WHO WE ARE

AN INFORMATION SHEET ABOUT

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH NICEVILLE

NICEVILLE, FLORIDA

(2/23/2006)

 

1.       The First Baptist Church Niceville (FBCN) was established on October 1, 1910 and was originally named Damascus Baptist Church of Boggy Bayou.  During the period from inception until the current time, over 25 pastors have served the church.  In 1943 action was taken to change the name to First Baptist Church Niceville, and in 1944, the church became full-time in operation.

 

2.       The church is located approximately 13 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico on Boggy Bayou, a tributary of Choctawhatchee Bay, which borders Destin and Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  The church is centered only three miles north east of Eglin Air Force Base (the free world’s largest military installation) which is home to 10,000 military personnel and their families, along with 4,000 civilian employees and an estimated 6,000 contractor support personnel. Additionally, the Base Realignment and Closure Committee (BRAC) recommendations pending before Congress is projected to add over 3,400 more military personnel and their families to Eglin Air Force Base (totaling over 15,000 additions to arrive the next two to three years).  The area has many subdivisions of homes and condominiums, representing a tremendous evangelistic outreach challenge which is growing by leaps and bounds.  Because of the large land mass of Eglin Air Force Base, the majority of available land for development lies within the Niceville area, which has caused a considerable building boom for new residential dwellings, and therefore an influx of people.

 

3.       A staff of seventeen (17) full-time Pastoral and Ministerial Support Staff are employed to lead the Church in its’ mission.  They are:  (A) Pastoral Staff consisting of an Interim Pastor, Associate Pastors of Worship Arts, Education, Senior Adults, and Students.  Each Associate Pastor has a part-time Ministry Assistant to provide support in that respective ministry area.  (B) Ministerial Support Staff consisting of a full time Children’s Ministry Director, a Child Development Center Director, two part time Children’s Ministry Assistants, a part time Administrator, a full time Administrative Assistant, a Bookkeeper, a Receptionist, two Church Hostesses (full time and assistant), three Custodial persons, a Maintenance Supervisor, four part time paid accompanists, and a part time paid computer consultant.  Approximately twenty persons work part time as paid childcare teachers.

 

4.       The following reflects brief information about the make-up of the congregation.

·         Church Resident Membership for 2004: 1352 for 2005 1343

·         Two Sunday Morning Worship Services with average attendance for 2004 of 653, and 614 for 2005

·         Baptisms for 2004: 41,  and 13 for 2005

·         Church Budget for 2004, 2005 and 2006: $1,550,000, $1,650,000 and $1,670,000 respectively

·         Total Tithes and Offering  in 2004 and 2005:   $1,450,000 and $1,570,000 respectively

·         Gifts for:  Cooperative Program 10%, Choctaw Association 2%, Benevolent Program 1%, and Local Missions 1.6% are budgeted items and obtained by allocating percentages as noted from total Tithes and Offerings

·         Two Sunday Morning Bible Study periods with enrollment of 1434 in 2004 and 1362 in 2005

·         Bible Study average attendance for 2004: 608 and 598 for 2005

·         Debt $500,000 as of Jan 2006 primarily for acquisition of adjacent properties

 

5.     The specific ministries of FBCN are reflected below for information.

 

  1. Worship Arts Ministry

·         Worship Choir

·         Student Choir

·         Age Graded Children’s Choirs

·         Ladies Vocal Ensemble

·         Praise Teams – Adult, High School/College

·         Ladies Handbells

·         Youth Handbells

·         Fine Arts School in Piano, Drums and Guitar

·         Audio/Visual Ministry

 

  1. Education Ministry:

·         Two Sunday Morning Bible Study Periods with classes for all ages and divisions

·         Discipleship Training Involving:

·         Life Issue Small Group Studies

·         Leadership Development

·         Home Cell Groups

·         Missions Programs:

·         Women’s Missionary Union

·         Mission Friends, Acteens

·         Women on Mission

·         Baptist Men on Mission

·         FBCN Men’s Ministry

·         Challengers

·         Juvenile Justice Ministry

·         Mission Trips (local and away)

·         Missions Development Committee

     

  1. Senior Adult Ministry:

·         Senior Adult Weekly Bible Study

·         Ministry to Homebound Individuals

·         Senior Adult Choir

·         Ministry to Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities

·         Monthly Senior Adult Fellowship Group (Keenagers)

·         “Praying for Students” Ministry

 

  1. Children’s Ministry

·         Weekly Bible Study and Extended Session Care/Kids Worship

·         Preschool/Children’s Choirs

·         Vacation Bible School

·         Kids Konnection

·         A Child Development Center involving Pre-School and WEE School Activities certified by the State of Florida

·         Speed Stacks, Cup Stacking Teams

·         Bible Drill

·         MOPS, Mother's of Preschoolers

·         GA's and RA's

 

  1. Student Ministry:

·         Two Sunday Middle School and High School Bible Study Periods

·         Wednesday Evening youth Worship Activities

·         Youth Praise Band

·         Project Jerusalem Activity to minister to the community through service to needy residents.

·         Summer Camps in local and outside areas

·         Work directly with local high school athletic activities

 

  1. In addition to the ministries reflected above, the Church engages in:

·         Crisis Pregnancy Ministry to assist women who must make choices relative to unplanned pregnancies.

·         GANG RESCUE – an acronym for Gangs Also Need God – Reach Every Single Child Upon the Earth – associated with Baptist Men on Mission. 

·         Working with youth incarcerated because of criminal activity, the volunteers establish relationships with these individuals, follow them to their habitats and gangs telling them about Jesus, and offering help to escape from their gang environment and way of life.  This ministry activity also has been extended to the country of Belize where it has been received in an overwhelming way. 

·         Under the leadership of GANG RESCUE, volunteers from FBCN Baptist Men on Missions also engage in a Juvenile Justice Center Ministry by conducting Bible studies at each of the local correctional institutes on a weekly basis (four sessions on Sunday, one on Thursday and one on Saturday). 

·         Additionally, the volunteers provide periodic cookouts at the facilities, with approval and supervision of the correctional personnel, in order to identify more closely with the youth and also extend the Love of Jesus through a medium greatly received by all.

·          Grief Support Group which seeks to provide support and encouragement to the spouses and family members who are hurting and have great needs due to death or serious illness within the family.

·         Annual Singing Christmas Tree which has been an outreach to the community since 1981.

·         Prayer Ministry consisting of a dedicated Prayer Chapel available 24 hours per day, an intercessory telephone prayer chain, a weekly published prayer guide, a Wednesday night prayer service time devoted exclusively for prayer, and a Ladies Intercessory Prayer Group.

 

6.       The congregation is primarily made up of middle income individuals, with a considerable percentage of which are employed with the Defense Department, or contractors supporting the military complex.  They are generally well educated, dedicated individuals, but some are transient in nature due to the ever changing military mission.  There is also a large retired segment that has been attracted to the beautiful area, or sent here by the military and desired to remain in the locale.

 

7.       Resources that are available to assist in doing the Lord’s work are:

·         A networked computer support system utilizing Automated Church Systems (ACS) software, and other support software, with terminals provided for each ministerial and support staff member.

·         A Media Center containing over 10,000 books, video cassettes, audio cassettes, DVDs ,  and all necessary support equipment along with complete Bible Commentaries and Doctrinal Study Books, Bible Study Kits for members personal and educational use.

·         A computerized communications system providing telephone support to each ministerial and support area, interconnected with all the church facilities.

·         A computerized system for operation (turning on and off) of the church air conditioning facilities throughout the complex.

·         Two fifteen passenger church vans and a new 25 passenger People Mover bus.

·         A Family Life Center with full recreation and kitchen facilities.

·         A superior sound and lighting and projection systems in the auditorium.

·         A relatively new organ and grand piano.

·         A newly renovated Children’s Ministry Complex with a large playground.

·         An internet web site which attained award of Top 3 Distinctive Churches Web Site for year 2000.

(www.fbcniceville.org)

·         Guidance documents consisting of:  Church Constitution, Deacon Ministry Manual, and Personnel Policies and Procedures, all of which are posted on the Web Site for information and review.

 

8.  The surrounding community consists of a diverse population that provides a substantial pool of dedicated Christians that support the churches outstandingly in the area of stewardship and service.  The military individuals, and their supporting civilians and contractors, provide a mission field that is “white unto harvest”.  The educational system of Okaloosa County is outstanding, ranking first in the State of Florida.  All of the schools in the local community have been rated class “A” schools.  There are four major universities serving the county (University of Arkansas, University of West Florida, Troy State University, and University of Florida Graduate Research Center), one local community college (Okaloosa Walton College which has recently become a four year school in a limited number of subjects), another community college within 50 miles, and two vo-tech schools.