First Baptist 2022 Graduates
We asked two of our students, one youth and one college, to share about their future plans and how First Baptist has been a part of their lives. Grant Smith is a high school graduate with plans to pursue vocational ministry. Anna Minga has been a volunteer and children’s ministry intern during her time at MSU and is heading to UMMC in Jackson.
Grant Smith
High School Graduate
I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior on July 30th, 2015, on a concrete bench in the Northeast corner of the chapel at Central Hills Baptist Retreat in Kosciusko, Mississippi. I don't remember the following day, and I don't remember the previous day, but I remember trying to pay the price for my sin until I realized that Jesus had already paid the price for me. That moment dissected how I viewed my life and shaped the following seven years of my life. Today, I'm a graduate of Starkville High School and the First Baptist Starkville Youth Group, a camp counselor/worship leader at Central Hills, and, Lord willing, a resident MDiv student at Spurgeon College and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in August.
After becoming a Christian, God blessed me with ample opportunities to share my faith, and I took advantage of exactly .0001% of those opportunities. Slowly but surely, though, I began to live out my faith more openly. When I reached the youth group in the fall of 2016, I decided one day I wanted to be one of the young men and women I saw leading worship for our youth group every Wednesday night. That goal seemed so far away, even though three years earlier, Dr. Brent Fountain had taught me everything he could about the guitar. Unfortunately, as a 4th-grader, I didn't practice and got mad that I couldn't play my favorite Van Halen song after only two weeks of playing. Also, my ears were about as fertile as the rocky ground described in Matthew 13:20-21. But now that I had a new goal, a new driving force, I could remember everything Dr. Fountain had taught me. When I was in 10th grade, Neil Tullos let me start regularly leading worship for the youth group and I soon found out I had a heart for ministry. I went on every youth mission trip I could sign up for. I constantly looked for more places to play (sometimes selfishly) and more chances to become a better worship leader.
The summer before my senior year, I went back to the same camp where I had given my life to Christ, but this time as a summer staffer. I quickly found myself leading worship 3-5 times a week. One week in July, I picked up a nasty sinus infection, and I lost my voice. I was miserable, and I couldn't lead worship that week. That wasn't a problem because my friend Jacob and I had been alternating as worship leaders each week. During worship that week, I sat on the back row with the rest of our staff and enjoyed listening to our campers and our entire staff lifting up their praises. That weekend as I was driving back to Starkville, I felt God call me to serve vocationally in His ministry. I was excited and terrified. I didn't immediately begin to pursue that call to ministry. In fact, I waited until August, when the assistant soccer coach from Spurgeon College contacted me to ask if I was still interested in playing at their school. He and I had talked in April, but I had never heard of the school and was not seriously considering them. After a quick internet search, I realized that Spurgeon College was the undergraduate program for Midwestern Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He and I soon made plans for a visit in October. I loved the campus, the city, and the people. By the time I had made it home, I knew God's plans for my life had included the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Though I won't be with my church family here in Starkville, I certainly won't leave without sharing my gratitude. Whether they knew it or not, every Sunday school teacher I ever had, every VBS volunteer, every church staff member that offered a word of advice, everyone that ever gave me insight into a passage of Scripture, and everyone that ever donated to a youth mission trip was nurturing a heart for ministry. For that, First Baptist Starkville, I am forever thankful.
2022 High School Graduates
Anna Minga
Mississippi State University Graduate
A.A Milne quotes in Winnie the Pooh, "How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Graduating this May from MSU has brought many goodbyes, but it has filled me with so much joy seeing how the Lord has been so faithful during my time here in Starkville—specifically here at First Baptist. One of my favorite parts of serving at FBC was seeing the staff and families have a true desire for their kids to learn and live the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).
I began serving at FBC in 2018 on Wednesday nights at Stark Kids. In the past 4 years, I have had the opportunity to serve in VBS, serve in Marks, MS, and serve as the children's ministry intern. Through my internship, I learned more about working in ministry, and I was mentored by Blaire Johnston and the rest of the FBC staff. Being under Blaire's leadership, I learned more about incorporating the Gospel and missions in every aspect of ministry and life. I was reminded of the importance of the Church serving together as the body of Christ. This April, at the midweek Easter service, I remember sitting in the pew after taking the Lord's Supper with tears in my eyes as I watched each person walk back to their seat. As each person walked by, I saw families who have opened their homes to camp counselors, men and women who have served at VBS, people who have given graciously to missions, Sunday school teachers who give of their time to teach others more about the Bible, and families who opened their homes to college students. I was overwhelmed with gratitude seeing so many people that the Lord had used to make an impact on both me and the community.
Through Bible Drill, I saw kids learn to hide God's Word in their hearts (Psalm 119:11). In planning for VBS, Stark Kids, and children's church, I learned ways to intentionally and creatively incorporate the Gospel into each event and the importance of being in the Word. From Pine Cove City host homes, I was reminded of the importance of the family unit being a vessel of ministry. I was able to see families who live their everyday lives for the sake of the Gospel here in Starkville, both with and without a career in the church. I saw the Lord move in the lives of children, and I got to watch the Lord reveal Himself to children here at FBC, and I am forever grateful that the Lord allowed me to see that.
James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." Thank you for making such an impact on my story. Thank you for truly bringing college students in and making them feel known and seen. Thank you for loving your kids in preschool, elementary, Harbor, and throughout the entirety of their lives. FBC Staff, thank you for investing in this church and for truly striving to make the name of Jesus known to the nations.
Now as I move to Jackson, I am overjoyed with anticipation to see where the Lord is going to lead me. I will be starting the doctor of occupational therapy program at UMMC this summer, and while it is not a career in ministry, I am so thankful for the opportunity to pursue this passion of mine. Please pray for me as I begin OT school, that I do not take for granted the mission field that has been set before me both in the classroom and in my field of practice. I look forward to being able to apply all that you taught me in my future. Church family, thank you for being a place that "makes saying goodbye so hard." You have been such a gift, and I am so thankful for each of you.
