GENERAL INFORMATION 

Welcome to our website!  We are a community of believers who love God and His word, and are eager to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) in the east bay area of California. Our church believes and preaches the gospel of the free and sovereign grace of God in the salvation of sinners.  We are a Baptist Church (learn what that means in our Constitutin and statement of faith), We seek to worship God and give Him glory in worshiping Him through the means of grace which He instituted (preaching, prayer, observing the holy ordinances/sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Table, singing (orthodox songs), and doing the good works we were created to do in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:10).

We invite you to spend some time getting to know us, browsing this website or even dropping in for a visit during the week or during on the Lord's Day. We hope that you'll come away from this site encouraged to join us for worship. If you have any questions at all, we'd love to answer them. Below, you will find some brief information that will let you know what to expect on a typical Lord's Day - 

What is the meaning of your name?

 

We are called First Family Church because Scripture uses familial language to describe the people of God (1 Cor 1:2, Gal 1:2, 1 Thess 1:4, Rev 21:9) and because we are a Baptist church.  A church isn't really a building, but the church often meets in a building! A church is simply a group of people who are Christians and who agree to worship God together in a covenant bond.  It is a family that is made up of other families even. Baptists believe in baptism after a person makes a profession of faith in Jesus, after being transformed (given spiritual life) by God. Baptists also believe in religious freedom and the autonomy of the local church (meaning we are self governed within Scriptural guidelines and Christ is the head of the church). There are hundreds of Baptist denominations as well as many independent Baptist churches. Having recently parted ways with the Southern Baptist Convenction of churches, we are looking to associate with like minded Baptist congregations in the near future. 

What are the services like?

 

The morning service is rather simple. We begin with a call to worship (public reading of Scripture), followed by a couple of songs, and then the pastoral prayer. After that, we share a few announcements.

 

We then sing together some more (we sing both traditional hymns in contemporary arrangements, and newer, Biblically sound worship songs), pray over and take the offering (financial giving to ministry is part of worship), hear the Word of God (the Bible) preached, and then pray, and sing together one more time. The whole service lasts 1.75 hours and the preaching of God's Word is given priority - taking the bulk of the time.

 

Our music is theologically sound, and properly speaking - the whole church is "the band." The sermons are exegetical (they draw the meaning out of the text rather than read our own opinions into the text)  and expository (they explain portions of the Bible) and apply those truths to our lives.

 

The afternoon service begins with an attention to the prayer needs of the church, followed by preaching/teaching and a time for some questions at the end. 

What do you do on Sundays?

 

Our Lord's Day service begins at 9 AM with Sunday school classes which last until 10:15 AM. All are welcome and encouraged to take part in a Sunday school class (some classes have age segregation but children are welcome to stay with their parents for Sunday school always). At 10:30 AM we all gather together for corporate worship and the service ends around noon. Then we come back together in the afternoon at 2:00pm for more time of worship together (see above under "what our services are like for more info).  


On the first Sunday of the month, we observe the Lord's Table (take communion) together to commemorate our Lord's death and be reminded through this ordinance of the covenant promises that God is faithful in.  We also have a potluck between the morning and afternoon service

 

 

How long has the church been around?

 

Since September 2000

What do you offer kids?


We love kids at First Family! They are welcome and encouraged to sit through the Sunday service with you. During the service, there is a "mother baby room" upstairs in the main building that has a live feed for nursing mothers and babies that need a diaper change. The nursery (ages 0-2) is also open during worship service and has a live feed of the worship as well. There is a Sunday school hour available for everyone, and then also age specific groups (children's Sunday school). Again, we are happy to have children of ALL ages in the worship service. They don't distract us and we praise God for every little one. Therefore we encourage them to participate in corporate worship with their families. All our childcare workers have been screened through a background check. Follow the links for more information about student and children ministries


What do I need to wear?


We have no dress code at First Family. We have men who wear coats and ties and woman who wear dresses, and also people who come in jeans. (shorts in those hot summer months - which is basically 9 months of the year here in CA) and t-shirts. Wear whatever you feel is appropriate.