....................................................................................................................................."a fellowship of love!"
It has been said that, “Baptists and kudzu are taking over the South.”What once was true about living in the buckle of the “Bible Belt” has been changing in recent years.Many people now move into our community without any church affiliation.Yet, we at First Baptist still believe that the church has something vital to offer both individuals and families. First Baptist Church of Barnesville is a growing, regional fellowship of believers in middle Georgia located about midway between Atlanta and Macon.Our goal is to love God and share His love with others through a balanced blend of biblical priorities.Those priorities include celebrating God’s presence through worship, demonstrating God’s mercy through ministry, communicating God’s grace through witnessing, and developing God’s people through discipleship. We believe: ·That God loves you and wants you to come to know the joy of His salvation.Therefore, we actively seek to share the good news of Jesus with all who will listen. ·That people are looking for God’s answers to their daily problems.Therefore, we give the Bible, God’s Word, the primary place of authority in our church. ·That church needs to be encouraging and uplifting. So, we plan worship services that are celebrative amidst an atmosphere of acceptance. ·That every believer needs an outlet for service.Therefore, we encourage all members to discover their spiritual gift(s) and put them to use in ministry. ·That people matter more than programs.It is for that reason that we are always looking for new ways of reaching people with the old story of Jesus.
·That God wants to do a great work through our church in Lamar County.For that reason, we are committed to growing into the kind of church that God will bless.
ABOUT OUR BELIEFS...
First Baptist Church of Barnesville is a church that believes in "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). A church that neglects "truth" is permissive and ultimately harms the people it pretends to help. A church that neglects "love" is cold and too callous to help people.
When it comes to truth claims, the Bible is our final authority for answering all of the important questions of faith and life. We believe that "the faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3) is sufficient for all our needs today. Our theology centers around those fundamental beliefs that all Christians have in common:
The Virgin Conception of Christ (Matthew 1: 18-25)
The Sinless life of Christ (John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15)
The Atoning Death of Christ (Romans 5:8)
The Bodily Resurrection of Christ (Matthew 28: 1-6)
The Visible Second Coming of Christ (Acts 1:11)
The risen Christ left His church marching orders: to take the GOOD NEWS of His salvation to people everywhere (Matthew 28: 19-20). Knowing that all people have failed and are hurting because of sin, love compels us to seek to reach hurting humanity with the only permanent solution - a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Once a person comes to Christ in saving faith, then the great goal of the Christian life is to grow in Christ-likeness.
Information for Your First Time at FirstBaptist. . . .
To get the most out of your visit, may we recommend that you:
* Take advantage of our caring, well-supervised preschool area (age 5 and under) for all services. Your young children will be much happier with our nurturing volunteers who provide a warm and secure environment. Those seated around you will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Ushers or Greeters will be happy to guide you to our preschool area.
*We invite your children (grades 1-6) to join us. There are loving and caring adults with planned activities and Bible stories waiting to teach your child at 9:45 Sunday School and 11:00 Children's Worship. Please ask one of our Ushers or Greeters to take you to or Sunday School or Children's Worship areas.
*Please complete a Communication Card in the pew rack. Use it to request more information about First Baptist, a visit from a church staff member, or to enroll in our new member class "Discovery 101." Please place it in the offering plate.
*Do not feel obligated to participate in the offering. The offering is for members and regular attenders who consider First Baptist their church home. As out guest, we only ask that you return your Communication Card.
HOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER?
Over the past decade, hundreds of people have taken the step from regular attendance to becoming a member of this family of faith. If you are looking for a church home in the Barnesville area, we hope you will, too!
To become a member of First Baptist, you need to:
trust and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord
be baptized by immersion (under water) as a believer to symbolize your salvation
complete our Discovering Church Membership (Discovery 101) class
You may indicate your desire to become a member by completing the communications card found on the back of the pew. Then, either bring it to the pastor at the front of the sanctuary at "invitation" time, or you may place it in the offering plate. Either way, we will be back in touch with you about how to take the next step and become a member of the First Baptist Barnesville church family.