SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH C O N W A Y, A R
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2018 ANNUAL REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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The Numbers
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Stories
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Vision
F RO M PA S T O R J O S H What a great year! I say that, but I have only been with you for the last little part. I realize that for many of you the year was tough as it relates to church and life. There were sad and confusing moments. Those experiences can take the wind out of your sails and make you feel defeated. We are not defeated. By God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit we have done great things this year. We have shared the Gospel through acts of ser vice and generosity. Our 2ND Family has provided a place in this community where people of all backgrounds can be taught the life-giving words of King Jesus. You did well in the area of finances. While many other churches would have held back financially you have continued to push forward. Many of you went across the nation on mission trips and disaster relief efforts.
Through our Harkrider Campus we have provided a place for the hungr y to be fed, the hurt to be healed, churches to be housed and much more. God has done fantastic work in and through you. As I moved to Arkansas and met with pastors and Baptist leaders across the state I have heard of the reputation that Second Baptist Conway has. Ever yone tells me this is a strong church. A church that is generous and missional. We have lots yet to do. Exciting opportunities lay ahead and we are fortunate to be standing in a place from which God can launch a movement. What you hold in your hands is a celebration. In this, we remember just some of what God has done this year and we look forward to what He will do in and through us next year. Until ever yone in Conway is invited twice to Second and many make Second Baptist their Second Family!
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We will celebrate all that God has done in us, through us, and around us. Every number has a name, every name has a story, and every story matters to God.
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CHURCH GROWTH
Baptisms Both of my kids have been attending Second since they were born. Our son Dylan was saved and baptized and since that day our daughter Kayleigh had been asking questions. The questions became more serious over 2 years, and this past summer she went to VBS. That night she was asking lots of questions and when I picked her up from VBS the next morning, she told me she had talked to Mrs. Stephanie and had become a Christian! It was the best day ever! The next Sunday she was baptized. She was so excited because her VBS friends would be there to see it since they were singing that morning. She said “There can’t be a better time.” It was also Father’s Day, so her daddy got a special Father’s Day
1273
people walked through our doors for the first time
1301
at our highest attended service this past year!
217
people that are serving at 2ND on Sunday mornings
gift that year.
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890
people currently in a life-giving small group
Small Groups My family has attended Second since we moved to Conway! I grew up in this church, but attended another during my latter years of high school & college. My parents co-lead a young marrieds small group & my husband & I visited a few times when we were newly married. Our small group was what hooked us. I could cry thinking about how truly blessed we are to have
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found such AWESOME people to do life with. Having been a member of this church for some time, I’ve seen the hills & valleys we’ve gone through & I have watched God’s hand lead us through it all. It is truly a blessing to have #MY2NDFAM!
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NEXT GEN
539 688 60 7
children attended Vacation Bible School of the next generation invested in Sunday small groups students attended Big Chill Discipleship weekend
371
people on our campus at Pancakes & Peppermints
on our campus 275 families at The Drop people on our campus 270 for MDWK activities 8
Fostering the next Generation
“It’s such a joy to worship with our college students each week. God is doing something big in Conway, and we are excited to be a part of it!”
college students involved in D-Groups and constantly growing!
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college students serving in various ministry areas
70
college students attending the new college small group 9
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We must be faithful about praying for the next generation. We must pray with our children, have family devotional times, and tell them about Jesus.
When our family moved to Conway we were searching for a church home. We have two sons - one named Cooper with special needs. We quickly found that finding a church home for a special needs child can be challenging. While working at the church preschool, I noticed there was a “Retreat Room” that looked like Peds Plus, where Cooper went to school & received therapy. I asked Stephanie about it and was told it was a room for kids that need a little extra attention during services. She encouraged me to bring Cooper. That was one of the first church services my husband and I got to sit through for the entire message. We walked back to get Cooper, and were bracing for what the worker would say. She said “He did GREAT!! He is such a fun little guy!” I wanted to cry. We had finally found a church that not only accepted Cooper, but saw what WE saw in him and what Jesus sees in him because HE made Cooper! Over time we became members, and Cooper transitioned to the 4-year-old room. He asks for Ms. Jamie, his Sunday school teacher, by name. He loves his “church school” and he gets a hug from Ainslee every time he walks into the Cove hallway. That might not sound like a big deal, but for Cooper it is huge!
I have close friends at 2ND who know and love Cooper like family. I never forgot bringing my worries to them and them laying their hands on me to pray for me and Cooper, saying that Jesus made me Cooper’s mom for a reason and that Cooper is made perfectly by God. We are a 2ND family, because 2ND Baptist took us in like family. Not because we were perfect, not because we could give lots of money or had nice clothes. We are none of those things. Just the other day, I was talking to Cooper over dinner. He looked at me and said “Jesus is up there?” and he pointed up. And I said yes, Jesus is in Heaven. And he replied, “He is coming back down, he wants to get us.” He learned this from 2ND, he heard this and it stayed in his heart. That is why we love 2ND. When we come to church, we are with our favorite people at our favorite place.
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MISSIONS
Second Baptist Missions
The Construction Team has worked the last 3 years in Belize with World Gospel Outreach helping with construction of facilities: missionary housing, bunk houses, a dining hall, an equipment storage building,
people who went on mission local missions
a water supply building and a Mission Activity Center. The Base is used to host various mission teams who share the
international missions
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gospel through meeting needs and establishing relationships. This year the team met some teenage boys that were in a hostel, which would be called a Youth Detention Center in AR. We visited the boys on a Sunday and each team member shared some of their life story and faith journey. Later that week, ten of the boys worked alongside us to build a structure for housing pigs that the boys were responsible for taking care of. The work wasn’t glamorous, but the time spent speaking encouragement, truth and hope into the lives of these young
We gave
$178,766 to missions
We went on mission to
Philadelphia, Belize Armenia, India, Dubai
men was a real blessing. We ended our time with the boys in a game of basketball, with trash talking on both sides, and a time of
sore muscles, a 2x4 in the mouth, nails in the foot, vertigo
prayer. We continue praying for these
and a missed return flight in Dallas, but God got us through
young men to make good choices and
it all. It was all worth it, trusting God to use the team’s efforts
lead productive, faith filled lives.
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Throughout the trip we experienced insect bites, sunburns,
to further His Kingdom Work.
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Outreach
Pounds of food donated at Feed the Need
19,000 Children served at School Supply Saturday
750
“Happies� gifts given to teachers
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1437 Students served at Dorm Storm 236 OCC Boxes Packed
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Children in the Reading Program Volunteers at the Fall Festival
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Wow...You all truly have been a Godsend to our school. You guys have truly gone above and beyond pouring into our students and for that we are grateful! Thank you for providing school supplies for our students. Many of our families who attend simply cannot afford supplies for all their children. Seeing the faces of your volunteers reading to our students is a highlight of our week. Some of our students have no one at home to help them learn to read. You are standing in the gap to show our students how important literacy is.
Your outpouring of love to our teachers is phenomenal. You guys have provided so many encouraging treats for us. This helps our teachers to know that someone sees what they are doing and appreciates their efforts. We know that if we have a need, we can come to you and your congregation will gladly do whatever you can to help. Thank you for being important in the lives of our teachers, our families, and our children.�
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Over time God leads us through circumstances and places. These become our stories and who we are. As we share those stories we share what God has done. Our stories are God’s glory.
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In times of trouble, humans seem to always run towards God and I was no exception. It was a low for me which at the time was saying something because I was sure that I only had good times ahead. My marriage was in shambles and we were at a point of no return. He was abusive and I had already stayed far too long. I had my boys who were 12 and 1 at the time and knew that I couldn’t keep letting them see me in that way. So I left and went looking for God in a church. I visited a few in Conway but they didn’t feel like home. Finally, I went to service on Sunday at 2ND Baptist. I can’t remember what the sermon was, just that it resonated with me. This was also during the time that I met Andrea and Jay Lennon. They prayed with me and Carlton, my ex-husband. They were wonderful and I hope they know how much I appreciated that. I brought my sons with me the next time and after service asked my oldest if he liked being there. He replied with a resounding, “yeah I had fun!” I can’t tell you how that felt! It was feeling like we had found our place. Fast forward to four months later, I went to a Discover class and the rest is history. I was looking for God in a church but found a home for us all. Two years later, we are still going strong and all three of us enjoy everything about our 2ND Family! We love you all!
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It was 1993 and Tim and I were dating/engaged. His job had just relocated him to Conway, and I lived in Little Rock. Since we planned to be married we began visiting Conway churches. We happened into what was at the time the Wednesday Prayer meeting. It was only attended by senior adults. But they fawned over having “young people” there and loved on us so much we just kept going. Several gave us wedding gifts, but we most remember Brother Joe Bailey (longtime member and deacon). He gave us a very nice set of towels and a cassette tape of himself playing guitar and singing hymns-on the flip side he yodeled. Since then we have experienced babies, projects, prayer warrior friends, learning, teaching, Awana, deaths, more babies, teenagers, youth work, overseas missions, at-home missions, lost people we prayed for becoming totally new people... Everyone says time flies but you don’t understand that until you’ve been on the ride. There have been a LOT of twists and turns at 2ND. But GOD has never failed us. He is good. And I thank him for #MY2NDFAM.
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Six years ago I met a member of Second at Chick-fil-A and she invited me. I remember her telling me what Sunday school class she was in and I just showed up one Sunday morning. I felt so welcomed and accepted. They immediately became my second family. Our family has been through so much and 2ND has always been there for us, encouraging us and praying for us! When I was hospitalized with RMSF they rallied around my family and helped meet so many of our needs that if unmet, would’ve left us in a very destitute situation. I am forever grateful for #MY2NDFAM. They are a blessing to me and my family and we know God has firmly planted us there to serve others and extend the same love that was extended to us in our time of need. Just this past Easter my husband and two of my three children made the commitment to follow Christ in baptism. Since then God has done a work in our lives that I can only describe as a miracle and we know that it’s because of the love, prayers, and unwavering support of #MY2NDFAM. We are so excited to be a part of what God is doing in this beautiful body of Christ!
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Our God is alive and active. For the entire 2,000 year history of the church God has been moving people out into the community to show and share the love of Christ to all. At this point we eagerly anticipate what He is going to do. We look forward to being part of the mission, here and around the world.
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VISION
How has Second Baptist become your Second Family?
“Let’s join together to invite everyone we know to 2ND until everyone has been invited twice. Let’s make sure they have a chance to make Second Baptist their Second Family.” - Josh King
This year we changed our emphasis from chronological to familial.
3,642 reached
We are reaching the city of Conway through media. “If half of this church is half highest social media reach of any post google searches in a month
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7.6 K 20K
as nice as that guy, we can reach the whole world for Jesus. Go and be intentionally sacrificial so that someone can hear about Jesus.”
This space is reserved for your friend, coworker, neighbor
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new members joined our church this year
How will God use you to fill these empty spaces in 2019?
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BUDGET
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Looking ahead! Ahead of us are great opportunities to make much of Jesus in Faulkner County and around the world. Just a few of these opportunities are: A renewed and vibrant Student Ministr y. With the addition of our new Student Minister and the quality trained volunteers we have had joining in, I believe we can make a real impact in the lives of students in and around Conway for the Gospel. A growing college presence. It is no accident that we are sitting here across the street from the University of Central Arkansas. God has positioned us and called us to reach those students with the Gospel. Knowing that up to 50% of all UCA students will stay in Conway after graduating, we should lean ever stronger into the students that are here. The other 50% we will send around the world with the Gospel and the ability to share it.
Strong, intentional Small Groups. In 2019 we will work to mobilize our Small Groups as the front door to the Second Family. It is in the Small Group that people will see and hear the Gospel. They will build relationships that will last far past the Sunday morning worship gathering and they will deepen their faith as peers challenge them to walk further with Jesus than they ever have. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in these ministries as He continues to work in all of our other efforts. Let’s join together to invite ever yone we know to Second Baptist until ever yone has been invited twice and make sure they all have a chance to make Second Baptist their Second Family. This is going to be great! Josh King Lead Pastor
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