First Family,This Sunday, from 4-6 p.m., we will be hosting our annual Fall Festival. This is a fun opportunity for our church family to come together. But more importantly, this is a real opportunity for us to invite someone to experience FBCA. I often refer to these opportunities as “bridging” or “on-ramp” events. They are a way to bridge people to the church and ultimately to a relationship wit...  Read More

First Family,I hope your week is going well. Here are a few things I'm praying for our church. Please join me:A prayer of gratitude for the amazing response we received after calling for volunteers for our Children's Ministry. Thank you, Lord, for the 14 individuals who stepped forward to provide additional support in nurturing and guiding our children's spiritual growth.A prayer of petition for o...  Read More

First Family,Have you ever been in a situation at church where you have become so familiar with someone that you have passed the socially acceptable point of asking them for their name?  Maybe it is someone in your small group or the family you sit next to nearly every Sunday. You are familiar with them but not so much so that you know them by name.For the month of November, we are hosting a speci...  Read More

First Family,During my sermon last Sunday, I spoke about a section of Matthew 26 that highlights how Jesus dealt with a heavy burden. We delved into the way he handled the pressure at Gethsemane and drew some parallels to our own lives. Personally, it was a powerful and uplifting moment of worship, and I hope it was the same for you.Many people today are facing mental health challenges, which some...  Read More

First Family,One of my favorite Christmas songs was originally sung by Bill Monroe in 1951 titled “Christmas Time’s A’Coming.”The lyrics go like this:Christmas time's a comin'Christmas time's a comin'Christmas time's a comin'And I know I'm goin' homeCan't you hear them bells ringin', ringin'?Joy, oh Lord, to hear them singin'When it's snowin', I'll be goin'Back to my country homeAt FBCA, we are bl...  Read More

First Family,This Sunday, we welcome the choir from Music Mission Kiev to join us in worship. This is a ministry that First Baptist has partnered with for nearly 15 years. Their mission is to “use sacred classics to proclaim the Gospel to the country of Ukraine and the world.” Below is a link to learn more about Music Mission Kiev:https://firstbaptistalexandria.subspla.sh/x9mcycvLike the mission o...  Read More

First Family,Through our Pray and Go initiative this week, we sent out 19 teams to pray for the salvation of hundreds of homes in our community. What a wonderful time we had! Thank you to those who were able to join us and I hope that you will consider joining us next month on October 1st as we continue. This is a strong start to our commitment to pray for the salvation of our community because we...  Read More

First Family,Sunday, we began a new sermon series titled "Back to School with the Proverbs." Throughout the series, we'll explore the wisdom found in the Proverbs and how it can assist us in becoming more like our Lord Jesus Christ. What sets this series apart is that each sermon is self-contained, allowing us to receive a unique and applicable message from God's word every week.Proverbs are a typ...  Read More

First Family,I hope you're having a wonderful week so far. I'm glad to be able to give you an update on the progress of our personnel committee. As we mentioned at our Quarterly Business Meetings, the committee has started the preliminary work to begin the search for our next Pastor of Worship. We've also started the process to find new leadership for our Student Ministry. We've taken a significan...  Read More

First Family,On Monday, the school district sent an email to inform us about the schedule for this year's back-to-school celebration. It's difficult to accept that summer is almost over, and I'm in denial that August will arrive next week. Although it has felt short, we have had a wonderfully productive summer together at First Baptist.This week I would like to ask you to be in prayer for FBCA con...  Read More

First Family,On Sunday, we have a chance to show our gratitude towards Eric (Pastor for Students) and his family. They have selflessly dedicated themselves to serving the Lord at FBCA for almost a year now, and we are truly grateful for their efforts. Even though Eric will be leaving us to answer the pastoral call of another church nearby, our partnership for the gospel will continue. This is Eric...  Read More

First Family,What a joy it was to gather and begin to prayerfully discern the Lord’s leadership of our church and our partnerships. I left our gathering encouraged, edified, and excited about the future. The great promise of Romans 8:28 continues to prove itself true “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God is...  Read More

Dear First Family,We’ve finally settled in!We would like to extend our warm invitation to you to join us for an Open House on Friday, July 14th, from 5-7 pm. This is a casual event where you can come and go as you please, and we can spend some time getting to know each other better. Our home holds a special place in our hearts, and we would be honored if you could join us.To help us plan according...  Read More

First Family,It was said of the early church in Acts 2:47,“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”We shared this passage of scripture together a few weeks ago as a testimony of God’s work amongst FBCA. I wanted to take a moment to celebrate and give thanks to God for the work that He is doing in the lives of people within our community. In the last 90 days, we ha...  Read More

First Family,There are times when it might seem like the better option to avoid confronting someone about an issue. However, turning a blind eye to problems can lead to more harm than good. Let me take a moment and share my personal feeling with you about the proposed amendment to the Southern Baptist Convention. As a lifelong member of the Southern Baptist Church, I am disheartened by the recent ...  Read More

First Family,What a joy it has been over the last few weeks to dialogue with you about our partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention. I am grateful for our capability to handle difficult conversations in a manner that honors Christ. Nowadays, finding such productive and prayerful dialogues is uncommon, but with the help of the Spirit, we have managed to achieve that. All to the Glory of God...  Read More

First Family,This season at our church has been full of celebrations for various milestones. We've recognized a 50-year membership anniversary, appreciated our children and youth volunteers, presented Bibles to first-graders, and we will be celebrating our high school graduates this coming Sunday.This Sunday, we are sending our students out into a new phase of life. As a church, we have invested i...  Read More

First Family,The Deaf community has been a focus of First Baptist Church's ministry for many years. We have always been blessed with the passion and support of a congregation to host this ministry, thanks to God's provision. Our church is located just 10 miles away from Gallaudet University, the foremost institution for Deaf education.Are you aware that the Deaf community is currently the most unr...  Read More

Thank God for Faithful Church MembersI received a list this week that spans six pages containing the names of individuals who have been members of First Baptist Church of Alexandria for over 50 years. It's inspiring to see that some of them have been a part of this community for over 80 years. These long-standing members serve as a great source of motivation and inspiration for all of us.It's not ...  Read More

First Family,The 5th commandment is to “Honor your Father and Mother, that you may live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving to you.” -Exodus 20:12This is a unique commandment in several ways. For one this is the only commandment with a promise. It is to your benefit to fulfill this commandment as it comes with a guaranteed promise from God. What also makes this commandment unique i...  Read More

First Family,Lately, there has been a growing discussion among our community regarding the security measures at FBCA. I want to take a moment to provide an update on the measures we're implementing to ensure our safety.Our church is taking steps to improve security by forming a Ministry Action Team (MAT). This team, made up of lay leaders, will review a third-party security audit that was complete...  Read More

First Family,As my family and I settled into our home in Northern Virginia, we gathered and prayed the following prayer in our living room together.I am sharing it with you as an invitation for you to gather with your loved ones and pray together in your home. When did you last pray as a family outside of mealtime?Would you consider praying this prayer together? Whether you have lived in your home...  Read More

First Family,Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time for every matter under heaven.A time to be born, and a time to die.A time to plant, and a time to uproot.A time to weep, and a time to laugh.A time to mourn, and a time to dance.Some of these experiences we welcome, such as laughing and dancing. While others we hope to never encounter, such as mourning. But this text reminds us that neither will...  Read More

First Family,Ephesians 3:20-21 states,Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.What an amazing time of worship we had together this past Sunday. The faithfulness and power of God was evident among us. Many families...  Read More