A Baptist Family on North 19th Street
First Baptist Church sits at 1808 N. 19th Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The congregation describes itself as a multi-ethnic and multi-generational body, and the building is home to a steady stream of ministries that run from Sunday mornings through midweek: choirs and praise bands, small groups, youth rooms, women's Bible studies, men's gatherings, and seasonal retreats.
The church's mission is "to so exalt Jesus Christ and to equip believers to express their faith, so that His kingdom extends throughout the Lehigh Valley and around the world." Its vision comes in three short lines: "Glorifying God by Loving you as you are; Joining you in the journey; Celebrating where He is taking us." As the pastor says, "There are no perfect people allowed at FBCAtown, because there aren't any!"
Sunday Morning Rhythm
Sunday worship follows a two-part rhythm that begins at 8:45 a.m. with L.I.F.E. Groups (Living In Faith Everyday) for all ages, and continues at 10:00 a.m. with a roughly sixty-minute worship service. L.I.F.E. Groups function as the church's Sunday school hour, with classes meeting throughout the building for every generation.
Worship is described by the church as a blend of contemporary songs and reverential hymns. Lyrics are projected on screens, and music is led either by the choir or the praise band. After the music, one of the pastors comes forward to preach. The sermons are "entirely biblically based and God centered, with relevant application for our lives." The overall tone is warm, casual, and relaxed. The church tells first-time visitors, "Come as you are and expect to feel welcome."
Dress is similarly easy. "We're not so much concerned about your clothes as we are about your heart," the church explains, adding that "while our services are casual in nature, there is nothing casual about the wonderful God that we serve." Worship also streams live on YouTube and Facebook for those unable to attend in person.
Kingdom Kids and Family Life
Children are a priority at First Baptist. The children's ministry, called Kingdom Kids, runs each Sunday morning alongside the L.I.F.E. Group hour for ages infant through Grade 5, with nursery and toddler care available throughout. From 8:45 to 9:45 a.m., kids ages four through fifth grade gather in their own L.I.F.E. Groups for age-appropriate Bible learning. School-age children rejoin their families in the worship service at 10:00, then head out to Kids Church (for 1st through 5th graders) before the sermon begins. Infants and toddlers are welcome to stay in nursery care through the entire morning.
Throughout the year, Kingdom Kids families enjoy a steady calendar of events: family movie nights, a Christmas PJ party, a glow night, a Homestead Hangout, a New Year's Eve celebration, a backpack drive for a local neighborhood center, a volunteer appreciation picnic, and Vacation Bible School for a week in late June. Lindsay Olang fields questions about children's ministry.
Students in Middle and High School
Students in grades 6 through 12 have their own busy corner of the church under the leadership of Chad Strausbaugh. Sunday mornings start in the Youth Room at 8:45 with light refreshments, announcements, and fellowship, before breaking into middle school and high school Bible study groups until 9:45, when students join the 10:00 worship service.
Wednesday nights bring another full gathering from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., with active games in the gymnasium, announcements, music, a Bible lesson, small groups, and snacks. Sunday evenings add a shorter seasonal study from 6:00 to 7:30, often working through a video series, taking prayer requests, and gathering around the table for snacks and family-style games.
Annually, the student ministry stretches well beyond the building. Winter weekends include a youth retreat and Winter Jam in Reading. Spring brings laser tag, a work retreat at Pinebrook, and a semiannual cornhole tournament that helps fund summer mission trips. Summer includes Day at the Lake, a partnership with Blue Mountain Fish and Game Preserve for a fishing day serving families affected by special needs, week-long mission trips in June and July, Vacation Bible School service days, pool parties, tubing down the Lehigh, and a three-day retreat. Fall brings Hope Fest in Souderton, Trunk or Treat, the youth Fall Fest at High Point Camp, a Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas party with a White Elephant exchange, and a New Year's Eve Eve party each December 30.
Young Adults and the Weekly Calendar
Young adults gather twice a month for a Monday-evening Bible study at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays. Periodic "Fun and Fellowship Sundays" add outings such as snow tubing, cornhole, ping pong, and bowling.
The weekly calendar fills quickly for adults. Mondays and Tuesdays both feature Women's Spiritual Encouragement from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the Disciple's classroom: Mondays center on a scriptural study led by Mary Seyfried, while Tuesdays pair a meet-and-greet with a DVD study led by Judy Kutzler. A second women's encouragement meeting also runs Monday evenings from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Change on Main in Northampton.
Wednesday evenings divide into several tracks. A men's group led by Pastor Chuck meets on the first and third Wednesdays at 6:30 for conversation, encouragement, and friendship. A women's study, led by Michele Brands and Amy Reed, runs every other Wednesday through Song of Solomon with a Lisa Harper video series. A book club working through Jen Wilkin's "Dust to Dust" meets weekly on Wednesdays at 6:30 under Pat McNamara.
Thursday mornings bring two parallel studies: a men's Bible study at 10:30 led by Pastor Chuck, walking verse by verse through Scripture, and a women's group that begins at 10:00 with stretching and a walk, continues with coffee, and dives into 1, 2, and 3 John at 10:30.
Home Groups Across the Lehigh Valley
For those wanting something more intimate than the larger Sunday gatherings, L.I.F.E. Studies launch home groups that meet on weeknights around the Lehigh Valley. Recent studies include "Unshakable Hope" by Max Lucado meeting Thursdays in Upper Macungie, "Vertical Marriage" by Dave and Ann Wilson meeting every other Friday in Hellertown, and a sermon discussion group meeting Fridays in Bath. Spots are limited and registration is required.
Membership Class and Pastoral Care
Anyone curious about making First Baptist their church home is invited to Starting Point, a periodic membership class held Sunday mornings. Starting Point walks through the church's story, beliefs, and the practical steps of belonging, growing, and serving. The church office can connect newcomers with the next class.
For prayer needs, the church maintains an online prayer request form and a dedicated prayer team that lifts up requests during the week.
A Statement of Faith
First Baptist's statement of faith sets out classic evangelical Baptist convictions. Members affirm that the Bible, in its original manuscripts, is "the inspired word and revelation of God, and therefore our final authority in faith and practice," and that there is one true and living God existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The statement goes on to confess belief in the personal work of each member of the Trinity, the personality and ultimate defeat of Satan, the goodness of God's creation of humanity in His image, the willful fall of the first man and woman, and the full atoning work of Jesus Christ who "voluntarily took upon Himself our sin" and rose again on the third day. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone, producing a new birth and a new creature bound to Jesus as Savior and sustainer.
The church practices two ordinances: believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. It teaches the importance of Christian stewardship of life, time, talent, and treasures, and offers a Christ-centered vision for resolving conflict, honoring civil government, and looking ahead to the bodily resurrection and visible return of Jesus Christ. Marriage is described as a lifetime covenant between a man and a woman.
Core Values
Seven core values shape the life of the church. Members are committed to standing on God's Word as their foundation, living a life of worship that extends beyond Sunday, choosing unity across ethnicity and generation, inspiring community with a warm welcome for everyone who enters, growing spiritually through discipleship and personal growth, extending God's grace in every relationship, and reaching their neighborhood and the world for Christ.
Missions and the Wider Community
Mission work is woven into the rhythm of the church. Summer youth trips send student teams to different locations year to year to serve communities and grow in faith. Operation Christmas Child collects shoebox gifts each October. The annual Day at the Lake joins with Blue Mountain Fish and Game Preserve to host a fishing event for families affected by special needs. Trunk or Treat turns the church parking lot into a community-wide night of food, games, candy, face painting, and barnyard animals each October.
Annual traditions also include an Easter Breakfast, a Pancake Sausage Breakfast fundraiser, Senior Social Luncheons for older adults, a Grandparenting Summit, a Ladies Afternoon Out, an African Children's Choir concert, a Hymn Sing, a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Cookies and Carols, and a Thanksgiving Dinner.
Leadership, Contact, and the Sermon Archive
Pastor Chuck Reed serves as the church's senior pastor, leading worship, preaching the great majority of the sermon archive, and shepherding men's ministry. Chad Strausbaugh oversees the youth ministry, and Lindsay Olang leads children's ministry and the Kingdom Kids team. Adam Deering teaches the Sunday evening adult study and preaches regularly through the church's sermon rotation.
Giving supports three streams: the church budget, a fellowship fund, and short-term mission trips. Online giving is available through the church's giving portal, and the sermon archive stretches across dozens of series from Pastor Chuck, Chad, Adam, Rev. Kuntz, and other speakers.
First Baptist stays connected throughout the week on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The church office can be reached at 610-432-3414 or office@FBCatown.com, and Pastor Chuck Reed is also reachable at ChuckReed@FBCAtown.com.
The missions work, the children's ministry, the men's and women's Bible studies, the homes that host L.I.F.E. Groups across the Lehigh Valley, the summer mission trips - all of these rhythms flow out of the same conviction at the heart of First Baptist Church of Allentown: that grace is for imperfect people, and that community is for the journey.