Brainerd Presbyterian Church stands on Jenkins Road in East Brainerd, Chattanooga, where an English-speaking congregation gathers alongside the multinational, Spanish-language Los Redimidos ministry. It is known for combining Sunday worship and age-specific learning with service that reaches hospice care, a nearby elementary school, student ministries, and community organizations. The church describes itself as Presbyterian, Reformed, Evangelical, and Missional within the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Sunday School at Ten, Worship at Eleven
Sunday morning begins at 10 a.m. with Sunday school. Adults and youth have separate offerings, while children meet in classes organized by age. Classes run until 10:45 a.m. before the main worship service at 11 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Holy Communion is observed on the first Sunday of each month.
The 11 a.m. service is carried live through the church's Facebook livestream, allowing the Sunday worship to be followed by people who cannot attend in person. The in-person service remains centered on the Sanctuary and follows the church's regular sequence of Sunday school at 10 and worship at 11.
An offering is taken during each Sunday worship service. Contributions can be made through online giving or by mail, with checks payable to Brainerd Presbyterian Church EPC.
Finding the Church on Jenkins Road
The church is around the corner from Heritage Park. Traveling east on East Brainerd Road, a driver turns left onto Jenkins Road at the traffic light near Food City, Brusters, and Waffle House. The road bends in an s-curve, and the church is on the right as the curve straightens. Parking is available in front of and beside the church, with another side-parking approach from Bermerwood Drive.
Los Redimidos: Spanish Worship and Multinational Fellowship
Los Redimidos is a group of believers from multiple nations, focused on growing and learning about God's love for each person. It belongs to Iglesia Presbiteriana de Brainerd, or IPB, a larger group in which most people speak English. IPB is part of Iglesia Presbiteriana Evangélica, the EPC.
Sunday school begins at 10 a.m., and Los Redimidos worship runs from 11 a.m. to noon. The ministry describes this gathering as time to learn more about God, pray, sing, give thanks, and worship Jesus Christ. Its Wednesday gathering runs from 7 to 8:15 p.m. for Bible study and fellowship. Ademar Vazquez and Aner Navarro serve as directors of the ministry.
Los Redimidos also gives visitors a direct expression of its Christian welcome: God loves each person, and his love for that person and the person's family is infinite.
Children Check In at the Children's Wing
Children's Sunday school is offered for all ages. Families enter through the front doors and turn right for child check-in, with all classes gathered in the Children's Wing. Each class includes a Bible story video, lessons, and age-level activity sheets. The classrooms are sanitized, and background checks have been completed for all teachers and volunteers. Nursery and toddler care are also available. The ministry's guiding conviction is that children are a gift from God.
Teresa Byers leads Babies and Toddler Ministry, Beth Soulje leads Children's Ministry, and Richard Wald serves in youth ministry. Young people also have a Sunday school offering alongside the adult and children's classes.
Wednesday Study and Choir Rehearsal
Wednesday evenings include Adult Bible Study at 6 p.m. in the Library. It is open to all. Choir rehearsal follows at 7:15 p.m. in the Choir Room under Roy Treiyer, Director of Music Ministry. Los Redimidos meets from 7 to 8:15 p.m. for Bible study and fellowship, creating a separate Spanish-language evening gathering.
Women Gather Monthly and Throughout the Year
Women's Ministry meets on the first Wednesday of each month and is open to all women of the church. Its year-round life includes a retreat, Cookies for College Kids, Shut-In Bags at Christmas, and a chili supper fundraiser. Members also gather for crafting Saturdays, outings to local attractions, and visits with shut-ins. These activities place fellowship, encouragement, support, and service within the life of the church.
Lap Robes, Snack Packs, and Student Support
Community outreach brings church members into practical relationships with local schools, ministries, and organizations:
- Chain Gang for Hospice Lap Robes meets from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays.
- Channels of Love is another local outreach relationship.
- Volunteers in Medicine provides a setting for volunteer service connected with health care.
- East Brainerd Elementary receives snack packs along with cleaning and clothing donations.
- Young Life at East Hamilton Middle and High School is supported by the church.
- UTC Cru is another ministry supported by Brainerd Presbyterian Church.
The work includes making lap robes, supplying snack packs, collecting donations, and supporting ministries that serve students. Brainerd Pres frames this outward service with Proverbs 11:25: “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
A Family Equipped to Share Christ's Love
Brainerd Pres states its mission as becoming a family of believers who engage the community by sharing Christ's love. The mission gives four practical emphases:
- God's gifts: Fully utilize what the Lord has provided for his glory.
- Community engagement: Offer biblically centered worship and events.
- Family care: Love, support, encourage, and strengthen all.
- Mission: Equip the congregation to bring others to know Christ Jesus.
As part of the EPC, the church shares a wider aim to embody and proclaim Jesus' love as a global movement of congregations engaged together in God's mission through transformation, multiplication, and effective biblical leadership. That identity shapes both the congregation's life as a family and its outward work in East Brainerd.
Brainerd Presbyterian Church carries out the Great Commission through worship, formation, fellowship, and service. Its Presbyterian and Reformed identity is joined to an evangelical and missional purpose that places Scripture, Christ, community engagement, and the spread of Christian faith at the center of congregational life.
Office Hours on Jenkins Road
The church office at 1624 Jenkins Road is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. Its telephone number is 423-899-2424.
From its 10 a.m. classes and 11 a.m. Sanctuary worship to Wednesday fellowship, Tuesday lap-robe work, school donations, and multilingual ministry, Brainerd Presbyterian Church makes its mission part of ordinary congregational life. The church is centered on sharing Christ's love through worship, community engagement, mutual support, biblical leadership, and service.