At First Baptist Church, we are standing on the shoulders of those who came before us. As we look back on over 70 years of God’s faithfulness in Benbrook, we are called to faithfully steward what we have been given and prepare a home for the generations to come.

In 1954, a small group of saints gathered around a vision: to build a faithful witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in the city of Benbrook. That vision birthed the First Baptist Church of Benbrook. Over the last seven decades, generations of saints have served the Lord in this place, gathering together for worship, studying the Bible in small groups, making disciples of teenagers, meeting needs in the community, and taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

The church we enjoy today did not suddenly appear out of nowhere. It is the fruit of the Lord’s work through generations of ordinary people who surrendered their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We stand on the foundation they built, laid brick by brick, week after week. Our forefathers gathered weekly to sing praises to God and hear the Word of God proclaimed. They held in high esteem the sacred Scriptures, reading them daily and teaching them to children. They sacrificed vacation time to take teenagers to camp so they might have a life changing experience with Jesus. And yes, they built an organization, a church, complete with buildings and parking lots so that the church would have a place to gather, a place set apart, a place where everyone in the community would know: this is where you go if you want to know more about Jesus.

That vision has now been passed down to us. We cannot afford to focus only on making disciples of this generation, for our calling is greater. Just like the saints before us, our devotion today will bear fruit for the generations yet to come, for the saints who will gather for worship 70 years from now.

FBCNext invites us into the vision of what God has been doing, is doing, and will continue to do through FBC Benbrook. On the surface, it might appear as nothing more than a facility renovation plan, but it is much more. If the gathered church is to continue to have a functional and beautiful place to gather, a place for saints to gather 70 years from now, they need our attention.

As we look back with gratitude at 72 years of faithfulness. We remind ourselves that the sanctuary where we worship and the classrooms where we learn didn’t simply "fall from the sky." They were built through the sacrifice, sweat, and vision of the saints who came before us. We are the inheritors of a rich legacy. But stewardship isn’t just about honoring the past; it’s about being faithful with the "now."

The church has spoken with a clear voice: it is time to move forward with Phase 1 of FBCNext. This isn't just a construction project; it’s an act of worship. We have been entrusted with physical tools—buildings, sanctuaries, and classrooms—and being a good steward means ensuring these tools are sharpened for the work God is doing today.

Our goal is to ensure our sanctuary remains a space that draws the eye upward, reflecting the beauty and greatness of God. We want a worship space that is modern and functional, yet accessible and inviting for the generations to come.

Furthermore, stewardship means caring for how we live together. By revitalizing our adult education and Sunday school spaces, we are creating environments specifically designed for the way we do community today. We need spaces that are attractive and equipped to handle the burdens we carry for one another.

We are the stewards of this moment. Let’s prepare our hearts to care for what we’ve been given, so that 72 years from now, others will stand where we are and thank God for our faithfulness.

In January 2024, our Deacons tasked a Long Range Planning Committee to address our facility needs. This diverse team spent the first six months exclusively in focused prayer, seeking God’s direction. In July 2024, the church voted to authorize this committee to lead us through this sanctuary refresh and the construction of new education space.

Week of Prayer for FBCNext (June 8-14, 2026)

A focussed time to seek God's wisdom and blessing.

Guided prayer time with the Pastor in the Sanctuary on Wednesday (June 10) at Noon and 6 PM.

Break the Fast together with Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall at 7 PM

Commitment Sunday (June 14)

Commit ourselves to pray for God's abundant grace

Commit ourselves to give above an beyond our tithes

Commit ourselves to share the good news of Jesus and our church with others

Our desire is to place the tools and spaces needed for worship, study, and growth into the hands of the next generation. FBCNext is the fruit of over two years of prayerful consideration and planning.

This initial phase focuses on renewing our current facilities to create a more welcoming environment:

• Sanctuary Refresh: New pews, flooring, lighting, stage improvements, and an updated baptistry.
• Church Offices: Relocating offices to a new space to create a more visible and welcoming "front door" for the community during the week.

While not included in the current proposed project, our long-term vision includes removing older structures to make way for expanded adult education space and a large gathering area to serve our growing church family.

Now it is our turn to invest—sacrificially and joyfully—as a labor of love. We undertake this work so that those who come behind us will remain faithful witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ here in Benbrook.

We are asking our members to Pray, Give, and Share

Pray. We commit to pray for God's blessing, for God to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all we can ask or think, and for God to lead us to how we should be involved

Give. We commit to give to FBCNext above and beyond our tithe.

Share. We commit to share the good news of Jesus and the good news of our church with others.