First Baptist Church
The First Baptist Church is located in
the small village of Wickford in North
Kingstown, Rhode Island. Wickford was
established during the late 1630s by Rhode
Island State’s founder Roger Williams.
Williams purchased land from Canonicus who
was the Native American chief of the
Narragansett Indians during 1565 to 1647.
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The First Baptist Church is comprised by a
religious community of Christians from all
across the Narragansett Bay in Newport. It
has over two hundred members who congregate
regularly on Sundays during one hour long
services.
These services usually include
Christian music, prayer and a short, but
insightful, sermon from the church pastor
who is an ordained American Baptist
minister. The First Baptist Church community
is made up of a diverse mix of members from
different age groups and backgrounds. |
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| The Church also has a number of ministries
which uphold their main purpose which is to
“advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ”. They
have a total of four ministries, which are
Worship, Christian Education, Fellowship and
Outreach.
The Ministry of worship’s
primary objective is to introduce more people to God, and to
inspire them with His powerful influence. Since the early
1900s, the First Baptist Church has been a venue for worship
and spiritual growth for the members of the community.
Worship includes a brief sermon based on a bible reading,
three hymns, prayers and music by the church’s in-house
choir. Every first Sunday, Communion is added to the
ministry of Worship’s customary program.
The ministry of Christian education spreads the word of God
to the community. The members of the ministry organize
Sunday school classes where children are taught about the
meaning and significance of the Bible. These classes,
interactive as they are, are the perfect venues for
Christian learning.
The ministry of Fellowship was established in order to
strengthen ties between members of the church. This
reinforcing of relationships is done through a series of
activities and events that are held all throughout the year.
These events include the Annual Wickford Art Festival,
regular church dinners, bible studies and choir rehearsals.
The ministry of Outreach aims to serve and support
missionaries and other people who do the Lord’s work. Over
the years, the First Baptist Church’s ministry of Outreach
has expanded to include devotees from all over the worlds.
The Church holds fundraising events to support missionaries
in Africa, Asia, Europe, Central America and South America.
The Church also gives a percentage of its funds to American
Baptist National Ministries. These ministries lend
leadership and administrative assistance to countless other
churches in the United States. The First Baptist’s Church
local ministry of Outreach is heavily involved in programs
for feeding the hungry and in those for people who require
special medical attention.
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