First Baptist Church of Olathe stands at 2024 East 151st Street in Olathe, Kansas, a Johnson County suburb of Kansas City. The church's stated purpose, repeated across its printed materials, is "drawing our communities and world into a deeper relationship with God." That mission has shaped the building into something more than a Sunday meeting place: a hub for worship, a coffee bar named after a verse, three weekly ministries for children and students, a network of women's and small groups, and a launching point for service projects that span Olathe, Kansas City, Oklahoma, and overseas.
Sunday Worship and Sunday School
The week revolves around Sunday morning. Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. and is offered both in person in the sanctuary and online through the church's livestream. Visitors can expect a "come as you are" environment. Before and after the service, an announcement loop runs on the big screen to share upcoming events, ministry needs, and mission news. An offering time is built into the service for those who want to give, and Communion is celebrated monthly on the first Sunday. The church extends an open invitation to everyone to participate in that meal.
Equip Classes meet at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings for adults who want to go deeper into the Bible. The same 9 a.m. Sunday hour is used by the youth Equip Group, so students and adults are studying in parallel. The result is a steady three-tier rhythm: Bible study at 9, worship at 10:30, and youth group in the evening.
The Hub and Cafe 18:20
Just inside the main door sits The Hub, an information station where an attendant is on hand to answer questions from first-time guests. A hand-sanitizer station is set up next to it for anyone who wants to use it.
Beyond the Hub, in the same hallway, Cafe 18:20 has become one of the most recognizable features of First Baptist Olathe. The name comes from Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them," and the cafe is open before, during, and after services as a place to gather, talk, and be together. The espresso drinks are pulled from beans roasted by Lanna Coffee, a company whose mission in coffee-growing communities overseas is part of why the cafe says "each sip saves lives."
The drink menu is broader than a typical church coffee bar. Lattes come hot or iced with two shots of espresso and steamed milk. Cappuccinos are served hot with extra foam. Hot chocolate, Italian sodas (club soda, a choice of flavor, cream, and whipped cream), and strawberry or mango smoothies round out the offerings. Flavor shots run from almond, caramel, English toffee, and vanilla to lavender, peppermint, pumpkin spice, dark or white chocolate, raspberry, and sugar-free vanilla or hazelnut. Oat milk is available on request in place of dairy milk. Drinks are free; donations cover the cost and keep the café going.
Children's Ministry: Kids Connect
Children's ministry begins in the cafe, where families check in for the morning. Kids Connect Jr., the church's nursery, opens its doors at 10:20 a.m., just before worship begins. Kids Connect, for kindergarten through fifth grade, generally meets downstairs in the Children's Chapel during the worship service. The exception is the first Sunday of each month. Those Sundays are designated Family Sundays, when all ages stay together in the sanctuary and worship as one body. Children's Ministry Director Megan Reischman oversees the program and serves as the contact for parents who want more information.
Students in Sixth Through Twelfth Grade
Middle and high school students have their own Sunday rhythm that mirrors the adults'. Youth Group meets Sunday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m., with dinner, games, worship, and Bible study folded into the evening. An Equip Group for students meets at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings, so students and parents are doing parallel study before gathering separately at 10:30 and again at 6 p.m. Pastor Jessica Henks leads the youth ministry and can be reached at henksj@fbcolathe.org.
D Groups: Grow, Build, Serve
Small groups at First Baptist are called D Groups, short for Disciple Groups, and they are organized around three commitments.
- Grow. Each week the group gathers to discuss the scripture from the pastor's sermon. The emphasis is on application: how the passage's message is lived out in real life. Hearing the sermon ahead of time is recommended but not essential, because the focus is the text itself.
- Build. Members share their everyday struggles and needs so the group becomes a circle of spiritual friends rather than only a Bible-study class. As one another is carried in prayer, the relationships deepen past the meeting time.
- Serve. Each participant is challenged to look outward and engage a few acquaintances, family members, or friends who may not yet have a spiritual friendship of their own.
Jan Sipe coordinates the program and connects new participants with an open group. The structure is meant to be a launch pad for both inward community and outward ministry.
American Baptist Women: Three Circles
First Baptist's women's ministry runs through American Baptist Women's Ministries (ABW). The church currently has three small circles that meet monthly, all open to any woman who wants to participate.
- G.A.L.S. Circle (Girlfriends Accountable to Living Spiritually) meets the first and third Saturday mornings at 9 a.m., both at the church and online. Carolyn Ibach leads the group.
- Dorcas Circle meets the second Tuesday of each month at 2:00 p.m. in Cafe 18:20. Named after the woman in Acts 9:40 whose life was "full of works and acts of charity," the circle is led by Janet Dempsie.
- Lydia Circle meets the second Tuesday of each month at 2:00 p.m. in the First Baptist Heritage Chapel. Jan Crumly leads the group.
ABW's stated purpose is to give "each woman and girl" opportunities "to become and develop as God's person, build God's faith community, and serve God's World." Each woman is encouraged to take part "according to her own needs, interests and gifts as led by the Spirit of God."
Olathe Schools Partnership: Backsnacks and Beyond
The church's local mission work centers on Olathe School District, the largest district in the Kansas City metro area. First Baptist has partnered with one elementary school serving about 320 students, where nearly half of the families qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. The goal is plain: "no child should go hungry."
Volunteers help in several ways. Some donate food, gently used clothing, or money. Others give an hour of time to pack "backsnacks," small bundles of single entrees, breakfast items, and snacks that students take home to eat over weekends when school meals are not available. The church frames the partnership in equally plain language: "Everyone has the ability to help."
Bethel Neighborhood Center in Kansas City, Kansas
A short drive across the state line, Bethel Neighborhood Center has served Kansas City, Kansas, since 1911. Its food pantry and neighborhood programs provide groceries, after-school support, and community connection in a part of the metro that has long faced food insecurity. First Baptist Olathe has been a steady partner: members volunteer at Bethel events, stock its food pantry, and take part in fundraisers including the annual Bethel Golf Fundraiser.
Murrow Indian Children's Home in Muskogee
For more than a hundred years, the Murrow Indian Children's Home in Muskogee, Oklahoma, has provided a safe, home-like environment for Native American children placed there through contracts with tribal and state governments, children who have been orphaned or removed from normal family care. First Baptist Olathe supports Murrow by sending supplies and maintenance help, and small groups from the church have made service trips to lend a hand.
A 2021 mission trip illustrated the kind of work these trips involve. Volunteers from First Baptist spent a week doing yard work, plumbing, weather-stripping, cleaning, window repair, tree trimming, electrical work, installing a vanity and faucet, and replacing light fixtures. When the new bulbs came on, the crew sang the "Hallelujah Chorus" together. The children at Murrow wanted to help and to be with the volunteers; in the team's words, "each child became entwined in our hearts," and the trip left them hoping more church members would put it on their bucket list.
Lanna Coffee and Global Mission
The beans pulled at Cafe 18:20 are roasted by Lanna Coffee, whose story is tied to missions overseas. Through Lanna's nonprofit model, espresso drinks poured in the church's foyer help fund clean water, education, and small-business projects in coffee-growing communities around the world. The cafe is, in effect, a small daily mission outpost on East 151st Street.
Offerings and Partner Ministries
First Baptist Olathe also participates in several American Baptist denominational offerings.
- America for Christ supports church planting, leadership development, and compassion ministries across the United States and Puerto Rico.
- One Great Hour of Sharing responds to disaster relief, refugee resettlement, and development work through American Baptist partners.
- World Mission Offering, channeled through International Ministries, sends American Baptist missionaries around the world.
- Retired Ministers supports American Baptist pastors who have served smaller churches and receive limited retirement benefits.
Boy Scouts is also listed among the church's mission partnerships, reflecting its support of scouting in the broader Olathe community.
Core Values
Six core values support the mission. These values shape the way programs are run.
- Trinity. "The Bible speaks to us of a loving God who has created us for a deep relationship with Him. We acknowledge that God exists and works in three persons: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and strive to know each through prayer, Scripture, and quiet listening."
- Discipleship. "God calls us to be and make disciples. Together, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we pray, learn, walk, watch, serve, and encourage one another to live as Jesus taught."
- Worship. "As God's family we will worship and honor Him with whole hearts surrendered. We seek to encounter the living God and celebrate His goodness both as we gather and as we go about our daily lives."
- Mission. "Our God-given mission is to share Jesus anywhere, anytime, with everyone and to help others to do the same."
- Generations. "Jesus values each generation's unique perspectives and gifts to the community. We seek to connect, empower, and appreciate one another regardless of generation with empathy and love as Jesus modeled."
- Participation. "God has entrusted each and every person with gifts, talents, and abilities that are necessary for His mission. At FBC Olathe, we join together to discover, develop, and use these to participate in His work."
Getting Connected
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and can be reached at 913-764-7088 or fbcoffice@fbcolathe.org. A "Let's Connect" form lets visitors ask for a pastor's call, express interest in a relationship with Jesus, sign up for a small group, explore children or youth ministry, or join a serving team. Areas listed for serving include the Hospitality Team, Cafe Helper, Communications Team, Children's Ministry, Youth Ministry, Disciple Group Leadership, Missions, and Women's Groups.
Online giving is available through a secure donation page, and a members-only online directory, managed through the church's Church Center app, helps regular attenders stay in touch and update their own information. Recorded worship services are posted on the church's YouTube channel, and the livestream is hosted on a dedicated online church page so anyone can join from home.