Mission Giving Through The Cooperative Program of the SBC

First Baptist Olney plays an part active in sending and supporting missionaries through our prayers and financial contributions to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention.  A portion of every dollar received during our offertory giving goes directly to the the mission fields both overseas and here at home.  The Cooperative program is a genius giving program implemented by Southern Baptists in 1925.  Since then, it has funded the largest missionary effort in the history of protestant Christianity. Through the International Mission Board, Southern Baptist Churches supports thousands of missionaries who are engaging more than 655 people groups of populations greater than 100,000 around the world.   The program also supports mission work and church planting in North America. The North American Mission Board plants more than 1,000 churches each year through the efforts of more than 5,000 North American Missionaries.  Our Cooperative Program giving also supports the 6 Southern Baptist Seminaries, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and the efforts of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. Additionally, Dr. Edgington serves as an Executive Board Member for the BGCT. 

Annual Special Mission Offerings We participate in three seasonal mission offerings each year: International Missions Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, North American Missions Mary Hill Davis Offering State Missions through the Women’s Missionary Union of Texas Baptists

Giving to the Bi-Fork Baptist Association We participate in local and international missions through the Bi-Fork Baptist Association

Bible Study/Sunday School Our Sunday morning Bible Study a.k.a. Sunday School is the main outreach arm of our church.  There are classes available for every age in the church.  Caring and competent teachers teach the Bible to engaged learners each week faithfully.  The best way to connect to First Olney is to attend your Bible Study class faithfully.  In Bible Study you will learn of ministry opportunities and other activities.  Small group Bible study is where you form relationships that last a lifetime.  

Ministry of Helps Every Monday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. the food closet is open to anyone who in need of groceries.  he food closet is located at 929 Bluebonnet in Olney.  This ministry is always in need of volunteers to serve those in need.

Benevolence Ministry Our benevolence ministry consists of a team of church members from diverse backgrounds who care about poverty alleviation in our community.  The team considers each request for help and tries tries to find available resources that best fit the need of each applicant.

Mission Trips From time to time groups from our church feel led to participate in short-term mission trips locally or in another country. We do not do short-term missions for the sake of taking trips or “Christianizing” a vacation.  It is important to follow God’s leading and to realize that sometimes the best use of our funds is to send resources directly to missionaries on the field rather than spending that money on travel. However, there are times when these trips are appropriate and well worth the expense in order for us to catch a vision of what God is doing elsewhere in the world. 

Worship Leadership A talented group of our members play instruments and lead our congregational worship each week.  Smaller groups play for the youth during their Wednesday evening gathering.  Our Sunday morning worship style is blended.  We incorporate music that touches on the wide spectrum of gospel themes.  We sing songs that are God-glorifying, theologically true, and proper for congregational worship.  We do not judge a song based on how old it is.  Therefore, we sing songs that were written long ago and those that were written very recently, recognizing that judging a song based on its age is a silly criteria.  If you are a talented and skilled musically, our worship team may be a place of service for you.  However because this is a very visible leadership role, there is a waiting period and code of conduct to which team members must adhere before serving.

Ushers & Greeters The usher & Greeter team fills an important role at First Olney. They are involved in directing attendees to their seats, ensuring the safety of the building during services, helping visitors, answering questions, providing direction, unlocking doors, locking doors, and generally ensuring that the service can proceed problem-free. The usher and greeter team is a servant-hearted group of men and women whose ministry is integral to our church life.

Media & Technology Using media to spread the gospel is a privilege of our church. In an age of widespread technology, we have a stewardship to use these tools as best as possible for kingdom purposes. All of our weekly sermons are uploaded to our website in video and audio formats. We also maintain an active Facebook feed for additional church communication.

Marriage & Individual Counseling Marriages can be difficult to maintain. Misunderstanding, confusion, resentment, and anger can flare up in any marriage. Our pastor and his wife serve other families as marriage counselors.  It is their hope that by listening, understanding, helping, and encouraging struggling couples, by God’s grace, marriages can saved and relationships repaired. We believe that every couple can find fresh hope and new joy in a warm and fulfilling relationship with their spouse through Christ.  The pastor maintains a regular schedule for counseling. Please contact the church office if you need an appointment.

Prayer Warriors  Prayer cannot be overestimated. Prayer moves the hand of God. First Olney is a body of believers dependent upon prayer, and committed to God’s sovereignty. Throughout the week people pray for our pastors, a list of church members, any special requests, and missionary prayer needs. Each Wednesday, the church comes together for a special time of prayer in our beautiful parlor room.

Children’s Church In order to give our children the best Bible teaching possible, First Olney holds a children’s church service in conjunction with the main service. This special time gives kids more opportunity for interaction and learning in a context and manner that may be better suited to their age and learning styles. Our friendly children’s church volunteers have an endless stream of creativity–ranging from puppet shows, to games, to object lessons.  Ages Kindergarten -Second Grade may attend children’s church.  The children are dismissed by the pastor following the congregational worship.

How Do I Meet People? First Baptist Olney is not a place for spectators. It is a place for team members. Whether you are a five-year old child, a ninety-five year old grandmother, a busy mom, or a businessman with big responsibilities, we want you to be a part of our vibrant church community. Here is how you can learn, serve, and grow at First Baptist Olney.  The way to jump right in to being a part of First Olney is to attend a Sunday School class.  Our Sunday School is the largest organization in our church.  This is the way you can connect to the life of the church.  It is hard to really feel that you belong if you don’t make Sunday School a regular part of your week and if you don’t find somewhere to serve.  In Sunday School you will make relationships, find accountability, find answers for the hard problems, find a shoulder to cry on, find a place to serve others, and on top of that you will have a great Bible lesson each week from teachers who consider it their ministry to care for you!  So what are you waiting for? 

There are classes for all ages each of the Sunday School/Sunday Morning Bible Study classes meets at 9:30 a.m. at FBCO each week.