We are Gaines and Susan Gravlee. I myself am a product of FBC Children’s ministry. My parents, Gaines and Ann Gravlee met at First Baptist in the 1950’s. My sister Beth and I started in the “Cradle Roll” and grew up here learning through the many programs the church offered in the 60’s and 70’s.
In the 1980’s, Susan and I met in the Singles Department at First Baptist. Our three children Valerie, Kristen and Jonathan grew up here and were nurtured by FBC ministries. We are so grateful for the programs and people who touched our lives and influenced our kids in our FBC family. I wish we could begin to name everyone who has loved and influenced our family, but there are far too many. All three of our children accepted Jesus here and thereby started the wonderful journey that each of them continues to this day as they raise our six grandchildren. Today, they are a part of different church families, but this is home for them. We are thankful for the facilities and people here that are all a part of the welcoming environment for our grandchildren.
We have witnessed and participated in many building campaigns at FBC through the years. We, as a church, are very good at planning, implementing and trusting these projects to God. Now, we embark on the journey with this next generation of children beginning with the completion of this new, wonderful facility enabled by the GENERATIONS campaign. We are thankful we can contribute both financially to GENERATIONS and to the children’s ministry through teaching Sunday School, Worship Care and Parent’s Night Out.
Before construction began, many of the rooms and even furniture was the same as when I was in the children’s ministry back in the 1960’s. Today, Susan and are delighted to see how the GENERATIONS Building and Renovation Campaign has initiated this new space for teaching and caring for the children of our church family and reaching out to the families of our community enabling us to share Jesus’ love with them.