Callahan First Baptist Church sits on Green Avenue in Callahan, a small town in Nassau County in northeast Florida. From its main campus at 45090 Green Avenue, the church runs a full weekly rhythm of worship, age-graded Bible study, and youth and children's ministry, and it has built a network of community-facing ministries that reach well beyond its own walls: a thrift store on US Highway 301 called Grace's House, a food pantry called The Storehouse just down the street, a Christ-centered recovery program called Celebrate Recovery that meets on Monday nights, and a Foster and Adoption Ministry that opens its closet to families raising children placed in their homes.
Sunday in Callahan: Small Groups First, Then Worship
The Sunday schedule at Callahan First is built around two anchors. Small Groups meet at 9:00 AM for adults, students, and children, giving the congregation a chance to study the Bible in age-appropriate settings before the larger gathering. Worship follows at 10:15 AM in the main Worship Center and runs through noon. The service is livestreamed each Sunday at 10:15 AM so anyone who cannot attend in person can join from home. First-time guests can hear the same songs and teaching as those in the pews.
For children, Sunday morning looks slightly different from the adults' rhythm. Kids' Small Groups start at 9:00 AM, with grade-aged classrooms filled with Bible study, crafts, and games. At 10:15 AM, the children move into a Kids Worship experience tailored to their age, designed to engage them in ways that feel meaningful. April Godbolt, the Children's Director, oversees this work alongside a team of background-checked volunteers.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Wednesday is the busiest night of the week at Callahan First. The evening begins at 5:15 PM with a family-style dinner served in the church gym. Anyone is welcome to come early, share a meal, and meet others before the programming begins.
From 6:45 PM to 8:00 PM, the church opens small groups and discipleship classes for every age. Kids gather for Kids Worship with fun challenges and caring teachers. Students in grades 6 through 12 meet in the gym for CF Students worship and teaching. Adults pick from a rotation of Bible studies listed on the church's studies page. For families with young children who would rather not stay late, the dinner and full evening of activities offer a one-stop midweek reset.
CF Students: Grades 6 to 12
The student ministry, branded as CF Students, is led by Youth Pastor Dillon Corbett, who came to Callahan First after several years in youth ministry and a stint with Global Youth Camps. CF Students gathers in the gym on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM for a service built around worship, teaching, and fellowship. Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM, the same students break into small groups for Bible study, discussion, and prayer.
The student ministry's stated goal is to transform the local community with the Gospel. Students serve their neighbors through local service projects, grow through discipleship and mentorship, build Christ-centered friendships, and participate in evangelistic efforts. Special events include 5th Quarter gatherings after home football games, where students in grades 6 through 12 are invited to the gym from 9:00 PM to midnight for food, music, and games. Mission trips and outreach events round out the calendar.
Celebrate Recovery on Monday Nights
Celebrate Recovery meets every Monday evening in the gym at 45090 Green Avenue. The Christ-centered program is designed for anyone working through hurts, habits, or hang-ups. The night opens with a shared meal at 6:00 PM, followed by an uplifting worship service at 6:30 PM. The atmosphere is intentionally welcoming: anyone can come as they are. Celebrate Recovery is open to the wider community, not just church members, and it draws people from across Nassau County who are looking for a safe place to find healing and support.
Grace's House: A Thrift Store with a Mission
Grace's House is the church's thrift store ministry, located at 449521 US Highway 301 in Callahan. The store carries the tagline "Making a Difference, Not a Profit." Every purchase helps fund local outreach programs and provides affordable goods to neighbors who need them. Whether someone is shopping or donating, they are participating in a ministry that brings hope, support, and love to those in need.
Grace's House is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with occasional extended hours on some Thursdays. The schedule is published on the church's calendar.
The Storehouse: Free Food for the Community
The Storehouse is the church's food pantry, based at 45103 Green Avenue just a short walk from the main campus. Free food distributions happen on the first and third Thursday of each month from 10:00 AM to noon. No appointment is necessary. Volunteers hand-pack groceries, and the limit is two families per vehicle. The pantry exists to support individuals and families in need within the community and is one of the most visible ways Callahan First serves its neighbors week in and week out.
Foster and Adoption Ministry
The Foster and Adoption Ministry, known internally as FAM, walks alongside families who are fostering or in the process of adopting. FAM hosts an open closet on the fourth Thursday of each month from 10:00 AM to noon at the main campus. Foster and adoptive families are invited to receive a food giveaway and to "shop" the FAM Closet for clothing, equipment, and items needed for the children in their homes. The ministry is a quiet but practical extension of the church's commitment to children and families.
Kids Ministry: Safety, Fun, and Biblical Foundations
Callahan First takes its responsibility to children seriously. The Kids Ministry operates under three core promises to parents: children will be safe, will have fun, and will learn something true about God.
A computer check-in system prints matching badges for child and parent, and children are only released to the adult presenting the matching badge. Every teacher and volunteer has a background check and is trained for their area of ministry. Parents are welcome to visit any classroom after receiving a visitor badge from the check-in desk. Food allergies are noted on the child's tag, with an additional allergy alert tag for infants. Preschool snacks are limited to Goldfish, puffs, or animal crackers, unless a classroom has a specific project, and infants are only fed what their parents include in their diaper bags. In the event of a medical emergency, a Children's Ministry Director will contact the parent through the security tag system, and parents are encouraged to watch the overhead screens in the worship center for alerts.
Beyond the regular Sunday and Wednesday schedule, the Kids Ministry runs a calendar of special events. Family Dedications are held during the year for parents who want to publicly commit to raising their children according to Scripture. A week-long Kids Camp takes children in grades 2 through 6 (ages 7 to 12) to Word of Life camp in Hudson, Florida. A Kids Drama Club meets on Wednesday evenings during part of the year, culminating in a spring musical performance. Toddler Time gathers parents and children age four and under in the gym on the first Tuesday of each month from 9:00 to 11:00 AM for crafts, free play, coffee, and a snack. The First Grade Bible Presentation is a Sunday morning ceremony during which first graders receive their own copy of the Bible.
Small Groups: Where Community Begins
Small Groups at Callahan First are described by the church as "where community begins." The groups exist to help people grow in their faith, build authentic relationships, and live out the Gospel in everyday life. Two primary rhythms anchor the ministry: Sunday morning groups at 9:00 AM (meeting before worship) and Wednesday evening groups at 6:45 PM (running alongside the midweek activities).
The church offers Men's Groups, Women's Groups, Co-ed Groups, Young Adult Groups, and a special Overcomers Class designed as a safe and caring environment for adults with special needs to study the Bible together. A Small Group Finder, hosted on Church Center, lets people filter by life stage, interests, or schedule and sign up for a group that fits.
What the Church Believes
Callahan First organizes its doctrine around a three-part framework drawn from Scripture. In essential beliefs - the things that define the Christian faith - the church holds to the unity of one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, as described in Ephesians 4:4-6. In non-essential beliefs - matters of disputed practice - the church extends grace, citing Romans 14. And in all beliefs, love is the ruling principle, drawn from 1 Corinthians 13.
The core doctrinal list begins with God: one eternally existing God in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, justice, and mercy, unchangeable across time. God has revealed himself through his Son Jesus Christ, through holy Scripture, and through all of creation. Humanity, both male and female, was created in God's image for his glory. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created without sin and appointed as caretakers of creation, but their disobedience fractured their fellowship with God and all of creation ever since.
Salvation is found in Christ alone. Jesus lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay the penalty for human sin, and rose from the dead. By grace, eternal life is offered as a free gift to all who follow Christ by faith as Lord and Savior. The Church is the visible body of Christ, sent into the world to glorify God and proclaim the Gospel. And Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge the living and the dead and to usher in the fullness of God's kingdom on earth.
The Brandies Project: Vision for the Next Chapter
Callahan First has announced a major expansion called the Brandies Project. The church has proposed purchasing a historic property in the community - the old Brandies Ace Hardware store and its connected buildings - to create more space for ministry and outreach. The plan calls for relocating the church offices, which are currently spread between two buildings separated by Green Avenue, into one unified location. That move would free up roughly 4,300 square feet in the existing education building and annex for the expansion of children's ministry and additional adult small group classrooms.
The new space would also include additional classrooms for small groups and mid-week Bible studies, an event space with a small stage for larger group meetings, and a community-based ministry center that would house the Foster and Adoption Ministry, an after-school tutoring program, and other community-focused ministries still to be announced. The current rental apartments and commercial tenants on the property would continue to be leased until additional space is needed.
The project is phased. The congregation is being asked to support the purchase and renovation through a dedicated Vision Fund, with work beginning as soon as sufficient funds are raised. The church estimates the full project, from purchase through renovation, will take approximately five years. Parking will include a small side lot at the corner of New Ogilvie Road and Brandies Avenue, with the old lumber yard and warehouse converted to covered parking.
Getting Connected and Getting in Touch
Online giving is available through the church's Realm platform. The church livestreams Sunday worship at 10:15 AM, and sermons are archived for later viewing. The calendar of events is updated regularly, with Google Calendar, Outlook, and .ics subscriptions available. Forms for kids' registration, Family Dedications, Kids Camp, the First Grade Bible Presentation, and other sign-ups are collected on the Forms & Apps page.
For visitors who want to plan a first visit, the address is 45090 Green Avenue, Callahan, FL 32011. The church phone number is 904-879-2172, and general inquiries can be sent to contactus@callahanfbc.org. Staff contact information is on the church's staff page.
From its Sunday worship to its Monday recovery program, its Tuesday and Thursday thrift store, its first-and-third-Thursday food pantry, and its Wednesday night dinner and Bible studies, Callahan First has built a weekly rhythm that is, in its own words, a place where people can meet Jesus, believers can engage in life-giving community, and everyone is welcome.