A focus on family ministry touching the whole family is the foundation of a spiritual-growth emphasis at First Baptist Church, Georgetown, as evidenced through 30 baptisms this year and increased discipleship involvement.
But it isn’t about the numbers, said associate pastor Keith Wall. “We are about developing a person’s spiritual walk,” he said. “That spiritual-growth emphasis is attractive to people because they want to hear the message of Jesus.”
Wall said the church’s programming, from children through adult and including missions, is focused on “getting people into God’s word and understanding how it applies to their lives. Rather than falling to pieces, we want people going to God’s word, leaning on his promises, when they need direction on how to live.”
That message, Wall said, is woven through the church’s Awana ministry, youth ministry, and Upward sports ministry that includes both soccer and basketball. It’s woven through Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action ministries. “We have not traded one ministry for another; we still believe in RA and GA ministries,” Wall said.
The message of spiritual growth is woven through FAITH evangelism, which includes more than 75 adults on Monday nights. “We have a two-on and one-off approach to FAITH,” Wall said. “Every third Monday we want our people to stay home and be involved in family time together.”
In addition to connecting with children and students, the church offers discipleship classes that assist parents. This semester, First Baptist Church will offer classes on parenting and the hurried family. Another future class will focus on family finances.
“We also work to connect with men and women separately,” Wall said. “We believe in MasterLife as the best possible Bible study out there for men and women, especially men. We offer multiple spiritual growth classes, all of them teaching God’s word, and we ask people to be where they are comfortable.”
The family emphasis carries through to missions. For three years the church has sponsored family mission trips to assist a church in Hazleton, Pa. “We’ve sent everyone from children to senior adults,” Wall said. Devotion times are focused on families. “This mission trip is just another way to bring the family together,” he said.
Wil Bradham, director of missions for Southeast Baptist Association, said, “I am grateful that God strategically put this church in this area. This is a church that is intentional in its outreach and intentional in its discipleship of others.
“God blesses seeing people come to know the Lord and getting plugged into a discipleship journey. First Baptist Church helps people get their hearts right with Jesus, and they help families become stronger families. Quite simply, it is being the church that Jesus intended it to be.”– SCBC