FAQs


How have things changed since the COVID-19 Pandemic?

After close to 15 months of Zoom-only worship (with a few outdoor/Zoom services in the fall and spring), we returned to the sanctuary in June 2021.  At this point, some meetings, events, and classes are being held online or via phone, while others are in person.  Worship continues to be offered via Zoom as well as in person.  We are not offering nursery care at this time.  This is a fluid situation, of course, but we are committed to maintaining an online option for worship and some other events going forward.  Click here for information on connecting for worship and other events via Zoom. 


What time is worship?

September-May:
Worship - 9:45 am
Church School – 11:00 am
College/Young Adult Fellowship – 11:00 am
Fellowship Time follows worship, 2nd Sunday

Summer Schedule:
Worship – 9:45 am
Fellowship following worship

Where is the church?
First Baptist is located in Campustown, just south of the ISU Memorial Union at the top of the hill on Lynn Avenue.  Our address is 200 Lynn Avenue, Ames, Iowa 50014.

When is the church office open?
During the school year, our office manager’s hours are:

Tuesdays-Thursday 9-1
Fridays 9-3


There are a bunch of doors.  Where is the main entrance?
On Sunday mornings, if you are walking or park on the side of the building, you can go in the front door, facing Lynn Ave., or the north door, by the ramp.  Both of these doors are at the back of the sanctuary.  The majority of the parking is in back of the church, and so most folks enter the “back door,” which is near the front of the sanctuary.  During the week, please use the door at the back of the building.

Is the church accessible?
Yes.  We have an ADA-compliant ramp at the northwest corner of the building that leads to the door at the back of the sanctuary.  We have an elevator from the sanctuary level to the fellowship hall.

What should I wear?
Some wear their “Sunday best” to worship, others come in something like business casual, and others will wear jeans, or shorts in the summer.  How you dress is not a big deal here – we are gathering for worship, not to make a fashion statement!    

Do you have a nursery for my children?
Yes!  Children are very important to us.  Our child care rooms are on the lower level.  Parents are given a silent pager for contact should they be needed.  All of our nursery attendants and children’s workers have undergone a background screening.  (Nursery not available at the moment due to COVID-19.)

During worship, there is a Children’s Time with a special message for our children.

What is worship like at First Baptist?
We are a church that values both heart and mind.  You don’t have to check your brain at the door, and we think worship should challenge us and makes us think as well as inspires us and touch our hearts.  We use a variety of music, including traditional hymns, world music, and contemporary songs.  We are accompanied by the organ and piano, but you will also hear flute and guitar and sometimes an ensemble of instruments ranging from saxophone to trombone to cello.  Our choir sings each Sunday during the school year.  We share in communion, or the Lord’s Supper, on the first Sunday of each month.  In our church, all are welcome to share in communion.

What about Sunday School?
Church School (Sunday School) classes begin the Sunday after Labor Day and continue through May (we take the summer off).  There are classes for all ages, from young children through adult.  Church School is held following worship at 11 am.

What kind of Baptists are you, anyway?
Given that there is a dizzying variety of Baptist groups, that is a good question!  Our church is affiliated with the
American Baptist Churches USA, and we are on the progressive end of the Baptist spectrum.  You may find our identity statement helpful.  

Do you rent parking places?
Located as we are right by the campus, a lot of folks are interested in parking around here.  We rent parking spaces by the semester.  Renters must vacate the space on Sunday mornings.  Blocks of spaces are rented to nearby Greek houses, but a limited number of individual parking places may be available.  Please check with the church office for more information.

I noticed this business on the south end of your building--what is CCJ?
The
Center for Creative Justice is a non-profit organization housed in our former parsonage.  First Baptist had a hand in starting CCJ back in 1974.  CCJ offers probation supervision and is “Dedicated to positive change in our communities...one life at a time."