building
GENERATIONS
Campaign Prayer “What do You want to do through me to accomplish Your will in my church?”
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.”
-Exodus 25:1–9
Letter From the Pastor Dear First Baptist Family, I am excited about the unique opportunity God has provided for us through our Building Generations program. I believe the next few months are going to be a significant time in the life of our church. As we focus on this Capital Stewardship Campaign I want to encourage you to take some time to reflect on God’s blessings in your own life and in the life of First Baptist Church. I know you join me in feeling gratitude and anticipation as we seek God’s will for the days ahead. I’m excited about Building Generations because I believe it is going to provide new opportunities to build God’s Kingdom right here in Denton and around the world. It will provide resources that will help us continue to reach the younger generations of Denton County. It will help us in our vision to reach children and their families for Jesus Christ. Each of us is now challenged to give sacrificially, over and above our current giving, for three years. Building Generations requires fervent prayer and obedience to God‘s leading in each of our lives. I wholeheartedly believe that the family of First Baptist is ready for the challenge this endeavor presents. Please look over the enclosed brochure carefully. In it you will find all the details of the project and the resources necessary to see it become reality. I ask you to prayerfully consider your part in Building Generations. What you give is a personal decision between you and God. What we will accomplish together will bring generations of children and families to Jesus Christ. I will be praying for you as you consider what God would lead you to do. I’m praying for Him to bless you and your family for His name to be glorified in the months ahead. In His Love, Dr. Jeff Williams Senior Pastor
Level One Floor Plan
Level Two Floor Plan
CAMPAIGN PURPOSE
Building Generations is a church-wide giving campaign driven by thousands of personal decisions of individuals that willingly give from their heart. For generations, prayerful and faithful members of First Baptist Denton have generously and sacrificially responded to God’s immeasurable blessings in their lives. And now, our generation has been called upon to impact the lives of future generations with a building that will help facilitate as well as expand the ministries of our church as we seek to share Jesus in our communities and throughout our world.
Therefore, the Building Generations campaign is seeking to: • Express our eternal love to a worthy God through sacrificial giving • Demonstrate our current passion to the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ • Generate excitement for and commitment to the vision of First Denton’s ministries • Prepare for the future through the renovation and expansion of our building here on Malone Street
Campaign Timeline
Preparation Phase: In March of this year, the church staff prayerfully considered and then invited individuals from within the church to be a part of the Campaign Leadership Team. Since then, those individuals have participated in training, prepared printed materials and planned various events that will occur later in the campaign. This phase comprises most of the “behind the scenes” activities that are necessary to prepare for the Public Phase.
Public Phase: This phase will include two parts, first the Information Phase and then the Inspiration Phase. • During the Information Phase the entire congregation will be introduced to the vision, given the opportunity to ask questions, and receive information and occasional announcements to help everyone fully grasp the scope our Building Generations campaign. • The Inspiration Phase is the time of
growing excitement and involvement in our church. You will be asked to pray for the campaign and will hear messages about God’s faithfulness, stewardship, sacrifice and the many rewards of giving in obedience when God prompts you.
Commitment Phase: This phase is the culmination of the Inspiration Phase. There will be a special service that will bring the entire church body together as one family to celebrate God’s blessings and to join in committing to His vision for our future. Campaign goals and early commitments will be announced and then the rest of the church body will be invited to make their two to three year commitment on this day, as well as days to follow. Over a few weeks period of time you will be asked to submit Commitment Cards declaring your pledge of gifts to the campaign. Multiple opportunities will be given to allow maximum involvement within the church body.
Giving Phase: This phase starts with a
Celebration Sunday to announce the total amount that has been committed for the Building Generations campaign. This will also be the time to receive the first church-wide offering for the campaign, which will be designated as “first fruits offering.” We will take the time to recognize and celebrate what God has done in and through everyone’s efforts over the previous few months. Celebration Sunday is just the start of a three year campaign for individuals to see God give through them. You will be kept informed of the progress of the campaign and new members will also be given the opportunity to respond to His promptings just as you faithfully did.
$8 Million $4 $6 Million Million
Financial Goals Building and planning for the future takes wisdom and faith. Dr. Jeff, along with the leadership of First Denton, have been seeking wisdom and praying earnestly to hear God's will in this process. We have three potential goals in this campaign. The first goal is set at an attainable $4 million. The second goal may take a little faith, set at $6 million, but we believe God is big enough to raise our third goal of $8 million.
How will a building project help us reach our community for Christ? For several years now our children’s area has been outdated and inadequate for children’s ministry today. This new building and the renovation of our current space will help us to provide a safe and secure environment and will enable us to teach children about Jesus and His love for them.
Q&A
How long is the campaign scheduled to run? Three years beginning November 2014 and concluding October 2017.
What is the current financial condition of the church? First Baptist Church is in excellent financial condition. We currently have no debt.
Will the current church budget be affected by the building campaign? If our gifts to Building Generations are sufficient for the cost of the new construction and renovations the church budget will not be affected at all.
Why should I make a pledge to the campaign? In order to begin construction we must know how much is committed to the project. Your pledge will help us to know what our resources will be moving forward and how we can then proceed with the new construction and renovations.
Do I have to just give money? Are there other ways that I can give? There are a number of different ways you can give to Building Generations. In addition to cash gifts you can give stock, real estate, personal property or other items.
How can I help with the campaign? You can pray for Building Generations that God would do a great work in our church during this time. You can participate in all the worship services and other events during the campaign and you can be a part of the leadership team if you so desire.
How will we raise the money? We will raise the money for Building Generations by asking everyone to make a three year commitment over and above their regular gifts to the Ministry Budget of the church.
What will we build first? The two story children’s building will likely be built first and then the renovations will follow quickly after.
Do we have to raise all the money before starting to renovate and build? We hope to begin construction in the summer of 2015.
Can I give using my credit card? Yes you can always give to First Denton using your credit card. However, we always encourage responsible use of credit cards and discourage anyone from giving in that way unless you pay your entire credit card bill on a monthly basis.
God’s Guide to Giving God’s Word provides a general framework for understanding giving and the responsible stewardship of resources. It also reveals specific instructions, such as those employed by Paul in leading the early church. Scripture teaches that giving should be:
Personal & Generous
Consistent and According to Blessings
Mary of Bethany, sister of the recently resurrected Lazarus, relinquished a very expensive bottle of perfume in what Jesus recognized as an overt act of worship. Her behavior evidenced a premeditated plan to give in a creative way that bestowed great honor and expressed thanksgiving to God. Don’t let fear of man, nor the reprisal of those not involved in your decision, hold you back from giving what God asks of you.
Paul gave simple instructions to the church at Corinth. “Each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he prospers,” he taught them, “so that no collections will need to be made when I come.” In his second letter to that same group, he exhorts them to remain steady. “Now finish the work,” he writes, “so that your eager willingness… may be matched by your completion… according to your means.”
Voluntary and Full of Cheer
Sacrificial
Giving of a “free will” arises from hearts that are stirred to participate, to fuel momentum, to worship. Paul reminds the early church to “give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Spiritual joy prompts a desire to give much, despite natural circumstances of lack: “In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.”
King David declared, “I will not sacrifice … that which costs me nothing.” So the real question is not if we bring a sacrifice, but rather when we do, at what cost will it be to our comfort, convenience, or control? What is the state of our heart in the process? Paul recognizes true sacrifice in the early believers at Corinth: “In the midst of a very severe trial… they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.”
Creative Giving Want to be involved but not sure how? Are you enthusiastic about giving to this campaign, but not sure where to start? Here are some creative suggestions to help you allocate or free up resources so you can be part of Building Generations:
Discuss Your treasure is already where your heart is; ask yourself if both are submitted to His Lordship. Bringing your requests to God and receiving wisdom from Him is every believer’s privilege and responsibility. He wants to reveal His heart and His will to you; be proactive and ask Him. Similarly, engage those here on earth that you trust and with whom you walk daily. Swap stories, ideas, and testimonies, and stir up generosity in one another. Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Decide Giving out of your income is a great place to start; perhaps it’s a bonus or an unexpected commission that could be set aside. Consider assets: did you know you can give land or a home directly to your church and avoid paying any capital gains tax while still getting a fair market value deduction? Then there’s “stuff:” you move it, you store it, you insure it, and you dust it. Perhaps you could give it? Most importantly, consider a sacrificial gift. Set aside funds you normally would have spent on something you can do without or even something you think you can’t.
Do Now, follow through! Faith without works is dead; we must set it in motion to produce its results. Making a commitment is about anticipating what God will do with what you give through your humility and obedience, not about how or how much you give. Your job is to ask, listen, and respond; His role is to bring seed to the one who would sow. He is faithful, and so also should we model that faithfulness.
First Baptist Church Denton
1100 Malone St. • Denton, TX 76201 • 940.382.2577
BuildingGenerations.org