Fruit Cove Baptist Church sits along State Road 13 in the Fruit Cove community of northwest St. Johns County, just south of Jacksonville. With more than two thousand people gathering each week across its Sunday services, MidWeek discipleship hour, and dozens of ministries for every age and stage, the church is one of the larger Southern Baptist congregations in northeast Florida. Its mission - to see God awaken the generations and nations with the hope of Jesus - is lived out through a five-fold commitment to the Word of God, the worship of God, the family of God, the mission of God, and the glory of God.
Five Commitments, One Mission
The congregation's core commitments shape everything that happens on and off the campus. Discipleship is treated as a lifestyle of going deep together and growing spiritually through the truth of God's Word. Worship is more than what happens on Sundays; it is the full and authentic expression of love, gratitude, and sacrificial devotion to the Creator. The church is described as a spiritual family that helps every generation belong, grow, serve, and pass on the hope of Jesus together. The mission of God drives the church to reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, beginning at home and not stopping until the whole world hears. And every effort, in the words of the leadership, is meant to be done with excellence and with a heart to honor and glorify the Lord.
A disciple at Fruit Cove is someone who lives and thinks like Jesus, recognizing and responding to the will of God. The church pictures those disciples as living examples of H.O.P.E.: Honoring the Word, Overflowing with Worship, Partnering as Family, and Engaging the Mission. The Great Commandment fuels the Great Commission, and the church frames its work in the language of Matthew 22 and Matthew 28.
What They Believe
Fruit Cove Baptist Church is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. Its basic biblical beliefs are explained in The Baptist Faith and Message, adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention. Ten percent of every dollar given to the church's budget flows through the Cooperative Program, the Southern Baptist funding channel created in 1925. That giving supports Children's Homes, missionaries, new church starts, children's camps, disaster relief, and the six Southern Baptist seminaries. Through the Cooperative Program, the church supports thousands of missionaries working with more than a thousand people groups worldwide, partners with thousands of missionaries across North America planting new churches, supports seven locations of the Florida Baptist Children's Home, and helps fund the third-largest disaster relief network in the nation.
The church holds to the authority of Scripture, the purpose of the church, salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and the full deity and full humanity of Christ. Membership comes through profession of faith and believer's baptism by immersion, transfer of letter from another Southern Baptist church, or statement of prior conversion and baptism in another Christian church.
Sunday Mornings on the Campus
Two identical Sunday morning worship services are held at 9:30 am and 11:00 am in the Worship Center, the fan-shaped sanctuary dedicated in April 1997. A third service takes place at 9:30 am in Building A-100, where a live worship band leads the room and the sermon is streamed onto the big screen. Elements of welcome, singing, prayer, and Scripture reading are part of every gathering. Lead Pastor Heath Woolman, who came to the church in June 2023, preaches through books of the Bible and primarily uses the Christian Standard Bible, while teachers in adult Connect Groups choose their own translations - most often the CSB, ESV, or NKJV.
Dress is described as "resort casual" with a wide range from shorts to suits and ties; visitors are encouraged to come as they are comfortable. Visitor and handicap parking lines Building A, the one-story building on the north side of the campus next to Starbucks. Visitor, handicap, and expectant-mother parking is also available on the south side of the ROC, the three-story Family Life Building. Parking behind the Annex and additional spaces around the main buildings round out the options. Sidewalks on the campus are ADA compliant, reserved handicap spaces sit close to the Worship Center, and the staff will bring a wheelchair to anyone who needs one.
At the close of each service, a public invitation is given. Visitors can become members through profession of faith followed by believer's baptism, by letter from another Southern Baptist church, or by statement of prior conversion and baptism. The church's office sits behind Starbucks, with the front door off the street that runs between the main campus and the coffee shop. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Friday from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.
Preschool and Kids
The church's heart for the next generation begins with preschoolers. On Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 am, infants through kindergartners participate in Bible-learning activities on the first floor of the ROC using LifeWay's Bible Teaching for Kids resources. On Wednesday nights during the school year, Mission Club gathers two-year-olds through kindergartners from 6:15 to 7:45 pm for Bible stories, real missionary stories, prayer, crafts, games, and hands-on mission projects designed to show preschoolers that God loves every person and that they can be part of His mission. Parenting classes meet at the same hour on Wednesdays during the school year. The MOM TO MOM mentoring program meets on Thursday mornings for mothers of babies through fourth-graders, with childcare available for a modest fee.
Elementary-age children, first through fifth grade, gather for Kids Connect Groups at 9:30 am and Kids Cove Worship at 11:00 am in Building B. The 11:00 hour opens in graded classrooms and then moves into a fast-paced, fun corporate worship time for everyone before wrapping up with activities that reinforce the lesson. On Wednesday nights during the school year, Kids Midweek meets at 6:15 pm. The In His Image Special Needs Ministry partners with families whose children have additional needs so that every kid can participate fully. The preschool and kids ministries together form a clear discipleship pathway in which children learn that God's Word is to be heard, known, and done.
Middle School and High School
Middle school students meet in ROC-308 at 9:30 and 11:00 am for identical Connect Groups, with encouragement to worship one hour and attend small group the other. On Wednesday nights, MSM gathers in the ROC Fellowship Hall at 6:15 pm. The ministry's purpose is to declare Christ to students, their families, and their schools by helping them understand the gospel and its impact through godly character, healthy relationships, a love for others, prayer, Bible study habits, and a life on mission.
High school students meet in The Studio, on the second floor of the church office above the offices and across the stairway from Starbucks. At 9:30 am, all ninth through twelfth graders gather in one large Connect Group. At 11:00 am, they break into smaller classes separated by gender and grade. Midweek for high schoolers runs from 6:15 to 7:45 pm in the ROC Fellowship Hall. Student Pastor Kevin Sherman describes the goal as partnering with parents to prepare students to launch into a life on mission.
College and Young Adults
A co-ed Bible study for college-aged young adults meets in The Studio on Sundays at 9:30 am. The Young Adults ministry exists to walk with men and women through the often unstable years of early adulthood, helping them find meaningful Christian community while they navigate school, careers, and family decisions.
Singles, Men, and Women
Singles in their thirties, forties, and beyond find a Connect Group called Undivided at 11:00 am in ROC Fellowship Hall B, a class for those who are dating, unmarried, divorced, or widowed and who want to know Jesus deeply. The Men's Ministry equips men to walk in a real and vibrant relationship with Jesus, lead their families spiritually, impact the marketplace, and leave a lasting legacy. Opportunities include Wednesday evening Bible studies, mission trips, Radical Mentoring groups, breakfast and coffee small groups, prison ministry, SportsLife events such as fishing and softball, and coaching Upward sports. The James Gang, sponsored by the FCBC Deacons, provides minor home repair, yard work, and handyman services for those who cannot afford a contractor or are unable to do the work themselves. The Gideons International, Three Circles gospel-sharing ministry, First Impressions, and the FC Men MidWeek Bible study all run under the men's umbrella. A bi-weekly Dads of Middle School and High Schoolers breakfast fellowship meets at Maple Street Biscuit Company on Racetrack Road at 6:30 am on alternating Tuesdays.
The Women's Ministry, directed by Karen Roy, organizes women's Bible studies, Discipleship Groups, and women-led events and retreats. Women-specific Sunday groups include Joyful Truth Seekers for women mostly sixty and above, Woman 2 Woman for small group discussion, Women Walking in the Word for in-depth study, and Crowns of Beauty for single mothers.
Prime Senior Adults
The Prime 60+ ministry exists for those in the third chapter of life who want to use their experience to serve the church and community. Senior adult Connect Groups meet on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 am. The ministry organizes dinners, trips for sightseeing and spiritual enrichment, needle workers, and fun nights, and reaches out to the homebound. The annual Prime Fall Retreat at the Billy Graham Conference Center at The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina is a flagship event that includes round-trip bus transportation, a special dinner and concert featuring Selah, and a three-day seminar with Mel Blackaby.
Connect Groups, D-Groups, and MidWeek
Connect Groups are the church's Sunday morning small group Bible studies. They meet at 9:30 and 11:00 am on campus, with classes for young adults, young married couples, parents of children and students, military and veterans, median adults, and senior adults. A Spanish-language ladies' Connect Group called Unidas por la Palabra meets on Wednesdays. Discipleship Groups, or D-Groups, are small gender-specific groups of three to five people who meet weekly for a season of intentional spiritual growth. Each D-Group spends time in fellowship, Bible engagement using the H.E.A.R. method, Scripture memory, accountability, and prayer, working through the Gospel Transformation Series. D-Groups are designed with multiplication in mind so that disciples become disciple-makers.
MidWeek on Wednesday nights is the second pillar of the church's discipleship strategy. Preschoolers attend Mission Club, elementary kids gather for Kids Midweek, students meet in the ROC Fellowship Hall, men's Bible studies run in parallel, D-Groups meet, and parenting classes are offered. The philosophy of Fruit Cove is that while many churches have seen Sunday School and Wednesday night programming decline, these small group opportunities at Fruit Cove are growing and serve as the backbone of the church.
The Cove: Walking Through Life's Hardest Questions
The Cove is the church's biblical counseling and care ministry, directed by Dr. Doug Kowieski, a Board Certified Pastoral Counselor and Board Certified Master Mental Health Coach. The Cove's pastoral and lay counselors have been trained through the American Association of Christian Counselors and provide Christ-centered, solution-focused counseling at no cost to the church and the community. Counseling is offered to adolescents and adults in the Annex Building at 210 N Ridgecrest Lane.
The Cove's Support and Recovery ministries include DivorceCare for those navigating divorce, GriefShare for those grieving a loss, Embrace Grace for single young women in an unexpected pregnancy, Re-engage for marriages in need of restoration, Celebrate Recovery for life issues, and Our Journey of Hope for those affected by cancer. The Enrichment track offers seminars on marriage, parenting, addiction, and other topics impacting the church and community. The ministry's approach is grounded in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, with a commitment to confidentiality and to speaking the truth in love.
CoveWorship and the Creative Arts
Worship at Fruit Cove is led by Worship Pastor Luke Littrell, whose team is built around Presence, Integrity, and Community. Worship is described as a whole-life response to God's mercy, not just songs but surrender. The team that gathers on Sundays includes vocalists and instrumentalists, a media team that manages online streaming, video production, and digital content, a live production associate who oversees audio, lighting, and technical elements, and a creative arts associate who coordinates graphics, stage design, and visual media. The Student Worship Pipeline invites students with a passion for music or production to learn, grow, and lead.
The church has produced an EP titled "Made For More (A Night of Worship)" and hosts seasonal Nights of Worship. The RightNow Media partnership gives the congregation free access to a streaming library of Bible teaching, Bible studies, and children's programming from leaders such as Andy Stanley, Bill Hybels, and Francis Chan, along with VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer.
SportsLife, Upward, and the ROC Gym
SportsLife Pastor Neil Muniz oversees a sports ministry built around Upward Sports, Fruit Cove Fitness, and a Golf Fellowship. Upward uses basketball, football, and cheerleading to share the gospel with players and families, drawing coaches, head and assistant referees, gospel sharers, and prayer partners from the church. The gym in the ROC Family Life Building is used by the Upward Sports program and by the community during open gym times. On weekday mornings, the Weekday Preschool uses the first floor facilities.
Forge Homeschool Ministry
Forge is the church's homeschool ministry, a community of Christian homeschoolers seeking God while growing in discipleship, service, and academic excellence. Forge offers academic classes on Tuesdays and enrichment classes on Wednesdays in core subjects plus electives, with class sizes capped at twelve students and a 12-week fall and 12-week spring rhythm. Families can participate as full academic and enrichment partners or as general ministry partners with access to field trips, play dates, parent events, and Bible studies. Partnerships with Christianbook.com (4% back to the ministry) and Masterbooks (30% discount) help families afford the biblically based curriculum, which spans from kindergarten through high school across subjects including science, history, literature, biology, American history, and American literature.
Missions: Local, National, and Global
The church's missional focus rests on Acts 1:8, framed between the Great Commission and the Great Multitude as the Great Pursuit. Five focus areas drive the work: church planting, church revitalization, university students, marketplace ministry, and compassion ministries. Local partners include City Rescue Mission, Dining With Dignity, First Coast Women's Services, school partnerships, Fostering Hope, and a weekly prison ministry.
Nationally and globally, the church partners with Redeemer Church St Johns, Gather Church, Hope Church, Radiant City Church in Miami, Village Church in Miami, Change City Church in Columbus, Guiding Light Church in Columbus, Guriga Nabadda in Columbus, Voyage in Montreal, Iglesia Vida and First Haitian in San Diego, Mesa Church in San Diego, Grace Emmanuel Church and Mosaic Church in Sydney, New Perspectives Church in Jacmel Haiti, Evan and Ruthanne McRae in Bristol England, Living Word Church in Cisterna di Latina Italy, Gospel City Church in Kuala Lumpur, and City Tent Church in South Asia. IMB missionaries serve in Ecuador, Guatemala, North Africa and the Middle East, Latin America, India, Malaysia, Haiti, Romania, Australia, and Central Asia. Mercyland Christian Mission in Haiti, Life Romania Ministries, and For The Children in Cuenca are also prayer and giving partners. The church has adopted the Afar people of Africa as a people group to pray for, with a prayer guide available to the congregation.
The Cooperative Program, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, and 1 More Child Mother's Day offering provide four-year fund streams, alongside Blessing Bags for the homeless, canned goods for area food banks, and grocery store gift cards. Online giving is available through direct draft from a checking or savings account or by credit card, and the church's giving partner is the same NCS Services platform used across many Southern Baptist churches.
Fostering Hope, In His Image, and Backing the Brave
Fostering Hope, led by Karen Roy, builds on the church's "Everyone Can Do Something" culture to come alongside foster and adoptive families. The ministry works with local child welfare agencies and like-minded organizations and partners with other churches to help launch foster care and adoption ministries. In His Image Special Needs Ministry welcomes and cares for individuals and families affected by special needs, providing environments where adults and children can learn about the love of Jesus. Backing the Brave ministers to military service members, veterans, first responders, and their families.
A History on State Road 13
In 1978, a small group of Baptists began meeting in homes in the Fruit Cove area. State Road 13 was then a quiet, scenic, two-lane highway. The fellowship quickly outgrew those living rooms and moved to the Switzerland Volunteer Fire Department, where charter member Sue Bailey later remembered freezing in the winter, sweltering in the summer, and listening to rain on the tin roof overpower the preacher's voice. The growing group became Fruit Cove Baptist Mission under the sponsorship of Southside Baptist Church in Jacksonville and formally constituted as a church in March 1983, calling Archer Thorpe as its first full-time pastor and purchasing nine acres along State Road 13.
The church's first building was completed in 1982 and an educational building was added three years later. On April 6, 1997, the 19th anniversary of the first meeting in the Switzerland fire station, the church dedicated its 15,000-square-foot fan-shaped worship center. On that day, Pastor Tim Maynard called it "a great day for us. But there will be many more. We do not see this building as an end product. We are at the beginning, not the end." On July 20, 2003, the church dedicated the ROC - the Reaching Our Community Family Life Building - an 18,000-square-foot facility that houses the preschool, youth, and adult Sunday School classrooms and is shared with Upward Sports and the community during open gym times. A Children's Building renovation followed, and a new expansion of the Worship Center and parking lots began in 2005.
Dr. Tim Maynard served as Lead Pastor for over thirty years. Dr. Heath Woolman arrived in June 2023 as the current Lead Pastor. A home Ministry congregation recently voted to purchase nineteen-plus acres in the fastest growing part of the county, about a twenty-minute drive south of the main campus, with plans for a vibrant gospel-centered ministry in that community. In 2024, the church broke ground on an expansion to the parking lot and the building of a new outdoor recreation pavilion on the property along State Road 13.