Year End Report 

Last August we kicked off the fall semester by refocusing the church on the mission that we believe Jesus has called us to. This is a statement that you hear a lot around Faith Bible Church and it drives the vision of everything we do.

We build generations of Jesus followers who take grace to our world.  

I love this statement because it summarizes what Jesus calls us to do. Since August we have seen God work through so many different avenues here at our church. We have seen people saved, we have lots of new people serving, lots of new people engaged in community, a tremendous growth in new members, growth in our worship services, and so much more. Our church has rallied together around the mission that God has called us to and we’re seeing the fruits of what happens when the people of God come together. Thank you for all that you have done and the part you have played the past year.  
 
I believe this next season is going to be even greater and believe we will experience growth like we have never seen before. To accomplish this, we need everyone joining together and using their unique gifts and abilities. What will your next step be in helping us accomplish the mission? Whether that be teaching in kids ministry, taking a mission trip, leading a small group, or giving financially, we are asking everyone to jump into this mission in a way they never have before.
 
It’s going to be a great year, and I’m excited to see what God does through Faith Bible Church in the coming year.

Batts Morrison Wales & Lee conducted an audit of our church’s financial statements for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

Pastor Russell Johnson recently kicked-off the teaching series Faith that Inspires. As a long-time member of the Finance Committee, I can attest that “faith” has been an active ingredient in the management of Faith Bible's financial matters.

We are committed to being good stewards of the resources with which we have been blessed, and financial decisions are carefully made with input from the Pastoral Staff, Elders, and Finance Committee; but a degree of uncertainty is always present when making key decisions such as the adoption of a budget. Time and again, though, that is where “faith” has stepped in – Faith that God will provide; and He has done so abundantly.

A case in point is the recent close of our fiscal year in March. Throughout that month we communicated our financial status and presented 3 challenges for prayerful consideration:

Your response may have influenced the title Faith that Inspires, as we were blessed with the largest amount of contributions ever received in March! Your generosity replenished our general fund and solidified our financial footing as we begin a new fiscal year.

God’s faithfulness to provide through the body of Faith Bible Church is inspiring and can be seen over the past two decades. The recently completed renovation project of a major section of Faith Bible Church’s facility provides an opportunity to look back and review how God has worked through the growth of our campus over the past 25 years. For the benefit of those that are relatively new to Faith Bible, I’d like to share some history.

In the late 90’s, the church acquired property on Research Forest Drive to move from its original location on Shadowbend Place, which is now the Jewish Synagogue Congregation Beth Shalom.

Phase I of a long-term plan was completed in 1998 and consisted of a Sanctuary, offices, classrooms, and space for children and student ministries.  After several years, growth in attendance and the need for more classrooms led to the construction of Phase II – a new Education Wing.

In 2014 financing was secured and a building campaign was launched to construct Phase III of the campus. The centerpiece was our current Worship Center, along with more adult classrooms and upgraded nursery and pre-school space. Following completion of the new Worship Center, the original Sanctuary underwent a major facelift to become the home of Faith Bible's Student Ministry, known as Northside.

The freeze in the Winter of 2021 caused flooding and significant damage to much of Phase I and was the impetus to begin much needed repair and renovation. The recently completed Building Next project has improved church offices and added large strategic program rooms for our Kids Ministry and special events.

We are grateful for the generosity of so many over the years that have contributed to the construction of this campus, which in the aggregate cost over $26 million. The balance remaining on the term loan to build the Worship Center is $1.235 million. To complete the renovation project, $1.2 million of a bank Line of Credit was used. Only 10% of the cost of the church’s campus remains to be paid. Debt retirement is a goal we would like to achieve as soon as possible.

The current fiscal year budget includes $412,130 for the principal and interest on loans. Once the debt is eliminated, these funds can be redirected to provide additional resources to Missions and the strategic plans of our various ministries.

Thank you for your support of Faith Bible Church.  As you can see throughout this report, your commitment to this body is evident and is truly a demonstration of Faith That Inspires.

At Faith Bible church, we are committed to building generations of Jesus followers who take grace to our world. What we mean by that is, we take grace across the street and across the globe! There is one simple word that describes that process, mobilization. In Missions, we are committed to mobilizing generations of Jesus followers who take Grace to our world.
 
This has been a year of seeing that happen. We launched with City Serve in January which mobilized over three hundred people to engage seventeen organizations in our community. In October, our Women’s ministry was mobilized to serve the women in Albania who attend our partner church Guri Themelit. It was their first ever women’s overnight retreat they had held. It was so encouraging, that they immediately asked when we would return and do it again!
 
This summer, we mobilized fifty-nine people to serve across the globe. Of the fifty-nine who are being mobilized this year, forty-two had never been before. The student ministry mobilized fourteen to the Dominican Republic, and eighteen adults launched a new work in Trento, Italy. At the end of July, a team of 6 served in Lebanon. A team of eight Young Adults will mobilize in October to work with our partners at the University of Tirana in Albania.
 
This is just a small sample of how the Lord is mobilizing Faith Bible Church. Thanks to all of you for your faithful and sacrificial giving that allows us to take Grace to our world!

On behalf of the Board of Elders, it is my pleasure to greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior. As you've read through the Year End Report, I hope you've been encouraged by the events and God’s provision for our body over the past year. I also hope you've enjoyed discovering more about our church, our vision, and how we are looking forward to a great new season in the life of Faith Bible Church.

As Elder Greg Cryer expressed so well in his devotional, our recent history has been characterized by waiting, faith and patience – some more than others, patience that is. We are truly excited that at least a big part of that process is over with the hiring of our new Lead Pastor - Teaching, Russell Johnson, and the move of his family to Texas from South Carolina.

As Mike Kowalski covers very well, a year of uncertainty in our financial situation, full return after covid and the “lesser” flood we encountered actually led to an amazing provision of engagement in our ministries, new faces and wonderful generosity of giving by our congregation. Praise the Lord.

So, we have a few options – sit back and catch our breath or fully lean into God’s plan for our world, our community and Faith Bible.  As you can probably guess, we have chosen the latter as we build generations of Jesus followers who take grace to our world. We will continue to follow God’s lead for our church as we concentrate on the good news of the new life that we are offered as believers.

Our good friend Ed Underwood puts it this way,  “Christianity is not getting a new start in life, it is receiving a new life to start with.”

When we stop and think about what it is that makes a church and our gathering together so significant, it is that our fellowship and unity is absolutely centered around the person and work of Jesus Christ. We gather together on Sunday and at other times to encourage, learn, worship, serve, baptize, celebrate, mourn and many other things but Christ is always at the center.

We know that God commands us to make a priority of this gathering together in Hebrews 10:24–25, "and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."
 
A key point in this passage is that our gathering is not just about us, but to encourage one another. This command and admonition could not be more crucial in our current world.  As we become more detached and separated the need and urgency to stay connected and encourage one another becomes critical.
 
Let's make the coming year an amazing time of serving God and each other as we see the day drawing near.

Your generosity fuels our mission to build generations of Jesus followers! The easiest way to support our ministries is through Pushpay. By giving online through Pushpay, you can quickly give a one-time donation or a recurring gift. You can also choose to direct your contribution to a specific area or ministry such as the building fund or missions. Join us in sharing God's grace with the world around us!