadequate for the building, we lack good parking, and one of our parking lots floods when we get a good rain. Where are we going: Connecting People to Serve Seguin Imagine with me Church filled every Sunday morning with people worshipping the Lord More people of different ethnic backgrounds worshipping together Someone baptized every week as they commit their life to be a follower of Jesus People going out and living the gospel in the community People in Seguin saying I don t know what is going on over at that church, but something is happening The community saying That is the church you go to if you have a need in your life. Connect to each other: 500 people in Bible Study Fellowship Groups / Sunday School Classes by 2015 o Heb 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. o An increase of over 10% per year for the next three years o In step 4, we saw that our small group (Sunday School) attendance has been flat at an average of 350 for years. o Part of our purpose from step 1 is to be a loving and maturing church. To accomplish this, members need to relate to each other and have a knowledge of the Bible. The primary means we seek to accomplish this as a church is through small groups. o Moving from 350 to 500 in average attendance is a huge increase, but we feel that it can be accomplished. o Facilities were listed as a weakness in our church, and we will need to make the best use possible of our space on Sunday mornings and likely make upgrades to our facilities to grow our small groups. Connect to God: Baptizing 10% of our average Sunday School attendance each year o Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. o Matt 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching

3 3 them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. o This is double what we are averaging in baptisms right now o When we reach 500 in attendance, this will mean 50 baptisms per year, or one per week on average o Jesus said Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven. When we serve our community, we want to do so in such a way that they glorify the Father. o In step 1, we stated part of our purpose was to be an evangelistic church. o Currently we baptize 5% of our average small group attendance each year, so this amounts to twice as many baptisms. o In step 4, our greatest opportunity was said to be local evangelism. We want to work hard in this area to reach more people with the gospel. Connect Ethnic Groups: At least 10% of our attendance non-anglo o Col 3:10-11 put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. o Rev 7:9-10 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" o Our church survey in step 2 indicated that our church was comprised of 7% on non-anglos while our community analysis in step 3 indicated our community was comprised of 55% non-anglos. We realize we are, and will likely always be, a predominantly Anglo church, we feel it is important to make a more focused effort to reaching out to the broader demographics of our community and need to move in that direction. o In step 4, we identified one of our opportunities as cross cultural ministries. o This is not a large increase, but when we have 500 in Sunday School attendance, this means that at least 50 will be non-anglo Serve Seguin: 25% of our average attendance participating in some type of service to Seguin o Heb 10:23 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, o Matt 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. o When we have 500 in Sunday School, this means 125 people serving in the community. Our preschoolers aren t likely to be involved here, so it means closer to 50% of our adults in Sunday School.

4 4 o Currently a variety of ministries: Christian Cupboard, mentoring at Seguin Youth Services, building ramps, and other ministries. We envision this aspect of our church increasing. o In step 2, the church stated that we would like to be equally involved in local missions and world missions. While we place a large emphasis on world mission, we need to begin placing a greater emphasis on Seguin. o When we surveyed leaders in our community in step 3, there was a widespread response that churches needed to be more involved in the community. o In step 4, we identified one of our major opportunities to be in the area of community involvement. o with an emphasis on SISD The single area of the community which was most often indicated in our community survey in step 3 as needing help was the public school system, with unmotivated students, teen pregnancy, drugs, lack of parental involvement and parenting skills. In our church survey in step 2, the greatest single area of employment was in the area of public education, with members who are current or formerly employed in this area. Why do we need to take the trip Seguin is in desperate need of the good news of Jesus o We live in a culture which is becoming more secularized, more people who never go to church o Needs in our community are huge Children having children Parent s not knowing how to parent Demographic changes in church o Even if we continue same attendance, we will have to cut ministries because of budget o When I came 10 years ago, oldest adult department averaged 105, now it averages 35 o Preschool departments growing, but bed babies on average don t have much income God has given us the opportunity o To whom much is given, much is required o Financial stability o Educational background God has given us the command o so much the more as you see the Day approaching o We need to be about the Master s business Conclusion Acts 17:1-6 They came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the

5 Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ." 4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. 5