What to Expect
If you have the opportunity, we hope that you will join us for one of our many activities. We are a friendly bunch and will do our best to make you feel welcome.
We realize that visiting a new place for the first time can be difficult or uncomfortable so here are a few things you may want to know. If you have a question that is not addressed here, we invite you to contact us by phone or email.
Where are you located? / How do I get there?
We are located at 501 Glenburn Avenue in Cambridge, MD 21613. We have a map on our Maps and Directions page and by clicking on it, you can get turn-by-turn instructions from anyplace in the country.
Where do I park? / Do I have to pay for parking?
Our main parking area is entered from Glenburn Avenue. This parking area includes a covered portico for drop off and pick up of members and visitors. An overflow parking area is entered from the end of Talbot Avenue, one block north. There is street parking on Glenburn Avenue in front of First Baptist. All parking is free.
Is the building accessible for the physically challenged?
Our building is fully accessible. The sanctuary and all meeting rooms are on one level and there are no steps to enter the building. Our sanctuary has a number of short pews to provide those in wheelchairs ample room. We also have hearing assistance receivers. Please let any usher know if you need one.
Where do I go when I arrive?
Prior to our Sunday Morning Worship Service, we have greeters at the main entrance, just inside the portico entrance next to our Glenburn Avenue parking lot. They will welcome you and show you to our sanctuary. If you use our Talbot Avenue parking lot, please enter the doors closest to you, pass through the Fellowship Hall, and turn left. At the end of the hallway, you will see the main entrance to our sanctuary.
If you are joining us for Sunday School, come on in and let someone know you are visiting and they will point you in the right direction. You will usually find someone to help you just inside the covered portico entrance (the church office is on your left). From the Talbot Avenue parking lot, pass through Fellowship Hall and our kitchen will be on your right. You're bound to find some of our members there having a cup of coffee before class and they will be glad to help you.
For other activities during the week, it's best to park in the Glenburn Avenue parking lot and enter through the covered portico entrance. If you are coming for some activities held during a weekday, you may need to press the intercom call button to the right of the double doors to be let in -- that is part of our security program for our Sunny Day Christian Preschool.
What can I expect in your Sunday School and Worship Service?
Sunday School begins at 9:15 AM and usually lasts from 50 to 60 minutes. Currently, Pastor Chris is leading the class through an overview of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, illustrating the necessity and great usefulness of confessions for the Church, and elaborating upon the truth claims made therein.
Our Sunday Morning Worship Service starts at 10:30 AM. It usually begins with a welcome and brief announcements before we sing a hymn and hear a passage from Scripture. After another hymn, the collection plate is passed and our choir sings, or we have other special music. Our pastor then delivers a message, and afterward members and guests are called to reflect on what they've just heard during our final hymn. After the pastor's parting benediction, we stand and close the service by singing the Doxology.
We strive to make you feel as comfortable as possible and part of our congregation from the time you arrive till the time you leave. There's no secret handshake or responses and the words to everything we sing are projected on the front screen.
What should I wear?
It's more important to us that you're here to worship and learn about the Lord than what you wear. On any given Sunday morning, you may find members dressed in anything from polo shirts and jeans to suits with ties, tennis shoes to shoes with heels and, sometimes, even shorts and sandals. We do consider our church to be God's house and we do ask that your dress be respectful of that.
Evening services and other activities tend to be more casual.
Where should I sit? / What is your seating like?
Seating is on a first-come basis and you may sit where you like. There is no assigned seating. All pews have cushioned seats and our audio system does a fine job of letting everyone hear what is being said or sung. We use a projector system for announcements, lyrics and scripture and you may find it easier to see the closer to the front you sit.
Are small children welcome?
Small children are very welcome! Nursery is available if sitting through our worship service is too much for the little ones. A greeter or usher can help you when you arrive.
Will I be singled out as a guest?
No, we won't single you out as a guest in our worship service and ask you to stand or raise your hand. You will find a guest welcome slip in your bulletin that we ask you to complete and put in the offering plate as it is passed or hand to the Pastor on your way out so that we may have a record of your visit.
Will I be asked for money?
During our Sunday Morning Worship Service we have a time of tithes and offering where we return a portion of what God has given us as we feel led. These gifts go to support our church and missions throughout the world. A collection plate is passed but contributing is optional.
