One Life - First Baptist Dallasin order to serve and build up the body of Christ for the glory of...

Annual Ministry Report forFirst Baptist Church Dallas

2017

One Lifea t a t i m e

reigniting your passion for christa study of the gospel of luke

choosing the extraordinary lifeELIJAH'S 7 SECRETS FOR SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE

This Year in God’s Word

a letter from dr. robert jeffress

2017 has been an incredible year at First Baptist Dallas. We have had hundreds of decisions for Christ, special

guests, powerful worship, growth in our ministry areas, and most importantly, we have shared the gospel with even more people this year.

I can’t think of a better time to be part of this church. I hope as you read through this report you will be encouraged by how the Lord has worked in your hearts and through your actions.

The Lord truly worked exceedingly and abundantly beyond all that we could have asked or imagined. Thank you for your commitment to our church, for your service, ministry, prayers, and giving.

Together, we are truly transforming our world with God’s Word…one life at a time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert JeffressSenior Pastor

This year, we finished our study in the Gospel of Luke.

We studied the life and ministry of Jesus, the words He left with His disciples, and we learned how we can imitate the attitudes, actions, and affections of our Savior in our lives today.

We ended the year learning how to experience the extraordinary life by studying Elijah.

We learned how to have lives of significance by choosing to obey the Lord and walk in His ways.

F I R S T B A P T I S T C H U R C H D A L L A S | 2 0 1 7 32 O N E L I F E A T A T I M E | A Y E A R I N R E V I E W

a letter from ben lovvorn

Dear Church,

The Lord has been working through First Baptist Dallas and our Mission

1:8 Fuel the Fire Ministry Strategy. In 2017, God used YOU to help advance our mission to transform the world with God’s Word...one life at a time.

First Baptist Dallas has been called to stand boldly for Jesus Christ, to proclaim the truth of Scripture, and to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word by advancing the gospel message throughout the world.

We fulfill this calling by worshipping the Lord together, equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, serving the body of Christ and our community, and influencing the world around us–locally, nationally, and internationally.

As reflected in this report, God has blessed each of these ministry efforts in 2017, and He has done amazing things through you.

But this is only the beginning. Dr. Charles Ryrie wrote, "Building His church constitutes Christ's principal work in the world today." Jesus Christ is not yet finished building His church, and He has more for us to do! When you support the ministries of First Baptist Dallas, you are participating in the work of Jesus Christ!

I hope you will be encouraged by this glimpse of all the Lord has done this year as we press on toward the goal to win the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!

In His Service,

Ben LovvornExecutive Pastor

transforming the world

“When you support the ministries of First Baptist Dallas, you are participating

in the work of Jesus Christ!”


Transforming the world with God’s Word . . .one life at a time.

Fuel the Fire

Mission 1:8 Fuel the Fire is our ministry strategy that allows us to transform the world through four specific ministry methods:

worshipWe are committed to gathering as corporate worshippers. We practice the ministry of attendance by being present and worshipping our God together.

equipThrough the truth of Scripture, we are equipping the saints for the work of the gospel so that they may go out and influence others for the kingdom.

serveWe believe every Christian has a purpose and role in the church in order to serve and build up the body of Christ for the glory of Christ.

influenceOur church is called to be on mission and make a difference. We think of church as a military outpost, a training facility to equip the saints to influence the world for the gospel.


worshipSing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;

Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

Sing to Him a new song;

Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

For the word of the Lord is upright,

And all His work is done in faithfulness.

He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.

— Psalm 33:1–5

This year in


3,159Celebration Worship Average Attendance

640 Day One Average Attendance

10,140iCampus Average Attendance

5,834 First-Time Guests

829New Members

A Year of Life Change 2017 Special Sundays

This year, we recognized 10 years of ministry with the Jeffress family by honoring them in morning worship and celebrating with a reception that evening.

2017 brought several special guests to First Dallas in order to make it even easier for our members to invite others to church.

In February, we welcomed author, conservative columnist, and FoxNews.com host Todd Starnes to share with us on Super Sunday.


220311Professions of Faith

Baptisms

1,260Total Decisionsfor Christ

Sean Hannity

Fox News host Sean Hannity shared his testimony and gave us insight into his new movie, Let There Be Light.

sunday highlights

• 27,266 tuned in on iCampus

• 6,364 in attendance

Ainsley Earhardt

Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt joined us to share her story and discuss her new picture book for children, Take Heart, My Child: A Mother's Dream.

sunday highlights

• 57 decisions for Christ

• 5,006 in attendance


467First-Time Guests 669First-Time Guests

Sunday School

Sunday School is our primary method of discipleship and community in our church. This year, we saw the Lord grow every ministry area.

2017 highlights

• Our 3 Circles evangelism emphasis trained and equipped our entire Sunday School membership (children through senior adults) to share their faith.

• We started more new Sunday School classes from preschool through senior adults this year than in the last 10 years.

• Our Sunday School classes assigned care group leaders for every six class members. These leaders called and prayed for class members throughout the week.

growth

• Average attendance rose to over 3,279 during the year.

• Care Group ministry grew by more than 20% this year.

• Over 700 new volunteer leaders stepped up to lead.

equipOnly conduct yourselves in a manner worthy

of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I

come and see you or remain absent, I will

hear of you that you are standing firm in one

spirit, with one mind striving together for

the faith of the gospel.

— Philippians 1:27


Disciples Share the Gospel

Armed with God’s Word, our members took to their apartments, neighborhoods, local prisons, and even other countries to share the gospel and equip others.

2017 highlights

• Single adults visited Tabatinga, Brazil, to minister in indigenous villages, share the gospel, host VBS, provide medical care, and encourage and support locals.

• Two teams visited Guatemala to provide construction aid and medical help. Our construction team built eight homes and our medical team cared for about 400 people in need.

• New doors are opening for Bible studies and teaching through the women’s prison team. Eight women have graduated from one of the programs.

Discipleship University

Discipleship University is our evening discipleship ministry that equips participants two seasons a year.

2017 highlights

• DU added more new classes this year than ever before, including Equipped for the Times, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and a popular class on the Beatitudes of Jesus.

• We expanded our themed fellowships to include State Fair, October Fest, and Thanksgiving to create community within the church.

• DU continues to reach a large number of guests from other churches that do not provide evening discipleship ministries.


1,500Total Enrolled 100Professions of Faith by Male Inmates

A Year of Growth and Service

First Impressions ministry helps create a warm and inviting experience for our guests. Many who visit express how warm and inviting they find the environment and how welcomed they feel by our team.

2017 highlights

1. We increased our overall First Impressions ministry team by 100+ volunteers.

2. We created a new opportunity to care for guests: Families with Kids Guest Parking.

3. Over 400 now serve through First Impressions with 12 active weekly teams comprising the ministry.

serveAs each one has received a special gift,

employ it in serving one another as good

stewards of the manifold grace of God.

— 1 Peter 4:10


volunteer story

One of our volunteers has battled cancer this year but has continued to serve through

her chemo and radiation treatments. Serving helped her keep focused and in

community with others around her. The ministry was her lifeline. God gave

her great joy in helping others even when personally she was at her weakest.

Pastor’s Prayer Partners

Our Pastor’s Prayer Partners ministry has grown exponentially this year as men have gathered to pray on behalf of our pastor.

James 5:16 is clear that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. We are seeing the results of their prayers as God continues to work in and through our pastor and our church.

Serving Neighbors

serve day

Over 175 volunteers gathered at eight locations around Dallas for our third annual Serve Day in August. Our teams cared for our city and served as the hands and feet of Christ by helping pro-life medical clinics, providing breakfast to local apartment residents, spending time with families in a homeless shelter, cleaning and organizing a battered women's shelter, and so much more.

hurricane harvey relief

When Hurricane Harvey hit our neighbors in South Texas, we immediately implemented a disaster response strategy to help. Part of the strategy allowed us to give $50,000 to The Texas Baptist Men and relief efforts and host a blood drive through the Red Cross. We also sent a team down to Santa Fe, Texas, in partnership with Samaritan’s Purse. Each homeowner was served through high quality work on their home and was given a Bible signed by all the volunteers who worked on their home.


74 New Prayer Partners in 2017

342Total Prayer Partners

inf luence"...you shall be My witnesses both in

Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and

even to the remotest part of the earth.”

— Acts 1:8

KCBI

90.9 KCBI is the leading music/teaching radio station in America, reaching over 350,000 listeners each week across the Dallas/Fort Worth Market. They are committed to sharing encouraging music and words of hope from God’s Word.

This year, KCBI was honored by the National Religious Broadcasters as the 2017 Station of the Year.


lorissa’s story

“My husband took his own life eight months ago. KCBI has ministered to me and walked

me through all the devastation left in the wake of his suicide, and what will be coming down the road. I know that God will use it all for good. I have learned so much about

trusting God, the Bible and getting through tough times from you all. Thank you for

being there every day, all day long!”

Pathway to Victory

It’s been an incredible year for Pathway to Victory. We hosted the Celebrate Freedom Rally in Washington, D.C., expanded into new markets in order to equip and share the gospel with even more people, and we released several new resources that are impacting many with the truth of God’s Word!

2017 highlights

• Expanded to 50 new local television markets

• Expanded to 140 new radio markets

• Total response to PTV increased by more than 142%

• Over 105,000 new people directly contacted and ministered to by our ministry team

new resources

• The Gift: The Gospel for Children–the first colorfully illustrated children’s book ever produced by Dr. Jeffress

• The End-Times Illustrated–a companion guidebook to Dr. Jeffress’ best-selling book, Perfect Ending: Why Your Eternal Future Matters Today

• A Place Called Heaven–National Bestseller

• Pathway Magazine–over 50,000 subscribers

teddy from mississippi

“Pathway To Victory has really changed my life because of the bold biblical truths I

hear in each message. These truths can be extremely difficult to face up to initially

until the realization hits you that there is no manipulating the Word of God. I was caught

up in a very ungodly lifestyle. But hearing Pathway To Victory and reading God’s Word caused me to take a U-turn in my life and accept the salvation found in Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful for your ministry.”

rachel from indonesia

“I feel more and more unleashed hate, aggression, and terror from the radical

Muslims surrounding me. I watch Pathway to Victory online and Dr. Jeffress’ messages,

The Rise of Radical Islam and The New Moral (Dis)order from Countdown to the Apocalypse, have reminded me to be hopeful and remain faithful in these troubling times. Thank you, Dr. Jeffress and all who stand for truth! The

world needs to hear it more than ever before.”


ministry...in whom the whole building, being fitted

together, is growing into a holy temple in

the Lord, in whom you also are being built

together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

— Ephesians 2:21-22

A year of


Palm Sunday & Carry the Cross

Palm Sunday was an incredible day at First Dallas. Two hundred guests joined us in worship, and we celebrated new life with Christ through baptisms. Then we experienced a powerful evening of worship with The Gettys, the choir and orchestra, and the Lord’s Supper. Hundreds joined us for our Cross Walk to Klyde Warren Park, which received local and national news coverage. We saw the cross lifted high and were able to point those in our city to the true reason we celebrate.


200First-Time Guests

45 Decisions for Christ

15Professions of Faith

Easter at First Dallas

On Easter Sunday, we had an incredible day celebrating our resurrected King with our second highest attendance in our history for worship, second only to the grand opening of our campus. Our children and preschoolers experienced Resurrection Road, a multi-sensory, age-appropriate experience, that helped them see and understand the Easter story in a new way. Several children made decisions for the Lord.


10,000iCampus Attendance

55 Decisions for Christon iCampus

46Decisions for Christ in Worship

26 Professions of Faith and Baptisms

Celebrate Freedom

This year, we had the incredible honor and privilege of hosting an event in Washington, D.C,. with the White House and President Donald J. Trump. The event was internationally broadcast on Daystar and Salem Radio Network. President Trump gave a powerful speech affirming his commitment to religious liberty, Dr. Jeffress delivered a clear gospel presentation, and attendees enjoyed incredible music by our choir and orchestra.

president donald j. trump

“As long as I am president, no one is going to stop you from practicing your faith or from preaching what is in your heart.”


15,000Requests for the DVD through PTV

1 million+People Watched or Listened

Freedom Sunday

We celebrated our freedom as Americans and our freedom in Christ at church on Freedom Sunday with another incredible day of worship. Former U.S. Army Ranger, author, and pastor, Jeff Struecker, shared an encouraging message, “The War Between Faith and Fear,” and many joined us on campus.


4,900Worship Attendance

Evangelism Campaign and Day One Hundred

In the fall, we partnered as a church to invite guests and people in our lives to join us for two big Sundays. We taught through 3 Circles curriculum so that people felt equipped to share the gospel and their own personal stories of life change. Every week, we challenged members to use resources to invite friends to church.

Day One also challenged their members to invite friends and family members to come and explore the church during four special Sundays in August. Each Sunday, the altar was full of people giving their lives to Christ or joining the church.


member testimony

“Way too often, when I hear ‘invite a friend to church,’ I assume everyone else is inviting

someone, so there’s no need for me to. However, I started inviting my neighbors and almost 30 have attended. Four have

joined the church and are serving in various capacities, and one was baptized. God is faithful and He does the work, but He

delights in using us to reach the world, one life (neighbor) at a time.”

Explore First Dallas

As salt and light in our culture, we want to provide special Sundays like Explore First for our church family to invite people to come and learn more about the church and about the gospel. This year at Explore First, thousands of people joined us on campus and via iCampus for worship and lunch on the grounds.

• 60 decisions for Christ in worship

• 50 decisions for Christ on iCampus


500First-Time Guests

member story

A new couple to our church has been learning the 3 Circles curriculum. The

husband realized he didn’t know the Lord and prayed to receive Christ!

A Night of Christmas

A Night of Christmas is back and more exciting than ever this year as we prepare for all the laughter, nostalgia, family time, music, and celebration of the true reason for the season–the God who came to earth for us! This season is a great time to invite a guest who needs to meet Jesus to join us for a fun performance and gospel presentation.

2017 highlights

• Inspiring music by our Choir and Orchestra

• A theatrical performance

• Acrobats and aerialists

• An epic drumline

• And more


a look at 2018

God is moving in mighty ways at First Baptist Dallas. I hope you have been encouraged as you have seen just a snapshot of all God

did in 2017. There’s more to come.

The staff and I firmly believe that 2018 will be our best year yet. We have big plans in store and look forward to furthering the gospel in even greater ways. The Lord is using you to transform the world.

I am excited to see how He uses you for what is to come.

Gratefully,

Dr. Robert JeffressSenior Pastor

Stewardship

In 2017, we increased our focus on the biblical values of stewardship and generosity. We are working to cultivate a culture of generosity and develop surrendered stewards committed to walking closely with the Lord individually and transforming the world together through the ministries of our church. As surrendered stewards, we honor the Lord by faithfully stewarding 100 percent of our resources.

Our Mission 1:8 Fuel the Fire Ministry Strategy funds all of our ministries and everything reflected in this report. Our initial goal for Fuel the Fire was $50 million. Because of your generosity, halfway through our two-year ministry strategy, we have received approximately 40 percent of our goal! However, in 2018, we will be dependent on the faithfulness of each and every one of our members in order to accomplish all that God has called us to do.

40% RECEIVED60% NEEDED IN 2018


OUR TWO-YEAR GOAL(DEC. 1, 2016–NOV. 30, 2018) IS A TOTAL OF

$50 million

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not

send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

— John 3:16-17

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