Who We Are | First Baptist Church Fortuna

COVENANT COMMUNITY

The Bible teaches that Church Membership is not something to be taken lightly. Therefore, our church members covenant together to live towards one another in a particular way. This covenant is not meant to be a list of DO's and DON'T's. Instead it is meant to outline what we mean when we say we that belong to FBC Fortuna.

FBC CHURCH COVENANT

Having, as we trust, been brought by divine grace to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to give up ourselves to him, and having been baptized upon our profession of faith, in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, we do now, relying on His gracious aid, solemnly and joyfully renew our covenant with one another.
Therefore,
We are devoted to the apostle’s teachings’ and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
We are devoted to loving one another.
We are devoted to joyfully serving one another.
We are devoted to praying for one another.
We are devoted to a humility that considers each other better than ourselves.
We are devoted to greeting one another warmly and lovingly.
We are devoted to encouraging one another.
We are devoted to killing sin, in all forms, by embracing confession, repentance, and forgiveness.
We are devoted to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching, and to singing.
We are devoted to discipling one another.
We are devoted to financially supporting those who are devoted to the ministry of the word and prayer, and [we are devoted to financially supporting] the spread of the gospel.
We are devoted to supporting those who are poor.
Above all, we are devoted to obeying the commands of Jesus Christ.
If we are ever moved from this community we are also devoted to uniting with some other church where we can continue in the spirit of this covenant.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.

Amen.

BECOMING A MEMBER

If you would like to become a member of FBC Fortuna please plan to attend am FBC Discovery Class. This six-week class is offered twice each year (Jan-Feb and Jun-Jul) at 9:45 AM on Sundays. If you would like to attend the next class please talk to an Elder.

FBC Fortuna

Since 1950

We are a community of believers, united in Christ, who are devoted to proclaiming and obeying the word of God.

A God-Centered Church

Our worship is centered on God

Our times of corporate worship are centered on the exaltation of the Living God. This includes preaching and teaching of the word of God, singing, prayer, giving, baptism, communion (Lord’s Supper), and time of confession. We regularly make a Confession of Salvation, recite the Apostle’s Creed, recite the FBC Confession, and every 3rd Sunday we renew our Church Covenant before we participate in communion. We encourage family members of all ages to join us to worship together.

A Complementarian Church

We believe men and women are different in role but not worth

It is our belief that both male and female were created in the image of God (Gen 1:27). Therefore both men and women reflect this image. However, it was Adam who was created first and woman who was created from Adam. Therefore we also believe in male headship. Meaning, men are inherently created and designed to lead from creation, not as a result of the fall. This informs us that even though both men and women bear the image of God they are still inherently different. These differences should never be seen as deficiencies of being male or female. Rather, these differences should always be seen as complementing each other in life, marriage, family, and especially within the church.

A Multi-Generational Church

We welcome people from all stages of life

We love the young, the old, and even those in between. The kingdom of God is represented by both youthful zeal and aged-tested wisdom. The older are called to teach the younger. While the younger are called to care for the older. We do not cater to either. Instead, we care for both.

A Holy Church

We exercise church discipline

Unfortunately, church discipline is an often neglected or misused aspect of church life. Nevertheless, as Jesus continues to purify his bride (his church) we must be prepared to be obedient in that process. This means that sometimes this process of purification is to be done as an act of the church community through church discipline. Church discipline must always be redemptive and never retributive. The goal is that the person under church discipline would confess and repent of his/her sins which will result in the praise and glory of our heavenly Father. No members of the church community, especially Elders, are exempt from church discipline.

A Covenant Community

We are devoted to one-another

We are not a loosely affiliated group of believers. Rather, we are a community of believers who renew our coveant together every month. We do this to remember that we are devoted to one another.

A Communal Church

We live in community together

The Church is not a building but a gathering of God's people. This is why we regularly carve out time to gather together. If you come on a Sunday morning you will get to know the living God. But it is during the small unplanned moments that we are best able to get to know each other. That is why we gather to worship the living God on Sundays and then we gather during the week to encourage and care for each other. It is in the context of community that church plants will be birthed, mercy ministries will be done, and the gospel will be obeyed in tangible ways.

A Family-Integrated Church

We believe Dad and Mom are responsible to lead the family

It is our conviction that parents are the ones primarily responsible for evangelizing and discipling their children. Therefore we endeavor to be a multi-generational and family-integrated church. That is why we encourage family members of all ages to join us to worship together on Sunday mornings. Any age-specific class is always a supplement to what Dad and Mom are called to do at home. Worship, Community Groups, and other classes are places where children being present are not a problem but encouraged to attend. This means we expect an appropriate amount of distractions as Dad and Mom are training their children to participate in community life. However, we also believe that being single is not a 2nd class status in the body of Christ. This means that a single person is just as valuable to the FBC Fortuna community as a married couple is.

A Giving Church

We give sacrificially

Sacrificial giving is part of being obedient to Jesus Christ. Being faithful stewards is not optional. Our church has an obligation to provide materially for those who labor in preaching and teaching, to support the needs of the poor among us, to care for those in need around us, and to give for the spread of the gospel. In our context we have found that having a church building assists us in this endeavor, therefore we have the further responsibility of stewardship in regards to our building. For the FBC family, sacrificial giving and faithful stewardship includes regular giving for the support of our Elder(s), the support of FBC ministries, and the responsibilities of owning a building. It also includes spontaneous giving as God leads each of us to give sacrificially in our daily lives.

A Missional Church

We send and go to spread the gospel

In obedience to the commands of Christ, it is our desire to be actively engaged in the proclamation of the gospel. This is done on an individual basis, through the coordinated effort of FBC Fortuna, and with other churches. Whether we are crossing borders or just crossing the street we will be driven by the desire for all to know and confess Jesus as Lord.

The Gospel

of Jesus Christ

We believe that in the beginning, God created everything. But because of sin, the world was broken. Sin is any action that places self above God and is consequently worthy of punishment. Therefore sinners are in need of forgiveness and salvation. The good news is that Jesus' life, death, and resurrection provides this forgiveness.

Five Solas

(Protestant)

Sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”):

The Bible alone is our highest authority.

Sola Fide (“faith alone”):

We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
Sola Gratia (“grace alone”):

We are saved by the grace of God alone.
Solus Christus (“Christ alone”):

Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Savior, and King.
Soli Deo Gloria (“to the glory of God alone”):

We live for the glory of God alone.

Great Commission

(Missional)

Any theology that affirms God’s Sovereignty and election can never be applied in contradiction to God’s command to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20) and to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:6). Any theology that pits election against evangelistic fervor is anti-Christ. Therefore, we unashamedly and whole heartily participate in evangelism at home and missions abroad.

Bylaws

(501 (c)3 Nonprofit Religious Corporation)

First Baptist Church of Fortuna, California is a California nonprofit religious corporation, recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Our bylaws are available upon request.

Regenerate Church Membership

(Baptistic)

The most significant mark of being Baptist is holding to believer’s baptism; the belief that only those who personally confess Christ should be recognized as saved and therefore baptized. But we also hold to the historic teaching that church membership is for the regenerate (saved). That means we affirm that every Christian must be a member of a local church to be obedient to Christ. But membership is not just a name on a list. It includes a confession, participation in the ordinances (baptism and the Lord's Supper), and evidences of grace (sanctification).

Doctrines of Grace

(Reformed Theology)

Salvation is clearly taught in the Scriptures. However, there are certain aspects of salvation that have caused theological division over the 2000 years of Church History. Although there is a certain amount of acceptable disagreement, we have come to believe that the Doctrines of Grace are the true and consistent teaching of the Scriptures. It is not necessary to completely understand the Doctrines of Grace when becoming a member of FBC Fortuna. However, it is necessary that you are not in good conscience opposed to the basic teachings related to these doctrines. This means, that we are patient with those who are taking time to fully comprehend and internalize the distinctive doctrines of these doctrines. The Doctrines of Grace are also known as Calvinism.

Statement of Faith

(Baptist Faith & Message 2000)

The preaching and teaching of FBC Fortuna are firmly rooted in Reformed Theology and our statement of faith is the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (BFM2000). Even though there may be some disagreement among members about certain doctrines the BFM2000 is the extent of disagreement that we can maintain while holding onto unity and fellowship. Read BFM2000.

1689 Baptist Confession

(1689 Second London Baptist Confession)

"Of the many confessions of faith that Baptist have produced—and they have produced a goodly number—none has been more influential than the Second London Confession, popularly known as The 1689 Confession. It was not only the confession of faith adopted by the majority of Baptists in the British Isles and Ireland from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, but it was also the major confessional document on the American Baptist scene..." (Read more at: The 1689 Confession.