Our Mission

  • To worship and praise God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for creating, redeeming and sustaining us, using the gifts with which the Spirit has blessed our fellowship and each member
  • To learn from God's Word in order to grow in our faith and to be equipped for obedient, daily service

  • To be a household of God for all who wish to be a part of our church family, sharing our Christian experience in joy and in sorrow and supporting and caring for each other
  • To enable our members to witness and serve in our neighborhood and in a needy world, demonstrating in our congregational and personal ministry that the church of Jesus includes people of every race and nation

Our Ministry and Programs

First Church has a strong tradition of quality programs for both adults and children. Our ministry and programs are designed to provide opportunities for spiritual growth, education, fellowship, support, praise, worship, Bible study, fun and service, supporting our mission of Praising, Caring, Growing, Serving.
  • Praising - A high level of congregational participation in worship planning and worship services marks our church. Our flexible worship services blend both traditional and contemporary worship styles meeting a variety of needs and tastes.
  • Growing - Various programs at First Church offer an opportunity for spiritual growth and fellowship
  • Caring - Our members demonstrate a commitment to caring for one another, which is apparent in informal fellowship, in inclusiveness, and in our friendly and welcoming spirit. Members give freely of their time in caring programs.
  • Serving - Community outreach and evangelism are an ongoing and overarching goal for our congregation. We have a long-standing fellowship with neighboring Messiah Baptist Church, which is regularly expressed in group worship services and witness to the community. First Church is also active ecumenically, participating regularly in activities of the Grand Rapids Area center for Ecumenism (GRACE), such as the Hunger Walk and National Day of Prayer