Smith sees a door to the Gospel in the contemporary cultural challenges teenagers face.
“We’re seeing a lot of depression, a lot of anxiety, a lot of angst in teenagers in general, and I think they’re hungry for what only the Gospel can provide,” he said. “Our mission statement as a church is that we exist to help people find truth, belonging and purpose in Jesus. And those three pillars are critical to reaching this generation. They want truth.
“In a world where it’s difficult to know who to believe and what to believe,” Smith said, “they are looking for clarity, and we believe that that truth and clarity is found in Jesus.”
Johnson Ferry presents itself to students as a family entailing responsibilities and opportunities, not merely a place to visit.
Disciple-making is encouraged through various church initiatives, interjected into sermons and facilitated through training tools distributed among the membership. Discipleship Download is the church’s new podcast designed to teach its leaders different aspects of disciple-making.
Johnson Ferry baptized 143 people in 2021 and 110 in 2019, according to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Church Profile, conducting baptisms at various Sundays throughout the year. Children’s baptism services are held quarterly, with 20 to 30 children being baptized at a typical service.
“I think it’s healthy for the church to see baptisms consistent and throughout the year,” he said. “Usually, if someone wants to get baptized and it wasn’t pre-determined as a baptism Sunday, we’ll try to find a way to make that happen.”
This article originally appeared on BaptistPress.com.
