Lozier Lane Baptist Church sits on its own street in Medford, Oregon, at 794 Lozier Lane, where it has been a fixture in the Rogue Valley for more than seven decades. The congregation gathers under the motto "Leading Others Zealously Into Everlasting Relationships," a phrase that captures both the church's evangelistic focus and its Baptist identity. On a typical Sunday, the doors open for Sunday School at 9:45 a.m., the main worship service follows at 11:00 a.m., and the building stays busy through Wednesday nights and a string of weekday groups. A Facebook livestream lets those at home join in as well.
Seventy-Three Years on Lozier Lane
The church puts its history in plain terms: "For 73 years, we've been helping spread God's good news here in our hometown and throughout the world." That would put the founding in the early 1950s. The congregation's stated hope is "to see people come to know Jesus Christ and grow in their Christian faith," and the church welcomes "people of all sizes, stripes and colors," whether they have been in church for years or have not stepped into a sanctuary in decades. The simple, direct language of the church's own writing is the clearest picture of who it is.
Pastor Michael Franell and the Church Family
The senior pastor is Michael "Mike" Franell, who has led the church since May 2004. He and his wife Teri met while he was studying at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and both grew up in Southern Baptist pastor households. Michael became a Christian at nine, Teri at eleven. After law school in Portland and a stint pastoring First Southern Baptist Church in Fruitland, Idaho, the couple moved to the Rogue Valley in the fall of 2003 when Michael took a position as Ashland City Attorney. They answered the call to Lozier Lane Baptist the following year.
The Franells have built a large family of their own - three biological children and eight adopted through the Oregon foster care system - and that family-oriented approach carries into the church's ministry. "Michael and Teri have a real heart for children and youth, and much of their ministry has been devoted to developing children and youth to serve the Lord." Beyond Lozier Lane, Michael maintains a law practice alongside his pastoral work.
Sundays on Lozier Lane
A typical Sunday at the church follows a steady rhythm. Sunday School classes begin at 9:45 a.m. and run until 10:45 a.m., giving families and adults a focused hour of Bible teaching before the main gathering. The worship service starts at 11:00 a.m. and includes congregational singing, prayers, and preaching. "All parts of our service are grounded in the Bible, which we are committed to upholding." A Sunday Evening Bible Study meets at 6:00 p.m. for those who want a second Sunday gathering.
Greeters meet first-time visitors at the door and help them find the nursery, restrooms, sanctuary, and the coffee that follows the service. The nursery is fully staffed, and parents are invited to leave young children there with confidence. After the service, congregants linger over coffee and conversation, a chance to meet the pastor and other members.
Wednesdays: Bible Study and Activities for All Ages
Wednesday is the church's other main gathering day. At 6:30 p.m. the church runs two things at once: a Wednesday Bible Study for adults, and an overlapping block called Adult, Youth and Children's Activities that runs from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The combined structure lets families with students arrive together and split off into their own groups - adults digging into Scripture while youth and children have age-appropriate programming in other rooms.
A separate Women's Bible Study meets Wednesday mornings at 11:00 a.m., giving women of the church a mid-morning option for study and conversation.
Investing in the Next Generation
Pricilla Franell serves as the church's Youth Director, working with teens to "create a space where students feel welcomed, valued, and encouraged to grow in their faith." Her approach mixes teaching, events, and simply spending time together, with a goal of helping students "develop a biblically strong, lasting foundation in their walk with Christ." Outside of ministry, she and her husband have five children and enjoy camping, hiking, and dirt biking in the southern Oregon outdoors.
Children's ministry is co-directed by Pat Stancel, who also serves as the church's Office Administrator. The Kid's Ministry team runs alongside the nursery during the Sunday School hour and the Wednesday night activities, giving the church a continuous ministry to children from birth through high school.
Lydia Ladies on Tuesdays
Each Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. until noon, the Lydia Ladies group meets at the church. Named in the tradition of the New Testament Lydia, the gathering offers the women of the church a regular midweek touchpoint for fellowship and study. Members describe it as a steady rhythm of conversation and prayer that complements the Wednesday morning Women's Bible Study and the monthly women's prayer gathering.
Men's Group at BlackRock Coffee
The men's ministry takes a different shape. Every Sunday morning from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., the men's group gathers at BlackRock Coffee Bar, located at 151 Rossanley Drive in Medford. The early-morning coffee setting is intentional, putting men around a table before the day's work begins and giving the group a place to talk through life and faith outside the church walls. The church also keeps its men connected through a monthly prayer breakfast on the first Saturday of each month at 8:00 a.m.
First Saturdays Together
The first Saturday of every month is full at Lozier Lane. The men's prayer breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m., and a women's prayer breakfast - sometimes listed as a women's prayer brunch running until noon - follows at 10:30 a.m. The same Saturday also hosts TOPS, a weight-loss support group that meets at the church. Together the day gives members three reasons to be on Lozier Lane in a single morning.
The Prayer Wall
The church maintains an online Prayer Wall where members and visitors can submit requests and others can mark that they have prayed. The wall carries ongoing requests for healing, family struggles, guidance, and provision - the everyday concerns of a small congregation caring for one another. A visitor can fill out a request online and choose whether to share their name publicly, anonymously, or keep the request off the wall entirely.
Online Giving and the Church App
Lozier Lane Baptist offers online giving through a secure portal where members can set up one-time or recurring gifts from a bank account or debit card. Donations can go to the church's general fund or be designated to a specific project. The in-service offering still passes the plate for those who prefer to give by cash or check. A church app, "Our Church by ChurchDev," is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for members who want sermon audio, event updates, and the church directory on their phones.
Sermons and the Sunday Livestream
Sermons are posted to the church's YouTube channel and to Facebook, with videos available for past services by Pastor Franell and occasional guest speakers like Robert VanLandingham. Archived services on the sermons page stretch back through the summer of 2021. The livestream itself runs on Facebook: a countdown begins at 10:50 a.m. Pacific time, and the broadcast starts at 10:55 a.m. Those who cannot attend in person can watch live or catch the recording during the week. The church's Facebook page is the main hub for that stream.
What a First-Time Visitor Should Know
Visitors arriving for the 11:00 a.m. Sunday service can expect greeters at the door, a fully staffed nursery for young children, a Bible-centered service with congregational singing and preaching, and coffee afterward in the fellowship area. The dress is whatever the visitor is comfortable in - the church makes no requirement. Parking is available at the church property on Lozier Lane. For those who cannot attend in person, the service is livestreamed on Facebook every Sunday morning, and recordings are uploaded to YouTube during the week.
The church's contact details are straightforward: the office can be reached at (541) 773-4778 or by email at lozierlanebaptist@gmail.com, with the pastor reachable at mike@lozierlanebaptist.com. The address is 794 Lozier Lane, Medford, OR 97501.
A Simple Hope, Steady and Long-Running
Lozier Lane Baptist's own self-description comes down to a single line: a simple hope that people will come to know Jesus Christ and grow in their Christian faith. After more than seven decades on the same lane in Medford, that hope is still what drives the schedule, the sermons, the midweek studies, the monthly breakfasts, and the prayers that fill the church's online wall week after week.