In becoming a member of the Crane First Family you are joining a Southern Baptist Church. There are two crucial factors in being a Southern Baptist Church.
We Believe!
First, we follow a confession of faith as is found in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The first statement in this confession of faith tells you what we believe about the Bible. It is significant that this is the first item in our confession of faith since the Bible is the core document by which we determine everything we believe and do.
This first article says: I. The Scriptures
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.
Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
I encourage you to take your time and read this confession of faith. In joining the Crane First Family you are making a commitment to share, practice, serve, and live according to these truths.
We Do!
Second, by being a Southern Baptist Church, it means that we cooperate with the larger body of Southern Baptist Churches to accomplish the mission of the gospel locally, in Missouri, in the United States, and around the world. The Crane First Family gives 12% of all budget offerings to support the greater work of the gospel. Last year, 2022, Crane First was in the top one hundred giving churches out of all the Southern Baptist Churches in Missouri in giving.
To learn more about what this means I encourage you to watch this video that shows how our cooperative giving works to reach the world.