At First Baptist of Quitman, our goal is to reflect the heart of God in all we do and say and stand for. We are here for His glory.
Our Vision Statement: “The vision of First Baptist Church is to be a body of believers who are passionate for the presence of God, sold out to the Truth of God, and filled with the Spirit of God as we invest our lives in the ministry of the Gospel of Christ.”
Our Mission Statement: “Our mission at First Baptist Church is to reach the lost people of this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to teach believers the whole counsel of God’s Word, to train those believers to become leaders in Christian ministries, and to then send them out into places of service in the work of expanding God’s Kingdom.”
Our Core Values: In keeping with our vision and mission, our core values, i.e. those priorities that shape us, inform us, and guide us, include the following:
a. We are defined by the grace of God.
Though our past experiences have helped to mold who we are in the present, we are not defined by our past glories or failures. We are not defined by our present circumstances - good or bad – and we are not defined by our hopes for the future. We are always living in a state of God’s grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. We understand ourselves to be individuals who have been saved by the grace of God and who now live by the grace of God. We will never let failure have the last word in our lives, but will always strive to allow the grace and love of God given to us in Christ to be the final word spoken into our lives and circumstances. This is never allowed to be an excuse for living in sin or rebellion against God. On the contrary, it is a safeguard against allowing ourselves to be performance driven in our relationship with God and it serves as our motivation to live out of the context of what God has already pronounced us to be – the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Living with this confidence allows us to be authentic in our relationship with God and one another so that we relate to one another with the grace that has transformed us into “adopted children of God.” Church, then, is the place where we experience the forgiveness and grace to begin again in our efforts to live pleasing to God.
b. We are directed by the Word of God.
Since our goal is always to “live in a manner worthy of the calling we have received” from God, we understand that it is essential to have every aspect of our lives under the authority of God’s holy Word, the Bible. We live our lives by faith not by sight. Our faith is in God and our lives are directed by the principles, guidelines, and commands of Jesus Christ. Just as we refuse to allow our own personal agendas, emotions, or circumstances to be the authority over our lives, so we also reject any attempt by the voice of our culture to be that which informs us as to our ethics, morals, and standards in life. We, then, submit ourselves in motive, in attitude, in action, and in word to the character of Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God, as He is revealed in God’s Word. Our goal is to live the reality of 1st John 3:1-3, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
c. We are dedicated to the Purpose of God.
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Without question, there are many noble endeavors for people to give themselves to in this life, but none is as noble as the Gospel ministry of Jesus Christ. Churches today are involved in more and in more varied activities than perhaps ever before in the history of the Church. It is tragic, if not sinful, that so many churches today have forgotten that the primary purpose for each and every function, program, and activity they give themselves to is always and ever to lead people to faith in Christ, to teach believers to obey Jesus’ commands, to train them to be leaders in Christian ministries, and to send them into Christian service for God’s Kingdom.
At FBC, Quitman, we are committed to each of our members becoming involved in ministry for Christ at both a sacrificial level of service and on a broad scope of services. We are not caught up in competing allegiances between “religious” activities/causes and “secular” causes. Rather, we understand that all of our gifts, talents, and abilities are to be dedicated to the service and glory of God in whatever arena of life we can use them in. We are about training people who are gifted in the field of science to glorify God through their service in scientific endeavors. The same would be true in any area of life such as the arts, technology, medicine, etc. Our dedication is given to glorifying God through our lives and through the ministries of our church.
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