Missions:

The church currently supports the following local missionaries:

316 Family and Youth Center in Amsterdam, NY

Life Savers Ministries in Gloversville, NY

Schenectady City Mission

Sacandaga Bible Conference

CRU family serving in NYC

Care Portal providing hands-on physical needs to local families in Amsterdam, NY

Gideon’s International – Three of our members are part of the Gideon’s International mission to distribute Bibles.

We also support the following international missionaries:

ABWE (Two families, one serving in Mexico, one in Peru)

Faith Baptist Mission family serving in a country in Africa

Mesa Global family serving in a country in Central Asia

Christar family serving in a country in a country in the Middle East

Additionally, we are part of the following associations, which have funds that support missionaries all over the world:

Hudson Baptist Association

NYS Baptist Convention

Southern Baptist Convention –

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering supporting International Missions

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering supporting North American Missions

Ministries

Grief Share Ministry:

A 13-week meeting to help those who are grieving Sessions are hosted at the church on Tuesdays at 6PM. Next session begins in April.

Pastoral Ministry:

The pastor is recognized as the spiritual under-shepherd of Christ’s local church. He teaches the Gospel (the Word of God), administers the Ordinances which are the Lord’s Supper and Believer’s Baptism by immersion, shepherds the membership, has in his charge the spiritual welfare of the congregation, and oversees the stated services of public worship.

Prayer Chain:

Church members and friends volunteer to be prayer warriors to pray for the needs of others. Prayer warriors spend time in intercession to help rally support for people near and far in their time of need. Many people are in need of charitable prayers and the First Baptist Church’s community of faith strives to comfort people through the power of prayer. As prayer requests are received they are shared by the prayer chain coordinator by phone and e-mail. A printed prayer list is also shared in Sunday worship bulletins and in addition to the needs of specific individuals, church members and friends are asked to prayer for the sick, abused, the unsaved, shut-ins, victims of natural and man-made disasters, missionaries, and all military personnel serving at home and oversees. Prayer requests may be shared with the prayer chain by calling or e-mailing the church coordinator at 518-843-3517 or fbccoordinator@albany.twcbc.com

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Prayer Line: If you are feeling overwhelmed and need some immediate prayer, call the BGEA Prayer Line 24/7 at 888-388-2683. This is a special 24 hour phone number that will connect you to someone from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The Bible in One Year:

Church members and friends are challenged to delve into God’s Word on a consistent basis every day throughout the year by following the suggested schedule of Scripture readings and devotions provided by “Our Daily Bread” disseminated by RBC Ministries.

Coffee Fellowship:

Church members, visitors, and friends are invited to join the Sunday coffee fellowship period following the worship service in the downstairs fellowship hall. Small pastries and coffee are provided.

Mondays for Men:

The Mondays for Men group meets on Mondays at 9AM to discuss a book of the Bible or occasionally a book about the Christian life. They also fellowship about their lives and spiritual walks.

Church Choir:

The First Baptist Church Choir invites church members who enjoy singing to join the group in its musical ministry. At the present time, the choir gathers for special occasions. Rehearsals are held at the church on Sundays at 12PM. There are no auditions and all church members at least 12 years old or in the seventh grade are encouraged to sing. Occasionally, the church choir shares a musical selection while the offering is being collected during the Sunday morning worship service and accompanies the congregation on other praise songs and hymns. For more information, please contact the choir director through the church office at 518-843-3517 or fbccoordinator@albany.twcbc.com.

Board of Deacons:

The Board of Deacons consists of at least three male church members each of whom fulfills the biblical qualifications of the Deacon’s office found in 1 Timothy 3: 8-13. The Deacons:

Visit the sick and needy and assist the Pastor in his pastoral work
Serve the elements of the Lord’s Supper
Assist in Believer’s Baptism by immersion
Take general supervision of the spiritual work of the church
Have charge of the distribution of benevolences
In conjunction with the Choir Director constitutes the church’s music committee and oversee the music ministry of the church in cooperation with the Pastor, organist and other church leaders

Seasonal Offerings:

Samaritan’s Purse:

The First Baptist Church annually participates in the Operation Christmas Child program giving shoe boxes filled with small gifts for needy children around the world as part of the outreach of Samaritan’s Purse. Samaritan’s Purse is a non-denominational evangelical Christian International Relief Organization.

Pregnancy Care Center:

The First Baptist Church annually conducts a Baby Bottle Collection of spare change from church members and friends during the four weeks proceeding Mother’s Day with the baby bottles being collected on Mother’s Day. The church currently supports the Life Savers Ministries in Gloversville, NY.

Harvest Food Collection:

The First Baptist Church annually conducts a collection of canned and non-perishable food items during the months of October and November to benefit a local food pantry. The food is dedicated during the Sunday worship service before Thanksgiving and then made available to individuals and families in need in time for Thanksgiving.