FBC Missions

We have a very active short-term missions program here at First Baptist Church. We believe that STM is a great way for people to get involved and have a life-changing experience in working to further the Lord’s Kingdom.

Each year we commission anywhere from 6-10 short-term teams that travel to diverse areas such as New Orleans, Mexico, Mozambique, Italy, and Thailand. These teams usually have a project focus but as any short-term missionary can attest, plans are ALWAYS subject to change. Past projects have included construction, ESL, pastor training, and prayer walking.

Although we have teams go out throughout the year, the ideal preparation time frame and process is the same. On average, a team will have anywhere from eight months to a year to get ready for a mission trip. While this may seem like a long time, there are crucial elements to a STM that require adequate preparation.

First Baptist Church’s STM program does not have set opportunities year after year because we are uniquely field-driven in our work. This means that each year we ask our full-time supported missionaries if there is a particular project or service that a short-term team could provide. Both the destination of the STM and the skills needed on the team are dependent on the response from the field.

The next step is to secure a team leader for the STM. This leader will usually have previous STM experience and will have gone through our team leader training. In the past, we have conducted the team leader training ourselves. Recently, we have partnered with Delta Ministries who provides us with their considerable STM field experience and specially formulated curriculum addressing all aspects of the STM process from getting ready to going to what you do when you come back.

If you are interested in being a team leader, you must attend the team leader training on a regular basis. The environment of missions is always changing and attending the training will not only give you the opportunity to further develop your skills as a leader in a safe, well-designed setting, it will provide you with the essential information needed to be effective on the field.

Once we have found a leader for one of our short-term missions opportunities we begin the recruitment process. We are typically looking for individuals who are church members, active and committed in a church ministry, culturally sensitive, spiritually strong, and most importantly feel the Lord’s call to go.

When the team has been formed, several months are spent in preparation consisting of team meetings (itineraries, plane tickets, packing, etc.), team trainings (not to be confused with team meetings) where you work on becoming a unified group, and support raising. Then it is time to depart!

Each mission is unique and we hope that teams are a blessing to the people they serve and are in turn, blessed by doing the work the Lord has called them to do. Upon return, we hope the trip has been an eye-opening experience that can have long-lasting effects in your spiritual life. By having report sessions and celebrations, teams are given the opportunity to share the blessing with the congregation, of which many individuals participated by contributing their prayers and support.

Please use the toolbar on the right-hand side of this page to find out more about short-term missions at First Baptist Church. In the categories section you may click on the relevant topic which will take you to each STM blog. In the pages section you may visit our STM photo gallery.

Do you feel the Lord’s call? For more information, please contact us at the church office.

*This page is under construction and will be updated soon.