Two Sunday Mornings, Two Sounds
Kiokee Baptist Church sits on Ray Owens Road in Appling, Georgia, where the rolling countryside of Columbia County meets the western edge of the Augusta metro area. The church holds two Sunday services each week, a Wednesday night program built around a fellowship meal, and dozens of small groups organized by age and stage of life. The motto "Declare. Demonstrate. Disciple." gives shape to everything from Sunday School to missions support.
The two services share one purpose: declaring the greatness of God through congregational worship while giving the body room for different musical tastes.
The 9 AM service centers on traditional hymns led by the Sanctuary Choir and Sanctuary Orchestra. The choir sings each week, presenting choral anthems and leading congregational singing. The orchestra accompanies the congregation and offers its own instrumental worship. Membership in both ensembles is open to singers with a willing heart and to instrumentalists who play at the high school level or beyond.
The 10:30 AM service is the Modern Service, led by the Kiokee Worship Band, a group the church describes as "the perfect mix between contemporary and traditional." Guitar, bass, percussion, keyboard, and vocalists fill out the band. The service's purpose is the same as the earlier hour; the difference is musical language.
The church deliberately refuses to limit itself to one form: "Different personnel lead our worship services - but you may encounter 'traditional' or 'contemporary' elements in either service. We hope and pray that this frees us from predetermined expectations, allowing us to offer genuine, heartfelt worship to our great God." Both services stream live on YouTube, and a sermon archive of recent series sits on the Kiokee Baptist Church channel.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
From August through May, Wednesday night at Kiokee is built around a sit-down meal and a wide choice of classes for every age. The schedule runs in this order:
- 5:00 to 6:15 PM - Wednesday Night Fellowship Meal. Recent menus have ranged from Tuscan chicken with steamed vegetables to tacos and nachos, pizza and salad, and BBQ chicken with mac and cheese. Reservations and cancellations go through the church office.
- 6:15 PM - Student Ministry for grades 6 through 12 in Building D.
- 6:30 PM - Midweek Discipling Groups. Babies through kindergarten fill rooms in Buildings A and B. GAs (girls in grades 1-5) gather in the Chapel. RAs (boys in grades 1-5) meet in the "5:20 Building" at the corner of White Oak and Ray Owens Road. Adults gather for Women: Moms in Prayer in B202, Women: "Jesus in Me" in B207, Men: Walk Worthy in C201, a co-ed Genesis study in B206, and a co-ed prayer time in B204.
- 7:30 PM - Sanctuary Choir rehearsal, open to anyone with a desire to sing. The Worship Band rehearses at the same hour.
The fellowship meal turns Wednesday evening into one of the most connective hours of the week - a place where members and newcomers sit together between corporate worship and small group study.
Discipling Groups Across the Week
Kiokee uses the umbrella term "Discipling Groups" for what were once Sunday School classes and small groups. The structure, content, and meeting times remain the same; the rebranding sharpens the goal.
On Sunday morning, groups run concurrent with both worship services. Children's offerings begin at birth and run by age group, with classes from Babies 0 to 9 months through fifth grade spread across Buildings A and B. The 10:30 hour consolidates first through fifth grades into the Chapel.
Middle and high school students meet by grade and gender at 9 AM in Building D - girls in D104 and D103, boys in D101 and D102 - taught from The Gospel Project curriculum.
Adults choose from more than fifteen co-ed, women's, men's, newly married, college, and senior adult classes meeting at 8, 9, or 10:30 AM. Options include Howard and Player in B201, Eddie Brown in B202, Wes Dant's twenty- and forty-something parents in B206, Grace Place (women, twenties and up) in B208, and Tony Lively's fifties-and-up class in the Fellowship Hall. The 8 AM hour hosts a senior adult class led by Tracy McDaniel in B206.
On Wednesdays, the adult cycle shifts: Walk Worthy for men, "Jesus in Me" for women, the co-ed Genesis study, and a co-ed prayer gathering fill the 6:30 hour.
Children and Students
Sarah Snellings directs the Children's Ministry. Sunday morning begins in age-graded classes and, for first through fifth graders at the 10:30 hour, a chapel-style worship gathering. Wednesday nights add GAs and RAs - the classic Southern Baptist missions education organizations - along with TeamKIDs for four- and five-year-olds and First Steps for two- and three-year-olds.
A Special Needs Ministry serves children whose disabilities make regular programs difficult. The ministry partners with families to provide one-on-one care on a rotating schedule and welcomes additional leaders, especially for the 5th-Sunday serving slots that come around four times a year. Vacation Bible School and a Retreat for rising fifth and sixth graders round out the year.
The Student Ministry, led by Student Pastor Rene Garcia, gathers grades 6 through 12 on Sunday morning in separate classes for middle and high, boys and girls, taught from The Gospel Project, and on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 PM in Building D. The Wednesday hour blends large-group teaching with breakout small groups led by adult coaches who work in pairs and are given the discussion questions each week. A Student Ministry Lake Day is held each summer at Wildwood Park, and a Fall Student Ministry Retreat takes the group off-campus for the weekend.
Senior Adults and Old Kiokee
Kiokee's Senior Adult Ministry keeps a year-round rhythm led by Wes Gardner and a team of volunteers.
Bible study meets at 9 AM on the first Tuesday of each month. The monthly meeting convenes at 10 AM on the third Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall - a devotional, games, speakers on subjects from tax law and pharmacy updates to safety, gardening, and crafts, followed by a covered-dish lunch. Two evening banquets punctuate the year: a combined Thanksgiving-Christmas banquet and a February Valentine banquet. Outreach visits to shut-ins and nursing homes happen on the fourth or fifth Tuesday of each month.
The May Old Camp Meeting, held at Old Kiokee Church, brings the seniors back to the historic grounds with old camp meeting singing, Bible readings, and a devotional speaker, followed by dinner on the grounds.
The senior adults also run a North Columbia Elementary School Partnership, hosting staff luncheons in August and June, making and delivering gift bags at Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter, and helping with the school's Fall Festival and Santa Gift Wrap each December. Other partnership service includes reading to students, tutoring, sorting music, and assisting with classroom tasks as teachers need.
Women, Men, and LILY Moms
The Women's Ministry exists "to declare the greatness of God as He transforms lives by loving and reaching people and making disciples of Jesus." Two Sunday morning Bible studies anchor the week: Grace Place (women twenties and up) in Room B208, and the Brake and Welsh class for women in their forties and up in Room C207. Wednesday offerings include Moms in Prayer in B202 and "Jesus in Me" in B207.
LILY Moms builds community among mothers of children from conception through kindergarten, meeting twice a month at 10 AM in the Small Fellowship Hall. A fall retreat at Rock Eagle each year centers on a book of the Bible.
The Men's Ministry sees discipleship as something that happens shoulder to shoulder. Brotherhood breakfasts on Sunday morning give men an encouraging message over a hearty meal. K-Groups (Koinonia groups) meet through the week for fellowship and Bible study. The annual Men's Gathering is a weekend retreat for men of the church to grow in Christ together. Outdoor ministries connect men through shared interests: Appling Archers (a bowhunting fellowship), Kiokee Klaybusters and the annual Klaybusters Shoot, and the Kruise-In classic-car day. Men's Monthly Dinners gather at "The Store" on Ray Owens Road, where the meat is provided and attendees bring a side or dessert.
Music and Tech Volunteers
Wes Gardner oversees Music and Discipleship. Three ensembles serve the Sunday services: the Sanctuary Choir (weekly at 9 AM), the Sanctuary Orchestra (weekly at 9 AM), and the Worship Band (10:30 AM). Choir and band rehearsals run Wednesdays at 7:30 PM; the orchestra rehearses Sunday mornings at 11:00.
Volunteers also keep the lights, slides, sound, and IT running. The Audio/Visual Team operates the sound system, ProPresenter presentation software, lighting, and Children's Ministry check-in, with openings on the Sound Engineer, ProPresenter Operator, Lighting Technician, and Creative Media and Digital Technology teams. No prior experience is needed; training is provided.
For study outside Sunday morning, the church provides free access to RightNow Media, a streaming library of Bible study, marriage, parenting, and youth video content.
Missions Across the CSRA
Kiokee's Missions ministry supports a long list of Central Savannah River Area partners and missionaries. CSRA partners include Campus Outreach at GRU, CSRA Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Augusta Rescue Mission, Garden City Rescue Mission, Broad Street Ministries, Augusta Care Pregnancy Center, Christ Community Health Services, Julie's House, Head of the Giant Ministry, The International Link, Christian Learning Centers of Augusta, and iCare for the Voiceless.
Supported missionaries and organizations include Kathryn Cheney with Artists in Christian Testimony International, SWAT Ministries, Penfield Christian Home, Logoi Ministries, Christian Medical and Dental Associations, No Longer Orphans, Global Media Outreach (Mike and Cindy Skinner), and Gospelink, Inc. Those looking to serve on a short-term trip can apply through the church's Volunteer Missions Service Application.
Alongside Ministry and the Jail Ministry
The Alongside Ministry offers behind-the-scenes care for families in crisis. Volunteer teams of 12 to 16 people provide practical help - errands, transportation, pharmacy pickups, yard work, handyman tasks - to families caring for a seriously ill loved one. Each team has trained leaders and a calendar to pace the service across weeks. Alongside volunteers also offer encouragement visits and spiritual care.
The Jail Ministry encourages men and women held at the Columbia County detention center. Monthly visits, written cards around holidays, and one-on-one mentoring after release are the main outlets.
Closer to home, the Lord's Supper Ministry supplies the crackers and juice used in Communion services, and the Hospitality Team coordinates meals and snacks at ministry events through the year.
Belonging, Membership, and Beliefs
The New Here intake walks first-time guests through a short form and a follow-up from the church office. The onboarding track includes becoming a follower of Jesus, baptism, church membership, and exploring what Kiokee teaches. The Kiokee Information Class, run annually for those pursuing membership, gathers a new cohort each year for teaching on the church's beliefs, polity, and expectations.
The church's belief structure rests on essentials - God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, human beings, salvation, eternal security, and eternity - with a stated commitment to unity on the essentials, liberty on non-essentials, and charity in all things.
Kiokee is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention nationally and the Georgia Baptist Convention at the state level.
Getting Connected
A parking lot greeter directs first-time arrivals. Greeters and ushers meet guests before each service, and a Welcome Center helps families find the right Discipling Group and check in their children. Golf-cart drivers help during special events.
Volunteering is the most direct path into the life of the church. Audio/Visual Team openings, Children's and Preschool Ministry classrooms, Sunday School teacher substitutes, Student Ministry small group leaders, and the Welcome Center are roles frequently open. Alongside Ministry, Jail Ministry, and the Hospitality Team take new volunteers regularly. Choir and orchestra membership is open year-round.
Office hours run Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and the office is closed on Fridays. Members and guests give online through the church's Realm giving portal or by check at the offering plate each Sunday morning. First-time visitors are welcomed by name when they fill out the connection form, and the New Here page links to the same form used for prayer requests and information on baptism, membership, and following Jesus.