Because I am unable to visit each of you personally, I am writing to share about the next phase in God’s plan of renewal for First Baptist Lakeside. I hope and pray that in doing so, each of you will sense God’s leading as we walk together into the future He has planned for us.

Our church family has a rich heritage of ministry in our community. For 60 years, we have borne witness to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His power to change lives. I am so grateful that God continues to bless our mission right now. Yet I also believe that to pass this rich heritage from one generation to the next, we must prepare now. Since our current monthly income must be used for our operating budget, we must now focus on a plan to maintain and grow First Baptist Lakeside’s witness in our community.

FAITH FORWARD is the name chosen for our strategic plan to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present and Embrace the Future” here at First Baptist Lakeside. We believe that with God’s guidance, this plan will fulfill the financial needs of this new phase of our church’s growth. The heart of the FAITH FORWARD plan is prayer. We ask every household to ask God what He might have them give to this vital work - over and above your ongoing tithes and offerings - over the next three years. We hope to raise the necessary funds to move forward in our ministry. I believe FAITH FORWARD is a crucial step to our future, and your involvement will directly impact its success.

With this in mind, I urge you to come hear more at Vision Sunday on September 20 during our worship service at 10:40 AM. We will follow this special day with a Vision Gathering on the following Sunday, September 27, during the E Group hour at 9:30 AM. During this time our leadership team will be available to share information, answer any questions and to encourage you to make this matter a priority in your personal prayers.

Let me encourage your attendance at these meetings. There you will learn more about our Renovation program and our FAITH FORWARD campaign. We will also launch plans for a church-wide prayer emphasis during this crucial time and share information about our church and its ministry. No financial commitments will be asked for at these meetings. Please plan to attend. Your attendance will encourage me as your pastor and many other fellow church members.

These are exciting days for the future of our church. Let us commit to seek and act in God’s will. To the glory of God, we will move ahead with faith.

Replace/upgrade the roof system, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, updating the décor, lighting, and audio-video technology. Our desire is that the Worship Center & Welcome Center becomes a facility of excellence and relevance for Gospel ministry in the 21st Century.

This connecting space will be a large atrium that connects the Worship Center to the Welcome Center. It will be a place for conversation and fellowship in a warm and inviting environment. It will also be a great place for meetings and receptions.

This will be done by creating a natural drive through and drop off area near the new Welcome Center entrance. It will also give more flexibility for other activities and events during the week.

We will resurface the outside surfaces to match more closely the rest of the campus, add a new façade to the Welcome Center, create new landscaping, and put up new signage.

The purpose of these meetings is to share information, answer any questions, and to encourage you to make this a priority in your daily prayers. Please know that your participation in a Vision Gathering is very important and that no commitments will be taken at these meetings.

This is an opportunity for our church leaders to gather, learn about different giving options and commit early to the campaign. If you are interested in making an early commitment and would like to be included in this leadership dinner, please contact the church office.

Join us for this exciting day of worship as we make our commitments to the Faith Forward Project.

Gather with us as we praise and worship God on this special day of celebration! We will receive our “first fruits” offering for the 3-year giving period.