A joyous and empowering service each Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

Here's what to expect

Our main worship service on Sundays is what some people call "traditional" in form, though even thatin itself can be a somewhat misleading term.

The service includes prayers, scripture reading, litanies read in unison, music by one or more of our six choirs, hymns and doxologies sung by the congregation, and a thoughtful, deeply felt, biblically inspired sermon, normally delivered by our pastor, the Rev. Lawrence A. Davies. About a third of the way into the service, visitors are welcomed and invited (if they wish) to introduce themselves to the rest of the congregation.

The service begins at 11:00 a.m and generally lasts until 12:30 or 1:00. Communion at the Lord's table is served after the sermon on the first Sunday of each month. It's open to anyone who wishes to unite their life with God's grace.

Prior to the communion service, any new incoming members are invited to the front of the sanctuary and given "the right hand of fellowship." When there is to be baptizing, it usually follows the main service on the fourth Sunday of the month.

Prior to the worship service, beginning about 10:45 a.m., there's an informal devotional service, usually led by two members of the congregation. This includes opportunities for informal singing, sharing, prayer, or whatever the Spirit lays on one of our hearts.

We worship down by the riverside on the historic "old site" on which Baptists in Fredericksburg have gathered since the early 1800s.

It's a place in which we -- and generations before us -- have chosen to "lay our burdens down" and "study war no more." It's a place in which we -- and generations before us -- have connected our lives with the anointed one who was raised from the dead, Jesus the Christ, who calls us all to be fruitful branches on God's enduring vine. In that sense, it's a holy place, an honored place, a place in which it's easy to rejoice, and a place in which it's easy to be empowered.

Our historic, renovated sanctuary was originally constructed in 1890, replacing an earlier building that had succumbed to floods and weather.

Most of our services use piano for musical accompaniment. Our pipe organ, first installed in the 1920s and rebuilt in 2005, provides added musical accompaniment on the first and second Sundays of each month. Occasionally other instruments are used as well.

Our choirs sing in a variety of styles, including gospels, spirituals, traditional hymns, and more contemporary compositions. The schedule sometimes varies, but typically our Senior Choir sings on the first and second Sundays of each month, our Men's Chorus sings on first Sundays, our Boyd's Volunteer Chorus sings on second and fourth Sundays, our Gospel Choir and Intermediate Choir (composed of youth) sing on third Sundays, and our L.A. Davies Chorale sings on fifth Sundays.

Although our sanctuary is located on the second floor of the building, there's an elevator available for your use. Ushers are available to seat you, answer questions, or meet special needs. Rest rooms can be found on the second floor near the elevator, adjoining the sanctuary, as well as in other locations.

You'll find three steps at the main outside entrance to our building, but a little to the left of the main entrance, you'll find a glass door that opens directly into the building, with no steps required. So access is easy regardless of your mobility. The sanctuary includes pews on the main floor (with space for wheelchairs) and individual chairs in the balcony. (There is no elevator access to the balcony.)

We normally pass free-will offering plates twice each Sunday for those who would like to contribute. The first offering is for the general expenses of the church, and the second is for the work of our "home missions" ministry that provides assistance to people in both the church and the larger community who have a variety of pressing needs.