Committed
Moving Forward | Here to Stay
Given through June 14: $784,127
On Sunday, May 3, Pastor Chip Stevens announced the launch of Committed: Moving Forward, Here to Stay, a new campaign to raise $1.4 million over the summer for debt reduction.
This action is a result of the first recommendation made from the VISION 2030 team. With a desire to see FBJ take a bigger role in compassion ministry in the city, this team felt this action was needed.
The campaign is about more than debt reduction: it is about positioning FBJ to move forward with greater freedom, flexibility, and faithfulness in serving both our church family and the City of Jackson.
- Goal: $1.4 million
- Process: No consultants and no commitment cards. Each person’s gifts will be their commitment.
- Duration: August 1. However, if the goal is reached prior to that date, the campaign will end.
Watch the message from today’s service to learn more about the campaign, how First Baptist Jackson is
Committed to Making His Name Known
-Matthew Teel
First Baptist Jackson has been a blessing to me and my family since the first Sunday we visited. We have felt loved and encouraged by everyone inside the church; from Sunday school classes, small groups, the Student Ministry, the Pre-School and everywhere in between.
I want to be able to share the love we have for each other inside the walls of FBJ with the city that surrounds us: a city that needs the love and compassion of Christ. I believe God has prepared and equipped our church body both spiritually and financially to make a greater impact in the City of Jackson. We are blessed to be located in Downtown Jackson, surrounded by people who need God’s love. There are abundant opportunities for us to see where God is working in our city, we just have to look for them and be ready to act when He calls us.
As we continue to move forward to where God is calling us, I pray that we can be a light in a city that many have forgotten or given up on. I pray that, through the compassion of our church body, God will reveal Himself to those who need Him. Let us be a church that is COMMITTED to making His name known in our city and the world. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5
-Matthew Teel
Positioning FBJ for God’s Work in Jackson
-Karan Payne, VISION 2030 Team
I am excited that our church is taking this step to retire the existing debt. As we seek to understand what God is leading us to in the near future, I think it is very important that we do all that we know to do to be in a position to obey as He leads.
My prayer is that God will do mighty things through us, His church, in and for the City of Jackson. As Ephesians 3:20 states, “… [He] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”
Committed to Maximizing Kingdom Impact
-Matthew Castle
What excites me most about the Committed Campaign and the debt retirement initiative is the financial freedom and margin it would create for First Baptist Jackson. Becoming debt-free would allow the church to focus more fully on community missions and ministry opportunities rather than financial obligations. Every dollar no longer directed toward debt service becomes another opportunity to invest directly in discipleship, outreach, families, students, and the many ways the church serves the community. It positions us to say “yes” to the doors God opens for First Baptist Jackson.
Looking toward the future, being debt-free allows us to trust God boldly, dream bigger, respond freely to His calling. The Committed Campaign allows the church to steward His resources in a way that maximizes Kingdom impact. It has been especially encouraging to watch multiple generations within the church share a common mission. This initiative is about far more than finances — it is about creating opportunities for ministry that will impact lives and generations to come.