The following post is from John Daugherty, pastor of First Baptist Church in Fort Myers, Fla. This post is the first of a four part series on his church’s journey.

An important part of the story for First Baptist Church, Fort Myers, Fla., is that while trying to live into a partnership with two neighboring congregations, the church made a conscious decision to focus outside the “four walls,” so to speak, and find ways the congregation is unique.  What resources do we have that can begin to enhance life for our neighbors?  What ministry expressions can we undertake with our human, financial and physical resources?
I mention this important part of the story because I believe it was the rediscovery that, while aging and struggling with maintaining a large facility, God was not quite finished with First Baptist; not yet.  In fact, I preached a sermon early in my tenure entitled, “We’re Not Dead Yet!” emphasizing that we still had a calling, we still believed God intended for the church to remain downtown and that we have neighbors who need our presence and ministry.
Out of that discovery and recommitment process a number of things transpired; ministries born and housed in the facilities.  First, working with the Homeless Coalition of Fort Myers, we realized we had good shower facilities in our Activity Center and we had washer and dryer units not getting much use.  In the Spring of 2009, First Baptist started a weekly “homeless ministry” where we offer showers and the washing of one load of laundry for each participant.  In addition, the people who came received a good breakfast, a place to visit and relax, a warm welcome, spiritual encouragement and connections with the various community resources that might be helpful in bringing stability for our homeless neighbors.
On the campus the church also hosts Helping Hands, a bicycle ministry that refurbishes and repairs bicycles and makes them available to those in need of some sort of basic transportation.  Later, a local inner-city youth ministry, The Bridge, lost its lease on their facilities, so that ministry is also housed in the Activity Center.  Various helping groups such as AA and NA hold meetings in the facilities.  In short, the Activity Center and the campus are involved in ministry just about every day of the week.
I mention all of this because the church was experiencing a growing outward focus, the sharing of congregational resources, the realization that the facilities of the campus are not the exclusive property of the church.  Rather, it is all part of being committed to offering every girl, boy, woman and man in our neighborhood, our “God-given geography,” every opportunity possible to experience the grace of God through Jesus Christ.  The resources God granted to this congregation were not intended for the sole and self-serving use of the congregation alone.
It was that growing awareness and commitment which provided the channel for conversations about another congregation coming to the campus to share the facilities and ministries of our corner in downtown Fort Myers.  It was a shared vision for the building of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven that drew Pastor David Pleasant of Elevation Ministries and me into a relationship that would prove to be beneficial for both congregations.
In the next installment, I will tell the story of our meeting, our exploring of options, of leading our congregations to join forces in a Covenant of Shared Ministry.