Springfield | Every Illinois Baptist can point to someone who helped carry their faith forward. Maybe it was a Sunday School teacher who patiently opened God’s Word, or a camp counselor who answered difficult questions by the lake. Maybe it was a college ministry leader who helped faith grow during challenging years on campus.
None of those moments happened by accident. They were made possible because someone invested in the next generation.
That same conviction is driving a new chapter for the annual Mission Illinois Offering this September. The new theme, called Faith Forward, brings a renewed emphasis on reaching and discipling children, students, and young adults through Next Generation ministries.
The initiative directs 100% of Mission Illinois Offering giving toward three strategic areas where lifelong faith is so often formed: Kids, Camps, and College Ministries.
“What would Illinois look like if each new generation of young people were transformed by Jesus Christ?” asked Scott Foshie, IBSA Executive Director. “That’s the question behind Faith Forward. We want to make sure future generations have the same opportunities many of us were given to encounter Christ, grow in faith, and discover God’s calling on their lives.”
For Foshie, the vision is deeply personal.
During his teen and college years in Tennessee, church volunteers, camp leaders, and ministry mentors invested their time, prayers, and resources in helping him grow as a follower of Christ. Those investments helped shape the leader he is today and fueled a desire to see the same opportunities available to young people across our state.
The Faith Forward initiative is rooted in the reality many churches have witnessed firsthand: some of the most significant spiritual decisions happen early in life. Children and students are asking important questions about identity, purpose, truth, and belonging. Through intentional gospel ministry, Illinois Baptists have an opportunity to meet them during those formative years.
That ministry happens in countless ways across Illinois.
It happens when children learn biblical truths through church programs, Vacation Bible Schools, and discipleship ministries. It happens when students step away from everyday distractions to attend retreats and camps at Lake Sallateeska and Streator Baptist Camps, places where generations have heard God’s call and committed their lives to Christ. It happens when college students arrive on campus searching for community and purpose and encounter believers ready to introduce them to Jesus.
Stories like those are already being written.
Young leaders such as Isabella Munoz have grown through Illinois Baptist student ministry events and now invest in the next generation themselves. College student, Kate Biros, discovered a life-changing relationship with Christ through campus ministry at Illinois State University and is now helping others take the same journey. Pastors and ministry leaders across the state trace their spiritual roots to experiences at Illinois Baptist camps and youth events.
Faith Forward seeks to multiply those stories.
Through the generosity of Illinois Baptist churches and individuals, the Mission Illinois Offering supports summer camps, student discipleship events, college campus ministries, evangelistic outreach, and training for children’s and youth ministry leaders. The goal is not simply to fund programs, but to create opportunities for life transformation through the gospel.
“When we invest in the next generation, we’re investing in more than today’s students,” Foshie said. “We’re investing in future pastors, missionaries, church leaders, teachers, business people, parents, and faithful church members. We’re investing in people who will carry the gospel into the future.”
The Faith Forward campaign reminds Illinois Baptists that the faith they enjoy today was handed to them by those who came before. Now it is our turn to ensure the next generation receives the same opportunity.
The 2026 Mission Illinois Week of Prayer for State Missions will be observed September 13-20. Videos, downloadable resources, and giving information are available at MissionIllinois.org.