What to Expect
Who We Are
Profile
We believe that the church should not be made up of a single, homogenous group, but should be as diverse as the community in which it is located. In fact, we want to look as much like heaven as possible. That’s why we welcome and encourage people of any age or race, or from any walk of life, to visit with us. You’ll find both young and old gladly worshipping and serving the Lord side by side at Forest Baptist Church. Sunday morning worship attendance is between 500 and 600 people total between our two services. Dress tends to be business-casual, though you can find anything from khakis to suits, from dress shoes to sneakers. (The elders and church leaders tend to wear suits.) Our people are friendly, but with many visitors each week, we encourage you to be bold and introduce yourself.
Family Matters
We have Sunday School from 9:45 to 10:45 for all ages. We have classes for Children and Youth that use various LifeWay curriculums to lay the foundation for lifelong devotion to God and His Word. We have a variety of Adult classes that are coeducational and appropriate for adults of all ages. We have faithful, gifted teachers who teach the Bible with the purpose of making disciples for Jesus Christ. Child care is also available during both worship services at 8:30 and 11:00 for children who have not yet entered kindergarten.
How We Worship
Service
Our services formally begin at 8:30am and 11:00am, led most often by our pastor or a staff member. We begin by sharing announcements and upcoming opportunities, followed by the singing of several songs, voicing prayers of praise and confession to God, hearing Scripture read, enjoying special music, giving our offerings, and listening to God’s Word proclaimed.
Music
The music we sing at FBC is a blend of old and new. We love the doctrinally rich hymns of the sixteenth century and we find blessing in the choruses of the twenty-first, although we intentionally emphasize content over and above style. We focus on being God-centered rather than man-centered. Our music ministry includes an orchestra, praise team and choir. We strongly prefer congregational singing, which emphasizes the gathered body singing praise to God, which also represents the unity and common faith that we have in Christ.
Sermon
Preaching at FBC is primarily expositional, meaning that it seeks to declare the point of a particular Bible passage. Sermons usually last between 30-45 minutes. Our pastor’s passion in preaching is for biblical accuracy to shape contemporary life. Our pastor regularly alternates preaching between the Old and New Testaments including doctrinal and practical emphasis. All preaching is gospel-driven and Christ-centered. Find out what sermon text is this Sunday.
Post-Sermon
We provide people with an opportunity respond to the message at the end while the congregation sings a closing hymn of dedication. The pastor and other capable counselors are available near the platform for those who would like to come forward for prayer or counsel. Though the service ends soon after, many remain for fellowship and conversation before we depart and anticipate coming together again.