Welcome Letter from Pastor Jonathan
How do I get there?
While some folks might think Oakboro is in the middle of nowhere, we prefer to think that we’re in the middle of everywhere. If you’re in the area, getting to First Baptist is a cinch no matter which direction you’re coming from.
From Albemarle and the east:
Head west on 24/27 for about 10 minutes until you see our great neighbor, Red Cross Baptist at the first working traffic light. Turn left (south) on Oak Ridge Road and stay on this all the way into town (it’s about 3.4 miles). You can’t miss us on the left.
From Locust and the west:
Head east on 24/27 until you come to that same Oak Ridge Road intersection with Red Cross Baptist on the northwest corner. Turn right (south) on Oak Ridge Road and keep driving until you see us on the left (about 3.4 miles).
From Stanfield to the west:
Hop on Big Lick Road off of NC-200 at the Wayside Family Restaurant. Stay on this all the way to S Oak Ridge Rd. Turn right at the Liberty Gas Station and head into Oakboro. You can’t miss us on the left.
From Norwood to the southeast:
Jump on South Stanly School Road, past South Stanly High School. When you come into Aquadale, merge onto Aquadale Road (NC-138) and wind carefully through the country for about 6.3 miles. At the stop sign, turn right on Main Street, drive three more blocks and we’re on your right.
From Wadesboro to the south:
If you live even further out in the country in the direction of Wadesboro, getting here is a piece of cake. Find your way to NC-742 and head north. You’ll eventually roll into town and you can’t miss us on the right.
From Monroe to the southwest:
Take Morgan Mill Rd (NC-200) out of town for 11.4 miles (starting from NC-74). At NC-218, turn right (Crossroads Diner will be on your left). Stay on NC-218 for about 4.2 miles. When you come to NC-205, turn left. Stay on this all the way into Oakboro. Turn left on Main St., and the church is three blocks up on your right.
Whichever direction you’re coming from, there is a way to get to First Baptist. We hope you’ll find it and we will see you soon!
What should I do when I get there?
Every church campus can feel a little confusing and intimidating to someone who’s never been there before. We know that ours is no exception. We all know where to go because we’ve been around long enough, but we understand that you, our guest, don’t. Adding to the fun, we have three different buildings to choose from! Let’s see if we can make things a bit more familiar before you arrive.
The main sanctuary and educational building sits facing Main Street on the corner of Main and Fourth. Our main parking lot is located just behind this building across Kids Club Alley (while there is almost no traffic on it, it is a functioning road so use caution when crossing!). We have specially-marked guest parking spots at the south end of the lot over next to the Fellowship Building. These are for you! On an extra-full day when even these are filled up, there is extra parking in the gravel lot across Fourth Street from the main lot.
Once you find a spot to park, it’s time to come inside. If you have arrived for Sunday school at 9:00 AM, you will head toward the sanctuary and educational building. Getting inside can be tricky for first time guests—we understand! You want to head for the door facing Kids Club Alley that is closest to Fourth Street. It is the one with an awning, but no carport. You will be welcomed by one of our friendly greeters who will help make sure you get your kids and yourself to the right spot. All of our kids and adult Sunday school classes are meeting live and in person once again. Two of our adult classes have a Zoom option available if you are more comfortable with that. Shoot us an email and we’ll get you the codes to sign in.
If you have arrived for our worship service at 10:00 AM, you will want to head toward the Fellowship Building. Although we are committed to maintaining the safety of everyone on our campus, we have recently made the move back to a single worship service. Whether you wear a mask or not is up to you. We will love you the same either way. Enter the building through the glass door facing the parking lot. You will be met on your way in by a greeter to tell you how glad we are that you are here. As you enter the building, the worship center is through the double doors in front of you. If you need to make a quick pit stop, the restrooms are located just to your right.
As you enter, you will see that our chairs are in rows, but rows that are spaced out to make sure everyone can be comfortable. Our ushers can help you find a spot for your family if you would like. Grab your seat, relax, and prepare for worship! If you have little ones under the age of four, we have a nursery available if they and you are comfortable with that. It is actually located in the sanctuary and educational building. You will find a friendly face in our greeters or ushers to help get you connected with the nursery if you’d like. That being said, we are glad to have children of all ages in our worship services. We know they can sometimes be wiggly and noisy, but we don’t mind a bit. We include something special for them in each of our services. Our Minister of Students, Nate Sisson, brings a special message for students every single week. Your kids will love hearing from him.
At the end of the service, you can make your way back to the parking lot and we will look forward to seeing you the next week.
If you are interested in connecting with us more, the easiest way to do that is to fill out one of our visitor cards which you can find in the offering plate on your right as you enter the worship center. Leave it in that same plate as you leave. Take a pen from the plate as well and that it yours to keep. A member of our staff will be in touch with you directly.
What time should I get there?
There are several times to be involved in what’s going on at First Baptist. On Sunday mornings our Sunday school groups for all different ages meet at 9:00 in the sanctuary and educational building. Doors will be open at 8:45 am. Our worship service begins at 10:00 in the Fellowship Building. The doors for that will open by 9:45. There are also two different groups with meeting options on Zoom. If you are interested in one of those, we will get you the meeting codes so you can join. Whether you join on a cell phone or your home phone, you can join these groups from anywhere. In addition to this, we have adult and student Bible study groups meeting on Wednesday nights at 6:30. If you’re here by 6:25, you’ll be right on time. These groups all wrap up at about 7:30. The adults meet in the main sanctuary. Our student groups meet in different locations around the campus depending on their activities for the evening. We’ll make sure you get to the right place when you arrive. There are also various other activities (especially for our students) going on depending on the season. Check out the newsfeed on our main page, our Facebook page, or the announcement loop on screen if you’ve been able to catch a service for more information on when and where these will begin.
Is there anything else I should know?
While that covers some of the most important things to know about getting here on your first trip, there may be some other questions you still have swimming around in your head. We’ve tried to think of the most common ones to help you out as much as we can.
What should I wear?
We generally prefer clothes! More to the point, we’re a family here at First Baptist and we want you to be a comfortable part of it. On Sunday mornings you will find people wearing everything from shorts and t-shirts to suits and ties. Most folks fall somewhere in the middle. For The Gathering Place on Wednesday nights, come comfortable like you might to your own dinner table. The big idea is: You find where your comfort level is, and we’ll be happy with that.
I have kids…where do they go?
Coming to a new place for the first time is always a little scary. It’s even trickier when you have kids in tow who might not be as willing to go along with Operation: Don’t Draw Attention to Ourselves as you’d like them to be. Rest assured: We have lots of families and kids at First Baptist and ours don’t always behave like we want them to either. All that is to say: Come and be yourselves. We’ll be happy with that. While we do have a nursery available when you and your little ones are ready for it, they are welcome in our worship service as well.
One more note on that: Having kids with you in worship isn’t easy. We know that! That’s why we have geared our worship services more toward kids than they have ever been before. Come and join us, and if things get a little wiggly or noisy, you’ll be in good company. We love your kids—and you—just the way you are!
Is there anything else?
Sure! If you will be joining us for worship, the restrooms are located on the right in the main hallway just after you enter the fellowship building from the parking lot. In the main sanctuary building there are men’s and women’s restrooms located on each floor. Look for the signs to point you in the right direction.
Also, our worship services are intended to create a space in which you can join with our family in connecting with our mutual heavenly Father. While there will be a set plan for each service, we want you to be able to participate as the Holy Spirit leads you. If you want to sing along with us (the lyrics for all the songs will be displayed on the sides of the front of the room), please do! If you need to simply experience the music though, go right ahead. And if nature happens to call while we’re rolling, you will not bother anybody slipping out the back to answer.
That’s about everything we can think of, but if you still have questions, you are more than welcome to give us a call, drop us an email, or leave us a message on our Facebook page and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks so much for learning more about what your visit will be like. We can’t wait to meet you in person!