One of the six oldest congregations

in Fayette County, the Fayetteville First Baptist Church has continued

to grow through the years and has reached a membership of 1,500 people.

Growing churches must add to

their ministries and this one is no exception.

This past summer about 90 members,

from seventh grade through the senior adults, traveled to New York for

a week. Working with a church there that is, in a sense, a mission church

of Fayetteville First Baptist, the group held sports clinics, assisted

in construction, conducted Bible Schools and worked with locals in English

as a Second Language classes.

Twenty-five adults spent two

weeks in Ethiopia installing a water line from a mountain, about a mile

and a half away, into the village of Keyafer.

Church member Kevin Gober,

an engineer, had been contacted to carry out the project and he did so

with the help of his church members.

The church's Korean ministry

is an ongoing one with the Rev. John Kim in charge. It has grown from

six participants to about 60 who meet in the chapel.

Teaching English as a second

language also is an ongoing program and those interested can contact the

church for details.

The church is looking forward

to May of this year, when it expects to enter a worship/recreation facility

now under construction. Over 60,000 square feet will accommodate additional

Sunday School rooms and a choir rehearsal room, as well as serve for recreational

activities.

New programs include a ladies

exercise class three times a week, and an approved kindergarten added

to its preschool program for 4-year-olds and older.

The Mom's Day Out program is

from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and it accommodates infants

and older on these two days.

An appointment must be made

for the preschool and Mom's Day Out programs.

Ongoing programs include a

singles ministry, the senior adult exercise programs, and AWANA on Sunday

evenings, for youth in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Sunday services are at 8:25

a.m.,