Questions about our worship service:
How long is the service?
Worship music begins at 10:45 Sunday morning. The preaching begins around 11:15, and the service usually ends around noon.
What is the preaching like?
Hopefully, our preaching is helpful in understanding God’s Word and not boring. FBCMB considers the ministry of biblical teaching to be of first importance. For this reason, we emphasize doctrinal and biblical teaching to a higher degree than many people are accustomed to. We believe this is reflected in our weekly worship services and other ministries.
Our commitment to expository preaching most clearly displays this conviction. The Bible is clear in its assertion that God uses His Word to save people and sanctify them in Christlikeness. Our preaching schedule usually follows this pattern: We will preach through an Old Testament book or complete unit of a larger Old Testament book, followed by a short doctrinal series (on a topic such as prayer, the Holy Spirit, the love of God, etc.), and then preach through a New Testament book.
How do I contribute financially?
Contributions can be given during our worship service and envelopes are found in the worship center pew racks for your convenience. We believe giving is a part of a believer’s commitment to the Lord and His church. Churches are able to provide ministry, service and blessings to others through the cheerful giving of members and guests.
What Bible translation do you use?
At FBCMB, we typically preach from the English Standard Version of the Bible. While no translation is perfect, we believe that the ESV provides an accurate translation from the best Hebrew and Greek manuscripts into clear and readable English. In the pew racks of our worship center, ESV Bibles are provided for use during the message, and those without a Bible or a Bible they feel is readable are welcome to take that pew Bible as our gift.
What styles of music are used during corporate worship?
We believe that worship through song is an important aspect of our corporate worship time, even commanded in Scripture. In Colossians 3:16, the Apostle Paul states that “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” is one way that the church obeys the command to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” We understand the musical portion of our worship service to be one way that we teach, shepherd, and encourage one another in God’s word.
Style, therefore, is a secondary issue for us. We have a more “contemporary” sound than some churches (but certainly less contemporary than others!) simply because that matches the musical gifts and abilities God has given our people. Our chief concern, however, is not sound or style, but the content of the songs. We desire every song to be Gospel-centered and biblically grounded so that it builds up our faith in Jesus. We make use of both the classic hymns of the faith and new songs being written in this generation.
Are children welcome during the corporate worship service?
Absolutely. While we provide age-appropriate alternatives to children through the sixth grade, we leave to parents the decision of where their children worship. If your child is not used to sitting and being quiet for a long time, church is a great place to do some of that training. It may be a good idea, though, to sit toward the back in case you need to slip out with them once or twice during the service.
How can I find out about upcoming events and worship times?
Check out our weekly schedule or our calendar of events. We also publish a printed calendar with announcements on our weekly order of worship on Sundays.
Questions about what we believe:
Do I need to be re-baptized in order to become a member if I have already been baptized in another church?
Our church requires that all who join have undergone believer’s baptism by immersion. For a more detailed explanation of our church’s belief about baptism, you can click here.
How would the church handle a case of scandal or immorality by a member?
We are not a community of judgment and condemnation. What all members of the Christian community share is the blessing of God’s grace and mercy. We do believe, however, that God’s grace leads us to grow in personal holiness. While we do not believe that any human being ever reaches a state of moral perfection in this life, we do believe that Christians should be marked by increasing Christlikeness.
That said, should one of our member be involved in continuous, unrepentant sin, we believe that the Lord calls us to confront that issue with a heart of love and an aim toward reconciliation. This process, known as church discipline, is outlined in Article I, Section 4 of our church bylaws, which may be found by clicking here.
Do you have a doctrinal statement that you take seriously?
Yes. You can read our Statement of Faith by clicking here.
How often do you observe the Lord’s Supper?
We usually observe the Lord’s Supper during our members’ meetings, which typically occur on the last Sunday of every other month.
May I participate in the Lord’s Supper?
We invite all believers of like faith and practice who are members in good standing of a local church to join us in taking communion. The Bible teaches that communion should be taken only by those with a personal faith in Christ, and that we should examined ourselves to see if there is any known sin in our lives or any division between us and any of our Christian brothers and sisters before we partake (1 Corinthians 11:17-34).
Do you believe the Bible contains errors or contradictions?
No. The Bible is completely true and trustworthy in all matters of faith and practice. Many so-called errors or contradictions can be explained or reconciled through study that takes into account issues of historical background, cultural factors, and the various genres of the different books that make up the Bible. In those few instances that seem irreconcilable with our human reasoning, we trust God’s Word over our limited minds.
What are the essentials of the Christian faith?
The essentials of the faith include: the sufficiency and inerrancy of Scripture; the triune nature of God; the humanity and divinity of Christ, His sinless life, substitutionary atoning death, and bodily resurrection; salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone; the unity and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believing community; and the return of Christ and final judgment of all humanity.
Do you believe in a literal hell and eternal punishment?
Yes. Hell is as real a place as heaven, and eternal punishment is as possible an outcome for men and women as eternal joy. This makes our mandate to share the good news of Jesus with all creation all the more urgent.
What must I do to be saved?
Click here to read our explanation of the good news of Jesus Christ.
Questions about our children’s and youth ministry:
Is there a youth group?
Yes. Our Pastor of Student Ministries, Rusty Fuller, teaches our youth each Sunday morning during the Sunday School hour and each Wednesday night. He also oversees our children’s ministry. You can learn more about the student ministry by clicking here.
What do you offer for children?
Our children have a wonderful Sunday School, Kids’ Church, and Wednesday night program. You can learn more about the children’s ministry by clicking here. Information about our nursery can be found here.
Who is teaching my children? Is it a paid staff or volunteers?
Our Pastor of Student ministries oversees our children’s program, which is primarily staffed by volunteers. Our children’s ministry workers all have two things in common: a love for Jesus and a love for kids. We take the responsibility and opportunity of teaching children about God very seriously. First, every adult who works with our kids goes through a criminal background check. Second, our children’s ministry attempts to raise the bar, believing that children really can understand the Bible and know Jesus. Kids in our Sunday School and Wednesday night programs are not just told cute Bible stories while doing a coloring sheet; instead, we use a curriculum designed to teach children the greatness and wonder of God seen through His Son Jesus Christ. You can learn more about our children’s ministry curriculum by clicking here.
General questions:
What’s First Baptist Church Mont Belvieu really like?
Words that describe the church we are and desire to be include authentic, biblical, spiritual, caring, committed, evangelical, reverent, relaxed, and theologically conservative. Some words that would not fit would be intolerant, theologically liberal, legalistic, inflexible, or fundamentalist.
What is the parking like?
There is plenty of parking available along with a number of visitor and handicap spaces available in the front.
Is there any coffee provided?
Yes. We provide coffee before and during Sunday School, and it is available in our kitchen. Ask the greeter when you first walk in to point you to our brew.
Can I meet the staff of the church before coming to a service?
Absolutely. If you would like to meet someone in particular please feel free to contact us and schedule a time to come in.
Does the church provide counseling?
Yes. Our pastor and staff will take the time to help you through whatever problems may arise in your life. All counseling is free and based upon the Bible. You can learn more about our counseling ministry by clicking here.
How much do you contribute to missions and the hungry?
FBCMB is committed to helping the poor and sharing the gospel. As a church, we have made a commitment that 10% of our receipts goes toward such efforts. These monies go toward serving the poor in our community, joining with other churches in local mission endeavors, supporting state and national church planting efforts, and providing for missionaries around the globe.
In addition to the regular 10% we contribute to such causes, our church has ongoing participation with our community food pantry and meeting other local needs. We also have special times throughout the year when we encourage financial support for missionaries. In the last three years, we have given an average of 18% of our incoming funds to missions, totaling more than $160,000. To God be the glory!
If I wanted to start reading some Christian material, what authors would you recommend?
Several recommendations are available at our online bookstall. For more titles, a fantastic list of recommended reading is available here. If you purchase any of these titles by clicking this link, FBCMB receives a percentage of the profit.
You haven’t answered my question. Who can I ask now?
Feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.