WELCOME! HERE ARE YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED...

WHAT ARE YOUR SERVICES LIKE?

Making your very first visit to a church can be intimidating. We would be privileged to have you as our guest and want you to feel welcome at First Baptist Church. The information below tells you about what we do as a church throughout the week. We would love to have you as our guest!

Sunday Morning Service (9:30-10:45 AM)
Our building opens to all at 9:00 AM on Sundays, and many of our folks come at this time to catch up with each other and have a cup of coffee. Christian music is played over the speakers in the lobby at 9:25 AM to signal that the service begins in 5 minutes. Everyone makes their way to the church auditorium around this time, and people are welcome to sit in the auditorium before this time as well.

We offer a nursery for children ages birth through 3, supervised by our trained nursery staff. Children 4 and up are welcomed to join their family for worship in the auditorium.

When our service begins, our pastor gives a welcome and announcements, and then we have a call to worship and read from a passage of Scripture. Our pastor then opens the service in prayer, and we sing three or four hymns. We typically have just a piano to accompany the congregation in a helpful and reverential manner. Our pastor then preaches a message from the Bible by explaining the meaning of a passage of Scripture and carefully applying it to our lives today.

Coffee & Fellowship (10:45-11:15 AM)
After the service, we enjoy a time of coffee and fellowship from 10:45 to 11:15. Tea and snacks are available as well. This time allows us to talk with one another and allows you as our guest to meet us and our pastor.

Christian Life Hour (11:15 AM-12:00 PM)
From 11:15 to 12:00, our church offers a class in either our auditorium or classroom right off of the lobby. This time is primarily for teaching and discussion. Sometimes we study passages in the Bible about a specific topic, and sometimes we study chapter-by-chapter through a book on Christian living. Our pastor occasionally has a prospective members’ class in an informal setting in his office during this time as well. Nursery is provided for children up through age 3. We hold a Primary Sunday School class for children ages 4 through 2nd grade, a Junior Sunday School class for grades 3-6, and a Teen Sunday School class.

Afternoon Services
We meet together in our fellowship hall at 12:00 to eat a lunch that each person/family has brought for himself/themselves. Following lunch, we remain in the fellowship hall for a service from 1:00-1:45. 

Fifth Sunday Fellowships (12:00 PM)
About once a quarter we have a “fifth Sunday fellowship” in the month that holds five Sundays. We begin at 12:00 PM with a potluck lunch provided by all families who desire to bring and share a dish in our fellowship hall. After that, we enjoy hearing from individuals as to what God has been doing in their lives, coupled with hymns throughout the time.

Wednesday Evening Prayer and Bible Study (7:00-8:15 PM)
For our midweek service, our pastor opens with a welcome and announcements and then leads us in singing one or two hymns. After this, our pastor will highlight some of the requests in our prayer list and take any other requests that anyone would like to add. We then spend about 15 to 20 minutes in prayer. Our pastor then leads us through a Bible study by explaining God’s Word and interacting with the church by asking questions and giving opportunity for others to ask questions as well.

Please call the church office if you have additional questions or would like more information.

HOW CAN I KNOW IF YOUR CHURCH IS FOR ME?

Get to know us. We put a lot of information on our website. Read through the statements about our church’s doctrine and philosophy. Listen to our sermons. Check out our calendar. Find out whatever you can.

Join us as often as you are able! A single visit for one morning service on a given Sunday will never give you a full picture of who we are as a church. It takes time to meet the people, see what we emphasize, and know how you can serve. Come more than once, and become part of the family!

Look for the basics and don’t get caught up in externals. It is nice if a church has programs for you or your children, but these externals should not drive your decision in choosing a church. More important questions should be asked. Does this church clearly teach and preach the Scriptures? Does the church attempt to foster genuine Christian fellowship among its members? Are disciples being made? What does this church believe a Christian should be?

Get to know the people. Arrive a few minutes before and stay a few minutes after the services. Meet our pastor, and get to know anyone and everyone you can.

Realize there is no perfect church. Every church is made up of sinners who are growing in their faith. There will be occasional situations that call for patience and love. Though no church is perfect, the key for any church is to realize its own imperfections and make progress every way it can.

Pray. Choosing a church is a big decision. It involves how you will learn God’s Word, how you will serve others, and who will be your spiritual family. Ask God to help you make this choice.

WHAT MAKES YOUR CHURCH UNIQUE?

We don’t try to hide our differences, and we don’t try to make a fuss about them either. Here are some ways we are unique.

We are deliberate in our ministry. We attempt to do what the Scriptures tell us to do. We are careful not to add or take anything away from what the Bible says to do as a church.

We are conservative in our worship and associations. When it comes to how to worship God as the gathered church or how to participate with other churches and Christian organizations, we are careful to follow biblical principles related to these matters.

We are Baptist. Being a Baptist means several things. We hold to the authority of the Bible for all matters of belief and practice. Members must believe the gospel, be baptized by immersion after conversion, and be involved in the church. We regularly observe the Lord’s Supper. The congregation has a voice in significant church matters, pastors lead, and deacons serve. Members confess sin to God who grants the forgiveness of sins.

We value expository preaching. Our pastor preaches God’s Word and applies it to everyday life. He typically preaches through a book of the Bible, passage by passage. If he preaches about a particular topic, he says what God says about that topic in His Word. Our preaching is based upon what God wants us to say from His Word.

We are focused on the Great Commission. God is showing His love to many today by saving them through the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Since people cannot believe the gospel and live for God apart from the knowledge of how to do so, we as the church and its members seek to make disciples by proclaiming God’s Word and discipling those who believe.

THE ONE THING YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW

Are you certain that you will be in heaven when this life is over? How do you know? The Bible tells us all about how God provided a way for us to be with Him in heaven forever.

God created all things, including us, so that we would serve Him and enjoy Him forever. Unfortunately, when the first man sinned and rebelled against God, one of the consequences was that all of his descendants would instinctively do the same. Without the help of God, all we can do is sin against Him.

Our sin leaves us feeling miserable because we know God is perfect and sinless and that He cannot tolerate sin. This fact means that He cannot let us into heaven. We have rebelled against Him and have provoked His infinite anger. Rather than enjoying Him forever, we are destined for eternal punishment.

However, God sent His Son, Jesus, so that we could be at peace with Him. Jesus is both God and man, and when He died, His death became the eternal death for all those who would believe in these truths and show sorrow to God for having sinned against Him. Jesus paid the penalty we all deserve. God then raised Him from the dead, which shows us that we, too, will be raised when Jesus comes again. And when He comes, He will be your judge and either allow you into heaven or send you to hell, based upon whether or not you believed in Him.

We invite you to do what God commands  - confess your sins to God and believe that Jesus died for you. By doing so, you can experience the salvation that only God can give.

Please let us know if this is your need or if you have any questions. Our pastor would love to talk with you about your spiritual needs and help you to know what it means to be a Christian.