Living On Mission

Mission Going 

The Mission Initiatives of our church are designed to make disciples who live lives on mission (Matthew 22:39; Acts 1:8). The true measure of a church is not their seating capacity, but sending capacity. We believe missions begins in our own backyard. Here are ways that we are going on mission.

Adopt-A-School Initiative - Each school year, we offer a course on parenting for the parents of the students. We host a staff appreciation meal and provide meals for teacher meetings. We also purchase bicycles for students who end the year with perfect attendance.

Ramp Up, Portales - Our members pay for and provide labor and materials to repair homes in our town.

Bridge to Hope - This ministry offers life skills and job readiness classes for women 18 and older. First Baptist, Portales provides office and classroom space and involves volunteers in teaching and mentoring.

Mega Sports Camp - This camp features training for boys and girls in sports such as Basketball, Soccer, Rodeo, Baseball, Volleyball, along with the Gospel. It is held at the Baptist Children's Home.

We Love Portales Weekend - For a weekend in July, we do servant evangelism projects in our community.

Food Pantry Ministry - Our food pantry provides food to needy families in Portales. This ministry is carried out through the church office and supported by offerings and food donations from our members.

Food Distribution - Through the Roosevelt County Ministerial Alliance, we help monthly food distribution.

Mission Trips - Each year, members can go on a mission trip either stateside or overseas, such as those made possible with Calvary Road Ministries, who trains people to use the Bible story cloth; disaster relief ministry; or with groups such as our youth.

Mission Giving

Budget Giving - 19% of our 2017 budget goes to mission causes. 10% to the "Cooperative Program" through which we support the work of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico and the Southern Baptist Convention to support, among other things, 3,800 international missionaries and 5,600 North American missionaries.

3% supports Eastern Baptist Association of churches; 2.5% to the New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home; and .5% to Inlow and Sivell's Baptist camps.

We also send $900 annually to the Roosevelt County Ministerial Alliance; $600 to Disaster Relief; $1000 supports our Food Pantry ministry; $500 for Cannon Air Force Base outreach; and $750 for outreach to ENMU. 2% of receipts support various partnerships approved by our Missions Ministry Team.

Mission Partnerships - In 2017, we will be supporting . . .

1. Foundations of Faith Dairy Ministry, which shares the Gospel and leads Bible studies with dairy workers;

2. The Pregnancy Resource Center, which provides clients with free pregnancy tests and then goes over all options if the result is positive. Last year, 125 out of 131 women chose to not to terminate their pregnancies;

3. Muslim Outreach Ministry, we support a missionary to Albuquerque Muslim population;

4. Pioneer Bible Translator, Lindy Pate, who serves in Papua, New Guinea;

5. Randy & Joan Bell, to whom we send direct support, are Southern Baptist missionaries in Slovenia; and

6. Calvary Road Ministries, we will send folks with them on a mission trip to Kenya and/or sponsor a training event for pastors in Kenya this summer.

Church Planting - FBC has a history of planting new churches. We have helped start Spanish speaking works in Clovis, Farwell, and Ft. Sumner. Most recently, we helped start a new English speaking church in Portales, The Porch, and have assisted the church associated with the dairy ministry, Foundations of Faith Church. In 2017, we will support . . .

1. Bryne Palmer in planting a church in Albuquerque in the Rio Rancho area, called Rio Church; and

2. Matthew Beasley in planting a church in Norman, Oklahoma.

World Mission Offering - Each year, the Missions Ministry Team sets goals for extra giving beyond our church ministry budget to mission causes. The funds received support special offerings for mission agencies or supplement other mission programs. Our goal for 2017 is $25,000.