New to FBC?

We would love for you to be our guest at First Baptist Sheffield.  We want to encourage you, challenge you to be more like Jesus Christ, and help you find a place to serve our great God.
We want you to feel as comfortable as possible should you come and visit with us.  Below is a list of common questions those unfamiliar with FBC usually ask.  If you're still unsure about anything, please feel free to call us at 256.383.7737 with your questions.

Questions…

When are your services?
On Sundays, we have two worship services throughout the day.  The morning service is at 10:45am and the evening service is at 6:30pm.
Also on Sundays, our small groups meet before the Sunday morning service at 9:15am.  We've found that joining a small group really helps one to grow, so find a small group that fits you and come participate!

Where are you located?
FBC is located at 301 N. Atlanta Ave. in downtown Sheffield.

You can use the map below to find us, or you can get directions.

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Where do I go the first time I visit FBC?
There are welcome stations in both the main foyer area of the Worship Center and the rear entrance, as well as in the Family Life Center entrance.  There will be people there who will be happy to help you find where you need to go.

Where should I park?
We have guest parking outside the main rear entrance of the Worship Center.

Where do I take my children and teenager on Sunday?
Our nursery and preschool areas are just inside the Family Life Center entrance.  Our children’s area is upstairs on the second floor along with our student area.  All you need to do is stop by our guest information area inside the door, and one of our incredible volunteers will help you find the right area for your child.

Will someone contact me if I come to church there?
If you are a guest at our church and fill out a guest registration card, then we feel obligated to contact you and let you know that we appreciated your visit and we would like to see if you have any questions that we could help you with.  Most of our contact times will be on Monday evenings.

What does it mean to be a “member” of FBC?
By becoming a member of a church this says that you have identified with that church and will support that church through your service and giving.  In Scripture we see where believers were identified with various churches – this meant they worked in and supported that church.  If you are a believer then you are already part of the Church which is the overall body of Christ made up of all believers.  However, it is essential for your personal growth as a believer that you join a local church.  It is also essential to the growth of the church as a whole that you give of yourself and your resources to a local body of believers.

How do I become a member of FBC?

Once you have discerned that God is leading you to join our fellowship, you will be given an opportunity to join our church at the end of each Sunday service.  After the pastor preaches he will ask you to respond by coming forward to express what God is leading you to do.  After you tell the pastor or one of the other ministers what God is leading you to do then they will introduce you to a person that we call an Encourager who will walk with you to a quiet room where they will talk to you about your decision.
There are basically four ways you can join FBC as a member:

-By becoming a Christian - 
Many people join our church this way when they come to understand their need for Jesus to be their Lord and Savior.  Through this process they have come to understand that they are sinful and Jesus loves them, wants to forgive them, and wants to change them into a new person.  Once they have believed on Christ for salvation then they must be baptized to become a member. (See: What is baptism and why or how does it apply to me?)

-By baptism - This could apply to several groups of people.  You may have been a believer for quite some time, but you have never been baptized.  Or you may be coming from a church that either sprinkled you as a child or taught that baptism was essential for salvation.  In any of these cases we ask that you be baptized either for the first time or again in some cases in order to become a member.

-By letter - Whenever you join a Southern Baptist church, we keep a record of your membership.  This record is called your “letter.”  So when you move your membership from one Southern Baptist church to another then you move or transfer your letter.  When you come to join FBC you will need to tell us what Southern Baptist church you are coming from and then we will contact that church and let them know that you have joined our fellowship.  After this they will then transfer your membership to us.

-By statement - You may not be coming from another Southern Baptist church but, if you have been saved and baptized and you are coming from another evangelical church that believes similar to FBC in doctrine and practices baptism in the same manner, then you will be accepted as a member upon your statement of salvation and baptism.  You will not be required to be baptized again.

What is baptism, and why or how does it apply to me?
Baptism is a command that the Lord Jesus gave to His followers.  In fact this was the first thing He did at the beginning of His ministry on Earth.  We require this because we believe the Bible is very clear about baptism being for all believers.  We see in Scripture where baptism is only for believers and not for children or infants who have yet to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Finally, we see baptism as being symbolic and not something that is essential for one's salvation. We do believe that if a believer has not been baptized then he or she will not experience God's full measure of blessings because they have yet to follow the very first command that Jesus gave us to follow.

Why does FBC baptize by  placing someone completely under the water (immersion)?
There are several reasons why we do this:
Every baptism in Scripture including Jesus' was by immersion.
It best symbolizes Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.
The Greek word for baptize means “to immerse or dip under water.”

If I am not a member can I still attend?
Most definitely…You can participate in many aspects of the body life of the church, but you will not be allowed to be in leadership or to participate in the church business sessions.  Incidentally, we have found that those who are not members are less likely to be fully involved in the church and tend to not grow as fast spiritually as those who become members.

From which translation of Scripture does the pastor preach?
Pastor James uses the New American Standard Bible (NASB).  However, he uses many other translations to study and prepare his messages.