Weekly Church Newsletter | August 6, 2026

The First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg exists to help people experience God's gift of life in Jesus.

A Note from the Associate Pastor ...

Hello First Baptist Family,

It’s hard to believe that the return to school is upon us! We are praying for our children, youth, and educators to have a wonderful school year. We're praying for safety in hallways and on bus routes. We're praying for growth and genuine learning. We are praying for curiosity that gets fed and minds that get stretched. We're praying for good friends for our kids, our youth, and our educators. We're praying for patience for teachers in classrooms with lots of kids and lots of personalities, for students still learning how to sit still and listen, and for parents navigating new schedules, sports schedules, and school-night bedtimes. And in it all, we are praying that our children and youth would know they are loved by God and by this church family, no matter what the school year brings.

This Sunday: Blessing of the Backpacks & Promotion Sunday

This Sunday is a big one, and I hope you'll be here for all of it! We will be back in the sanctuary for worship. Children and youth are encouraged to bring their backpacks and Bibles. During worship, we will pause to bless them and the school year ahead, reminding them that wherever they go, they are loved by God and their church family. We will also present our rising 3-year-olds, rising Kindergartners, and rising 6th graders with their very own age-appropriate Bibles. If your child falls into one of these groups and you haven't RSVP'd with me yet, please do so as soon as possible so we can make sure a Bible is ready for them!

This year, we are adding something new between worship and Fellowship Lunch: Bible Signing! Children and youth are encouraged to bring their backpacks and Bibles. After the service, our whole congregation will be invited to sign the inside covers of their Bibles as a simple, but lasting reminder that they are surrounded by a church family who wants to walk alongside them in their study of Scripture. What a gift, for our children and youth to open their Bible years from now and see the names of the people who prayed them toward Christ.

We'll close out the morning with a fellowship lunch in Heritage Hall—so come hungry and stay awhile!

Note: There will be no 9:00 programming for children and youth this Sunday.

Looking Ahead: A New Season

With this Sunday marking a kickoff to a new school year, I'm excitedly looking forward to what's ahead this fall!

Starting on August 16, we have several new things happening during our Sunday Morning Bible Study hour at 9:00am! If you are not already plugged in at 9am, I hope you'll take the start of a new semester as your chance to plug in!

1) Our FirstYOUTH will have a brand-new Sunday morning Bible study space. They will meet in Room 14, just off the Heritage Hall hallway.

2) We will kick off a brand-new program for our preschool through 5^th graders: FirstKIDS at 9! It will be a fun-filled hour of choir, music, lesson, games, and more. They will meet in the Library and 207, upstairs.

3) For adults, we are also kicking off a new 12-week Sunday morning class: Basic Christian Beliefs. They will meet in Room 2. This class will be led by Dylan Priddy and is designed to be accessible for anyone (whether you’ve been around church a long time or you are new to faith). Together this group will look at the apostles’ creed to explore the core beliefs of our faith.

4) Our regular Sunday morning Bible Study classes will continue and always welcome you to join them! (Masters Class in the Conference Room, Sonshine Class in Room 10, Digging Deeper in Heritage Hall, and Special Needs in Room 9.)

5) If you are interested in helping us provide a nursery for birth-2 year old children at 9 a.m., so they can grow and learn, but also so their older siblings and parents can grow as well, please let me know. We have a few wonderful volunteers, but need a few more.

Additionally, in worship, we have some wonderful updates:

1) Our pray-ground will move with us back into the sanctuary, continuing to be a space for wonder and worship for our children.

2) Our preschoolers will continue worshiping with their families for the first half of the service, with the option to head to Preschool Worship at the offering.

3) Our K-2^nd graders will worship with us and their families for the first half of the service before having the option to head to Kids Worship at the offering on all Sundays except the first Sunday of the month. On first Sundays, as has been our tradition, all elementary-aged children will join us in worship for the whole service.

4) Our 3rd–5th graders will now worship with us for the whole service, every week! We are so excited that our older children will be woven into the full rhythm of our worship life together on a regular basis. There's something beautiful about a sanctuary full of every generation worshipping side-by-side. (From time to time, we'll offer something special in the pray-ground during the sermon for our older kids, so there's still space to wonder and worship.)

It is going to be a great year at First Baptist and I can't wait to see what God does among us, in every age and stage, as we grow together. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday, especially our kids and youth with backpacks and Bibles in hand!

Robin

Worship This Sunday

August 9, 2026 | 10:30 a.m.

Songs of Worship

How Firm A Foundation

Goodness of God

God Be The Glory

To God Be The Glory

Sermon

Sent to Proclaim

Romans 10:13-15

Ben Winder

Big Idea: God has sent us to proclaim the good news of Jesus!

Promotion Sunday & Blessing of the Backpacks

Our preschool & elementary school kids will join their parents in the Sanctuary this Sunday as we celebrate Blessing of the Backpacks and Promotion Sunday.

Kids remember to bring your backpacks and your Bibles!

Nursery

We offer a volunteer-staffed nursery for children 2 and under for any families who would like to utilize it during worship. Thanks to our Nursery volunteers this week Brenda Mills & Linda Zweifel.

Fellowship Lunch

Following worship join us in Heritage Hall for a meal together with the whole church family!

WATCH WORSHIP ON YOUTUBE

WATCH WORSHIP ON FACEBOOK

Opportunities Sundays at 9 a.m.

Sunday Morning Bible Studies

We offer several options for you to engage in Bible Study and community Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. We invite you to try one this Sunday!

Digging Deeper | Heritage Hall

A group of adults of all ages. They are currently studying of the Gospel of John.

Masters Class | Conference Room

A group of adults of all ages, utilizing the Formations curriculum to facilitate class discussion. Their August study is Priorities. This week's lesson is Neighbor focusing on Luke 12:13-21, 32-34 & James 5:1-6.

Sonshine Class | Room 10

A group composed primarily of retired adults, this class utilizes the Formations curriculum to facilitate class discussion. Their August study is Priorities. This week's lesson is Neighbor focusing on Luke 12:13-21, 32-34 & James 5:1-6.

Special Needs Class | Room 9

This group of adults with intellectual disabilities is part of our Special Needs Ministry. Their current series is Stories from Ezekiel. This week's lesson is Four Young Men in Training.

Note: FirstKIDS, FirstYOUTH, and Basic Christian Beliefs begin next Sunday, August 16.

10 a.m. Coffee & Pastries Fellowship in the Narthex

We invite you to join us this Sunday in the Narthex for coffee, juice, and other goodies along with fellowship with your church family before our worship service begins.

Blessing of the Backpacks & Promotion Sunday

Sunday, August 9

During worship THIS Sunday, August 9, we will have a time of blessing for ALL our students and educators as they prepare to enter the new school year. All students are encouraged to bring their backpacks with them to worship that day.

We will also celebrate Promotion Sunday during worship, when we recognize those who are making a transition from one age-level ministry to the next: our rising 3-year-olds, rising Kindergarteners, and rising 6th graders. They will each receive their new Bible for their new age group. (If you've not yet confirmed your participation, remember to contact Pastor Robin!)

We'll also invite all our kids and youth to bring their Bibles with them, as following worship they'll be an opportunity for them to receive words of blessing written in them from their church family before we all make our way down to Heritage Hall for a fellowship lunch. It is going to be a wonderful and meaningful day for our whole church family!

Fellowship Lunch THIS Sunday | Following Worship

Following worship this Sunday, August 9 make plans to join us in Heritage Hall for a good meal and fellowship around the tables with your church family.

This month's menu is:

Chicken Tenders

Macaroni & Cheese

Greek Salad

Fruit

Back-to-School Supply Drive

Again this year we are collecting school supplies to share with our neighborhood public school, Sawgrass Lake Elementary. In addition to regular general school supplies (pencils, folders, paper, notebooks, etc.), they've shared that the following are particularly helpful for their classrooms:

Wipes

Lysol Spray

Fine point and extra fine point Sharpies

Facial tissues (Kleenex)

Correction tape

If you prefer to make a financial contribution, you may do so by designating your gift for "school supplies".

Thanks so much to those who have already contributed!

If you bring your donations Sunday morning, bring them with you to the Sanctuary and you can add them to our collection during worship.

Sundays, 9 a.m. | Room 2 | Beginning August 16

What do Christians actually believe? And why? This 12-week Sunday morning Bible Study class is designed to be accessible for everyone, whether you grew up in the church or have never set foot in one before. But don't let the "basic" in the title fool you: we won't be staying in the kiddie pool.

Using the Apostles' Creed as our guide, we'll explore the core beliefs of the Christian faith, trace them back to their roots in Scripture, and see how they weave together to tell the larger Christian story. As Baptists, we don't formally hold to creeds, but the Apostles' Creed is one of the oldest expressions of Christian belief in existence, and creeds like it can still help us find the words to articulate what we believe and why it matters.

Come with your questions, your curiosity, and your willingness to explore Christian beliefs together.

Sundays, 9 a.m. | Library & 207

Beginning August 16 | PreK 3s - 5th Grade

Get ready for the best hour of the week! FirstKIDS at 9 is a new program for our preschool and elementary school children to sing loud, laugh hard, and explore God's Word together. Kids will bounce between the Library and Room 207 during this jam-packed time with choir, music, a Bible lesson, games, and lots of fun!

Discover First Baptist

Sunday, August 23 | Following Worship

If you are a new church member or curious about church membership, we invite you to join us for this free lunch at which you'll learn about First Baptist and be able to ask any questions you might have about our church. You can sign up at the link below.

LIFE Groups Sign Ups Open

We would love to see each member of our church family plugged in and connected to a LIFE Group, which are small groups who meet together for community and discipleship = doing life together. In a LIFE Group you can find support, encouragement, growth, and fellowship. These groups are formed by connecting people by interests, geography, or stage of life. We hope you will set aside time in the coming season to join others in a LIFE group. You can read more and sign up to be a part at the link below.

LEARN MORE & SIGN UP FOR A LIFE GROUP

Join Our Floor Waxing Crew

It is back-to-school time, and everyone loves the smell of freshly waxed floors! You can be part of our First Baptist floor waxing crew. There are several opportunities to volunteer to help us shine up our floors in the weeks ahead. We'll start each morning at 9 a.m. and work into the afternoon. You can come for all/part of the time all/part of the days. Some jobs are more arduous and others are lighter labor. Sign up at the link below for the dates that work for you, and we'll be in touch about your availability and assignments.

Meet Our New Members

To help you get to know your fellow church members, we want to share brief Q&As.

We hope you will get to follow up and connect more personally with them soon!

The Marquina Family
Sergio, Katie, Emilia, & Noah

Sergio & Katie joined our church on April 26 by statement.

Their children are Emilia and Noah.

Here's a little more about them ...

Tell us about your family ...

We are Sergio, Katie, Emilia, and Noah. Emilia is 4 and Noah is 2. Sergio and Katie were born at opposite ends of 1993. We live in Clearwater. Sergio is originally from Arequipa, Peru, and Katie is a lifelong Floridian from Tallahassee. We have one Irish-setter-poodle mix named Shasta.

What led you to First Baptist Church of St Petersburg?

We have been looking for a church community with whom we can seek after Jesus and live out our faith in all areas of life. We desire for our children to be discipled among a faithful and humble church body.

What is your favorite passage of scripture and your favorite hymn?

Sergio’s favorite verse is 1 Samuel 7:12, and his favorite hymn is "It Is Well." Katie’s favorite passage is Revelation 21:1-6, and her favorite hymn is "This Is My Father’s World."

Where do you work?

Sergio is a product designer with an engineering background, and Katie is a former adult ESOL teacher turned stay-at-home mom. Emilia is starting VPK this year, and Noah is still at home with Katie.

What are some of your hobbies and interests?

Sergio likes to surf, play soccer, and meet new people. He is also a Formula 1 fan. Katie likes to cook, write, study theology, and take long walks in nature. Emilia likes to draw, sing, and dress up, and Noah likes to do whatever sissy is doing.

What is a fun fact people may not know about you?

Katie and Sergio both spent two years in the Chicagoland area to get our Masters degrees. Emilia has been to 4 countries by age 4. Noah has been to 3 countries before age 2.

FirstKIDS & FirstYOUTH Volunteer Celebration

We had an awesome FirstKIDS and FirstYOUTH volunteer celebration (and training) last Sunday. We are so grateful for ALL our FirstKIDS and FirstYOUTH Volunteers!

Here's some of them ...