Lutz Campus

18333 Exciting Idlewild Blvd.
Lutz, FL 33548

Idlewild at The Springs

8209 N 19th St
Tampa, FL 33604

Iglesia Bautista Idlewild

Main Campus, Student Building, Hall 2
 

I am so humbled and honored to be your pastor and I am extremely grateful to be working alongside so many of you who faithfully serve the Lord at Idlewild. It has been my joy for 29 years now -—time has flown by, but we have seen God move exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think.

 

Once again, we have an opportunity to see our church go to a new level.  With great anticipation, I cannot wait to share with you an initiative we are calling, “Accelerate.”

 

Pastor Ken and Ginny Whitten

You will hear information coming out over the coming weeks and months about our desire to aggressively retire our mortgage debt.  Can you believe we are so close? After a $100M project to the glory of God, we have only 14% of that left to pay down.  Not only will it be a wonderful victory to burn the mortgage papers, but there is something even more special than that.

 

For years, I have continued to imagine and dream in my heart about the many open doors of opportunity we have to reach anyone and everyone for Christ. In fact, our mission is “Giving ourselves daily to help each ONE live in the rescuing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”  We have been working hard on plans to re-invest the money we were giving to mortgage payments to Accelerate living out our mission! Imagine new churches starting and new ministries thriving and the under-served in our community being served even more effectively.  Who knows what God will do through us in just the next few years?

 

So, please be praying around your involvement, attend worship, and come to meetings regarding our Accelerate Capital Stewardship Program, and. I look forward to seeing you soon.

 

Let’s do this together!

 

Pastor Ken Whitten

PLEDGE HERE

 

For 84 years, Idlewild Baptist Church has been a place of Christ-centered worship, biblical equipping, local evangelism, and global outreach. What God began with a small group of men and women in a garage on Idlewild Avenue has grown exceedingly abundantly above what anyone could have asked or thought.

At Idlewild, we learned to read, study, memorize, and meditate on the Word, and it changed everything! —Especially our finances, our eternal vs temporary perspective, and our relationship with our daughters and other family members.

Dana & Susan Hardee - MemberS for 31 years

We could not say enough about how blessed we are to be a part of the Idlewild family. We praise the Lord almost daily for leading us to IBC. From our first visit, we have been enveloped by warm, loving people.

MIKE & SUE HONN - MemberS for 5 years

Opportunities to serve abound with something for everyone through support groups and Bible studies. The outreach into the community is exciting as our mission statement is put into practice.

Dotty Gurbikian - Member for 31 years

God has blessed Idlewild with two beautiful campuses to facilitate the multi-faceted ministries He has given us.

 

Now we believe God is calling us to imagine even more. To accelerate our vision.

To advance our ministry for the next generation, for our community, and for the nations of the world.

 

Through the Accelerate initiative, we are paving the way for exponentially increasing our ministry and mission. By eliminating the current mortgage debt of $14M, we can reinvest up to $2.6M in ministry each year going forward.

We have God-sized dreams to transform our community with the Gospel . . . I can’t wait to be a part of our accelerated impact for the kingdom! - Kristy Reed
I believe most of us desire to be good stewards with God’s money. I feel like accelerated debt retirement is doing just that. - Dan Roberts

 

Debt elimination strengthens the ministry of our church for the long run. Our current facilities will continue to serve as a vibrant place for worshiping God and loving one another and as a base for accelerating our outreach.

 

We will accelerate the work of equipping men and women for impact in the world.

 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 

Through partnerships, tutoring, mentoring, and special events, expanding our ministry among the 270,000 students in area public schools

 

COMMUNITY

 

Joining established local ministries to extend hope to the underserved, homeless, and prisoners around us

 

ORPHAN FOSTER CARE

 

Supporting foster parents and organizations that care for orphans

 

L.E.A.D.

 

(Leadership Engagement and Development)

Training the people of the church to do the work of the church

 

We will accelerate the work of planting churches and sending missionaries.

 

“A Sending Church is a local community of Christ-followers who have made a covenant together to be prayerful, deliberate, and proactive in developing, commissioning, and sending their own members both locally and globally, independently but often in partnership with other churches or agencies and continuing to encourage, and support them while making disciples cross-culturally.” (The Sending Church Defined)

 

Church Planting

 

Establishing five new local churches and 10 new national churches

 

Training

 

Equipping 20 church planters in the next five years

 

Mobilizing

 

Sending 10 missionary families in the next 10 years and sending 10 college interns every summer

 

Just as God has done more than we could ask or think already, He will continue to empower us for the opportunities ahead. Through the gifts of His people, He will provide the resources for this accelerated vision.

We are asking that each individual or family consider an investment above our regular giving to the church, for a three-year period. Will you accelerate with us?

Pray

for God’s power at work through our church in Loving, Leading, and Launching.

Ask

God to show you how you can give.

Plan

creative ways that you and your family can contribute.

Move Forward

with us by making a pledge on Commitment Sunday

The last commandment Jesus spoke for every single Christian was, “Go…make disciples of all nations…teach them all that I commanded you.” Every church and every Christian has a God-given purpose. Why are we completely paying off our debt? To be and to do what God calls us to be and to do. The Accelerate program is not simply about finances. This program is about reaching and teaching and rescuing the lives of people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

 

Prayer: Lord, grow my passion for your purposes in my life and in my church. You have brought me here for a reason. Show me what You would do through me both in my ministry within the church and my mission to the world.

 

Action Item: Make a list of WHY paying off debt is so important. How many people will this help Idlewild rescue? How many people will this help Idlewild disciple? Can you put a value on how the vision behind Loving, Leading, and Launching His church will impact the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you focus on the Why question, how important does this program become for you?

 

Rob Taylor

 

Stewardship Pastor

“Our prayer for “Accelerate” is that our church gives sacrificially on behalf of others. May the interest saved roll over and pour into the parched world without Christ around us”.
Jim and Cindy Crookston