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MISSION FIRST BAPTIST KNOXVILLE 2015

Mission publication 2015

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Page 1: Mission publication 2015

M I S S I O NF I R S T B A P T I S T K N O X V I L L E

2015

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It is no secret that mission is at the center of my heart. The reason is that I believe it is at the center of God’s heart. As God makes His covenant with Abraham, we hear that God’s intention is for His people to be instruments of mission for the world. In Genesis 12:2, we hear God speak: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (NSRV). God expects that those who claim Him, and who are blessed by Him, will in turn be the means for blessing the world.

In the Prophets, we hear the missional call become even more personal. Isaiah 58:6-8 calls the worshiper to “loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free.” He provides further instructions: “share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them” (NRSV). In these verses and the ones that follow, Isaiah sees these acts as indicative of the worshipers’ renewed relationship with God and their ability to act as a point of blessing to the world.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry we watch him feed those who are hungry, heal those who are sick, and speak words of hope and redemption to those who are lost and living outside a relationship with God. In the shadows of the resurrection tomb, in Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus issues The Great Commission, which is echoed in Acts 1:8 with Jesus teaching: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We love and serve a God who comes for us in a grand act of redemption. He sends us into our city and world to be His hands and feet. He calls us to do mission in word and deed that all may come to “declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.” I thank God we are on this journey together.

Grace and Peace,

Tom

All my life I have felt a pressing need to help and provide for others in the name of Jesus. This is a result of being discipled at an early age and learning what being a follower of Christ means. Part of that learning includes how we are to serve others. I have always believed the following scripture should ring true in our daily lives: “…use whatever gifts you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). As Christ served others, we are also to serve others. I am glad we at First Baptist Knoxville serve by providing for those within our church, in our community, and around the world.

Though serving is important, we must remember whom we serve and why. We place our eternal salvation in Christ, and the world needs to hear of that salvation. In Mark 16:15, Jesus instructs His disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” “All creation” does, in fact, include sharing the gospel with those on our doorstep, within our community, and around the world.

I firmly believe First Baptist is following Christ’s instructions by serving others in Jesus’ name. I am honored to be a part of this body of Christ as we reach the world for Him by serving others and preaching the gospel to all creation.

Blessings,

Arthur

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.Sing to the Lord, praise his name;

Proclaim his salvation day after day.Psalm 96:1-2

A Note From TomSenior Pastor

A Note From ArthurDirector of Congregational Mission

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c o n t e n t s

t h e h o w a n d w h y

20 ................................................................. Congregational Mission

22 ............................................................. Local & Regional Mission

26 ........................................................... National & Global Mission

30 ............................................................................. Mission Education

8........................................................Young Adult South Africa Trip

10 ............................................ God Has a Way: Jordan Humler

12 ................................................ Life-On-Life: Amanda Houser

16 ................................................................... Youth Puerto Rico Trip

17 ................................................................................. Missy in Uganda

3 .............................................................. Guiding Mission Principles

4 .................................................................................... Global Statistics

l i v i n g m i s s i o n

m i s s i o n p a r t n e r s

m i s s i o n f u n d i n g

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m i s s i o n&h o w w h y

Mission is not just an idea, but a way of life. It is Christ-centered, relational, collaborative, transformational, and lived out in word and deed. In the next few pages, First Baptist Knoxville will explain how and why we engage in mission, and

how you can get involved in God’s story for our community and world.

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Guiding Mission PrinciplesIn the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus shared a passage from Isaiah that shapes

how we see his ministry here on earth. On a hillside in Galilee, Matthew tells us that Jesus gave his disciples The Great Commission. In Acts, we hear we are to be His

witnesses in Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea, and to the ends of the Earth. Jesus uses these words and others to call us to be part of the redemptive mission of God.

Mission is the natural result of being a disciple of Jesus. At First Baptist Knoxville, we take the call to join God’s mission seriously. The words we use to describe living out

our sense of mission in the world matter. Five principles shape how we choose to live out our missional call:

Christ-centeredMany people do good deeds as expressions of

compassion or benevolence. While we appreciate these endeavors, we believe we are called to more. Who we are and what we do must be Christ-centered, emerging from the love on display in Jesus Christ’s life and ministry, and reflecting Christ’s redemptive mission. We seek to be Christ’s hands, feet, and voice in the midst of our community, throughout our region, and across the globe. (Philippians 2:1-11, John 20:31, Colossians 2:6-7)

RelationalOver and again we see the Gospels paint pictures of Jesus

engaging with people face-to face and heart-to-heart. We are called not only to be resources for others, but also to join them and be actively engaged in their lives. We are committed to a mission born in relationship, in which we seek to know and invest in those we serve through our various mission expressions. (John 4:1-42, Mark 2:13, Luke 5:1-11)

CollaborativeWe understand we are just one expression of the Body

of Christ, each bringing unique gifts and skills to the table. We seek to live out our call in a spirit of collaboration with other organizations and congregations so that together we might have the strongest possible impact for the Kingdom. This commitment invites us to work with a diversity of indigenous leaders, missionary personnel, mission organizations, and community partners that share our heart, our faith, and locational priorities. You can learn more about our collaborative partners in our Mission Partners section. (Ephesians 4:1-6, I Cor. 12:12-20, II Cor. 8:1-15)

TransformationalWe are committed to live out our missional expressions

in ways that help transform people’s lives. While we may provide resources to help meet short-term needs, our desire is to avoid fostering dependent relationships, and instead, to help people move toward a sustaining and fulfilling future with God. (II Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 4:14-21, Acts 3:1-10)

Lived out in Word and DeedThroughout the Gospels, we see Jesus meeting people at

their place of need and bringing God’s word meaningfully into their lives. Christ’s model of word and deed compels us to do likewise. We are called to step into people’s lives, whether in the midst of hunger or homelessness or the struggle to find community or employment, and to do so in a fashion where compassion, born in Christ’s love and the gospel story’s truth, is displayed. (Matthew 10:5-8, Mark 6:30-44, Colossians 3:12-17)

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F irst Baptist Knoxville purposefully and meaningfully engages in God’s Great Commission in three different dimensions. We are pouring ourselves

into our community, growing our engagement in our region and nation, and continuing to find our place in the world. This corresponding map shows the status of evangelization in our world. It illustrates people’s ability to access the gospel. World A and B together are comprised of almost 70% of the Earth population. This means on over half of the Earth, the gospel has either never been heard or embraced. Only 32% of the Earth’s population has ready access to the Bible and/or gospel.*

As our congregation continues to find its place in God’s Great Commission, we will work toward a growing strategic engagement in World A and World B. We already live into this commitment through partnership efforts among internationals and refugees, as well as, in our strategic support of a church planting effort among an unreached people group.

*Data from: http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/documents/gd34.pdf

G l o b a l s t

4 h o w & w h y

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World CWorld A World B

at i s t i c s

40%28%

In this 28% of the world, the culture and/or area religion has created boundaries, so the population has little or no access to the gospel. There are 38 countries in this category.

The church and the gospel are present but have not been embraced in significant numbers in 59 countries making up 40% of the world population.

While this world is comprised of 141 of the Earth’s countries, it still only makes up 32% of the population. All are not followers of Christ, but have ready access to the Bible and the gospel.

Unevangelized/Unreached Evangelized/Non-Christian “Christian”

32%

5h o w & w h y

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living missiona g l i m p s e a t 2 0 1 5From our children to our staff, First Baptist Knoxville is avidly involved in mission. Join us as we take a look at how we have been not only supporting mission but “living mission” this past year.

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S o u t hA f r i c a

The First Baptist Knoxville Young Adults ventured to Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa this summer. They returned with life-long friendships and the realization they aren’t

so different from the people they served.

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Every house, every church, every business in Johannesburg, South Africa is surrounded by a wall and

a razor wire fence. The communities are closed off, and the people live in fear of their neighbors.

This summer, First Baptist’s Young Adults spent eight days working with Berea Baptist Church, which started Door of Hope Children Mission. They focused on overcoming the walls in the community.

The church’s efforts to become a larger part in the community consisted of taking surveys. Berea’s sole interest was not in raising its numbers, but in providing a safe haven within the community, which was especially unsafe for children. The Young Adults went house to house, asking residents what they would like to see change and how the church could be involved.

Church worship was full of joy. Monte Miller, a member of First Baptist, recalls, “the music was rocking and could be heard at each end of the street. It was just a great experience.”

Each month over 200 babies are abandoned in Johannesburg; many are found dead. Berea heard of this problem and responded. They started Door of Hope - a hole in the wall of the church with a “baby bin” attached. Someone from the church mans the baby bin 24 hours a day, and now Berea has three houses overseeing the care of 119 abandoned babies. The Young Adults served with Door of Hope and were initially overwhelmed by the babies’ circumstances.

“The stories we heard were just awful,” says Monte. “Women who have a baby and can’t support it, who walk out of a hospital and just leave the baby in the bushes. We

thought, to begin with, that it was a very callous thing but came to see it as an act of love. A mother was saying, ‘My alternative is I’m going to take this baby and put it on the railroad tracks, or I’ll give it to someone who can raise it and hopefully adopt it out.’”

The second night the team was there, a newborn was dropped off. That night it was 34 degrees. The baby would have died if she hadn’t been brought to Door of Hope.

Brannon Hulsey tells of her first response to Baby J:

“I started crying. Not because I was looking at this tiny baby, she was beautiful. And as heartbreaking as her beginning to life was, she was now in a very safe and loving place. I started crying thinking about the mother. It had only been a week since she had given birth. She was still physically and emotionally recovering from giving up her child.”

Brannon is a mother of two, so the situation struck close to her heart.

Getting through the walls to the community and taking on the thousands of babies abandoned each year was difficult on the team as it has been difficult for Berea Baptist Church. The team, however, partnered with Berea in taking small steps towards fixing the issue.

“You don’t have to have a solution to fix the whole problem,” says Brannon, “as long as you’re doing something good to help once you become aware of it.”

For more information about Berea Baptist Church or Door of Hope Children Mission, visit doorofhope.co.za.

Door of HopeTa k i n g S m a l l S t e p s t o B e t t e r a C o m m u n i t y

“As different as we are around the world, we’re

still very much the same. I think that was highlighted for me by working in the baby house. Babies are

babies. Little kids are little kids. What do these

families want? A safe place for their children.”

- Brannon Hulsey

Even though our lives over here are much more comfortable than in South

Africa and the people’s standard of living is not as high as ours, we’re really

basically the same. We all love God, so we’re

not that different.

- Monte Miller

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I n the spring of 2013, First Baptist and UT’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry (pg. 27) went to McAllen, Texas. Jordan Humler attended the BCM and

was part of that trip, resulting in his attending First Baptist’s college bible study.

Jordan became Scott Claybrook’s intern in June of 2014. In October of that year, he felt that God “needed him to know what it was like to be a missionary.” He started praying about serving with SendTN, a college ministry of the North American Mission Board (pg. 27).

When the trip to Alaska came to his attention, he immediately wanted to go; however, the odds were against him. This trip was three times more expensive than any other SendTN mission trip, and that cost did not include airfare. The SendTN leaders discussed removing the trip altogether, yet Jordan was prayerful and hopeful.

“God has a way,” he says. “Man kept trying to block this trip, but God kept opening it up.”

Jordan approached Joy about a mission scholarship; and to his surprise, the Mission Council fully funded his trip.

“I literally hit the ground and wept,” he says about receiving the news.

Thus on May 15, 2015, Jordan boarded a plane to the small island of Kodiak and was immediately thrown into work.

“First day I had to mow the side of a mountain by 10 am. So that was fun.” Jordan and his 15-person team did yard work, construction, and demolition for the island. They also worked a booth at the crab festival, kicking off the 40 degree summer for which Jordan was not prepared. “The people of Kodiak were so excited for 40 degrees,” he says, “and I was freezing and completely unprepared. I only brought three pairs of long pants!”

Within the first week, his team saw two military wives come to Christ, an experience he described as an “awesome way to start the summer.”

The remaining nine weeks, however, were spent in Anchorage and looked like they would not be quite as promising. His team was split into pairs and each assigned to a park. Jordan’s was Kiwanis Fish Creek. They were to do park ministry five days a week, four hours a day - the first two serving food and the second two building relationships with the children. The only problem was on the first day they had four kids. The rest of the week they only had one.

“That was awful,” Jordan remembers. “I was beaten down every day. It was cold, rainy; and we had no one. But I kept looking at my partner and saying, ‘God has a way. God’s gonna be faithful through this.’”

Fortunately, Monday of week two began with 12 kids and the rest of the summer they saw a steady stream of roughly twenty. By the end of the summer, Jordan and his partner led five kids to Christ. Four were from a Sudanese family, and one was high functioning autistic.

“That was a miracle to be a part of,” Jordan says, “watching him finally have clarity and understanding that Jesus is Lord and not just a story.”

Jordan worked with the boy the whole summer, gave him a bible, and was able to connect with his mom, a believer.

“I learned that missions is not a set time or a specific place,” he says, “but it is a smile or an elevator ride. It’s everything. It’s us being so filled with Christ’s love that it’s breaking and pouring out constantly. It’s everything we are.”

Now back in Tennessee, Jordan has started his second year interning with First Baptist. He isn’t sure what is next in his life, but he says, “God showed me over and over again that he has a plan.” He isn’t worried. He knows “God has a way.”

How nine weeks doing park ministry in Alaska served as a reminder that God always has a way.

“ Mission is us being so filled with Christ’s love

God has a Way

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that it’s breaking and pouring out constantly.”

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Life-on-lifeHow taking the time to say ‘Yes’ to

God changes everything

W hen Amanda Houser first walked into First Baptist Knoxville in early 2012, she was desperate and broken. Her husband,

Matt, was unable to work because of substantial kidney complications, and the previous year they lost their daughter, Emily, to an aggressive brain tumor. In their grief and inability to provide for their family, they lost their car and house and were forced to move in with Matt’s mother.

Amanda’s sister and stepmother were part of First Baptist’s Food Co-op and invited Amanda to come with them.

Food Co-op (pg. 20) is a First Baptist ministry that addresses the issue of hunger in Knox County. The members fall under the poverty line and must qualify to participate in the cooperative. Two directors, qualified and trained by First Baptist, orient new members and run the co-op. They order, unload, and organize the food, and they determine how much goes to each family.

“I didn’t realize when I came to the co-op it was going to be a Godly thing,” says Amanda. “My previous experience with food banks was you get in and get out.”

Each week before the families take their food home, a different co-op member leads a devotional. They share each other’s burdens, share praise reports, and pray for each other.

Meeting JoyJoy Claybrook is

the First Baptist staff member who oversees the co-op. While she troubleshoots when something goes wrong, she also connects with and cares for the co-op members. When Amanda started regularly attending, she noticed how Joy cared.

“As I was watching Joy, the relationship she had with God began stirring in my heart. I was constantly seeing her minister to people of different backgrounds

“As I was watching Joy, the relationship she had with God began stirring in my heart. I was

constantly seeing her minister to people of different backgrounds and stories, and she never made us feel like she was above us because we were poor. She opened her heart to us, and I wanted that.”

Over three years ago, Joy Claybrook (left) and Amanda Houser (right) met through First Baptist Knoxville’s Food Co-op. They are pictured here on Amanda’s second week of CNA school.

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and stories, and she never made us feel like she was above us because we were poor,” Amanda says. “I had been in ministry before I lost Emily. But after Emily died, I backed away. I wasn’t angry with God; my heart was broken. I was just depleted.”

Amanda was hungry to commune with God again, but she felt useless. She wanted to help people and provide for her family. She wanted more for her life but didn’t know how to move forward. As she and Joy got to know each other, Amanda decided to reach out for help.

“The question I asked her,” Amanda says, “‘was how do you provide for your family and do what you do?’”

When Amanda communicated her desires, Joy approached First Baptist’s Mission Council and asked for money to pay for an unconventional internship. Amanda was not in school like other interns, and she wasn’t a member of First Baptist. She simply wanted to learn. To Amanda’s joy, the Council authorized a small stipend for her internship with the long-term goal of helping her go to school.

Internship Part OneIn the fall of 2013, Amanda began working

with Joy on the Benevolence Team (page 20). She helped conduct interviews, listened to people’s circumstances, assessed their needs, and connected with them.

“Amanda went above and beyond to make sure people felt cared for,” says Joy.

She would follow up through personal, handwritten letters and extra resources. Her life circumstances drove her to love radically. She knew what losing everything felt like—to be in a broken situation with nowhere to turn. She didn’t want anyone to feel that way.

Being around caring Christians also led her to rekindle her relationship with God. She started praying more, and Joy encouraged her to be vulnerable and confront some of the raw emotion from her past. Entertaining thoughts of her future, however, was more difficult.

“The first four months I was here, as far as I was concerned, there was no future,” says Amanda. “I just wanted to make it through the day. Joy would mention the future, and I would shut her down.”

The most difficult challenge arose from her loss of Emily.

Her remaining two children were and are of the utmost importance. Balancing them and the

“I gained a friend through this. I know Amanda cares for me, and her family cares for me.

What I want people to know is when God puts someone in our lives who is very different from us,

it often scares us or it makes us feel like we aren’t right for it. But if we are willing to listen to the Holy Spirit and just say yes to doing life-on-life with someone, it will change you. You pick up your phone. You bring meals. You listen. You do all the things that person’s life requires with your own boundaries in place.

It changed us both. It changed our relationships with the Lord, and it changed our futures in a lot of ways.”

“When I came to Joy, I had a very broken heart and a very misguided view of God. I had messed up, and I felt like I was no longer worthy to even serve Him. I put all that in her lap. And Joy didn’t fix it. God did, but He

used her to do it. I can tell you, most assuredly, without her, I wouldn’t be where I am now.

I’m so, so thankful she took that time. She made me feel like a person, that I was worth being fixed.

And that’s what I think missions is: being willing to take the time through the rocky, the tough, the love, and the need. It will change a person.”

Lessons Learned

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internship was nearly impossible. She wanted to take care of her children, her husband, and go to work all at the same time. If one of her kids texted her in the middle of the work day, she would leave to attend to them.

That is where Joy stepped in.

“Joy helped me realize that if I got a real job, I couldn’t leave every day. I had to learn to hand things over to my husband,” says Amanda.

Joy helped Amanda prioritize her commitments. Work was work, and Amanda had to commit to that time. Family is family. A person is a person. When Amanda didn’t show up to work or when she left early to attend to her kids, Joy still cared about her as a person. Amanda was grateful.

“God really used the church,” Joy says, “in that Amanda felt like I cared about her whole family and that the church did. Our pastor, Tom did. It gave the whole staff the opportunity to love on her.”

On the anniversary of Emily’s death, Amanda asked to take a break from interning.

New Goals and Guidelines Soon Amanda wanted to return and complete her internship.

Joy, however, was apprehensive. Maybe she wasn’t the right person to help Amanda; however, she felt that God was prompting her to “just say yes,” so she did.

Joy started the second part of the internship differently by introducing a learning contract with clear and constructive goals for Amanda. The contract clarified why she was really interning at First Baptist. It was not to help Joy but to launch Amanda and give her a future through education. This prospect terrified Amanda. She resisted until Joy asked her to think of her children’s future.

“Joy opened my eyes to my babies having a future,” says Amanda. “If I went to school at 39 years old, they see mom graduate and see that they can do it too. I’m bettering our future.”

Amanda realized if she went to school and got a job, she

wouldn’t have to depend on food stamps or Tenncare. She could “buy a real house and stop living in someone’s basement.”

Joy and Amanda settled on a CNA program because Amanda had already done bedside care for years. She took care of Emily exclusively before she died, and she wanted to extend that same sort of care to others.

“I can help people at their bedside and still give them their dignity,” says Amanda. “Loving others and honoring them and giving them what they need is what I need.”

Launched and DifferentSo in August of this year, First Baptist launched Amanda

and helped her to start a CNA program at Compassionate Care Technical Center. Her first day of school was difficult. Her husband was sick, and her children had doctor’s appointments. Amanda wanted to leave class and tend to them. She says, “I would send them texts saying, ‘I miss you. I love you, but it’s all for you, all for you, all for you’.” She didn’t leave. Instead, Amanda honored her husband by letting him be her partner through serving her and taking care of the kids.

“To see how they have stayed together as a unit in the past three years is amazing,” Joy says. “He is very supportive and cares for their girls and has taken on a role that wasn’t there before.”

Now Amanda’s life is completely changed. Her marriage is fresh and new. Her relationship with her children is loving and healthy. Her relationship with God is flourishing.

“I get up every morning and I tithe my day. I pray first. I read my bible first…” she pauses and laughs, “Then I catch up on Big Brother. Then I do my homework. I haven’t felt this close to God in four years.

Amanda graduated from her CNA program in September of 2015.

“Joy opened my eyes to my babies having a future. If I went to school at 39 years old, they could see mom graduate and maybe they could do it too. I’d be bettering our future.”

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P u e r t o R i c o

This summer First Baptist Knoxville’s Youth traveled to Puerto Rico. Working with Calvary Baptist Church of Puerto Rico, they hosted a week of VBS and connected with other youth in the area. They learned about the importance of service and that Christ’s work is not

hindered by a language barrier.

“Missions to me is just helping other people. It doesn’t have to be in

another country. It can be right here. Mission is an

everyday thing. Something you should do in your

every day life.”

- Ellie Sexton

“It is one thing to live your life and simply seek to get into Heaven, but I think you should do so much more than that. In Puerto Rico

we saw what it was like to make meaningful impacts

on lives. We didn’t even speak their language,

but a smile is a smile. ”

- Zeb Evans

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Missy in Uganda

After becoming a Christian during my sophomore year of high school, I immediately felt called to missions. God placed on my heart the desire and passion to share His love. Experiencing God’s love, grace, and hope transformed my life; therefore, I naturally wanted to share God’s love with others.

PreparationDuring my college studies about the world, I was

overwhelmed and dismayed with the state of women’s rights, particularly for refugee women. These children of God were being abused, violated, and exploited. They often faced injustice and were shunned from their communities without someone to help or care for them. Furthermore, I was astounded by the lack of services in so many parts of the world.

Since my junior year of college, I dreamt of beginning an aftercare program for refugee women in an area where there was not one. This journey led me to attend McAfee School of Theology, where I grew as a leader and minister. I also had opportunities to continue serving with life-giving, holistic ministries through CBF field personnel, working with refugees in California and in Uganda.

A Cry for HelpWhile serving alongside CBF field personnel in Uganda, I

was teaching and tutoring beginner English Speakers of Language (ESL) students, most of whom were women. Within my first few months of serving in 2010, one of my students shared her story with me. She was orphaned at a young age and grew up in a refugee camp where she faced violence and abuse. Even though she was now out of the refugee camp’s immediate danger, just outside the war zone, she was homeless and without a place to go. Begging me to help her, she said she just wanted a safe place to sleep, the opportunity to go to school, and the chance to make a better life for her and people within her country.

As her teacher, I wanted to help her. I sought resources in Kampala, but none were available. Refuge and Hope, the organization that I was working with, only had a small community center offering education and a youth program. At that time there were no shelters for refugee women.

Response My encounter with this woman forever changed my life. I felt

God prompting me to start a new program for refugee women who had been through severe trauma, to offer a place where they could be safe and experience God’s healing, transformation, and empowerment.

I returned to the U.S. to complete seminary and began applying to become part of the CBF field personnel. Since I first interned with CBF as a student in 2008, I knew I wanted to serve and minister in that way. I appreciated that CBF ministries focused on working with the most marginalized and neglected people in our world.

After completing seminary and my fundraising requirements, I moved to Uganda in 2013. I began the ground work of starting the Amani Sasa ministry while ministering to families, women, and girls in crises. The shelter officially opened in October, 2013, and the programs have expanded since then. We minister to over 175 families, women, and girls every year through our shelter, vocational training, and education programs. These ministries offer refugee women and girls access to social work services, counseling, discipleship, skills training, education, and community support.

In September of 2015 , Missy visited First Baptist and thanked us for our support through encouraging stories from Amani Sasa. We are blessed by her partnership. If you’d like more information about financially assisting or volunteering with Missy, you may contact her at [email protected] or visit her website at missyinuganda.com.

Missy Angalla has a heart for women and for the Lord. This lead her to start Amani Sasa, Uganda’s first

refugee shelter and crisis center for women. She got involved with First Baptist Knoxville by

meeting Tom and Elizabeth Ogburn through theCooperative Baptist Fellowship (pg. 26).

Here is her story.

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Mission partnersi m p a c t i n g t h e w o r l d t o g e t h e r

First Baptist Knoxville is blessed to serve beside some remarkable organizations that help us fulfill our call to mission. We are thrilled to introduce them in the following pages. Read on, and you might discover a place where your unique gifts and talents fit perfectly.

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c o n g r e g a t i o n a l

M i s s i o n

FISH is a food pantry ministry of First Baptist Knoxville. It is open on the first Monday

of every month from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. FISH orders its food from Second Harvest Food Bank. Each person who comes to the FISH food pantry needing food receives a pre-packed bag of groceries. Our FISH pantry gives food regardless of a person’s or a family’s financial, social, or religious background.

The Benevolence Team’s purpose is to minister and provide assistance, relative to our community’s basic needs, to the glory of Jesus Christ. This ministry’s aim is to be a living testimony of Jesus Christ’s love and grace. A team of lay leadership meets every

Tuesday to connect with and interview those with needs and help them with discerning prayer, research, and conversation.

For more information on FISH, Food Co-Op, or Benevolence contact Arthur Clayton at [email protected].

Food Co-Op is an invitation-based ministry that seeks qualified Knox County residents to participate in a food cooperative, requiring both commitment and consistency. After paying membership and handling fees, members meet every other Tuesday in Trentham Hall to unload food the church has purchased from Second Harvest Food Bank, apportion it, and after a Co-op meeting that includes a devotional, take it home.

The Food Co-Op’s mission is to provide food in an affirming environment for neighbors in need and to do so in a way that empowers recipients to gain ownership and create communities in which they may exercise their own giftedness.

For more on the Food Co-Op, see Life-On-Life (pg. 12).

Food Co-opE m p o w e r i n g N e i g h b o r s , C r e a t i n g C o m m u n i t y

fishF o o d P a n t r y M i n i s t r i e s

BenevolenceP r o v i d i n g B a s i c N e e d s i n t h e N a m e o f C h r i s t

Our engagement in God’s Great Commission begins in the everyday moments of our church family’s life. People gather to provide food, support, encouragement, mentoring, and resources as a reflection of their love for God and for our community.

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Kids Hope USAO n e C h i l d , O n e H o u r , O n e C h u r c h , O n e S c h o o l

Kids Hope USA (KHUSA) is a non-profit Christian organization based in Zeeland, Michigan. KHUSA began with the goal to make a difference in the lives of children by partnering with churches to provide mentors to elementary school children for one hour a week in the school setting. The mentor works with one student building a relationship throughout the school year. KHUSA provides training for a program director in the church, training for the mentors, and many resources the mentors can use throughout their mentoring experience.

First Baptist Knoxville supplies a mentor for more than one out of every 10 children at South Knox Elementary. The children look forward to their mentor’s return each week. After one Christmas break, a child said to his mentor, “I knew you would be back!” Many children have improved academically as well as behaviorally, and several have come to know Christ at First Baptist as a result of being in Sunday School, Children’s Camp, or Vacation Bible School. Carol Linger is our Kids Hope representative.

| kidshopeusa.org

| [email protected]

Ekklesia is a Hispanic church that began within the walls of First Baptist in 2006 before

eventually moving to its permanent location in Fountain City. First Baptist’s objective was to create a self-supporting ministry lead by Victor Perez, a bi-vocational pastor. With First Baptist’s support and the help of an annual CBF (pg. 26) grant, Ekklesia has offered ESL classes, medical clinics, interpreters, and other necessities for Knoxville’s Hispanic community.

Ekklesia helped with Habitat for Humanity’s (pg. 28) most recent building project and dedication.

| knoxekklesia.org

| [email protected]

EkklesiaI m p a c t i n g t h e H i s p a n i c C o m m u n i t y

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&l o c a l r e g i o n a l

M i s s i o n

The Restoration House helps restore single mothers and their children back to God’s

intention for their lives. With support from First Baptist and many other partners, they recently opened Phase I of The Village. The Restoration House and its partners leverage over 40 years of experience - using the best practices in transitional housing, family advocacy, life-skills training, and youth development - to holistically empower low-income single mothers and their children to break the poverty cycle.

| therestorationhouse.net

| [email protected]

Restoration HouseRestoring Hope

First Baptist Knoxville takes collaboration seriously. This leads us to seek out partnerships with a wide range of those who work in our city and broader region. These mission partnerships help us demonstrate the love of Christ in word and deed while investing hands-on in the lives of those who are our neighbors.

Appalachia Service Project (ASP), a new partner for First Baptist this year, utilizes volunteer teams’ help to repair needy families’ homes in the Appalachian region. ASP

is unique in that it operates in a camp-like environment. Youth, college students, and senior adults from across the United States not only come to repair homes, but also submerse themselves in the culture, build relationships with the families they serve, and grow in their relationship with God. They work during the day, have worship services at night, and go home with a better understanding of Christ and themselves. Houses are worked on for eight weeks with a different team each week, allowing the families being served to see the light of Christ through the love of those who work on their homes.

| asphome.org

| [email protected]

Appalachia service projectMaking homes warmer, safer and drier for needy families

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The Next Door, a nonprofit organization operating in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, serves women in crisis. Next Door

Knoxville’s Residential Transitional Center offers a six-month structured curriculum to help women who have been incarcerated re-enter society. The center provides transitional housing, recovery support, counseling, workforce development, case management, and family education and reunification. The end goal is for these women to become independent, productive, and successful members of society.

| thenextdoor.org

| [email protected]

the next doorHelping Women in Crisis

The Knox Furniture Ministry is a coalition of churches and nonprofit agencies working together to ensure families with needs have a bed to sleep in, a chair to sit on, and

a table from which to eat. The ministry is located in Powell and depends solely on volunteers and monetary/furniture donations to bring stability and dignity to those in crises or in transition from homelessness.

| knoxfurnitureministry.org

| [email protected]

Knox Furniture MinistryHope. Dignity. Stability.

Bridge Refugee Services provides opportunities for refugees in the Knoxville and

Chattanooga areas to rebuild their lives after suffering persecution, so they may become productive, contributing members society. Bridge provides basic needs services, employment and health case management, in-house English classes, and limited financial support. They are a referral source, a “Bridge,” to other service providers such as health care, schools, and counseling.

| bridgerefugees.org

| [email protected]

bridge refugee servicesFrom Despair to Dignity

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Knox Area Rescue MinistryR e s c u e + R e l a t i o n s h i p s = R e s t o r a t i o n

Knox Area Rescue Ministries, which is home to nearly 400 people nightly and which provides nearly 1,000 meals daily, has served the area as a Christian ministry since 1960. KARM is devoted to life restoration through rescue and

building positive relationships. They provide food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, and healing for hurting people in the Knoxville community.

| karm.org

| [email protected]

Volunteer Ministry CenterP r e v e n t i n g H o m e l e s s n e s s

The Volunteer Ministry Center (VMC) is an organization dedicated to ending homelessness in the Knoxville area through case management and the “Housing First” approach. VMC has four main programs:

The VMC Resource Center – case managers help clients obtain permanent, supportive housing and continue aiding the families after they are housed to ensure success.

The Bush Family Refuge – dedicated to preventing homelessness for at-risk individuals

Minvilla Manor – a 57-unit apartment complex that houses formerly homeless families. All tenants must have some verifiable income.

VMC Dental Clinic – volunteer dental professionals provide free, high quality dental services.

This partnership is funded by the McGinley Fund.

| vmcinc.org

| [email protected]

Open Doors Tennessee is a nonprofit organization that serves families with disabled children. What began as the effort of one man to provide for his autistic son has evolved into the entire region of East Tennessee pouring into this ministry to give special needs children a better life.

The nonprofit has received a seven-bedroom house, endless sponsorships, and even Menchie’s franchise to employ its students. Programs include summer camps, Zoo Camp, and Miss Shining Star - a beauty pageant to build self-esteem and confidence.

These events, along with job opportunities for special needs children and therapy assistance, encourage families coping with disabilities to remember anything is possible.

| www.opendoorstn.org

| [email protected]

Creating Opportunities for Special Families

Open Doors

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Samaritan ministryH o p e f o r H I V /A I D S V i c t i m s

Samaritan Ministry is an AIDS Service Organization serving the East Tennessee region and

operating under Central Baptist Church of Bearden. The ministry is supported by a network of religious, secular not-for-profit, and governmental entities dedicated to aiding HIV/AIDS victims’ needs. Samaritan Ministry is also committed to education and awareness programming in churches, jails, universities, and other community areas. Its goal is to teach Christians how to respond in love to this epidemic.

| samaritancentral.org

| [email protected]

The mission of Compassion Coalition in Knox County is to enlighten and inform churches about the poverty, pain, and

brokenness of our city. They also highlight the abundant resources God is using to transform lives in the Knoxville area. Compassion Coalition provides extensive trainings for churches to equip them to love the hurting, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised. Lastly, the ministry of Compassion Coalition brings churches in Knox County together to love and serve others in the name of Jesus.

In Compassion’s ministry partnership with First Baptist Knoxville, we trained members of First Baptist in Bridges Out of Poverty concepts and constructs and assisted three members in becoming certified Bridges Out of Poverty trainers. Compassion Coalition helped establish Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World classes at First Baptist, so those living in poverty can get to a place of greater stability in their lives. The staff at First Baptist Knoxville and Compassion Coalition consult on individual cases regarding those in need and collaborate on larger community issues.

Through the McGinley Fund Grant, First Baptist will offer the 2016 Getting Ahead class in partnership with Compassion Coalition.

| compassioncoalition.org

| [email protected]

Informing, Equipping, Connecting

compassioncoalition

Family promiseH e l p i n g F a m i l y U n i t s R e a c h I n d e p e n d e n c e

As one branch of over 180 affiliates comprising Family Promise Inc., Family Promise of Knoxville is a nonprofit organization that addresses the issue of homeless families with children by providing non-emergency housing.

These families include units with single mothers, single fathers, multi-generations, and expectant parents. Founded on the knowledge that the people of Knox County are compassionate and have true volunteer spirits, Family Promise of Knoxville first opened its doors in 2005 and through a variety of programs serves all family configurations.

Area congregations and organizations partner with Family Promise through its Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). For a week at a time, host organizations open their facilities and convert classrooms into bedrooms for guests. Through volunteers’ help, these hosts meet families’ basic needs by providing safe, secure overnight shelter, meals, help with the children’s homework, and most importantly, love and hospitality. First Baptist hosts Family Promise every quarter.

The mission of Family Promise is “to help homeless and low income families achieve sustainable independence,” and its vision is a community in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and a chance to build a better future together.

This partnership is funded by the McGinley Fund.

| familypromiseknox.org

| [email protected]

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&n a t i o n a l g l o b a l

M i s s i o n

This year we introduced a new mission offering to help us empower our youth and young adults to say “Yes” to mission service.

We funded four summer missionaries: Laura Beth Roberts to Argentina through the IMB (pg. 26); Elizabeth Ogburn to Uganda through CBF (pg. 26); Jordan Humler to Alaska through NAMB (pg.10); and David Lethco served with the VMC (pg. 24) here in Knoxville.

We helped send eight young adults to South Africa (pg. 8) as a part of the CBF South Africa Partnership Mission Project. We can also celebrate twenty-two youth and adults who served in Puerto Rico with a local congregation and selected mission partner. This offering sets the precedent for us to call out and send out our youth and young adults, so they might find their place in God’s Great Commission.

The International Mission Board equips and prepares individuals in the United States for international missions. With close to 6,000 appointed missionaries and almost 40,000 overseas churches, the IMB is literally taking the gospel to the nations. The goal

is to plant reproducing churches among all people groups. This is achieved through a long list of serving and giving opportunities. First Baptist Knoxville is actively partnering with IMB personnel working with an unreached people group.

| imb.org

| [email protected]

Send offering 2015Saying “Yes” to Mission

International mission boardEvangelizing, Discipling, and Planting Reproducing Churches

On a hillside in Galilee, Jesus commissioned his disciples to be witnesses to the world, and First Baptist is committed that Great Commission. We have chosen to join a select group of mission partners who are living out the Great Commission and helping carry us from the bounds of Knoxville to the very ends of the earth.

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) is a Christian Network made up of over 1800 churches and thousands of individuals working together to spread the hope of Christ. CBF Ministries encourage

church leaders though leadership development, educational materials, networking and renewal opportunities, and support programs. CBF provides the framework for the autonomous local church to express individual freedom while collaborating with other congregations. This

Fellowship enables Cooperative Baptists of all types to connect, identify with each other, and share vision. First Baptist Knoxville partners directly with Mark and Kim Wyatt and Missy Angalla (pg. 17), who work among refugees and internationals.

| cbf.net

| [email protected] / [email protected]

cooperative baptist fellowshipPartnering to Renew God’s World

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InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA is a vibrant campus ministry that establishes and advances

witnessing communities of students and faculty. This ministry involves small-group Bible studies, large gatherings on campus, leadership training, thoughtful discipleship, life-changing conferences, and other events. Since InterVarsity was incorporated in 1941, thousands of students have become representatives of God’s kingdom and have moved into leadership roles in churches, organizations, corporations, and agencies around the world.

| intervarsity.org

| [email protected] Baptist Campus Ministry on UTK’s campus builds future church leaders, reaches the lost, and serves the local church. This ministry offers weekly Bible studies, Thursday

Nights Together (TNT) worship service, and experiences such as International Coffee Hour. On a campus of close to 30,000 students representing 120 countries, the BCM seeks to teach students The Great Commission call through evangelism projects on campus and Fall and Spring Break mission trips. First Baptist Knoxville has partnered with the BCM through financial support, participation in TNT, and mission trips.

| utbaptist.org

| [email protected]

intervarsityTransform the Campus, Transform the World

baptist collegiate ministryLove Christ. Love each other. Love the campus.

The North American Mission Board works with churches, associations, and state conventions to evangelize and church plant in North America. Send North America is

the Board’s coordinated strategy of achievement. This strategy splits North America into 5 regions and thirty-two cities in order to respond accordingly to the respective needs of each area, factoring in demographics, geographical challenges, and spiritual awareness. NAMB provides any necessary equipping, training, and leadership development needed to make this plan a success. For more info on NAMB, see God Has a Way (pg. 10).

| namb.net

| [email protected]

north American mission boardMobilizing Churches to Plant Churches

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habitat for humanityS e e k i n g t o p u t G o d ’s l o v e i n t o a c t i o n ; b r i n g i n g p e o p l e t o g e t h e r t o b u i l d h o m e s , c o m m u n i t i e s , a n d h o p e .

Knoxville Habitat for Humanity is an independent, nonprofit ministry that creates affordable housing for qualified, low-income families in Knox County. In the last 30 years, Knox Habitat has partnered with corporations, churches,

and organizations to build almost 500 decent, affordable homes built by volunteers and sold at no profit. Knox Habitat home owners pay for their homes by contributing a hard-earned 500 hours of sweat equity. Believing homeownership is the beginning of stability, Knox Habitat helps its homeowners realize stability through permanent housing.

First Baptist has partnered with Knoxville Habitat for Humanity since 1999. Along with Pattinson Sign Group and Ekklesia, First Baptist finished building its fourth home with Habitat this August. The home was dedicated to Jonisha Brabson on August 30th.

| knoxvillehabitatforhumanity.com

| [email protected]

Safe familiesfor children

Safe Families for Children provides a loving sanctuary where parents can safely and voluntarily place their

children in times of need. Founded in 2002 by LYDIA Home Association, a Chicago- based Christian social service agency, Safe Families for Children has partnered with local churches to grow to a network of over 11,000 volunteers, including 2100 volunteer host families.

The children come from families in crisis including financial problems, unemployment, or homelessness. Safe Families strives to meet three objectives:

Child Welfare Deflection: Providing a safe alternative to child welfare custody, thus significantly reducing the number of children entering the child welfare system.

Child Abuse Prevention: Providing overwhelmed and resource-limited parents a safe, temporary place for their child without threat of losing custody. The goal is to avert potential abuse/neglect episodes.

Family Support and Stabilization: Many parents struggle because of limited social support and unavailable extended family. Many Safe Families volunteers become the extended family those parents never had.

The ultimate goal is to strengthen and support parents so they can become “safe families” for their own children.

| safe-families.org

| [email protected]

Supporting and Stabilizing Families

Jonisha Brabson and Phil Watson, Habitat Director of Partnerships

Jonisha’s finished Habitat Home

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knox county association of baptists

Tennessee CBF

The Knox County Association of Baptists (KCAB), formed in 1802, is an association of more than 150

Baptist churches in Knox County, Tennessee. Its purpose is to resource churches and strengthen ministry partnerships by building unity and teamwork among churches and pastors.

KCAB offers community-empowerment programs in the Montgomery Village and Western Heights areas and programs including assorted church-ministry training, Project Knox 316, and Camp BaYoCa.

| kcab.org

| [email protected]

Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, (TCBF) is a community of Baptist Christian individuals and

churches walking together toward the center of their common life in Jesus Christ. They share fellowship with God, and with Holy Spirit inspiration and guidance, they are co-laborers in God’s mission.

Their purpose is to serve Christian believers and church bodies as they discover and fulfill their spiritual calling.

| tncbf.org

| [email protected]

Building God’s Kingdom with His Churches for His Glory

Serving Churches and Individuals as they discover God’s mission

Knoxville Internationals Network

O n e C i t y . M a n y N a t i o n s . O n e F a m i l y .

Knoxville Internationals Network (KIN) serves as a connecting point between internationals and the Knoxville community. KIN has complied a long list of resources for both the internationals and the church. It supplies internationals

with information ranging from local English classes and ethnic church locations to healthcare and training resources. KIN equips those wanting to serve internationals by recommending books, compiling videos, and providing ESL trainings. KIN also offers training on how to respect, love, and integrate internationals culturally into church congregations.

KIN began in 2010 when a group of believers involved in ministry among internationals in Knoxville gathered to discuss how they could work together to make a difference in our city. As a result, KIN was born and launched a series of community meetings to raise awareness of the needs among internationals and give ministries, churches, non-profits, and other organizations a forum to connect and share information and resources. The beauty of KIN is found not only in the opportunity of Knoxville believers to better work together but in the tapestry of intercultural relationships that have been formed. Churches, nonprofits and community organizations are linked in a robust network that multiplies the impact, efficacy, and sustainability of their work. Ministry leaders are encouraged as they share information, assess and address gaps, obtain training, coordinate initiatives, and foster relationships of mutual support. God is glorified as thriving intercultural partnerships in the body of Christ pursue a common vision.

KIN envisions Knoxville to be a city that embraces individuals from many countries as family, so they might experience lives of dignity, purpose and hope. KIN connects, equips, and encourages its partners toward this vision, confident that we are more effective together than alone.

| kin-connect.org

| [email protected]

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M i s s i o n E d u c at i o nC a t c h i n g G o d ’s V i s i o n f o r t h e Wo r l d

Women’s Missionary Union is a nonprofit organization offering an array of missions resources including curriculum for age-level organizations in churches. Four of these organizations are offered at First Baptist.

Mission Friends is a mission discipleship organization for girls and boys ages 2 through kindergarten. Mission Friends meet Wednesday evenings during the school year on the preschool floor from 6:30-7:15 pm.

Through Mission Friends, preschoolers are taught about God’s love, how to focus on others rather than self, and how to apply Biblical thoughts to their lives.

Parents and families of Mission Friends learn ways to utilize their children’s time, talent, and money.

Girls in Action (GAs) and Royal Ambassadors (RAs) are for children in grades 1-5. GAs and RAs meet Wednesday evenings during the school year on the children’s floor, 6:30-7:15 pm.

Through GAs and RAs, children read and understand accounts of God’s love for all people and his plan for salvation, actively experience prayer, discover giving to missions, and take part in mission projects and activities.

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PerspectivesO n t h e Wo r l d C h r i s t i a n M o v e m e n t

Perspectives is a series of classes designed to enlighten believers on God’s unchanging purpose and its relevance to their lives. It is a fifteen-week course

designed around four vantage points or “perspectives” — Biblical, Historical, Cultural and Strategic. Each one highlights different aspects of God’s global purpose.

The Biblical and Historical sections reveal why our confidence is based on the historic fact of God’s relentless work from the dawn of history until this day. The Cultural and Strategic sections underscore that we are in the midst of a costly, but very “do-able” task, confirming the Biblical and Historical hope.

Perspectives is offered at the undergraduate, graduate, and certificate levels and utilizes internationally renown speakers. It helps believers from all walks of life see how they can get threaded into God’s story of redeeming people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to Himself. It isn’t a class about mission, but a course on how every believer can be intimately woven into the story of God using His people to be a blessing to all the peoples of the earth.

For more information contact Arthur Clayton at [email protected] or visit perspectives.org.

Women on Mission (WOM) and eDoers are for adult women.

WOM meets the first Tuesday of each month, except January and July, in Room 302, from 10:30-11:45 am. eDoers communicate

through emails with opportunities to participate in mission projects.

Through these organizations, participants explore ways Christians can fulfill God’s mission in the world; engage in personal missions, devotionals and prayer; practice sacrificial giving to advance the work of God’s mission; and express His mission purpose through a daily missions lifestyle.

Our biblical worldview compels us to intentionally involve others in learning about and supporting missions by praying, giving, and nurturing those God has called to mission service.

We offer you the opportunity to participate in missions and ministries that will enable you to experience a variety of ways to serve Christ.

Charlotte Damewood is First Baptist’s WMU representative. For more information contact her at [email protected] or visit wmu.com.

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Mission FundingA gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.

Proverbs 18:16

McGinley FundWhile Robert McGinley was never a member of First Baptist Knoxville, he had a heart for what we were doing in the community.

When he passed away in 1946, he left half of his estate to his daughter and the other half to provide care for his son, who was mentally challenged. The latter included that at his son’s passing the balance be given in First Baptist Knoxville. In 2008 Mr. McGinley’s son passed away, and the funds were forwarded to the church. The congregation then established a McGinley Estate Task Force which found one of Mr. McGinley’s nearby relatives. They sought to gain her perspective on how he would have wanted the funds to be used. She conveyed Mr. McGinley had a heart for the poor, down-trodden, and those who could not help themselves. In response to this information, the Task Force recommended the best use of the financial gift would be honoring his original passion and using his funds to help the outcast and forgotten. The McGinley Fund now provides funding for specific congregational and partnership efforts that reflect Robert McGinley’s heart and passion for those living on our community’s economic edges. We are thankful for his generous gift and for how it empowers us to love our community in Jesus’ name.

Monday FundThe church approached Mr. Eugene William Monday, and his wife, Florence, with a request for the gift of a piece of property the

church saw as strategic for future life and ministry of the congregation. Instead of giving the property, Mr. Monday asked the church to “buy” the property, leveraging the funds from the purchase to establish a mission focused fund for the congregation. His desire was that the church use the funds to help the neediest in our community, help those in crises, lead them to Christ, and introduce them to church. He also noted a wide array of other ways the church could work with local non-profits and charities to impact our community. His gift now helps our congregation impact those on the social and economic edges from a position of hope and faith. We celebrate his heart for this church and those in our community.

Vesta Frazier Strategic mission FundOn October 20, 1940 Vesta Frazier joined First Baptist Knoxville, where she remained active until her death on March 12, 2000.

She was actively involved in the congregation’s Women Missionary Union and had a heart for missions. She had a life-long history of supporting missions with her prayers and financial support. In 1986, when Vesta penned her Last Will and Testament, she had the church and its mission on her heart. As she considered her desires for the disposition of her estate, she provided a gift that would become a crucial tool the church would use to grow its annual designated mission giving and engagement. We are thankful for the way her gift still impacts how we do mission. Her generosity paved the way for our congregation to invest in God’s great Kingdom work.

Congregational GiftsMission is at the heart of the life of this church. It is demonstrated every day in how our members serve, love, and embrace those in

our community. Our congregation is invited to be a part of funding mission through our undesignated giving, Benevolence Offering, SEND Offering, and strategic organizational and denominational special offerings. Our choice to give our resources and ourselves sacrificially puts us in the middle of God’s mission – God’s great work in the world.

Now its your turn!This mission publication has shared the Biblical foundations of mission, our guiding mission principles, mission

stories of 2015, a directory of our mission partners, and our story of mission education and giving. It is collectively our response to God’s Kingdom Story. Now it’s your turn. Prayerfully consider your gifts, talents, availability, and heart’s desire. Reflect on what you have read and what you have learned. Then, find your place in prayer, support, and engagement of what God is doing among us and through us.

For more information on where to serve or how to give, contact our Director of Congregational Mission, Arthur Clayton at [email protected] or 865-246-4661.

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n o t e s

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510 W Main St.Knoxville, TN 37902

fbcknox.org865-546-9661