Our hope is that BSBC would become the salt of our neighborhood and the light of our community as we serve our neighbors in practical ways. We long to see the day when a relationship built on truth and love exists between BSBC and our neighbors, serving as the foundation for meaningful connections and enduring fidelity. We desire that our commitment and ongoing labors of love would lead our surrounding community to experience a shift in values, resulting in stronger families, restored relationships, a safer and more productive neighborhood, educational and economic empowerment, and most importantly a renewed interest in the Christian Faith. Ultimately, we long to see our neighbors experience the hope of the Gospel and become faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our core values are: The Gospel (Romans 1:16), Biblical Discipleship (2 Timothy 2:2), Evangelism (Matthew 28:18-20), Community (Acts 1:8), Stewardship (I Corinthians 12:7-13), Multiplication (I Corinthians 3:6-9)

THE PROBLEM

BSBC is located in the middle of a community where there are many unreached and unchurched people who are in great material and spiritual need. BSBC is one of twenty registered churches in downtown Savannah within a two mile radius of each other. Despite this, there exists a great gulf between the church and the community in general, but most specifically between BSBC and our neighbors. This gulf that exists is one symptom of a deeper issue. We have at times intentionally and unintentionally neglected our God-given responsibility to pursue our neighbors, as though God was beseeching them through us to be “reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20) 

THE CALLING

In Matthew 28:19 Jesus said to “Go” and make disciples of all nations” (people groups). The commission to go reveals that the ultimate goal of the church is the” mission”, and the mission is to make faithful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. By God’s enabling grace we have been called to do so by living as faithful witnesses in our proverbial Jerusalem, Judea, and then unto the uttermost parts of our world. (Acts 1:8)

ANSWERING THE CALLING

The Hope Initiative is a practical step in the direction of obedience to our calling, as we seek to fulfill the churches duty and scriptural mandate; It is an attempt to build bridges in order to foster relationships with our neighbors for the sake of gospel advancement. Despite the fact that there is a plethora of gospel opportunities in our community, that does not alleviate us of the responsibility that we have to “go” unto our neighbors with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. The Hope Initiative seeks to mobilize our BSBC volunteers in “Relational 1 to 1” involvement as we promote and cultivate a lifestyle of evangelism; We believe that intimate, fervent, and contextual engagement is essential in order to affect true change.