Faith Family Fellowship gathers on Spanish Fort Boulevard in Spanish Fort, Alabama, the small city that runs along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. The church is built around a single conviction: God's Word sits at the center of every part of congregational life. That conviction shapes a Sunday ordered by prayer, verse-by-verse preaching, and small group study, a Wednesday that opens with a shared meal, and a children's and youth ministry that runs in step with parents. Beyond the sanctuary, the same campus hosts Faith Family Preschool, a weekday program open to the community, and a missions budget that reaches Baldwin County, Guatemala, and Thailand.
Two Confessions That Shape the Church
Faith Family Fellowship holds to two historic confessions of faith: the New Hampshire Confession of Faith and the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Pastor David Sullivan describes the two as doctrinal guardrails that, in an age of confusion, help the congregation "guard the good deposit entrusted to us" (2 Timothy 1:14) and "contend earnestly for the faith, once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).
The New Hampshire Confession walks through eighteen articles covering the Scriptures, the one true God, the fall of man, the way of salvation, justification, the freeness of salvation, regeneration, repentance and faith, God's purpose of grace, sanctification, the perseverance of the saints, the harmony of the law and the gospel, a gospel church, baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Christian Sabbath, civil government, the righteous and the wicked, and the world to come. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 lays out a parallel set of articles on the Scriptures, God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, man, salvation, God's purpose of grace, the church, baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Day, the Kingdom, last things, evangelism and missions, education, stewardship, cooperation, the Christian and the social order, peace and war, religious liberty, and the family.
Christian baptism, by the church's confession, is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is a prerequisite to church membership and to the Lord's Supper, which the church observes as a memorial of the death of Christ and an anticipation of His return. Marriage is defined as the union of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The office of pastor, elder, or overseer is reserved for men who meet the scriptural qualifications; both men and women are recognized as gifted for service in the wider life of the church. A New Testament church, the confession teaches, is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel.
A Sunday Built Around the Word
The Sunday rhythm at Faith Family Fellowship begins at 8:30 in the morning with a half hour of prayer led by Pastor David for the worship service, the church family, the community, and any other needs. Sunday School classes for every age meet from 9:15 to 10:15, and corporate worship begins at 10:30 in the sanctuary.
The worship service runs about 75 to 90 minutes. Everything in the service is designed to glorify God and edify the listener, and the leaders describe the elements plainly: the church prays, sings, and preaches the Word of God. Preaching is convictional and expositional, working through books of the Bible verse by verse so as to fulfill the 2 Timothy 4:2 command to "preach the Word." The church moves through whole books at a time and has worked through books such as the gospel of Matthew as a body.
Singing is described as vibrant and truth-centered. A small band and vocal team lead a blend of old and new songs that are God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, and theologically faithful. The leaders teach that the loudest instrument in the room should be the one unified voice of the congregation. After the service, Sunday School of a different sort resumes in the evening at 5:00. Men and women meet in separate adult groups, and youth and elementary children gather in their own classes, all studying the same book of the Bible. The body has spent time moving through books like James together across a semester.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Faith Family Fellowship builds its midweek around a shared meal. The Wednesday church dinner opens at 5:45 in the gym, giving families and singles a regular table to gather around before the teaching hour begins. Children's and youth discipleship starts at 6:30 in age-appropriate classrooms, and the adult Bible study begins at the same hour. The Wednesday children's program runs all year long and includes a special summer week on campus for elementary children, holiday events, and other family-focused learning times. The conviction that holds Wednesday together is the same one that holds Sunday together: Scripture at the center.
Children from Birth Through Fifth Grade
Faith Family's children's ministry exists to equip children, engage families, and edify the church, and it covers every age from birth through fifth grade. Every volunteer who works with children under the age of eighteen has gone through a background check process. The church publishes a child protection policy and asks prospective volunteers to read it and submit to the screening process before they serve.
The preschool area serves children from birth through kindergarten. Sunday School for two-year-olds through kindergarten uses the Answers in Genesis curriculum, a chronological study through God's Word that helps young children grasp the grand narrative of the Bible and how it all connects to Christ. A nursery is available during the Sunday School hour for children from birth through one year, so parents can attend an adult class. Preschoolers are also taught in age-appropriate ways during the Sunday evening and Wednesday evening services, with focused teaching from God's Word along with crafts and activities. A nursery is provided during those evening hours as well.
The elementary department covers children in first through fifth grades. Sunday School meets at 9:15 in grade-level classrooms that use the same Answers in Genesis chronological curriculum as the preschoolers. On Sunday evenings at 5:00 the elementary children gather for inductive study through the same book of the Bible the adults are working through, an arrangement the church describes as an opportunity for the whole family to be in the same text each semester. Wednesday nights at 6:30 the elementary children rotate through large group teaching, small group teaching by age, and recreation in the gymnasium. On the first Wednesday of each month the focus turns to worship, Bible skills, and Bible memory.
Youth Ministry Built for Parents
Faith Family's youth ministry begins with a stated conviction about parents. The leaders teach that the primary responsibility for shepherding and discipling children belongs to fathers and mothers, and they ground that conviction in Deuteronomy 6:6-7. The youth ministry exists to come alongside parents, not to replace the discipleship that happens at home.
The stated vision is to glorify Jesus Christ by making disciples of students and equipping parents to shepherd their children in the fear of the Lord, so that the gospel may be known in homes, in the church, and among the nations. The ministry pursues four marks of growth in students: they know Christ, they love God's Word, they love others in biblical community, and they live on mission in their homes, their church, and the world. Faithful Bible teaching, prayer, biblical community in small groups, and mission and service are the ordinary means the ministry relies on. The leaders emphasize that discipleship is a way of life rather than a program, formed over time through the Word of God in the context of the local church alongside faithful families.
The youth gather on Sunday evenings at 5:00 alongside the adults for shared small group Bible study, on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 for discipleship, and for special events like D-Now Weekend and Student Camp. Families register for camp and D-Now online through the church's forms.
Men, Women, and Senior Adults
Adults at Faith Family have several Sunday School classes to choose from at 9:15. Steve Strickland leads a young adult class, Wyatt McVay leads a large adult class with a range of ages, and Chuck Finnamore and Frank Person lead two senior adult classes. The greeters help newcomers find the class that fits. More adult classes are planned as the church grows.
The men's ministry aims to put men in relationship with God, His Word, and the good gift of one another through Bible study, service, and fellowship. The women's ministry, led by Brandy Pittard, equips women of every age to take seriously God, His Word, and the biblical vision of womanhood. Both groups meet on Sunday evenings at 5:00, gathering for Bible studies that have included works such as Don Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. The senior adults also meet quarterly for a fellowship lunch, either on campus or at a local restaurant, for food and a shared time in the Word.
Faith Family Preschool
Faith Family Preschool is a ministry of Faith Family Fellowship and is open to the public as a weekday program. It follows the Baldwin County Public Schools calendar and serves children ages two through four (as of September 2 of the current school year). Hours run from 7:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening, Monday through Friday. The preschool uses the Abeka curriculum, which combines phonics and math with hands-on activities and Christ-like role modeling, and the stated aim is excellence in character and academics through a Christ-centered educational program in a fun and safe environment. Director Ninfa Moore oversees the program and can be reached at ninfa@faithfamilyonline.com or 251-295-0731.
Service Saturdays and the Community Garden
Twice a month the adults of Faith Family gather for Service Saturdays. Mornings begin at 8:00 with breakfast and a short devotional, and then the group moves into service projects around the campus, in church members' homes, and in the community. The leaders frame the work by Galatians 6:10: "as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those of the household of faith." The church also hosts a community garden on its property, and volunteers gather several times a year to plant, weed, and maintain the beds alongside other campus projects.
Missions Near and Far
Missions is one of the central reasons Faith Family Fellowship exists. The church frames missions as the command of God for every Christian to proclaim the gospel and teach new believers the truths of the Bible, and it partners with four named ministries to do that locally, nationally, and globally. Hope for Tomorrow Children's Home meets the physical, educational, medical, psychological, nutritional, and spiritual needs of children in its care in a Christ-centered environment and points each child toward God's call on their life. Under His Wings provides a loving Christian home for teenage girls who have experienced trauma and helps connect them to who they are in the eyes of God. The Andersons serve in Chiang Mai, Thailand with Teach Beyond, an organization that engages the needs of the world through education. Prodisee Pantry is a faith-based nonprofit in Baldwin County that provides emergency food and disaster relief and has served families in hardship more than 210,000 times.
The congregation funds missions trips, including a trip to Guatemala to serve with the staff at Hope for Tomorrow, through church-wide yard sales, chili cook-offs, and church-wide fish fries in the gym.
Leadership and the BodyLife Path
Faith Family Fellowship is elder-led and pastor-taught. David Sullivan serves as Senior Pastor. Philip McDuffie serves as Discipleship Pastor. Stephen Pierce serves as Youth Pastor. Randall Pittard and Billy Miller serve alongside the pastors as elders. Lindsay Jones coordinates the preschool ministry, Brandy Pittard coordinates the women's ministry, and Daisy McVay coordinates the children's ministry. Ninfa Moore directs Faith Family Preschool.
Anyone interested in joining the church walks through a four-step process called BodyLife, led by Pastor David. The class meets on Sunday mornings at 9:15 four times a year and covers the gospel, what the church believes, what the local church is, and any final questions. Members-to-be write out a testimony of how they came to Faith Family, how they understand the gospel, and how they came to know Christ. They fill out a membership form, and the congregation votes to affirm new members after a Sunday morning service.
A Campus Built for the Whole Family
The Faith Family Fellowship campus sits at 7100 Spanish Fort Boulevard in Spanish Fort, Alabama. Visitor parking is on the east side of the property, with signs directing visitors in from the highway. Greeters meet visitors in the parking lot and walk families to the right classrooms. Dress runs the range from jeans to suits. Coffee is available before the service, and children's check-in opens early. The church livestreams the 10:30 Sunday worship service and keeps a sermon archive on YouTube and SermonAudio.
Faith Family Fellowship's life is structured to keep a serious commitment to the Bible from feeling cold. There is a meal on Wednesday night, a yard to back a community garden, a preschool that opens its doors Monday through Friday, a Bible class that meets on Sunday night so the whole family can talk about the same book the adults are reading, and a missions budget that sends people to Guatemala and Thailand. The Word sits at the center, and the rest of the church's life gathers around it.