When it comes to ministry, we try to remember that the church is not called to "do" missions, but to be missional. It is part of our identity as followers of Christ. It is who we are.
At First Baptist, our missional identity shows up on a couple of levels. We try to be missional locally... in our own community. Every April we engage in a series of intentional acts of service toward our town. We call it "To Eagle Lake, With Love". We also participate in Habitat for Humanity projects, and we host a community food pantry and clothes closet.
But being missional means that we also have to see our role in God's ongoing work in other places of the world. We send offerings to workers all across the globe. Several of our own church members are serving as missionaries in places such as Budapest, Madrid and Austin. We support these "home-grown missionaries" through our prayers, financial gifts, and continued fellowship.
Of course, the work of missions is not just for the "professionals". For the last three years we have sent a group of church members to work for a week in the Rio Grande Valley. All of this has been possible through a partnership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Buckner Baptist Benevolences. During this time we have shared the love of Christ by rebuilding homes and providing education and activities for children.
