Missions

FBC defines “missions” as any cross-cultural ministry beyond the normal outreach of the local church which has as its purpose the fulfillment of the Great Commission by making disciples of Jesus Christ through planting churches and/or the training of indigenous leaders to do the same.

“Missions” comes from a Latin word “to send off”. “Missionaries” are “sent ones”. In one sense, every believer is charged with responsibility to share the Gospel and disciple others for the glory of Jesus Christ. But when we call someone a “missionary” we mean an individual especially selected, trained, and sent by their local church to minister across cultural and/or geographic and/or linguistic barriers with the purpose of establishing and strengthening biblical local churches through evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training.

Faith Bible Church is dedicated to making disciples of Jesus Christ among all the nations in obedience to His command in various Scriptures which are collectively known as the Great Commission. We, as a church, are committed to:

• Missions education and training for all ages as an integral part of Faith Bible Church;

• Earnest commitment to consistent and fervent prayer for our missionaries;

• Intentional identification, training, selection, commissioning, sending, and caring for both short-term and long-term missionaries as individuals, families, and teams from our own church;

• Honoring and cultivating relationships with our missionaries as significant partners in our church’s ministry; and,

• Zealous evangelistic witness by our members throughout the schools, workplaces, and communities represented by our fellowship.

General and undesignated gifts to the church do not go to missions. We fund our missions efforts entirely through offerings specifically designated to "missions". Annually we ask FBC members to prayerfully consider how much they plan to give to missions in the coming year and to submit an anonymous Missions Pledge card (formerly known as a Grace Promise card), which we use to build our Missions Budget for the year. We also happily accept additional pledge cards throughout the year as God leads members to dedicate more to missions.

You can submit your anonymous Missions Pledge cards in two ways:

• Your physical card can be submitted in the offering boxes in the auditorium (cards available there year-round)

• Or, your electronic Grace Promise Card can be submitted HERE

The local church plays a vital role in preparing, sending, and supporting new missionaries, helping them understand and confirm their calling, develop in their character, grow in their convictions, and build competence in the skills required to serve well. Those interested in exploring potential service will be paired with a mentor by the FBC Missions Team to help guide you through the preparation process, which includes four phases:

Explore: If you’re open to the idea of missions and want to find out more, this is where you start. You'll learn more about how FBC does missions and the expectations of our sent workers. You'll work with your mentor to evaluate and grow in personal spiritual disciplines, read and interact with some important books, and pursue service in one of FBCs ministries.

Pursue: When you finish the Explore phase, if you are interested in actively working to become a sent missionary, you're ready for the Pursue phase. We'll work together to evaluate your readiness and suitability for life as a missionary and confirm your calling. In conjunction with your mentor, you'll work to engage more broadly in service to the church. You'll continue to read and interact with books to make sure you're aligned with FBC doctrine, values, and missions priorities.

Prepare: If you’ve been confirmed by the church and are ready to begin actively preparing for the mission field, you’re in the Prepare phase. You’ll work with church leadership to evaluate potential missions agency partners while also developing skills and experience needed for a successful transition to the field.

Commit: If you’re confirmed by the local church and accepted by a missions agency, you’re in the Commit Phase. You’ll finalize preparations for the field, build a ministry partnership team, raise needed support, and commence service.

Ready to get started? Apply HERE and a member of the FBC Missions Team will connect with you to talk with you in more detail about your current interest and guide you on next steps.

Already a candidate on the pathway? Check out these resources to help guide you through each phase of the pathway.