Welcome!
Whether you are brand new to the “church thing” or you’ve been around church for a while, we want to say welcome. Our goal during worship services at First Baptist Church is to create space for you to encounter God: by being part of the community, by singing, by praying, by reading Scripture together & by exploring its meaning for our life today.
We also hope to provide opportunities for you to go deeper in the exploration of Scripture, to know one another through times of fellowship, and to find ways to match your gifts with ways to serve in our faith community & the greater Lafayette community.
Gathering Times
Sunday Mornings
*In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have reduced our in-person offerings to worship only on Sunday mornings. This continues to happen at 9:30 a.m., and it is alo available via live streaming and “on demand” through this website.
Pre-Pandemic Sunday Morning Schedule
9:00 a.m. – Early Morning Coffee
9:30 a.m. – Worship
10:30 a.m. – Coffee & Fellowship
11:00 a.m. – Sunday School
a place where faith is unbounded
Who Are We?
Faith unbounded means we affirm the faith traditions that others come from without insisting that you do it our way. We do value the practice of believer’s baptism, but no, we will not force you to be baptized in this church, believing that God’s ways are bigger than our own.
Faith unbounded means that we freely invite all to God’s table at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper each month. (No laminated ID card required).
Faith unbounded looks like us choosing to covenant together across the lines that our culture tells us should divide us, believing that our common faith in Christ Jesus unites us over all else.
Faith unbounded means we value being a covenant community which creates stability amidst our diversity, and which becomes a sounding board as we discern together what it means to be faithful to God in this life.
Faith unbounded means we value knowing others and building on our commonalities, rather than assuming the worst of “others.” This also means that we are listening closely for the still, small voice of God to make it clear to us what we are being called to now.
Faith unbounded means that we celebrate & encourage the use of gifts by all in our community of faith: whether you are young or old, male or female, Republican or Democrat (or somewhere in the middle in any of these dichotomies).
Faith unbounded means we value each individual questioning, doubting, and learning through reflection instead of prescribing a long list of beliefs, because we believe that questions and doubts are the very definition of cultivating a life of faith.
Faith unbounded means that we believe that our faith compels us to do more than merely show up for worship for one hour each Sunday. Instead, our faith compels us to be deeply invested in our local community, paying close attention to and participating in serving the needs of our neighbors.
Faith unbounded means we are becoming people who are for God’s justice in the world around us. This means we are committed to creating opportunities to know and be known by those in other faith communities in our community, particularly amongst the other downtown churches as well as interfaith relationships.
Being the church means our faith is unbounded.
what we do
Our Mission
As Baptists, it is our belief that we should all have the opportunity to discover and use the gifts bestowed on us through the power of Holy Spirit.
We seek and are committed to building relationships and have intentional and strategic partnerships where we can work alongside the work God is already doing in our city.
We believe God has called us to be a church that that follows Him by turning our hearts and our focus to global communities by serving our neighbor where they are.
THE CHURCH
Our History
Attire
Our Youngest Worshippers
Children
During the worship hour, children in kindergarten and younger are invited to stay in the nursery, where they will be watched by experienced childcare professionals. (But of course, they are also welcome to be part of worship in the sanctuary- it's the parent's choice!) Beginning with Sundays in December 2018, there will be a special children's message early in the service. All children are invited to come to the front pew to learn with Pastor Lisa. (and then these youngest worshippers will be escorted to the nursery immediately following this time in the service each week.)
The nursery is located right off the entrance closest to the parking lot. Please sign your children in and out each Sunday. Children's Sunday School follows the worship hour, coinciding with the adult Sunday School hour.
Children in first grade and older are invited to join us in the sanctuary for worship as they learn the basics to be life-long worshippers. There are worship bags available to borrow in the pews closest to the doors, and beginning with Sundays in December 2018, there will be a special children's message early in the service. All children are invited to come to the front pew to learn with Pastor Lisa, and then return to their seats.
