AN ENDURING VISION: FAITH IN ACTION
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH TROY
AN ENDURING VISION: FAITH IN ACTION
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
SEPTEMBER 15
Commitment Cards Due
Please return all commitment cards to the church financial secretary or place in the offering plate by this date. The commitments will help determine the progress of the campaign.
SEPTEMBER 22
Victory Luncheon
The Victory Luncheon will be held in the Family Life Center immediately following morning church service to celebrate and announce the commitments made for this campaign. The church will provide the meal and RSVPs will be requested to help with meal preparations.
CAMPAIGN FOCUS IN SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES
On Sunday, August 25, all adult Sunday School classes will be presented a lesson centered on giving, specifically sacrificial giving. We hope this lesson will prepare us all to look at what God would have us do in response to our “Enduring Vision: Faith in Action” campaign. The focal Biblical passage for the lesson will be 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. I would encourage you to not only read that passage but all of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Be ready to discuss those passages and let us look forward – together – to what God has spoken to use relative to giving, generosity, and our hearts’ response to God’s kingdom and the needs of people.
FROM THE PASTOR
Dr. Ross Lankford
Building projects can often be very trying on churches. Everyone is uncomfortable talking about money and giving, especially in a difficult economy. That’s why I find the passage in Exodus 36 so fascinating. The Lord told Moses to build it and exactly as he showed him. After the work was underway, the workers came to tell Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done. 6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the
sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.”
On May 19, the day the church affirmed to move forward with our campus renovations, I preached on this passage of Scripture and stated that nothing would make a Baptist preacher happier than to be told to get up and tell the church to STOP GIVING because they were bringing “more than enough.”
We’ve already received pledges and gifts, and we have just gotten started! It is such a blessing to be part of a church family so eager to give for the work of the Lord. The Lord will honor such faith! He loves generous and cheerful givers!
Let’s keep it going!
Church members enjoyed learning more about the progress of the building projects during the Ice Cream Social on Sunday, Aug. 11.
Program Director Suzanne Taylor announces the launch of the campaign during Sunday morning service on August 11.
A SHORT HISTORY OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH TROY
As you can see from this brief timeline of the history of First Baptist Church Troy, our forefathers made commitments and sacrifices that brought our church to its present location and set in motion ministries and programs that have served the church and community well over many years. The current Steering Committee decided to honor our forefathers by using their “Vision” theme in the naming of our current campaign. It is now our opportunity with “An Enduring Vision: Faith in Action” campaign to make sacrificial commitments for the continued growth of our church and offer even greater possibilities for future generations.
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
TESTIMONIES OF FAITHFULNESS IN GIVING
DAVID BARNES
The Lord called Day & me to First Baptist Church over 40 years ago when we moved to Alabama. We have been the beneficiaries of a loving and supportive family of believers ever since and have been privileged to use facilities that previous generations sacrificed for. When ‘Building With Vision’ was launched in 1995 to address overdue renovations to the Sanctuary and campus, we whole heartedly supported it with our energies and resources over and above our normal commitments.
The opportunity now presents itself to collectively address longterm needs on the campus that will serve generations to come long after we are gone. Through the years we have served the Lord and His church with our talents and resources, raised our children in the church and witnessed their professions of faith and baptisms, and so, it is with grateful hearts that we will sacrificially support these legacy improvements that will serve the needs of other families for decades to come.
DANNY GRAHAM
When we began our first fund raising campaign (1996), to renovate the sanctuary many years ago, I was at the point that I needed to replace my vehicle due to its age and mileage. I prayed about it and was convinced to pledge the amount that I would have spent on replacing my older vehicle. I also asked God to make my older vehicle last through the next three years, and He did.
At the time we had children in college and God was faithful to provide the funds that we needed and as a result, we were able to meet our pledge.
When the second fund raising campaign (2005) began, it was a no brainer. I knew that God would provide, and He did. We met our pledge for the campaign also.
I feel that God will do the same as we pray and give to our “Enduring with Vision campaign “.
Upon reflecting on previous Capital Funding Campaigns in which I have been involved, I offer the following observations:
They have been well organized and executed. Their need was obvious; one for renovation of the sanctuary and another for building another facility. They achieved their stated goals and the results were beautiful and to God’s Glory.
The Leaders led by example …. Similar to Acts 4 and 5, funds were obtained by reserve resources, labor and/ or by selling personal possessions. They were gathered over a 3-year period.
Previously, money was borrowed and repaid. The endeavor was entered by faith and the goals were achieved. The Lord’s Word tells us to walk by faith and not by sight. Jesus tells us in Luke 6:38 that our faithfulness in this regard will be richly rewarded.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Q: What is the purpose for “An Enduring Vision: Faith in Action” program?
A: The purpose of “An Enduring Vision: Faith in Action” is to provide capital commitment over a three-year period provide $1,000,000 for completing renovations to the FBC Activities Building and to the W.G. Chancey Building. The $2.5 million and $3.5 million goals above and beyond are for future renovations to the Education Building and to meet other church maintenance needs as they arise. Our goal is to keep our church property in tip top shape for generations to come!
Q: How long does this program last?
A. 156 weeks or 3 years, beginning September 29, 2024.
Q: Why pledge over a 3-year period rather than some other method?
A. You are free to participate according to the schedule which works best for you. Experience in churches similar to ours indicates that most families find it easier to participate in weekly or regular intervals over an extended period. Three years seems to be long enough but not too long as families plan and pledge their giving.
Q: How much am I going to be asked to give?
A. The theme for giving is “Not Equal Gifts, but Equal Sacrifice.” The amount you commit to is determined by what you determine, after prayer, is what God would have you do.
Q: When and where will my commitment be made?
A: There are several options for completing and returning your commitment card.
• You can go online to REALM to complete a commitment card.
• If you wish to have a commitment visit, the commitment visitor can accept your sealed commitment card to return to the church Financial Secretary.
• You can mail your sealed commitment card to the church office.
• You can return your sealed commitment card on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at the worship service.
Q: When will we know how much the was committed for the campaign?
We plan to announce a final tally on Celebration Sunday, September 22, 2024.
CAMPAIGN GOALS
TIM EAKES