I'm New | First Baptist Church

This page has been created so you can let people know what to expect when they visit your church.

Here are 4 ideas to help you get started:

How long is the service? It’s nice to know how long a service typically runs so people can plan accordingly.
What about kids? Visitors with children like to know what to do when they first walk in—should they head to the kid’s classrooms or bring them into the main service? Also, they want to know what kind of care their child will be receiving.
What’s the service like? Let people know the style of music, whether the service is formal or informal, and other details so they know what to expect. Try to make these details reflect the mission and values of your church.
How do people normally dress? People feel more comfortable in a new place when they don’t feel like they stand out.

We are glad you found us!

When you visit First Baptist Church you will find a multi-generational church with people from all walks of life. Our church was founded in 1873, so we have been around for a while. Some of our families have grown up in this church, and now have kids and grandkids that are here. Others stopped by for a visit, found something special, and they stayed. We are a growing church, but there is plenty of room for you and your family. Many people have mentioned how welcomed they felt when they visited the first time. We hope you will feel the same way! We would love to have you come see what we are all about, but we know it can be intimidating going to a church for the first time. We want to do our best to help you feel comfortable before you even walk through the door. Here are some typical questions that are asked. We hope this helps. If you still have questions, feel free to call, email, or contact us through our Facebook page. See you Sunday!

What is a service like?

You can expect several things every Sunday morning. Usually you will find Pastor Mike leading the service. There will always be singing. We have a good balance of old hymns and newer songs. Almost every Sunday we will make time to simply read from the Bible for a few minutes. We will always take an offering, but if you are visiting us, please don’t feel obligated to give. We are just happy you are here. Pastor Joshua will most often be the one preaching, however Pastor Mike and others share in this role as well. Because we believe the Bible is God’s Word, our pastors most often preach verse by verse through books of the Bible. This means you will probably find us in the middle of a book of the Bible, but that is ok! Jump in with us! Our goal on Sunday morning is to simply understand what God is telling us through the text and apply it to our lives. Our services usually last about an hour and a half.

What do you have for my kids?

During our Sunday morning service our kids start out worshiping in the auditorium with us, but they are later dismissed to have their own creative lesson in our Junior Church room. We also have nursery for your little ones. If you are joining us for Sunday School, we have a class for every age. Wednesday nights we have Awana for your elementary age kids, as well as youth group for your teens. Youth group meets across the street in our Ignite Youth Center. The teens also have other activities going on regularly.

What should I wear?

We aren’t too worried about what you wear. If you are comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans, that’s ok. You won’t be the only one. Maybe you are more comfortable in a suit and tie. That’s ok, too. Again, you won’t be the only one. We are sure you will feel very comfortable wearing whatever you prefer.

Do you only meet on Sunday mornings?

No! We have many things going on throughout the week. We have Sunday School at 9:45 every Sunday morning. This is a great time to get together in a smaller group, as we study and discuss God’s Word. We also have a Sunday evening service at 6:00. We most often have an interactive Bible study during this time, but we also have communion on the last Sunday night of each month, as well as some other things mixed in. Keep an eye on our upcoming events to keep up with Sunday nights! We also have other ministries during the week. We would love to have you get involved in these other opportunities.

Where do I park?

We have parking on all sides of our building and across the street.

Where are we located?

If you are familiar with Howard City, you will know that we have one stoplight. We are just east of the stoplight on Shaw Street. We are easy to find. Our address is 304 E. Shaw st.

What do you believe?

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He came to this earth to live, and died to satisfy God’s wrath on sin. Christ took on himself the sins of the world. However, He did not stay dead, but rose again the third day as the Bible tells us. Anyone can receive this free gift of salvation, but it is a gift, given to us by God and received through faith alone. We can do nothing of ourselves to attain salvation. We also believe the Bible teaches that we have a responsibility as a Christian to continually seek God and to know Him more. This causes a continual pattern of growth in our lives to become mature Christians.