Our Identity, Mission, and Ministries

Discover Formosa  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  49:26
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Our Goals for this class:

To help prospective members evaluate if Formosa Baptist is a good fit for them.
To help new and prospective members build a biblical understanding of Church membership.
To help new and prospective members understand how the church operates in context of its community, association, and denominational entities.
To help equip new and prospective members get engaged in the mission of the church.

Who are we?

About Formosa Baptist Church

Location

Physical Address: 192 County Line Rd., Clinton, AR 72031 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1530, Clinton, AR 72031

Weekly Schedule

Sunday School: Sundays at 10:00am Sunday Worship: Sundays at 11:00am Deep Discipleship: Sundays at 6:00pm (by registration) Men’s Ministry: Mondays at 6:00am Fellowship Meal: Wednesdays at 6:00pm Bible Studies: Wednesdays at 6:30pm

Online

Website: https://formosabaptist.com

View announcements, the church calendar, register for events, online giving, service and sermon videos, and links to all the other online sites below. Create an account and sign in to access your giving history, view the digital member directory, make edits to your contact information, and choose what contact information to share with other members in the directory.

Church Connect App: https://open.churchtrac.com?code=E44YMH

Same as the website, but as a downloadable app for iOS and Android. Take advantage of calendar integration to get church events in your phone’s default calendar! If prompted, enter the code “E44YMH” when you first open the Church Connect app to connect with Formosa Baptist.

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@formosabaptist

All of our Sunday worship services (and some Wednesday Bible studies) are streamed or posted to this YouTube page.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/formosabaptist/

Public announcements, events, and news from our church.

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/formosabaptist

A more interactive space where members share prayer requests, volunteer lists (for teachers, food prep, etc.), and more.

RightNowMedia (signup link): https://app.rightnowmedia.org/en/join/formosabaptist

“Netflix for Bible studies.” This is a video streaming website/app that allows you to stream Bible studies and Christian content from hundreds of reputable Christian teachers and preachers. This is a great resource for your own personal growth and can be used as curriculum for small groups at church.

Pastor

Jason Hill (501) 259-0585 jason_hill@formosabaptist.com

Deacons

Brief explanation of what deacons do; save the full explanation for later.
James Vest (Chairman) (501) 253-1655
John Hastings (501) 253-0865
Ken Rickard (501) 745-6467
Jacob Barnard (501) 472-9091
TJ Pate (501) 253-0441
Josh Bradford (501) 253-4999
Blake Forrest (870) 224-3813

Our Identity

We are Defined by the Gospel

The word “gospel” means “good news.”
Mark 1:1 ESV
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
In the Roman Empire, the word “gospel” was often used to announce the birth or coronation of a king.

Creation

The Gospel is the story about Jesus—our King, Creator, and Savior.
Genesis 1:1 ESV
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Colossians 1:15–16 ESV
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Creation came about through Jesus, so he is the Creator.
Genesis 1:31 ESV
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good...
Genesis 2:15–17 ESV
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
God, as King of Creation, made all things good and gave only one restriction to Adam and Eve.
As Creator and King, God created us for a purpose and has the right to make laws.
Revelation 4:11 ESV
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
We were created to point others to the glory of God.
Obviously, that is not what we see in the world around us, is it? We don’t see harmony, we see brokenness. Instead of being close to God, people are far from him. Instead of living for God’s glory people live for their own glory. What went wrong?

The Fall

It started when a fallen angel named Satan grew jealous of God and determined to ruin the perfection of creation. Satan took the form of a serpent and enticed Adam and Eve to question God’s goodness and rebel against his one rule. In disobedience they ate the fruit and peace unraveled, ushering in sin and death, which still plagues us today.
Genesis 3:4–6 ESV
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
If we are honest, we are very much like Adam and Eve. We all rebel against our heavenly Father, making our hearts heavy with fear, guilt, and shame.
Romans 3:23 ESV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...
Every single human that has ever lived (except Jesus) has repeatedly broken God’s laws. When we disobey God and break his laws, this is called “sin.”
Sin has consequences. One of the consequences is that it separates us from God and breaks our relationship with him.
Isaiah 59:2 ESV
2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Sin also leads to death—both physical death and spiritual death.
Romans 6:23 ESV
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Without God’s intervention, every human that ever lived would be eternally separated from God in Hell.

The Rescue

John 3:16–18 ESV
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
How is it possible that we can be forgiven and receive eternal life simply by believing in Jesus? Because Jesus was our substitutionary sacrifice.
Hebrews 9:22 ESV
22 ...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Isaiah 53:5 ESV
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Jesus took the penalty our sins deserved upon himself to make it possible for us to be forgiven and reconciled to God.
Romans 10:9–10 ESV
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
We are saved simply by trusting in Christ.
Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
There’s no good deeds I can do to deserve salvation. It is a gift (grace) that God gives. No one deserves to be saved.
So, if we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus, we’re saved and granted eternal life. Our relationship with God that once was broken is restored, and we get a new life.

New Life

2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV
15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
When God saves us, he gives us a new life and restores our original purpose—to live for the glory of Jesus.
One day, God will restore all of creation and remake heaven and earth perfect again. Sin and its consequences will be completely done away with for those who have been saved, and we will live forever with God in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Revelation 21:3–5 ESV
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Our Identity: At Formosa Baptist, we are sinners saved by the grace of God striving to live for his glory and the salvation of the lost.

Our Identity informs our mission...

Our Mission

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The purpose of the church is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world. This proclamation will be accomplished by:

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Our Ministries help us accomplish our Mission.

Sunday Worship Service

Corporate worship, prayer, giving, and study of Scripture.
Typically will work through books of the Bible systematically with an emphasis on understanding and applying Scripture to daily life.
This is the most basic form of discipleship that the church offers. It is necessary, but insufficient, to promote spiritual growth.
Sunday sermons are like the inspirational speech the general gives before his troops go into battle.
Sermons hopefully do a lot more than just inspire, but this is the best analogy I can think of. Sermons should also teach the people how to read and interpret Scripture, convict people of sin, and help us to apply Scripture to our lives.

Sunday School classes

For all ages (Pre-K and up)
Participation in Sunday School is the most basic form of participation in the church beyond attending worship and the most regular opportunity for in-depth discipleship and fellowship.
Most classes begin with sharing prayer requests and praying for one another, which helps to build relationships. These relationships open up opportunities for ministering to one another.
Typically study systematically through books of the Bible. The interactive format allows for questions, clarification, discussion, application, and fellowship.
Sunday School classes are like the training the commanding officer gives to teach his troops how to use various weapon systems in combat, how to carry out the mission, and gives opportunities for building camaraderie.

Midweek Bible Studies

Midweek Bible studies are like supervised range time . Soldiers get to practice using the weapons, troubleshoot issues that arise during training or combat, and hone their skills further. Potential future commanders begin to be developed at this stage.
Fellowship meal at 6:00
Mission Friends
Mission Friends is the WMU missions discipleship group for preschoolers from birth through kindergarten. Through engaging activities, games, and stories each week, Mission Friends will move from a focus on self to a focus on others. This builds a lasting foundation that helps them grow into the next generation of Christ followers who will fulfill His Great Commission.
Children in Action (CIA)
“Children in Action (CA) is a coed group designed for boys and girls in grades 1-5 to come to faith in Christ as Savior while making missions an important part of their daily lives. They learn what it means to live a missional lifestyle while they participate in Bible studies, missions projects and engaging activities. They also have a lot of fun as they "travel" to various places around the world when they learn about and pray for the work of missionaries.”
In Children in Action, children learn:
a biblical worldview
ways to demonstrate Christ’s love to others
how God is working around the world, and
their part in God’s plan.
Youth Group
Grades 6-12
Students learn and grow in their faith in an interactive setting that promotes fellowship.
Various events throughout the year engage students in worship, evangelism, and discipleship.
High level of adult involvement promotes discipleship and mentoring.
Adult Bible study
This class covers books of the Bible in an in-depth, interactive setting with a focus on practical application in discipleship.
Rather than simply telling the students the answers, this class focuses on guiding students through the process of answering the questions themselves.
Sometimes this class is used for specific trainings, like evangelism training, apologetics, etc. to compliment the sermon series. There is a heavy emphasis on practice and practical, specific application to daily life.

Deep Discipleship

As the name implies, this is a more advanced discipleship curriculum. Students commit to weekly readings from both the Bible and supplementary discipleship materials and have assignments to complete.
The curriculum covers the story of the Bible, spiritual formation, and theology and doctrine over the course of two semesters. Classes begin in the fall and pre-registration is required.
This is designed for those who are already engaging in Sunday School, midweek studies, etc. and wish to go deeper, preparing them to lead ministries in the church and disciple others more effectively.

Men’s & Women’s Ministry

Fellowship, prayer, Bible study, and outreach
Great opportunity for mentoring and deep relationships
In development, lots of potential for growth in these areas

Mercy Ministries

The Call

“The CALL is a 501(c)(3) faith-based non-profit organization. Our purpose is to mobilize Christians from multiple denominations and churches in local communities to meet the needs of children in foster care. The mission of The CALL is to educate, equip, and encourage the Christian community to provide hope for the children in foster care throughout Arkansas.”
We partner with The Call in Van Buren County by preparing freezer meals for foster families and helping clean their supervised visitation areas.

Operation Christmas Child (OCC)

OCC is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. “Samaritan’s Purse sends gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to children in need around the world together with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Each year, Formosa purchases the supplies for and packs 200 OCC shoeboxes to send to needy children around the world.

Missions partnerships

Mission trips (Honduras, Africa, and more in the future)
Missionaries to Southeast Asia: T & C
International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries globally
North American Mission Board (NAMB) missionaries

Our Distinctives

We are Southern Baptist

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., a voluntary cooperation of over 47,000 autonomous, self-governing Baptist churches that pool resources for missions and ministries.
The SBC has no authority over local SBC churches. Each church elects its own pastor(s) and staff, holds assets itself, and functions completely autonomously.
The SBC exists to assist local Baptist churches in fulfilling the Great Commission by pooling resources and efforts.
The SBC Annual meeting happens each year in June. Messengers are sent by local churches according to their size.

Qualifications to cooperate with the SBC:

Church has a faith and practice which closely identifies with the SBC’s current statement of faith, the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
Church affirms SBC’s mission and method of cooperation.
The church intends to give financially through the Cooperative Program
Participation in a State Convention is optional.

The Cooperative Program (CP)

The Cooperative Program (CP) is a pooled giving program designed to help local SBC churches be more effective in their missions and ministries. Each SBC church allocates a portion of their budget to the CP. The CP then distributes those gifts among a number of different ministries and missions efforts.
SBC Executive Committee—develops policies, runs the annual convention meeting, etc.
International Mission Board (IMB)—trains, equips, and sends foreign missionaries.
North American Mission Board (NAMB)—trains, equips, and sends church planters and church revitalizers in North America.
Lifeway Christian Resources—develops and distributes curriculum for classes.
GuideStone Financial Resources—provides insurance, investments, and financial services for churches and ministers.
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission—represents SBC churches to government officials and policy makers.
Seminaries—trains and equips SBC missionaries, pastors, and ministry leaders.
Woman’s Missionary Union—creates missions based curriculum and promotes the cause of missions
State Conventions—provide similar resources as the SBC but on the state and local levels.

Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC)

Functions similarly to the SBC and has similar qualifications for cooperation.
Disaster Relief—chainsaw teams, chaplains, feeding, shower/laundry service, flood recovery, etc.
Community Missions—Acts 1:8 mission trips
Church Planting and Revitalization
Arkansas Baptist Children and Family Ministries—counseling, foster care, adoption, retreats, etc.
Jail and Prison ministries
Pregnancy Centers
Conferences—Worship Conference, E-Con, PraiseWorks/JoyWorks, etc.
Camp Siloam
Ouachita Baptist and Williams Baptist Universities

North Central Baptist Association (NCBA)

A local, voluntary association of 21 Baptist churches in the Van Buren, Conway, and Searcy County areas.
Does NOT receive CP funding from the SBC or ABSC; relies upon direct giving of local churches for its budget.
Serves and assists local churches in outreach and strategy.
Examples of past cooperation through the NCBA: The Worship Initiative, Missions conference at FBC Clinton, youth rallies, pastor’s prayer meetings, and other local outreach events. NCBA equipment was used to print and bind this book!
Upcoming NCBA initiatives: Annual meeting (Jan 12), Church plant in Shirley, Missions conference at FBC Clinton (Apr. 25), The Worship Initiative (Summer 2026)

Our Beliefs

The Holy Bible is the inspired word of God and is the basis for our statement of faith. This church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of "The Baptist Faith and Message” adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1963. We band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind. The ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

The Bible

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 1:20–21 ESV
20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 19:7 ESV
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
John 14:6 ESV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The Holy Bible was

Scripture is Inspired: it was written by men, but breathed out by God.
Scripture is Inerrant: it contains no errors in all that it asserts as true.
Scripture is Intrinsically authoritative: because it is the Word of God, there is no higher (or equal) authority.

God

The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

God is Triune—three persons, one God.
God is Omnipotent—all powerful
God is Omniscient—all knowing
God is Omnipresent—all present
Matthew 3:16–17 ESV
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 28:19 ESV
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...

Man

Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Sanctity of Human Life: Every human being is created in the image of God. We are unapologetically pro-life.
Fallenness: Every human is a sinner completely unable to save him/herself.
Gendered by design: Male and Female genders correspond to biological sex and are not changeable.

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.

Marriage is sacred: Marriage is between one man and one woman, to be broken only in the cases of death and adultery.

Salvation

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Salvation is a gift—it cannot be earned or merited.
Salvation is by faith—repentance and trust in Christ are required.
Salvation is for sanctification—its purpose is to make us more like Christ.
Salvation is irrevocable—true believers never lose their salvation.
Baptist Faith and Message 2000 V. God’s Purpose of Grace

All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

Romans 8:28–39 ESV
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ordinances

There are two ordinances commanded by Christ to be practiced by the church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptist Faith and Message 2000 VII. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper.

Baptist Faith and Message 2000 VII. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Baptism and The Lord's Supper are for believers only.
Baptism is by immersion in water.
Baptism and The Lord's Supper are symbolic and do not contribute to justification.
Baptism is a prerequisite to church membership and the Lord’s Supper.

Our Structure

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

Pastor Led

1 Timothy 3:1–7 ESV
1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to

Pastors must be men who meet the spiritual qualifications outlined in I Timothy 3.
1 Peter 5:1–2 ESV
1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
Pastor, elder, and bishop (overseer) are all terms for the same office, emphasizing the different responsibilities this office entails.
Ephesians 4:11–13 ESV
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

The pastor is to be a servant leader, responsible for leading the church to function as a New Testament church according to the faith and practice as noted in this constitution and by-laws. He will lead the congregation, deacons, staff and organizations of the church to perform their tasks.

Pastors are responsible for teaching, preaching, administration, correction, spiritual guidance/vision, and discipling/equipping the church members for ministry.
Hebrews 13:17 ESV
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Pastors will give an account to God for how they lead their churches.

Deacon Served

Acts 6:1–6 ESV
1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
Philippians 1:1 ESV
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
Deacons and Pastors work together to minister to the church.

In accordance with the meaning of the word and the practice of the New Testament, deacons are to be servants of the church. The work of the deacon is to serve with the pastor and staff in performing pastoral ministries including: witnessing to believers and unbelievers, leading an exemplary life, assisting in the temporal affairs of the church, caring for church members and other persons in the community and leading the church to achieve its mission.

At Formosa, each member and their family is assigned to a deacon who helps care for their spiritual needs. Your deacon is your point of contact for prayer requests, practical needs, and concerns.

Congregationally Governed

Local Churches are Autonomous—No governing body (e.g., the SBC, ABSC, etc.) has authority over a local Baptist church.
Churches are directly accountable to Christ.
While the pastor leads, each member is responsible for the governance of the church.

The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose it. It is not subject to the control of any other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes the benefits and obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation which are common among Baptist churches. Insofar as is practical, this church will cooperate with and support the local Baptist association, the Arkansas Baptist State convention and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Our History

https://www.formosabaptist.com/history

Who am I?

My Spiritual Needs

Acts 2:42–47 ESV
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Doctrine—I need to learn more about God through his Word.
Fellowship—I need to build deep relationships with other believers.
Ordinances—I need to take the Lord’s Supper with other believers.
Prayer—I need to pray for and be prayed for by other believers
Giving—I need to give of my time, money, and talents to advance the Kingdom.
Worship—I need to praise God with other believers.
Accountability—I need to be held accountable for my walk with Christ.
Galatians 6:1 ESV
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

My Spiritual Gifts

Overview of Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 12:4–7 ESV
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
Purpose of Spiritual Gifts: God has given each believer spiritual gifts which he intends for us to use for the common good of his church.
1 Corinthians 12:8–11 ESV
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
1 Corinthians 12:28 ESV
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
Romans 12:6–8 ESV
6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Take the Spiritual Gifts Survey (Handout)
After completing the Survey and totaling your scores, read the definitions of your top three spiritual gifts (See Appendix A).

My Spiritual Service

Think of your top three spiritual gifts—how much are you currently exercising these gifts for the benefit of your local church? Write each gift below and rate your current level of usage of each gift from 1-10 (1 being “no use,” 10 being “constantly in use”):
Spiritual Gift #1: Rating 1-10
Spiritual Gift #2: Rating 1-10
Spiritual Gift #3: Rating 1-10
Romans 12:6–8 ESV
6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
If we are not exercising our spiritual gifts:
Our own spiritual growth may be stunted
We rob the church of a much needed gift
God may take away the gift he has given
While it is good to stretch out of our comfort zones and try new things, if we are consistently serving in areas that are not within our primary giftedness:
We may become burned out
The church may suffer as we do a poor job
Others who are gifted in that area may not step up
When we consistently serve in the areas where God has uniquely gifted us:
We are able to serve joyfully and wholeheartedly
We grow in our walk with Christ
Others will benefit from our ministry and grow
The church as a whole is strengthened
God has gifted each of us uniquely and those gifts were meant to be used for the body of Christ. Our primary areas of service should generally match up with our spiritual gifts. Do yours?
Take the “Ministry Opportunities” Survey (Handout)

My Church

God has designed us to need one another. By design, none of us has every spiritual gift.
1 Corinthians 12:14–27 ESV
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Next Steps

Pray—Submit your will to God’s and make sure that your decisions are motivated by a desire to see God glorified and his Kingdom advanced.
Engage—If you haven’t already, get plugged in to a Sunday School class and Midweek Bible study.
Consider—Read over the church’s Statement of Faith, Covenant, and other documents. Make sure you can affirm them in good conscience. Write down any questions or concerns you may have.
Meet with the Pastor—If you wish to proceed with membership, schedule a meeting with Pastor Jason. During this meeting,
You’ll share your personal testimony (how you became a believer in Christ, what change it has made in your life, etc.)
You’ll discuss your baptism with Pastor Jason.
You can ask any questions you may have about our Statement of Faith, Constitution, Ministries, etc.
You’ll sign the church covenant
Pastor Jason will discuss with you service opportunities in line with your gifts
Be presented for membership—The church will vote to accept you as a member during a church service.

Church Covenant

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of its ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor and the spread of the gospel to all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and private devotions and to bring up those under our care in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; to seek to win others to Christ; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our commitments and exemplary in our conversation and conduct. We also commit ourselves to avoid and oppose all conduct which compromises our Christian faith and witness and to uphold the high standards of Christlikeness as found in Scripture.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.

We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word

Appendix A: Spiritual Gifts List & Definitions

Appendix B: Formosa Baptist Constitution and Bylaws

Appendix C: Baptist Faith and Message 1963

Handout: Spiritual Gifts Questionnaire

Handout: Formosa Baptist Church Covenant

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