Adult Disciple-Making

A healthy disciple is one who gathers with the body of Christ, grows in the grace of Christ, and goes with the gospel of Christ.

The three present tense verbs in this statement form our disciple-making pathway. Summarized as Gather, Grow, and Go. In other words, we believe that in order to be healthy a disciple must…

  • GATHER with the body of Christ.
  • GROW in the grace of Christ.
  • GO with the gospel of Christ.

This process is not linear but cyclic. In other words, one never completes the process of becoming a healthy disciple in this life. 

We endeavor to achieve these steps in the following ways:

This element in the disciple-making pathway directly relates to the first pillar of our mission statement, Gospel-Centered Worship. To be a spiritually healthy disciple of Christ, one needs to gather weekly with the body of Christ. At First Baptist Powell, opportunities for corporate worship are provided each Lord’s Day morning as well as the fourth Lord’s Day evening. In addition, there are other special occasions provided to gather with the body of Christ throughout the year. For more information about the First Baptist Powell Worship and Liturgy Ministry click here. 

As we think about helping one another grow in the grace of God, we need to be mindful that spiritual growth is produced through both knowledge of God and community with God’s people. To help facilitate both of these needs we think in terms of learning and community spaces. Learning spaces include Sunday School classes, Core Classes, and Support Groups. Community spaces include Community Groups, Discipleship Groups (D-Groups), Senior Adult Fellowship, Women on Mission, and Men’s and Women’s Ministry events.

The third phase of our disciple-making pathway involves evangelism and missions. In order to be a healthy, growing disciple of Christ, one must be consistently seeking to bring unbelievers into a saving relationship with Christ. Typically, evangelism is practiced in one of two contexts. 

  • Near-culture: those who share our language and basic culture. Normally, these people live in close geographic proximity to us.
  • Cross-culture: cross-culture evangelism is commonly referred to as missions. This evangelism requires that we cross barriers of distance, language, and/or culture in order to engage others with the gospel.

In order to encourage and facilitate broad involvement in going, First Baptist Powell will offer a variety of both near-culture and cross-culture missional opportunities.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday School classes meet on Lord’s Day mornings and focus primarily on teaching Bible content. These classes are led by teachers who typically teach through books of the Bible. While the primary focus is learning, Sunday School classes are also a wonderful space for building community.

CORE CLASSES

Core Classes are short-term studies (6-24 weeks) focused on a singular topic or Bible book. These classes provide much of the core knowledge that every disciple needs to grow in the grace of the Lord. Core Classes are open to all First Baptist members and guests, focusing on topics within the categories of Biblical Studies, Theology, and Practical Theology.

COMMUNITY GROUPS

Community Groups meet each Lord’s Day evening (with the exception of the fourth Sunday of each month and once a quarter on the fifth Sunday). Community Groups are focused on building biblically-based relationships in a multi-generational setting.

women’s ministry

The Women’s Ministry at First Baptist Powell exists to disciple and mentor women through Biblical studies as well as relational and social settings, and to challenge women to apply God’s Word by living a life that adorns the Word of God.

Men’s Ministry

The Men’s Ministry at First Baptist Powell exists to honor and glorify God by providing a framework to facilitate men’s spiritual growth in all aspects of the Christian life. Through various conferences, retreats, and other gatherings, the Men’s Ministry provides opportunities for men to build community and to grow in biblical knowledge.

Senior ADULTS

Senior Adult Ministry consists of mission opportunities to various youth camps, monthly fellowship meetings, and bi-monthly JOY choir outings, singing in assistant living and nursing homes around our community.

Singles

At First Baptist Powell, we welcome and cherish those who are single in the church! Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:7-8 that being single is a good thing and a gift from God, and we whole-heartedly agree. For more information about getting involved in the Singles Ministry, please contact Jay Scarbro.

COLLEGE & CAREER

Our College and Career Ministry is made up of college-aged and young career adults who desire to see Christ proclaimed and glorified on college campuses, in the workplace, and in our daily interactions. No matter what season of life you are in, we hope you will consider joining us!