JOPLIN – Mexico, Brazil, Tanzania… These are all nations whose people have been blessed by the missionary heart of one Missouri Baptist church family. But this year, Forest Park Church in Joplin, Mo., is shifting its focus toward also reaching a single small city – its own.
Under new leadership, the church is placing a renewed emphasis on local ministry in order to engage the inhabitants of Joplin and the surrounding communities.
Senior Pastor Brian Jump explained that reaching the local community begins with serving Joplin neighbors in tangible, impactful ways.
Brian Jump
“We believe good works lead to goodwill, which opens the door to the Good News,” Jump said. “Anytime that we can engage in a good work, we think that garners goodwill, and it brings us to our ultimate goal of sharing the good news of Christ.”
The animated pastor, who is just eight months into his time with Forest Park, noted the church has always been faithful to support and engage in international missions. In fact, they have historically sent teams on an average of 10 mission trips each year. As a result, Jump says Forest Park has garnered a reputation among Missouri Baptists for being a “global missions-minded” church.
Additionally, the multi-campus church serves the Joplin community through its mercy ministry, Mission Joplin. After an EF5 tornado tore through Joplin in 2011, volunteers from Forest Park Church started Mission Joplin in an effort to care for those impacted by the catastrophe. Twelve years later, the ministry continues to offer food, clothes, and the good news of Jesus Christ to those who are hurting and hopeless.
“There’s a large homeless population in Joplin simply because it’s on an interstate, so we see an influx there of people who are just sort of passing through the area,” Jump explained. “We’re able to meet those needs for them, bless them, and at the same time share Christ with them.”
As he surveys the church and local community, however, Jump sees even more opportunities for gospel engagement. The pastor pointed out that Forest Park’s multi-campus format is uniquely structured to reach different pockets of the Joplin area, with campuses in Joplin, Carthage, and Webb City.
Jump shared that the intent behind this structure is to “be present in subsets of community, that it would feel more community based than just one large entity – one church with multiple campuses.”
In order to establish a healthy model of ministry, Forest Park is starting this year by re-engaging in local initiatives that were lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. These events, such as Trunk-or-Treat and community serve days, will allow the church to serve its neighbors and create opportunities for gospel proclamation.
However, Jump wants to see the church move past just re-engagement to advancement – growing beyond what has been done previously to serve the community in even greater ways. Specifically, Forest Park is seeking a stronger relationship with local schools.
The church’s campuses already serve as emergency shelters for surrounding schools, but Jump’s vision is for the church to develop a more consistent presence in the community, serving both teachers and students on a regular basis. To him, these schools are mission fields that are daily accessible to Forest Park Church.
As summer rapidly draws to a close, the Forest Park family is reevaluating its budget and planning for the upcoming year of ministry. Their new rhythms will be marked by increased, intentional engagement in the community, as they seek to be a beacon of truth and light in their own city.
Reflecting on the opportunities for missional influence in and around Joplin, Jump recalled the words of the British missionary, C.T. Studd: “The light that shines farthest, shines brightest nearest home.”
“I believe the missional mandate, the Great Commission, is a here-there-everywhere approach,” the pastor explained. “The goal is always to get to the nations, but we’ve got to strengthen our missional influence here first.”