Central Baptist Church

Prospectus for Family Life Center Ministry

Vision Paper for the FLC  

Authored by: Dr. Bob Kiner

Ministry Facilities Task Force Co-Chair

Family Life Center Search Committee Chair

".....From Christ the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."  Ephesians 4:16

Introduction    

In May, 2005, the members of Central Baptist Church voted to add nearly 86,000 square feet of floor space to the existing church facility.  One element of the improvement plan was a Family Life Center that was designed to meet the educational, evangelistic, physical and programmatic needs of Central.  It was designed as a multi-aged facility that would house programs for persons from pre-school age to senior adults. 

The facility was designed, with church approval, to include a large Multi-Purpose Room that would accommodate athletic and social events, a large student room, full-scale commercial kitchen, coffee shop area, offices, exercise room, a computer lab/electronics room and thirteen multi use classrooms.  Included in the FLC design was a 200 amp concert hookup which could be used for student activities, such as local bands in concert, large group visual presentations and use of electronic feeds from a variety of sources in the facility including the Worship Center.  The FLC was wired to allow creative use of the Worship Center video console and interactive audio/video feeds which could show large screen projection in the Family Life Center.  

There was a special emphasis in the design placed on FLC use for student evangelistic outreach opportunities.  The design included an office space off the main gym area to insure proper gymnasium supervision and easy access for persons using the facility.  In addition, all hallways in the facility were designed with an extra-wide grid to allow ministry to take place where small groups of young people or adults gather. 

The facility was also designed to serve as one of the major elements to host conferences related to a variety of Christian interests including satellite video conferences, regional events numbering up to 2,000 in attendance, student conferences, leadership conferences and as a potential site for the evangelical Christian community in Sioux Falls to gather to promote Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and the way to eternal life.         

The visual impact of the Family Life Center was important.  Therefore, the building was designed with windows in most classrooms and the Multi-Purpose Room to overlook the city.  In addition, storage was carefully considered and an access hallway was included to the lower boiler room and storage area of the existing building.         

The FLC design included a connecting hallway, Breezeway, with easy access to the new Worship Center, Grand Central and the Preschool and Children's Ministry areas.  The committee met with numerous groups and the Ministry Staff to complete the final design of the facility.  Subsequently, during the FLC Director search process, the FLC Search Committee met with every Adult Community to solicit information and to capture their vision for use of the facility. 

Every person involved in the design clearly understood the programmatic goals of the FLC:

• To lead people of all ages to know the Lord as their Savior
• To provide for the needs of Central people from preschool to senior adults
• To reach out to the community in love and ministry
• To glorify God.

In addition, the design included total handicapped accessibility.         

We are now at a point in ministry development that we are seeking a person to lead the Family Life Center as the director.  This paper is intended to explore the original vision for the FLC and to provide a suggested vision for ministry in the FLC.  Please understand this paper is not intended to be the only and final working document related to the FLC ministry.  It is intended to be a starting point that will morph and change as the Lord leads using the FLC as a base camp for internal and external ministry to Central people and to the Greater Sioux Empire.  We invite you to pray, dream and engage in the process of creating and supporting ministry based in the FLC.

Family Life Center Goal Statements:

1.      The FLC will serve as a place to facilitate frequent and significant community contact and evangelistic outreach opportunities to persons of all ages with a special emphasis on student evangelism.

2.      The FLC will serve as a place to empower existing ministries of the church and to enhance Christian learning and education in order to support the needs of the people of Central and to reach out to the community. 

3.      The FLC will serve as a facility to be used by Central and the greater community to host conferences, events and activities that will advance the Kingdom of God.

4.      The FLC will serve as a formal and informal gathering place for persons of all ages to improve their spiritual, emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing.

5.      The FLC will be used to meet emerging ministry needs of the people of Central and the greater Sioux Empire.

The following statements have been suggested by persons in a variety of settings related to ministry opportunities for the FLC.  This is not intended to be a master planning document, with persons responsible and timelines assigned, but rather, a few ideas of how the facility may be used to provide multi-aged ministry.  This paper presents a few possibilities of how the FLC might be used to provide multi-aged ministry. It is intended to stimulate thought and invite all Central members and attendees to think about potential uses of the FLC. 

Goal #1 - The FLC will serve as a place to facilitate frequent and significant community contact and evangelistic outreach opportunities to persons of all ages with a special emphasis on student evangelism.

• The FLC could be used for a variety of multi-aged activities focused on bringing non-church people into a relationship with Christ such as:
1. Bands in concert and/or after high school events
2. Basketball tournaments
3. After school latch-key programs for elementary aged kids
4. Student Ministries retreats and lock-ins
5. Free guitar/musical instrument lessons for community kids using Central volunteers to teach kids who can't afford private lessons
6. In-depth Bible study for students
7. A conference focusing on the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of senior citizens.
8. A senior low impact exercise program

There are many more ideas that are only limited by our imagination and willingness to us our gifts and talents for the Lord's work. 

Goal #2 - The FLC will serve as a place to empower existing ministries of the church and to enhance Christian learning and education in order to support the needs of the people of Central and to reach out to the community. 

• The Family Life Center Director will be responsible to coordinate scheduling for all activities in the FLC, including use by existing ministries.  The FLC may be used by:

1.      Central Baptist Preschool for recreation, gross and fine motor skills development, physical education activities and for large group gatherings with children and parents.

2.      Children's Ministries for educational and spiritual development, such as AWANA and Children's Ministries programs.

3.      Student Ministries to support the activities of middle school and high school students such as mid-week small groups, special events, regional planning for events such as short-term missions trips and other uses determined by the Student Ministries Team.

4.      Adult Communities, small group ministry, Women's Bible Study, Sports Central and other emerging ministries that will engage the community.  Examples may be community education classes such as quilting, senior tax preparation assistance or a wide variety of other opportunities. 

The FLC could host activities seven days each week, from morning until night, to maximize the opportunities to reach people who need Christ as their Savior and to support the people of the church. 

Goal #3 - The FLC will serve as a facility to be used by Central and the greater community to host conferences, events and activities advancing the Kingdom of God.

• The Family Life Center Director will work with Central staff and volunteers to maximize the use of the facility to bring events to our campus and Sioux Falls that will have eternal impact:

1.      The FLC Director, with volunteer support, could bring groups such as HYPE (a Christian hip-hop band) to Sioux Falls with possible performances in area schools and a night concert at the FLC designed as an evangelistic outreach.

2.      Central may cooperate with groups, such as LifeLight, to spread the gospel message.

3.      Central may seek more opportunities to use the facility for events such as the annual Leadership Summit, conferences for Home School Parents, Christian concerts, Sports Central, YMCA basketball, summer hoop-shoots, etc.

4.      Central and the FLC may serve as a host site for special events related to issues of parenting, health issues for senior adults and special presentations to enhance Bible based Christian living.

5.      Central Baptist Church and the FLC may become the center for discussion and discourse related to the Christian perspective of social issues in Sioux Falls and the Greater Sioux Empire. 

Goal #4 - The FLC may serve as a formal and informal gathering place for persons of all ages to improve their spiritual, emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing.

• The Family Life Center may serve as a gathering place for ministry to the needs of  people in the following ways:

1.      Support groups with issues related to compulsive behaviors or substance abuse.

2.      Parents of handicapped children to come for exercise, spiritual support, love and Christian care.

3.      Senior health screenings, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and flu shot clinics and as the site for health consultation with a volunteer parish nurse.

4.      Senior citizen classes, exercise opportunities and as a launching pad for "Senior Adventures," trips and excursions that are social and spiritual in nature. 

5.      Focal point for the Sioux Falls evangelical community to host weekday and weekend classes related to in-depth study of the scripture and a greater understanding of the Lord through Bible study and prayer.

6.      Gathering place for, "kids of all ages," to hang out and engage in Christian fellowship. 

Goal #5 - The FLC will be used to meet emerging ministry needs of the people of Central and the greater Sioux Empire.

• The program of the FLC will strive to be an emerging ministry that changes frequently to meet the needs of the people of Central and to create opportunities for people in the greater Sioux Empire to meet Christ as their Savior.  The FLC Director may:

1.      Answer directly to the Senior Pastor but work cooperatively with all ministry and support staff of the church.

2.      Organize an FLC Advisory Board within six months of beginning in the position.

3.      In cooperation with ministry staff, seek agreements with other evangelical churches in the community to promote use of the facility for student events, conferences and activities that will promote the cause of Christ.

4.      Seek agreements with non-church agencies that will bring non-Christians into the facility with the goal of engaging people in a life that counts for eternity.

5.      Seek contracts with appropriate agencies to assist with expenses related to operation of the FLC. 

Timelines:

It is expected that the FLC will become active very quickly.  With that said, it will take some time for the FLC Director to learn about the ministries of the church, become connected and network with community resources as well as learn and assess the needs of existing ministries in the Christian and non-Christian communities.         

It is anticipated that the FLC Director will immediately begin planning and working toward full-use of the FLC as intended in the original philosophy of the facility design.  It is intended that within six months of arrival, the FLC Director will develop an advisory group that consists of lay people and representative ministry and support staff to provide guidance, thought, wisdom and prayer for the successful use of the FLC. 

Conclusion: