By Pastor Bob RhoadsWhen I was little, I used to be afraid of the dark.  I grew up with a night light and I think I still do in some ways today.  I have been deaf all of my life.  It was not that easy being in the dark when you can’t see and hear at all.  It was most challenging.  When I received Christ at the age 9, one of the first verses I learned was Hebrews 11:1 & 6:Now faith is confidence in...  Read More

By Pastor Kim EskridgeDear friends, as I write to you on this morning after Easter Sunday, my heart is full.In many ways to someone less familiar with our First Baptist family, yesterday may have looked like many other Easters over the years. The lovely, flowered cross stood tall outside as a testimony to the new life that we can have because of what Jesus did on the ugly, cruel cross of Golgotha....  Read More

Everyone knows the power and excitement of Easter, which is just ahead. Annually we seek to remind each person why we are so joyful, especially during the week leading up to Resurrection Sunday. This is called Maundy Thursday.   Read More

By Pastor Carolyn JenkinsDo any of you ever lay something down and you can’t remember where you put it?  My cell phone is the illusive item at our condo.  When I can’t find it, I stop and ask myself, “Where did you have it last?”  I retrace my steps and find where I left it.   Consider the similarity of this with two experiences from last week:A friend I haven’t seen in years wandered into the chu...  Read More

...Check back soon for our weekly journal from Pastor Reed Bernick......  Read More

By Pastor Bob RhoadsColossians 4:14 & 15 (NLT):Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.What ...  Read More

By Pastor Kim EskridgeFor the past couple of weeks in Sunday School and in our Weekday Childhood Ministry (WCM), our younger children have been learning about ways that we can worship God. Specifically, we have been talking about the positive examples of two of the Old Testament kings, Joash (2 Chronicles 24) and Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29). We have learned that people can worship God in many ways ...  Read More

By Roger McGee Since 1981, I have been referred to as the worship leader. But that doesn't mean I was really worshiping on every one of those 52 Sundays for the past 42 years or even prepared for the spiritual moments of Sunday worship. Sure, I had put together some good music for the service but personal preparation for worship? That's another matter altogether. These days I'm reminded that worship isn't about me; it's about God.  Read More

By Pastor Carolyn JenkinsOn our Sunday afternoon walk, we were bundled up head to toe against the cold wind blowing off the Potomac.  We trudged on clear trails, gratefully, as I noticed everything was brown.  Winter brown.  Chunks of frozen water were evident as we watched ducks looking for a meal in the murky waters.  And I thought, “Oh we need a little Christmas!  Right this very minute.  Candl...  Read More

By Jesse McCain, Interim Pastor for MissionsHey FBCA family,I’m sure some of you are familiar with me. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m still a new face to many of you. I started serving FBCA as the Missions Associate just before everything became “locked down” back in 2020. I wasn’t anticipating a pandemic as the context of my first church out of grad school. Serving with Wayne in Missions...  Read More

By Pastor Reed BernickI’m not good at small talk. Maybe you can sympathize. To a fault, I want my conversations to matter. I want to grapple with difficult and controversial subjects, to seek clarity about something that’s too often left unsaid, or best of all, to feel like I’ve gained fresh insight on a topic or another person. The weather just doesn’t do it for me.And that certainly informs the ...  Read More

Take a moment to think back to your teenage years. If you remember, it was probably filled with changes galore. From growing responsibilities (hello driver’s license!) to discovering new interests and passions, to friendships that were formed and growing a couple of inches taller. There were moments of laughter, tears, growth, learning boundaries, fun, and everything in between! It’s fair to say t...  Read More

This week’s Pastors’ Blog is by Wayne Jenkins, formerly Pastor for Discipleship and Missions. Currently on special assignment as Interim Senior Pastor.Last night in the National Championship football game, a controversial call by the officials fired up University of Georgia players, coaches, and fans. Rather than being discouraged, they determined to roar forward to victory. And they did. The quar...  Read More

In less than a week now the journey that began 48 years ago will officially come to an end. I will be retired—still with the call of God upon my life, a minister, but now without portfolio. I am concluding my work with First Baptist Church of Alexandria and also finishing up a career where I have only done one thing for my entire professional life. It will be uncharted territory for me.I am amazed...  Read More

2021 Year in Review"Just as a whole world of beauty can be discovered in one flower, so the great grace of God can be tasted in one moment.” - Henri NouwenA SUMMARYThis was my 48th year of ministry, my 16th year in Alexandria and, as it turns out, my final months at First Baptist Church. There were no big trips this time, as health issues and the lingering pandemic kept us all close to home. We so...  Read More

16 Years in the Life"I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday, and I love today."--William Allen WhiteTWITTERIt is hard to capture all of the wonderful experiences that I have had across these years at First Baptist, Alexandria. Except to say that I have had the time of my life and have never had more fun and fulfillment in ministry.I love all aspects of a pastor's life, all the thin...  Read More

I am not the only staff member who is retiring from First Baptist, Alexandria. Archie Doering, our facilities manager for a total of 29 years, is leaving shortly after I do, and moving to California. He and Judy have been a powerful presence here for nearly three decades and their absence will be keenly and immediately felt.Archie has been the indispensable staff member and team player. I cannot i...  Read More

The pastor was having his final pre-marital counseling session and rehearsal with a couple. The groom was especially shy and nervous about the ceremony the next day. When the pastor pointed out the moment in the service when he was to kiss the bride, the young man declined. "Preacher, if you don't mind, let's just keep it simple."The wedding hour arrived. With the swelling music, the fragrance of ...  Read More

Lots of emotions are competing in my heart during these final days at First Baptist. Sadness, of course—but also anticipation of the new life that will be beginning for us, as well as for you. There’s nervousness about the uncertainty of the future (what new ministry will I find to fulfill my ongoing call?) –but it is balanced by a quiet trust that God has a plan that is going to amaze us when we ...  Read More

The visit by a group of friends from my Henderson, NC pastorate over the weekend was such a delight and encouragement. We spent lots of time Saturday night reminiscing and laughing over old times that were not forgotten. Then on Sunday morning the 4 couples came to church in their rented van to worship with us and to hear me preach. One of them, Danny, had been on the pulpit committee that called ...  Read More

There are two church offices mentioned in the New Testament. Today there are many professional roles and volunteer positions in the typical church, but only these two are specified in scripture. Pastors (or Elders), and Deacons.I have spent my entire adult life ministering in one group—and working hand in hand with those in the other.Last night I talked to several people who have been nominated fo...  Read More

Alec Baldwin was on the set of his new movie, Rust, and was practicing drawing the pistol to be used in an upcoming scene. He assumed that it was unloaded—or loaded with mere blanks—but he was wrong. The gun discharged, and fired a live projectile, wounding one of the crew and killing the cinematographer, Helyna Hutchins. There is an ongoing investigation, but certainly this is a tragedy almost be...  Read More

My heart is still full after the wonderful day we had on Sunday! Dedication Day was all I had hoped for-- and so much more. Thank you, Roger, for putting together a service that was such a blessing.I really hadn't anticipated the emotions I felt seeing the platform filled with children, teenagers, and adults, singing their praises to God. But tears filled my eyes more than once. Bill Kilmer outdid...  Read More

I am a huge Tony Bennett fan. The last of the original interpreters of the "great American Songbook,” he is, at 95, a national treasure. He has been making music and entertaining audiences for seven decades by now. Sinatra once called him the best singer that he knew.So, I was interested in the 60 Minutes segment with Anderson Cooper last Sunday night. It was about his Alzheimer's disease and his ...  Read More