But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then
you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea,
in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.
Acts 1:8
First Baptist Church, and the American Baptist Churches in general, have always been characterized as a people of mission. Mission is our reason for existence. Central to our calling to do mission is Jesus’ promise in Acts 1:8: “But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.”
Missions We Serve
National Missions
As an American Baptist Church, we are involved in financially supporting many Christian organizations across our country. One way we accomplish this is through generous contributions to the Great Rivers Region.
We also have had teams from our church partner with Samaritan’s Purse the last several years providing disaster relief through travel to Lafayette, LA; Baton Rouge, LA; Pearland, TX; and Detroit, MI.
We also have had teams from our church partner with Samaritan’s Purse the last several years providing disaster relief through travel to Lafayette, LA; Baton Rouge, LA; Pearland, TX; and Detroit, MI.
International Missions
We give to the Baptist International Ministries. We have supported missionaries in Thailand and the Congo for over 20 years. We support NightLight in Bangkok which rescues those who are victims of sex trafficking, SAT 7 which is a Christian TV station reaching the Middle East and North Africa, and we have a long-standing ministry with the Honduras Children’s Home supporting them financially and sending many teams in the past to minister there.
Universities & Seminaries
We feel it is vital to reach the next generation. We support four campus ministries in Illinois and Indiana. Of the staff of these ministries, two have grown up in our church, one was associate pastor here and the other is a member of 20+ years. We also support two Baptist seminaries, one in the U.S. and one in Lebanon.
Local Missions
First Baptist joins with other churches in supporting missions which are local to the Champaign/Urbana area not only financially, but by participating in their ministries. Local ministries we have worked with are CU at Home and Salt & Light.
Special Missions
“Special Missions” projects are generously supported by our members and attenders as the needs are made known to our congregation.
Youth Missions
Our youth take annual mission trips to share the message of Christ through words and service. Along with trips within the United States, they have gone to the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras.