We lived in Graceville, Florida, while I was attending Florida Baptist Theological College (now the Baptist University of Florida). Graceville is a predominantly farming community that boasts a Baptist college. After moving into our apartment and settling in, we started looking for a church home. Since I was a college student in a small town with a Baptist college, I figured finding a church to belong to would be easy. I was wrong. We visited four or five different churches. We were new somewhere every Sunday. It was tiring and sometimes frustrating. We finally joined Holmes Creek Baptist Church in Chipley and enjoyed our time there.

I think back to that time in our family’s life and am thankful. I am grateful we found a church home to serve in and grow as a young family. I also appreciate what I learned during that search process. If you have ever been through the process of finding a church to call home, you know how tiring and stressful it can be. As a pastor, I am sympathetic to those seeking a church home. I understand their plight. When I see guests at church declare on a communication card they are actively seeking a church home, I know what they are going through.

Think about the process for a minute. You wake up on Sunday morning, get your family dressed, and get ready to attend a worship service at an unfamiliar church. You may have found a campus map on their website. Perhaps not. There may be signs directing you where to find restrooms, the nursery, and the information desk. Maybe not. Likely, you won’t know anyone. Introductions are made, and you tell the story of what brought you to the community. You answer questions about your family, job, and past churches. You feel like you’re in a Senate confirmation hearing.

Once the service begins, you are officially welcomed from the pulpit. Something is likely said about first-time guests. Hopefully, you will not be asked to stand awkwardly so everyone can ensure you know you’re the new person. You’re likely told what’s happening at the church through some announcement system, likely a printed bulletin. You quickly discern what is important to this church and whether you will fit in. During the worship service and sermon, you ask the Lord for a sense of peace about whether you should return. As you leave, you likely meet new people who may ask you the same questions you were asked about an hour or so ago. You leave thinking one of two things: “That wasn’t so bad” or “Thank God that’s over.” As you drive home or during lunch somewhere, several critical questions run through your mind.

1.  Is this the place the Lord would have me, or is this the place I want to be?
2. Does this church share my biblical beliefs and theological convictions?
3. Can the spiritual walk of my family be deepened by attending here?
4. Will this church provide me with the opportunity to utilize my spiritual gifts?
5. Can I positively impact this church to fulfill its mission and purpose?

Stress enters when the above process is repeated multiple times in multiple churches. It can be very tiring being “new” in church every week. Investing time and energy, doing homework, and seeing no immediate result can be tiring. For these reasons, searching for a church home can be one of the most challenging and critical jobs a believer will do.

For many, this process is foreign because they have never had to work this process. Some people have been members of the same church their entire lives. As our society changes and becomes more transient, this process or something similar will become common. Pray for those who are looking for a church home. As members of the body of Christ, we are responsible for making this process a little easier for them. Be intentional in making this process a little less daunting and stressful for those families looking to connect.

Most people have favorites: foods, colors, songs, books, authors, movies, coffee shops, etc. Having a “favorite” anything means you have experienced similar other things and have decided a certain one means more to you than all the rest. I am no different. I have favorite songs, authors, books, coffee shops, movies, and foods. It would be difficult to say I have a favorite Bible verse. I do, however, have what I would refer to as a life verse. This verse speaks to where I am on my spiritual journey. This verse provides a sense of motivation, clarity, and purpose. It sets the course for my days. The prophet Jeremiah wrote:

“And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.” (Jeremiah 29:7) 

The context for this verse is a letter Jeremiah wrote to the Israelites who had been taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar and relocated to Babylon. Jeremiah encourages them to make Babylon their home, go about their daily activities, and seek to be a blessing to their captives. It was a difficult charge indeed. It would be difficult to consider being a blessing to those who robbed you of your home. It would be difficult to consider being a blessing to a nation to whom you were enslaved. It would be difficult to consider being a blessing to the people who removed you from your familiar place of worship and introduced you to foreign gods.

I can relate to this verse. It says something about the way I approach life. I do not equate pastoring a church to being carried away as a captive to a foreign land. Quite the opposite. Serving the Lord through the gospel ministry brings my life great fulfillment, joy, and pleasure. I would not want to be doing anything else with my life. However, I can relate to how the exiled Israelites must have felt. I understand what moving away from the familiar and comfortable is like. I know what it is like to leave family and friends. I know what it is like not to have assurance of how long I stay in the same place. I understand what it is like to become familiar with new routines, schedules, and people.

Jeremiah told Israel the surest way for their city to prosper would be for them to pray for its peace and welfare. God Himself placed Israel in Babylon for a season and with a purpose. It may not have always been peaceful for them as captives. Trusting God’s placement would enable them to find and live in peace. For a city to experience God’s blessings, the people of God occupying the city must, through prayer, seek its welfare and peace (literally its wellness and wholeness).

I believe with all my heart that God has placed me where He has for a reason and a season. I trust He has done the same in the past. It is my duty, privilege, and responsibility to pray for the peace of the city where I am, to the best of my ability, to be a blessing to this city. I have committed my life to this end. This verse is more than just an obscure Old Testament verse. It fuels me to faithfully serve the cities and people God has allowed me to be carried away captive for Him.

We are often reminded in God’s Word of our call to care for and serve others in the name of Jesus Christ – to consider others more than ourselves. At First Baptist Church, community ministry remains a priority, and our people demonstrate compassion and generosity. I challenged our people to invest more heavily in current ministries and take on new challenges – I was not disappointed. Through their commitment, our community has benefited from their love, care, and concern. Our plate was full in 2024. We were able to minister to our community in meaningful ways. From serving our local school to helping families stay in their homes, we put others first. From serving as a warming shelter for people experiencing homelessness to assisting our community recover from two devastating hurricanes, we put others first. From giving and going to meet the needs of those in Guatemala to helping ensure children in our community had basic school supplies as they went back to school, we put others first. We have used opportunities like these and others to foster relationships and build bridges for gospel conversations. After a fruitful and, at times, chaotic year, a few observations.

First, it can never be about us. You must be willing to be taken advantage of to effectively reach your community for Christ. I have often shared with our people, and in community ministry conferences I’ve led, that we must never serve our community from the starting point of compensation. Many find this troubling. Some believe every person we help through community ministry should be in a pew the following Sunday. That would be nice. We would love the opportunity to have further conversations, follow-ups, and connections. The hard truth is that most of the people we serve in our community will not attend First Baptist Church for various reasons. If our service and love are taken advantage of, that is beyond our control. Has our service and giving been taken advantage of throughout this year’s ministry opportunities? I know it has. Throughout this year’s ministry opportunities, have we suffered offense through the actions and responses of those we were helping? Absolutely. I have learned that we are only responsible for “why” we do ministry. It’s about the one who, through our serving (backpack giveaways, Family Fun Days, etc.), hears the truth of the gospel and takes their next step toward Christ. If we give and serve with the sole motive of obedience to Christ and being a blessing to our community, we have nothing to worry about. The possibility of being taken advantage of is real, but it should not stop us from service.

Second, there is tremendous value in planning. The adage is true, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Our missions and ministries leaders understand planning and preparedness. This past year, I have sat with ministry leaders and our missions team for countless hours, ensuring details were covered in our missions work. Some ministry opportunities require very little planning. Others require a great deal. It is counterproductive to arrive at a ministry site and not have the food, supplies, and volunteers needed to serve. While we understand the need for flexibility in ministry, that does not negate the need for prior planning. Being prepared shows the community you care. Being prepared demonstrates to the recipients of your ministry they were thought of in advance. We were busy with meaningful mission work this past year, and I expect nothing less this coming year. I have learned that we would have been less effective without proper planning.

Lastly, we are better together. 2024 was a year of partnerships. As Southern Baptists, working together is a familiar concept. We can do more together than we can do alone. We partnered with our county emergency management department to provide service as a cold weather station to our homeless/at-risk population. We continued a partnership with our local elementary school to provide mentors for children and encouragement for staff. We partnered with our local service agencies and school district to offer a family-friendly back-to-school event. For the first time, our local Baptist association came together for a partnership event, Serve Taylor. This day saw churches from across our association serving their local area through various ministries and outreaches. Tragedy opened the door for deepening existing partnerships. Hurricanes Debby and Helene devastated our county in August and September. The latter caused catastrophic loss to our coastal communities. Coupled with the lingering effects of Hurricane Idalia at the same time last year, our region was suffering. Without hesitation and almost overnight, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief Ministries was here to serve in helping our region recover. We were privileged to partner with them and served twice as a command site for clean-up and recovery operations. Our Florida Baptist Convention has been a crucial and faithful partner in our work this year. There is no possible way we could have accomplished any of this on our own. We need others to fulfill our purpose and vision in our community. We desire to come alongside others to help them achieve theirs as well. I look forward to what 2025 holds for First Baptist Church.