An American Baptist congregation near the University of Kansas
First Baptist Church of Lawrence, Kansas sits at 1330 Kasold Drive on the city's east side, a few miles from the University of Kansas campus. It is one of the oldest continuous congregations in town, organized in 1855 by seven families in what was then the Kansas Territory, and it has continued to practice what its leaders describe as a loving, theologically diverse faith in the American Baptist tradition. Today the church thinks of itself as a "sending church" in a university town, welcoming students, faculty, and visitors who pass through Lawrence for school or teaching and then carry what they have learned into other places. Alongside that mobile, intergenerational identity, the congregation has built one of the more distinctive creation-care programs among American Baptist churches in the region, called Earthworks: The Psalm 8 Collective.
Visitors who show up on a Sunday morning will encounter a congregation that runs two very different services on the same day, plus Sunday school for every age, an open communion table, and a building designed to be welcoming on a number of practical levels. Those who participate online can join the 11:00 a.m. service on YouTube or Facebook, watch a sermon archive that runs back for years, and even join Sunday school classes and Bible studies by Zoom. Pastoral leadership is shared between Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Matthew Sturtevant, who has served the congregation since 2009, and Rev. Cristina Adams, the Associate Pastor for Children, Youth, & Families.
A 170-year story on Kasold Drive
In 1855, seven families joined to form the third church in the new town of Lawrence. Named First Baptist, it was two years before the congregation began to hold worship services in earnest. Their founding goal was to provide religious training for their families and to help them persevere in hard times. Many of those early members eventually moved on to help start more communities throughout Kansas, establishing a pattern of sending leaders outward that the church still claims as part of its identity.
The original building stood near downtown Lawrence at the corner of 8th and Kentucky and was dedicated in 1870. In 1955 a new educational wing was added to provide classroom space for Christian education. By the early 1970s a program called Lay Witness Mission had helped to revitalize the congregation, and in 1976 the deteriorating original sanctuary was torn down. The education wing carried the church through the construction years until Christmas Eve of 1979, when the congregation moved into the present building at 1330 Kasold Drive. A major addition in 1998 and 1999 added the fellowship hall with its full basketball court, additional classrooms, and a new nursery.
In 2005 the church marked its Sesquicentennial, one year after Lawrence had marked its own 150th. Longtime member Robert A. Heacock wrote the history, Strength of Stone, copies of which are still available from the church office. The congregation also remembers distinctive lay leaders who shaped its life through the years, including Gordon Governor, Dr. Ray Q. Brewster, Lowell Bailey, Ruth Stringham, and Dr. Howard Wilcox, several of whom also taught at the University of Kansas and held local civic roles. In 2011 the church went through a comprehensive strategic planning effort and reorganization. Three years of prayer and conversation about marriage led, in 2018, to a congregational vote affirming that First Baptist could perform same-sex weddings, with the first such wedding celebrated in 2022.
The most recent large change came in 2019, when the congregation formally adopted Earthworks: The Psalm 8 Collective as a new model of creation care. Six teams, each wearing a different color, now shape much of the church's programming, study, and outreach around caring for the earth.
Two Sunday mornings, two styles of worship
The Sunday morning schedule is built around two services held back-to-back. The 8:38 a.m. service is held in the Judson Room, entered through the front double doors; it is less formal and more interactive than the late service and runs about 45 minutes. The time itself is a small sermon illustration: when the church first trial-ran an early service, Pastor Matt preached on Acts 8:38, and the time stuck. The early service is not livestreamed.
At 9:30 a.m., Sunday school begins for children, youth, and adults in classrooms across the building, with several classes also offering a Zoom option. From 10:30 to 10:50 a.m., children meet in the Children's Church room for "Explorations" with Pastor Cristina, a time of movement and a snack. Adults and youth gather for coffee and fellowship in the narthex during the same window.
At 11:00 a.m. the late service begins in the main sanctuary. This is the more traditional, liturgical service, with pastors in robes, hymns accompanied by organ or piano, and anthems sung by the chancel choir. About once a month the FBC Worship Band adds a more contemporary piece to the set. The service is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for those who cannot be there in person. About halfway through, as the Doxology is sung, children are dismissed to Children's Church for a lesson geared to their level, followed by prayer, work, and play.
After the late service ends, a Two-Way Sermon Discussion Group meets at 12:30 p.m. in the Sojourners Room and on Zoom, led by Pastor Matt. Members read through his sermon manuscript and pull out what was most meaningful to them, then spend the last fifteen minutes on the scripture for the coming Sunday, often using Lectio Divina reading and questioning methods. The group is open to all adults.
Communion is offered every week at the 8:38 service and on the first Sunday of each month at the 11:00 service. The communion table is open to everyone, regardless of denomination or membership.
Children, youth, and families at the heart of Sunday
First Baptist treats children and youth as an active part of the congregation rather than as a separate audience. During the 11:00 a.m. service families are welcomed with their giggles and whispers into the sanctuary itself. Near the door, a Kid's Activity Table offers clipboards, coloring pages, supplies, and doodle boards that children can take to their seats and return after the service. A Children's Corner near the front of the sanctuary provides rugs and toys for quiet play, with parents staying nearby to supervise, and a Judson room off the sanctuary offers a windowed, slightly more active space for younger children. Children are also invited forward for a Children's Sermon with one of the pastors, and Children's Church dismisses them for their own lesson partway through the service.
Sunday school for children runs from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. A toddler and PreK class uses Frolic curriculum for play, singing, and a Bible story. The Primary Class for K through 2nd graders uses Smyth and Helwys Faith Steps, hearing a Bible story and doing related activities. The Intermediate Class for 3rd through 6th graders builds on Faith Steps with a Bible story, discussion, and a craft. The nursery is available but currently unstaffed by routine; background-checked volunteers can be called on if a family asks for it, and contact with Pastor Cristina can arrange to have it open on a given Sunday.
Youth in 6th through 12th grade meet in the youth room for Sunday school from 9:30 to 10:40 a.m., exploring Bible stories through activities and discussion with attention to how those stories fit into their own lives. A long-standing mentorship program pairs youth with adult members of the congregation; Mentor Meals are held once a month, typically on the first Sunday, and cover topics that the youth themselves help to choose. Past Mentor Meals have included money and budgets, play and Sabbath, and career planning, plus a Christmas party and an Easter Egg hunt. High school students are also invited to volunteer in the children's programming. Vacation Bible School is held in cooperation with partner congregations Trinity Lutheran and Plymouth Congregational, typically in June. All children's and youth volunteers undergo background checks and yearly training in the church's Child and Youth Protection Policies.
Five adult Sunday school classes, all on the same morning
Adults at First Baptist can choose from five intergenerational classes and one young-adult class, all meeting on Sunday morning. The Young Adult class (approximately ages 18 to 25) meets in the library at 9:45 a.m. and works through the structure of the Bible and a summary of each book, with a dedicated time for sharing prayer requests, taught by Kylee Johnston. The 3D Class, in Room 149, dives into Scripture, discovers ways to connect with what it reads, and discusses how to deliver what is learned to others, with previous studies on Prayer and the Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Philippians; it is led by retired pastor Rev. Dr. Bob Johnston.
The Serendipity Class in Room 145A studies the Bible verse by verse, working through it from beginning to end under Danny Trent's leadership. The Sojourners Class, in Room 151 and on Zoom, tackles difficult subjects such as social justice, stewardship of the earth, and being in relationship with others, pairing scripture with news articles, poems, music, and art; it is co-facilitated by Nancy and Tim Bonner. The Lost and Found / DNA Class in Room 154 and on Zoom reads a variety of authors, including Rachel Held Evans, Diana Butler Bass, and Henri Nouwen, and shares faith journeys over coffee, led by Bryan Miller and John Pauls. Each Zoom-using class provides a sign-up form for receiving the meeting link.
Earthworks: The Psalm 8 Collective
Earthworks is the congregation's answer to a question that has shaped First Baptist's recent life: how should a church in a university town care for creation? Introduced in 2019 and rooted in Psalm 8 ("O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"), Earthworks organizes the church's creation care around six color-named teams, each approaching the work from a different angle.
Team Blue, the Nature Lovers, plans outdoor events that put members directly into God's creation. Hiking, backpacking, mountain climbing, trail running, stream and park cleanups, birdwatching, and nature photography all fall under their umbrella. Recent trips have included hiking the DeCaLiBron in Breckenridge, an ascent of Humboldt Peak, an ultra trail run on the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin, trail runs at Baker Wetlands, and cycling along the Lawrence levy and the Flint Hills Trail. Team Blue deliberately plans events at a variety of difficulty levels so that members without specialized gear or experience can join in.
Team Purple, the Scholars, pursues creation care through intellectual and theological study. The team reads books, watches films, and brings in speakers and panels on land sustainability, chemicals and pollution, species protection, global racism and the impact on the Global South, and climate change. A current study group is reading Living Waters: Pulse of the Planet edited by Romola Butalia, meeting in the Sojourners Room and on Zoom.
Team Green, the Re-Sourcers, focuses on practical environmental changes at church and at home: reuse, reduce, recycle, light bulbs, windows, alternative energy, and energy audits. The team has organized recycling efforts, work days, and trainings, and has hosted outside energy consultants to reduce the church's carbon footprint.
Team Orange, the Sustainers, cares for the food and water side of creation: natural and organic food, public health, water conservation, label reading, and waste-reducing cooking. The team shares Meatless Monday recipes and has produced short videos on making homemade artisan communion bread and gluten-free communion crackers for home use during virtual worship.
Team Yellow, the Worshipers, links creation care back into liturgy and worship. The team has helped to plan outdoor services, including a Blessing of the Animals held near the courtyard by the gym each fall in the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi, and has organized a Season of Creation that typically runs through the four Sundays in September leading up to St. Francis of Assisi Day on October 4.
Team Red, the Advocates, takes a prophetic stance inspired by Habakkuk 2:17. The team engages in direct action: letter-writing campaigns, petitions, public appearances, and nonviolent protests on behalf of a healthy environment for all. Earthworks also supports a Wonder Pollinator Garden on the church grounds, where members photograph and report on the visitors, from Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillars feasting on fennel to Gulf Fritillary butterflies drawn to Rough Blazing Star.
Music ministries
Music is woven through both Sunday services. The Chancel Choir sings anthems at the 11:00 a.m. service and is accompanied by organist and accompanist Evelyn Falen. Dr. Christy Miller, who is also the Executive Director of Americana Music Academy in Lawrence and a musicologist with a doctorate from the University of Kansas, plays piano at the 8:38 a.m. service and collaborates with the pastors on planning it. The FBC Worship Band is a smaller group of musicians who lead more contemporary Christian and praise music at the late service about once a month. The band grew out of an Emerging Worship service that the church once held monthly; it is now coordinated by music director Mark Robinson. Handbell Choirs round out the music program.
Bible studies and small groups beyond Sunday
Mid-week offerings are built around Bible study and small groups rather than large programs. The Women's Bible Study meets monthly during the school year on the second Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., in person in the Sojourners Room and on Zoom, and is open to any woman who wants to attend. The Men's Bible Study meets every other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Room 149 (the 3D Sunday school room) and is led by Rev. John Williams, working through Richard Rohr's Falling Upward.
Throughout the year, Team Purple's book studies, short-term studies from the Scholars team, and other adult signups are gathered on one page so that newcomers can plug into whatever current study matches their interest. The 2-Way Sermon Discussion Group's Zoom link is available to anyone who wants to attend virtually and runs most Sundays after the 11:00 service, except on occasional fellowship-lunch Sundays or Quarterly Business Gathering Sundays.
The church has also begun to honor what it calls Martus leaders: lay members whose consistent service in areas such as Sunday school teaching, family hospitality, food pantry coordination, worship coordination, or youth mentoring is recognized and blessed with a laying on of hands. The Martus framework is drawn from Acts 6 and the early Church's response to needs that were being neglected. Past Martus honorees include Stacey Lamb, Danny Trent, Anne Munsterman, Dawn Trent, and Wendy Wheeler.
Feeding Lawrence: food pantries and partners
Food security has long been a focus at First Baptist. The church hosts two regular food distributions. The in-house Food Pantry is open every Wednesday from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. and on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Guests can visit up to twice a month, choose what fits their household, and do not need identification; the pantry only asks the number of people in the household. The Harvesters Mobile Food Pantry rolls into the FBC parking lot on the fourth Saturday of each month from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., as a drive-through distribution, in partnership with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, Trinity Interfaith Food Pantry, Pelathe District Boy Scouts, and First Baptist Church. (The fourth Saturday schedule may shift in November and December when it falls on Thanksgiving or Christmas weekend.) The Harvesters pantry limits distribution to no more than three households per vehicle.
First Baptist is also a quarterly host congregation for Family Promise of Lawrence, helping to provide meals and evening hospitality to families with children at their temporary shelter. Pastor Matt serves on the Family Promise of Lawrence board of directors, and FBC's Family Promise coordinators Wendy Wheeler also serves as the Congregational Care Coordinator for Family Promise itself. The church has been involved with Family Promise long enough that the late Stacey Lamb is remembered as FBC's first Family Promise coordinator.
Through L.I.N.K. (Lawrence Interfaith Network of Congregations), the congregation participates in broader Lawrence-area relief efforts. First Baptist has been an active supporter of Heartland Community Health Center, Bethel Neighborhood Center, Harvesters, and the Lawrence Ministerial Emergency Fund, and FBC member families serve as hosts for Scout Troops 60 and 6060 of Lawrence.
Partners in ministry, near and far
Partnerships extend well beyond Lawrence. The congregation supports Regional Missions, American Baptist Missions, and the World Missions Offering, and participates in One Great Hour of Sharing, an ecumenical global missions offering. As a supporting member of American Baptist Churches USA, the church helps to underwrite mission work, the training of pastors, and ABC-related universities and seminaries, including Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Other ABC and broader Baptist partners include the American Baptist Churches of the Central Region, the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, International Ministries, the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty, and the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America.
Pastor Matt has served in leadership roles with the Ministers Council of the Central Region supporting fellow ministers across Kansas, and now serves nationally as President of the ABCUSA Ministers Council. He is also the co-author of From Distrust to Trust: Controversies and Conversations in Faith Communities. The church participates in a Theologian-in-Residence Program in partnership with other Lawrence-area congregations and in the Lawrence Interfaith Alliance.
Identity: welcome, worship, work, wonder
The four values that the congregation returns to again and again are welcome, worship, work, and wonder. "Welcome" means taking the inclusion of every person seriously and extending it beyond the building through an online congregation. "Worship" is the rhythm of Sunday and seasonal services, with children and youth participating in and sometimes leading worship themselves. "Work" is the outward service of food pantries, Family Promise, the Earthworks teams, Scout troops, and disaster and creation-care advocacy. "Wonder" is the practice of wrestling with hard questions of faith, holding space for the kind of theological diversity that has shaped Pastor Matt's own training across Baptist, Presbyterian, and UCC schools. Senior adults serve in active, integral roles, helping to lead worship, participating in music and discussion groups, and walking alongside younger members; children and youth, in turn, are encouraged to participate in and help to lead worship services.
Visitors who are curious about what FBC believes will see that conviction expressed less in creedal tests than in practices. Communion is open to everyone, including those who are not Baptist and not members. Background checks and child protection training are taken seriously. LGBTQ members have been publicly welcomed, and the church has performed same-sex weddings since 2022. Care for creation is treated as a core practice rather than a side interest. And consistent, behind-the-scenes service by lay members is honored through the Martus recognition, the Sunday school teaching force, the food pantry volunteers, the Family Promise hosts, and a long list of lay leaders who keep the church running through the week.
Accessibility, getting around the building, and staying connected online
The building at 1330 Kasold Drive is set up to make entry straightforward. Marked handicapped parking spots are located in the circle drive in front of the playground fence, with special needs parking available close to the building for anyone who needs a shorter walk. Designated open spots for wheelchairs are reserved in the sanctuary. The sanctuary is equipped with a hearing loop for those whose hearing aids include a t-coil, and headphones are available for those whose hearing aids do not. Large-print bulletins can be picked up at the welcome table near the main double doors.
The youth room is the only room on a second floor that is reached by stairs only; if a youth with accessibility needs wants to participate, Pastor Cristina can make arrangements so that they can fully join in the group. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the welcome table inside the main double doors with any questions; people at FBC will gladly help with directions or anything else. The parking lot has entrances off of 14th Street.
Dress at First Baptist runs from casual to "Sunday best" and everything in between; visitors are welcome in whatever they choose to wear. People joining online can worship with the late service on YouTube (youtube.com/LawrenceFirstBaptist/live) or on Facebook (facebook.com/1stBaptistLawrence) at 11:00 a.m. Central on Sundays, and a complete archive of past sermons is available on YouTube and on the church's sermon archive page. Giving can be done online (give online), by texting any amount to 785-333-5300, or by check made out to First Baptist Church at 1330 Kasold Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049.
The phone number for the church office is 785-843-0020, and the office email is office@firstbaptistlawrence.com. Pastor Cristina can be reached at cristina@firstbaptistlawrence.com.