Request Membership for The Forge (A Ministry of First Baptist Church of Kingston)

PURPOSE, MISSION, & AUTHORITY

Article I – Purpose

The purpose of the First Baptist Church of Kingston Homeschool Cooperative Ministry (herein referred to as “The Forge”) is to glorify God by providing spiritual formation and academic enrichment for homeschooling families in a manner that honors and supports the ministry, doctrine, and unity of First Baptist Church of Kingston.

Article II – Mission

To glorify God by equipping students and supporting families through Christ-centered learning, loving fellowship, spiritual growth, and opportunities for service.

Article III – Authority

The Homeschool Cooperative operates under the authority of First Baptist Church of Kingston and seeks to come alongside families in a way that supports and honors the ministry of the local church.

See below for First Baptist Church of Kingston's Constitution.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF KINGSTON’S CONSTITUTION PREAMBLE

We declare and establish this Constitution to preserve and secure the principles of our faith, and to govern the church in an orderly manner. This Constitution shall preserve each individual church member’s liberties and the church’s freedom-of-action relative to its association with other churches and within the local community.

ARTICLE I – NAME

This body shall be known as the First Baptist Church of Kingston (“FBK”), Tennessee, which is located at 215 North Kentucky Street, Kingston, Tennessee, 37763.

ARTICLE II – MISSION & VISION

Our Mission: We are a Church Home in the Heart of Kingston . . . Our mission is to fulfill the Great Commission as stated by our Lord in Matthew 28:19.

Our Vision: To experience freedom and security in Jesus Christ through love, growth, and service:

Love - Jesus summed up the Law in two simple commands—Love God and love others. We seek to offer a place where believers respond to God’s love by worshiping in Spirit and Truth and learning to love others sacrificially. (Luke 10:27; 1 Peter 2:4-9, John 4:24, Phil. 2:4, 2 Cor. 8:5)

Growth - As believers grow in love, a desire for God’s Word takes root. We strive to feed that holy hunger through relevant, biblical preaching and discipleship classes that meet both at the Church and in homes throughout the week. (Phil. 3:10, Acts 2:42, 2 Pet. 3:18, Prov. 6:23, Matt. 28:20)

Service - Once believers experience the transforming power of God’s Word, they are set free to find their place in ministry in many creative ways. Jesus’s last words were to make disciples of all nations. We seek to encourage and support each member’s spiritual gifts by providing service opportunities, and by being open to new, Spirit-led ministries that allow FBK to reflect God’s glory to all people, which allows us to make disciples here and among the nations. (John 8:32, Matt.28:19, Luke 8:21, 2 Cor. 5: 18-20, Psalm 67:2)

ARTICLE III – STATEMENT OF FAITH

The Holy Bible is the inspired word of God and is the basis for any statement of faith. The Church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of The Baptist Faith and Message, as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14, 2000. This church shall be composed of baptized believers in Christ who agree with this doctrinal statement. 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.

According to the Bible, the following is the Truth in which we walk as a Church:

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF KINGSTON’S CONSTITUTION

The Bible’s Infallibility – From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is God’s Story and is infallible in all that it teaches. It is entirely true in all to which it speaks. It is alive today and is actively speaking to each one of us about Jesus’ will for each of our lives. (2 Timothy 3:14, 16)

The Holy Trinity – God is three persons in one: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He exists as all three for all eternity. In the Church age, the Son is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. The Holy Spirit is the “sent one” living in all believers and giving power to the local church to build God’s Kingdom. (John 1:1-14, Romans 8:9, John 14:16 17, Genesis 1:26)

Jesus Christ – Jesus has existed eternally and is divine. He became man to accomplish our salvation when He was crucified and resurrected. He is both 100 percent God and 100 percent Man, with no confusion. He lived a sinless life, was prophesied since the beginning of time, and was born of a virgin. (Gen 3:15, John 1:1-14, John 14:6)

Christ’s Impact – Jesus’s death and resurrection on the third day is what provides salvation to those who repent and believe. Christ’s work brings man free salvation and the assurance of resurrection in the future—accessed only by faith. This work brought us God’s grace. (John 3:16)

Man Is Fallen – Man is made in God’s image. Since the first man, Adam, sin has corrupted God’s image inside every human being. Man is not able to please God, apart from faith. Through faith in Jesus Christ, however, each person has tremendous potential due to the Holy Spirit’s power living inside them. (Ephesians 2:1-3, Romans 1, John 15:1-17, Hebrews 11:6)

Eternal Security – Believers who have truly repented and believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior are eternally forgiven. Jesus’s death pays the sin-debt for a person’s sin-condition. Paying for the sin-condition means past, present, and future sins are paid-in-full. (John 10:28-30, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 3:3, Romans 8:28-39, Romans 6:1-23)

The Local Church – After Jesus’s ascension, His Church is the world’s only hope. His Holy Spirit works through believers to build His Church, whose mission is to expand God’s Kingdom until His return. (I Corinthians 12:12-31, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 2:11 22, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 17:1-26)

Christ’s Second Coming – Jesus will return and rid the world of evil. He will come at an unknown and undisclosed time. He waits to return so that as many as possible can come to salvation in Jesus Christ. At the end of time, Heaven and Earth will be recreated. Jesus will judge those whose names are written in the Book of Life for how they grew God’s Kingdom to determine their eternal rewards. (I Peter 5:9, Acts 1:6-11, Matthew 24:1-51, Revelation 20:1-22:21)

Marriage – We believe the term “marriage” has only one true meaning. Marriage is sanctioned by God and joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded.

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2.

Statement of Faith & Ministry Alignment Agreement

The First Baptist Church of Kingston Homeschool Cooperative (The Forge) is a ministry of First Baptist Church of Kingston and operates in full alignment with its Constitution, Bylaws, and Statement of Faith.

All participating families, whether members or non-members, must affirm that they have reviewed the church’s Statement of Faith and agree not to teach, promote, or advocate any doctrine, belief, or practice contrary to it while participating in the cooperative.

All teachers and volunteers agree to conduct classes and activities in a manner consistent with the mission, doctrine, and unity of First Baptist Church of Kingston.

Participation in the cooperative does not imply church membership but does require respectful alignment with the church’s leadership and doctrinal position during all cooperative activities.

  By typing my name below, I understand and agree that this form of electronic signature has the same legal force and effect as a manual signature.
3.

Code of Conduct

All families participating in the Homeschool Cooperative agree to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with biblical principles and the mission of First Baptist Church of Kingston.

Parent & Teacher Agreement

1. Demonstrate Christ-like character in speech and behavior.
2. Promote unity and avoid gossip, divisiveness, or disruptive behavior.
3. Show respect for church leadership, Cooperative leadership, teachers, parents, and fellow students.
4. Resolve conflicts through respectful, biblical communication and proper leadership channels.
5. Dress modestly and appropriately for a church setting.
6. Paying fees on a timely manner. All fees are due by the semester deadline and are non-refundable.
7. If a teacher anticipates an absence, they must provide prepared substitute materials or arrange for a substitute when possible.
8. Teachers who miss more than two scheduled classes may be required to refund class fees paid by participating families, as determined by Ministry Team.

Facilities and Safety

9. Respect the church property and reimburse the church of any damages caused.
10. Parents acknowledge the risk of injury and release the Cooperative and First Baptist Church of Kingston of any liability.
11. The Cooperative and First Baptist Church of Kingston has permission to use photos or recordings of students for promotional purposes.
12. NO weapons on campus and NO cellphones during class.

The Ministry Team, in coordination with church leadership, when necessary, reserves the right to address behavioral or doctrinal concerns to preserve the unity, safety, and integrity of the ministry.

Continued participation is contingent upon adherence to these guidelines.

  By typing my name below, I understand and agree that this form of electronic signature has the same legal force and effect as a manual signature.
4. Parent Service & Responsibility Agreement

 

The Forge operates as a cooperative ministry of First Baptist Church of Kingston. Each participating family is required to serve in a meaningful capacity each semester.

Service roles may include:

• Teaching a class
• Assisting in a classroom
• Nursery or childcare support
• Cleanup of facility

Teacher volunteers serve within The Forge Homeschool Cooperative. Their role is to guide, instruct, and encourage students in a Christ-centered learning environment while using their gifts and talents to serve participating families.

Teachers volunteer their time and effort as an act of service to the ministry. Any class fees collected are intended solely to cover the cost of classroom materials and supplies used during the semester. These fees are not intended to serve as compensation or income for the teacher.

Our desire is that each teacher approaches their role with a spirit of stewardship, recognizing that they are serving both the families of the Cooperative and the ministry of First Baptist Church of Kingston.

Class fees are collected by individual teacher volunteers to cover materials and supplies used in their classes. These fees are paid directly by participating families to the teacher.

First Baptist Church of Kingston and The Forge Homeschool Cooperative do not collect, distribute, or manage these funds and are not responsible for the facilitation of these transactions.

By participating in a class, families acknowledge that all class material fee payments are a private arrangement between the teacher volunteer and the participating family. Any questions or concerns regarding class fees should be addressed directly with the teacher.

If a concern cannot be resolved, families may bring the matter to the Ministry Team for review. Failure to operate in good faith regarding class fees may be considered a violation of the cooperative Code of Conduct.

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6. I have completed my Background Check at:

https://ministryopportunities.org/opportunity/47925 (1 required) Yes
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