Weekly Church Newsletter | September 10, 2026

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

Worship This Sunday

September 13, 2026 | 10:30 a.m.

Songs of Worship

Blessed Be the Name

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

He Leadeth Me (Sanctuary Choir)

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

Sermon

A Path Through the Sea

Exodus 14:19-31

Ben Winder

Big Idea: Our God makes a way where there is no way.

Preschool & Kids Worship

Kids age 3 and older begin the service in the Sanctuary with their families, where our Pray-ground offers a designated space in the front of the Sanctuary with quiet activities for children of all ages to help them engage during the service. At the offering younger children are invited to Preschool Worship (3 year old - Pre-K) or Kids Worship (K-2) where this week's lesson will be The Unforgiving Servant from Matthew 18:21-35. Thanks to this week's adult leaders Bev McKelvey & Claudia White in Preschool Worship and Vicki Kirby, Barb Rice, Jean & Troy Willingham in Kids Worship.

Nursery

We offer a volunteer-staffed nursery for children 2 and under for any families who would like to utilize it during worship. This week's lesson is Jesus the Good Shepherd. Thanks to our worship nursery volunteers this week Allysen Keenan & Joye Quire.

Opportunities Sundays at 9 a.m.

We offer several options for those of all ages to engage in Bible Study and community Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. We invite you to be a part of one these opportunities this Sunday!

FirstKIDS @ 9 | Room 206 (Library)

Kids preschool through 5th grade get ready for the best hour of the week! You are invited to join us for this jam-packed time with choir, music, a Bible lesson, games, and lots of fun! This week's lesson is Baby Moses from Exodus 2:1-10.

FirstYOUTH | Room 14

A time of Bible study and fellowship for our Middle & High School students. This week's lesson is God's Promise to Creation focusing on Genesis 6:5-9:17, learning God keeps promises.

Basic Christian Beliefs | Room 1

A 12-week study exploring what Christians actually believe and why.

This week's lesson is focusing on Passion.



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 September study is The Book of Colossians. This week's lesson is The Power of the Cross focusing on Colossians 2:4-19.

Sonshine Class | Room 10

A group composed primarily of retired adults, this class utilizes the Formations curriculum to facilitate class discussion. Their September study is The Book of Colossians. This week's lesson is The Power of the Cross focusing on Colossians 2:4-19.

Special Needs Class | Room 9

This group of adults with intellectual disabilities is part of our Special Needs Ministry.

This week's lesson is Mordecai Honored.

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Nursery @ 9 | Room 114

We offer a volunteer-staffed nursery for children 2 and under for any families who would like to utilize it during the 9 o'clock hour. This week's lesson is Jesus the Good Shepherd. Thanks to our 9 a.m. nursery volunteers this week Jenn Burger & Allyson Keenan.

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.

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.

Join Our Floor Waxing Crew

September 12 & 26

BIG THANKS to all those who have jumped in already to help us wax many of our floors. There's still a couple more opportunities in the weeks ahead, and YOU can be part of our First Baptist floor waxing crew. We'll start each morning at 9 a.m. and work into the afternoon. You can come for all/part of the time one/both 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.

Join the Sanctuary Choir

Rehearsals Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m.

Do you love to sing? Come join our choir! All voices and skill levels are welcome. We rehearse each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the choir suite.

Justice Ministry House Meetings

Various Times & Locations in September

Our church is part of Faith & Action for Strength Together, an interfaith partnership of congregations in Pinellas County working together for justice in our community. The process by which we do justice is by listening to discern what issues exist in our community, researching to find solutions, organizing our people power to get public officials to make commitments to implementing those solutions, and monitoring to ensure they follow through on their commitments.

The first step is the listening process. We accomplish this by having House Meetings. These once-per-year gatherings are opportunities to be invited into a sacred conversation in which you'll be invited to share what concerns you and those you love have about our community, and hear the same from others. These conversations help FAST determine what are the most pressing concerns we can work on in our community.

At these meetings you'll also learn more about our justice ministry, how it makes addressing such concerns possible and how you can join the work.

We are hosting several House Meetings throughout the month of September. The following times and locations have space available for you to join:

Thursday, September 10 - 5:30 p.m. - Doug & Lorraine Harrell’s Home

Sunday, September 13 - Following Worship - First Baptist Church

Thursday, September 17 - 10:30 a.m. - First Baptist Church

Monday, September 21 - 6:30 p.m. - Ben & Laura Beth Winder’s Home

Select the meeting date and location that works best for you and sign up at the link below.

135th Anniversary Celebration

Next Sunday, September 20

Next Sunday, September 20 we will celebrate First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg 135th birthday! We will have special elements included in worship, and we will share a fellowship lunch together following worship. Make sure you've marked your calendar and made plans to join us for this special day in the life of our church!

Monday Fun Day: BEE Safe with Cybersecurity

Monday, September 21 | 10:30 a.m.

Our Senior Adult Ministry's Monday Fun Day returns on Monday, September 21. This month's topic is "BEE Safe with Cybersecurity". Join us in Heritage Hall for helpful information, fellowship, and a delicious sandwich lunch. Bring your tech and questions. Please RSVP by September 16 at the link below.

Faith Community Nurses

Are you a registered nurse looking for a meaningful way to combine your faith and professional calling? Faith Community Nurses (FCN) support the health and spiritual well-being of their church family through education, advocacy, and compassionate care. Join an upcoming week-long residential training Foundations course in Tampa September 28-October 2. You will receive 36.5 CE hours upon course completion along with complimentary room and board. To learn more, contact Charlotte Bashay RN, FCN at 727.512.6282 to leave a message and receive more information.

The Week Ahead

Thursday

12-4 p.m. - Food Pantry

Friday

7 p.m. - Alcoholics Anonymous

Saturday

9 a.m. - Floor Waxing

Sunday

9 a.m. - FirstKIDS, FirstYOUTH, & Adult Bible Studies

9:50 a.m. - Blood Pressure Clinic

10 a.m. - Coffee & Pastries Fellowship

10:30 a.m. - Worship | Nursery

11:45 a.m. - FAST House Meeting

Monday

9 a.m. - Prayer Meeting

1 p.m. - Quilting Ministry

Tuesday

12-4 p.m. - Food Pantry

6:30 p.m. - Executive Leadership Team Meeting

Wednesday

6:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal

Thursday

10:30 a.m. - FAST House Meeting

12-4 p.m. - Food Pantry

Upcoming Events & Save-the-Date

September

10 - FAST House Meeting

12 - Floor Waxing

13 - Blood Pressure Clinic | FAST House Meeting

17 - FAST House Meeting

20 - First Baptist 135th Anniversary Celebration | Fellowship Lunch

21 - FAST House Meeting

26 - Floor Waxing

October

3 - Serve St Pete Day

4 - Fellowship Lunch

26 - FAST Annual Assembly (Holy Family Catholic Church | 7 p.m.)

November

1 - All Saints Remembrance

7 - Football Fellowship

15 - Discover First Baptist

22 - Fellowship Lunch | Advent Decorating Party

26-27 - Church Campus Closed (Thanksgiving Day Holiday)

29 - First Sunday of Advent - Hanging of the Green

December

6 - Fellowship Lunch

24 - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

25 - Church Campus Closed (Christmas Day Holiday)

Contact Us

First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg

1900 Gandy Blvd N

St. Petersburg, FL 33702

727.576.5508

fbc@fbcstpete.org