Two Campuses in North Fulton
First City Church, also known in the community as First Baptist Church of Alpharetta (FBCA), calls the 44 Academy Street address home in downtown Alpharetta. From that campus the congregation runs a full slate of children's, student, and adult ministries, while a second location meets at Dean Rusk Middle School in nearby Hickory Flat. The church frames its entire ministry around four phrases - Know Jesus, Discover Hope, Experience Family, and Live Sent - and invites every first-time guest to step into any of those rhythms on a Sunday morning.
What a Sunday Morning Looks Like
At the Alpharetta location, services run at 9:30 and 11 a.m. and unfold in two venues under one roof. The Auditorium hosts a contemporary service with high-energy worship of recent and timeless songs, followed by a live sermon. The Chapel offers a traditional service built around classic hymns and modern choruses, with the sermon streamed in from the Auditorium. Both services last about an hour, and the First Impressions Team is stationed to greet guests and answer questions. Worship is described as intentionally designed to lift high the name of Jesus, and teaching as compelling, authentic, and firmly rooted in the Word of God.
At Hickory Flat, the church meets at 11 a.m. inside Dean Rusk Middle School. Services follow the same hour-long rhythm of worship and teaching, with the same family-friendly check-in process for kids and students. The First Impressions Team is on hand there as well, and the campus pastor for Hickory Flat, Cody Landers, oversees the work alongside dedicated children's and student directors.
First-time guests are encouraged to come as they are. Some in suits, some in jeans and a t-shirt - all gather together, the church notes. Parking is available on campus in the FBCA lots, at the Wells Fargo lot, the Alpharetta City Center parking deck, and on downtown streets, with shuttles running to and from the Green Lot.
First City Preschool and KidCity
Children are a top priority at First City, and a secure, age-by-age check-in process is in place for every service. Parents are asked to arrive about ten minutes early, or they can pre-register online to speed things up.
First City Preschool welcomes babies from six weeks old through pre-kindergarteners. Nursery rooms are kept ready with age-appropriate toys, cleaned between services, and staffed by a well-trained team. Parents can fill out a simple form at drop-off to communicate feeding, sleeping, and changing needs. Once babies can sit up, they join table time with a simple Bible truth each month, and take-home pages let families continue the lesson at home. Preschoolers (ages two through pre-K) participate in a large-group worship experience designed for them, with Bible stories, small groups, age-appropriate worship songs, and monthly Take Home cards. A Spotify worship playlist is available so families can keep the songs going all week.
KidCity, for elementary-age children, gathers at the same service times as the adult services at both campuses. Kids experience worship, games, Christ-centered teaching, and a group hour built around the Gospel Project curriculum, which walks through the entirety of Scripture. Big Wednesdays, held once a month during the school year from 6 to 7 p.m. with an optional pizza dinner at 5:30, gives kids a deeper dive into Scripture through worship, Scripture memorization, and activities. Preschool programming runs at the same time, with doors opening at 5:45.
Play and Learn, a weekday program for preschoolers at the Alpharetta location, is available from 8 to 9 a.m. and 1:15 to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays during the school year.
Students in Middle and High School
First City Students gathers middle and high schoolers at the Alpharetta campus for Sunday morning groups at 9:30 a.m. in the FBCA Gym and Student Space (enter via the West Parking Lobby). Groups are divided by age and gender and led by certified student volunteers. Sunday night services for both middle and high school run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Alpharetta location (44 Academy Street) and the Hickory Flat location (Dean Rusk Middle School). A dedicated student Instagram account keeps families up to date.
The student ministry is led by Adam Hilpert, First City Student Pastor, alongside Samgrayson James (Hickory Flat Student Director) and Emma Harmon (Student Coordinator).
SHINE: A Place for Every Family
SHINE welcomes children, students, and adults with special needs into the life of the church. The ministry takes its name from John 9, where Jesus heals the blind man so that God's mighty works might be shown, and aims to make special-needs families feel at home at First City. A buddy program serves children in Pre-K through fifth grade and students in sixth through twelfth grade at both the 9:30 and 11 a.m. Alpharetta services, with a similar buddy program at the 11 a.m. Hickory Flat service for K through fifth grade. ShineFRIENDS, an adult Bible study, meets at 9:30 a.m. at Alpharetta.
The facility is wheelchair accessible, and sign language services are available on request. Handicap parking is available in the Yellow and Red Lots, and guests are asked to enter through the Commons or East Entrance (Yellow Lot). Staci Simpson, Director of SHINE Special Needs, oversees the ministry along with a team of trained volunteers.
Adults: Women, Men, and Prime
Small groups are the backbone of adult life at First City. They meet at various times and locations throughout the week and are described as people walking through the good, bad, and ugly of life while reminding one another of the hope of Jesus. Jason Stanland serves as Groups Pastor and helps newcomers find a fit.
First City Women offers Bible studies, outreach events, and fellowship events for women of all ages and stages. First City Men, under Pastor of Mobilization Jim Mason, hosts Bible studies, service opportunities, and an F3 men's fitness group that combines faith, friendship, and fitness. First City Prime ministers to mature adults through events, trips, Bible studies, choir, and service projects.
Live Sent: A Focus on Local and Global Mission
Live Sent is more than a motto. As a core value, it shapes how the church approaches ministry near and far. Live Sent partners include global mission work in Africa through SLIMS, in Northern England through UK-USA Ministries, in Costa Rica through Hope Ministries, in Nepal, and in Brazil, plus Bible distribution through the Gideons. In North America, the church partners with GBMB Disaster Relief, All Grace Church Plant in Atlanta, La Chapelle in Montréal, Willeo River Church in Roswell, and a One Church Plant in South Atlanta.
Closer to home, Live Sent extends to Upward Basketball, SHINE Special Needs, Chosen Foster Care, a crisis pregnancy ministry, Whispering Hope, A Beacon of Hope, First Responders and City Workers, refugees, and local schools. Disciples can find a fit by contacting Kelley Janzen, Director of Local Mobilization, or signing up through the church's connection tools.
Operation Christmas Child is a featured outreach each year, with packed shoeboxes sent to children around the world. Disaster relief training is also offered on a regular basis for those who want to be ready to serve.
Chosen: Foster Care and Adoption
Chosen is First City's ministry for foster care and adoption. The church partners with Goshen Valley Foundation to support vulnerable children and families through monthly 2nd Saturday Serve Days at Goshen Ranch, tutoring and mentoring, summer day camps, and wraparound care for biological families working toward reunification. The church also supports adoptive and foster families within the congregation through fundraisers, love offerings, practical care (meals, childcare, hands-on help during placements), and prayer.
Tangible needs include grocery gift cards, vehicles, appliances and household items, and books. Spanish-speaking volunteers are especially welcome.
Alpharetta Christian Academy
First City is also home to Alpharetta Christian Academy, a school led by a Head of School. The academy shares the 44 Academy Street address and draws on the same Christian foundation as the congregation.
What the Church Believes
First City aligns with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The church teaches that the Bible is inspired by God without error and the ultimate authority in all things. God exists in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and is everlasting. The Holy Spirit is sent to live within believers, sealing them for eternal life and uniting them into the body of Christ, the church. Humanity was created in fellowship with God, but sin broke that relationship; it is restored only by faith in Christ, not by human effort. Jesus was born of a virgin, fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for sin, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven. Eternity is real: Jesus will return to reign as Lord, and all will be resurrected to everlasting life or torment.
The congregation is led by Lead Pastor Steve Browning and a pastoral team that includes Cody Landers (Hickory Flat Campus), Myles Chatham (Worship and Communication), Larry Dean (Adults), Jim Mason (Mobilization), Allen Hollie (Atlanta Church Planter), Adam Hilpert (Students), and Jason Stanland (Groups).
Care, Counseling, and Next Steps
For those going through difficult times, the church offers one-on-one Christian care through a team of trained Stephen Ministers who listen, encourage, and pray. Independent counseling is also available through licensed professionals connected to the church.
Anyone who has decided to follow Jesus is invited to take the next step of baptism - an outward celebration of inward faith. Growth Track is the church's on-ramp into the life of the congregation, held after the 11 a.m. service at both campuses, with lunch and childcare provided. From there, the path leads to joining a group, serving on a team, and exploring Live Sent mission opportunities.
Services are livestreamed through Church Online and YouTube Live at the same 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday hours, and a sermon archive with downloadable notes is available. Giving flows through a one-fund approach that supports the ministry and operating budget, missions, and special projects, with contributions also accepted by mail at the 44 Academy Street address.
From its Academy Street home in downtown Alpharetta to the school it shares in Hickory Flat, First City Church continues to live out the four phrases that shape its life together: Know Jesus, Discover Hope, Experience Family, and Live Sent.