First Baptist has partnered with Radiant Church in Syracuse, New York, since 2023. Jason and Caroline Lankford have a long history of church planting and missions leadership. Having planted churches in Alaska and other parts of the western United States, the Lord called them to plant a new church in a strategic city with a bustling university culture. In 2022, Jason and Caroline, along with their three kids, made the move to Syracuse, New York, to begin cultivating the soil of what would soon become Radiant Church. 

One of the core statements that this church plant lives by is that it's all about Jesus. Radiant Church is a part of the Salt Network, a church network actively working toward planting new churches to impact communities across our nation. We believe that the church is God’s means to make an impact on a community and that the most powerful impact on a person’s life is through a relationship with Jesus Christ in the context of a local church community. Partnering with The Salt Network and the North American Mission Board, we hope to see this happen in the state of New York.

First Baptist is exploring the possibility of establishing a new mission partnership with a Send Network church planter in the Western United States.

What happens in Vegas will not stay in Vegas.  While Las Vegas does attract tourists from all over the world, it has so much more to offer than just the famous Strip. Many people call Las Vegas home. According to the recent census, the Las Vegas valley has a population of over 2.3 million people and is growing. Over 95% are considered to be unchurched. In fact, Las Vegas was ranked as the 3rd fastest-growing city in the United States. The valley has diverse neighborhoods, beautiful parks, and an incredible desert landscape. As the city grows, so does the urgent need for more missionaries and church planting teams. 

The nations are in this global hub for entertainment and business. In the neighborhood of Spring Valley alone, about 30% of the population was born outside the United States. It’s a global mission in a stateside city.

There is a great opportunity in every part of the city for new churches and for new partnerships to connect with those already on the field. We are exploring starting a new partnership with Favor City Church.  

First Baptist has been joining the Happiness Foundation in Kingdom work since 2014 and celebrated abundant provision, lives transformed by the Gospel, churches planted and encouraged, and our people empowered to go and tell and come home changed. We would love to have you and your family serve with us this summer - you’ll never regret being a part of the work God is doing in His Kingdom. 

The Happiness Foundation supports initiatives that serve vulnerable children and young adults. Through prayerful partnerships with nonprofits established in local communities, we come alongside to provide financial support, accountability, guidance and spiritual encouragement. Some of the nonprofits Happiness works through include Puentes, a transitional program for young adults aging out of institutional care, Happy Moms, which provides housing, education, and support for single moms and their children, and Centro de Esperanza, which functions as a guest house, gathering space, and more. Happiness also serves our partners through vision and mission trips that partner alongside local churches to empower, encourage, and inspire God’s people. 

Ecuador is often referred to as the “Light of South America” because its capital city, Quito, is nicknamed “Luz de America” due to its role in securing independence from the Spanish. However, the reference reaches far above political conflict; this country has played a significant role in reaching the South American continent with the Gospel. Due to the unique equatorial position and the towering altitude of the Andes, Ecuador is home to the HCJB, the first global Christian broadcast. The rainforest in the lowlands houses the Huaorani tribe who came to faith after first taking the life of American missionary Jim Elliott. His death spurred continued missionary efforts, resulting in salvation for many in Ecuador and surrounding countries. This city truly has become a city on a hill whose light shines bright in the dark. But there is still a need for continued mission efforts - evangelism, church planting, discipleship making, prayer ministry. 

First Baptist has partnered with the For All Mankind Movement (FAMM) since 2024. FAMM exists to initiate, nurture, and facilitate disciple-making movements that result in biblical church planting. Since their inception in 2009, over 1.5 million have been reached with the Gospel; almost 123,000 people baptized; over 124,000 story groups started; over 12,920 churches have been planted; and over 430,000 leaders have been trained.

South Asia is made up of 8 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Though these countries make up only 3% of the earth’s landmass, they contain over 20% of the world’s population (2 billion). This region of the world is bordered by the Himalaya Mountains (North), jungles (East), the Indian Ocean (South), and the Middle East (West). South Asia is one of the most linguistically diverse areas in the world, comprising over 650 different languages. Cricket is the most popular sport in South Asia.

South Asia is home to the three tallest mountains in the world (Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga), the Taj Mahal, and thousands of elephants, tigers, and cattle that freely roam city streets. Cricket is the most popular sport in South Asia. Kite flying is also a popular activity, with many festivals taking place in this region of the world. Though many children are able to attend school, over 241 million kids between the ages of six and fourteen have not learned even the most basic math and reading skills. Prior to the Covid pandemic, approximately 281 million people in South Asia were malnourished. Major cities throughout this region have some of the largest slums in the world.

South Asia has become a melting pot of religions. This region has the world’s largest populations of Hindus (98%), Sikhs (90%), and Muslims (31%). Less than 35 million (less than 2%) people in this region of the world claim to be Christian.

First Baptist is exploring the possibility of establishing a new mission partnership with International Mission Board field workers in this part of the world. Perhaps no other region of Europe has gone through such a dramatic change as the Balkans have seen over the past 30-plus years. Before the 1990s, Albania was considered one of the most atheistic and isolated areas of the world. Yugoslavia existed and was seen as a powerful country outside of the control of both the USA and USSR. All of that quickly exploded into chaos and war as centuries of ethnic disagreements collided with both a surge of nationalism and a reaction against communism. Perhaps a shared desire from all these groups of people was to express to the world that they exist, and they have a place in Europe and in the modern world as distinct ethnicities and countries.  

Unfortunately, as we look back over these 30 years, the flaws of humanity stand out more than the successes: Corruption, Greed, and Materialism. Absence of morality and ethics. All of this has led to the average person having lost hope in the future of their country, a stable society, and a normal life.

Orthodox and Catholic churches cover the landscape, as well as many mosques. The culture itself is a fusion of the West and East, as the Ottoman Empire dominated most of these lands for over 500 years. Many may claim these religious identities as necessary to their distinct ethnic identification while still claiming to be atheist. Traditions, superstitions, and corrupted religious control are common throughout the Balkans.