At 8025 New La Grange Road, across from Lyndon City Hall in Lyndon, Kentucky, Lyndon Baptist Church is known for putting its motto, “Experience the grace... Share the love,” into practice. Sunday worship begins at 10:45, with Korean and Liberian worship at 11, while the church’s ministries extend into prayer, study, benevolence, handmade goods, music, and partnerships serving Louisville.
Grace Is a Shared Way of Life
Lyndon Baptist Church describes itself as a family experiencing God’s grace together through good times, hard times, and the ups and downs of life. It holds that all people need relationships grounded in a secure relationship with God. Its welcome extends across backgrounds and stages of the spiritual journey: people may come seeking belonging, ask questions without judgment, or simply want to be around people who care.
The church’s welcome is rooted in its statement that Christ loved people first and came not to condemn and judge, but to serve and heal. Lyndon Baptist expresses that life through four connected practices:
- Worship includes far more than music. The church understands worship as anything done to glorify God. Because Jesus commands love for God with heart, soul, mind, and strength and love for neighbor as oneself, showing compassion and kindness to everyone is an act of worship.
- Prayer is a conversation with God that includes speaking and listening. The church believes God speaks through the Bible, the Holy Spirit, other people, and present circumstances.
- Service puts faith into action. Because God loves all people, the church seeks to show love by offering help without conditions.
- Evangelization goes beyond telling people about Jesus. It means walking alongside people in their spiritual journey toward accepting and knowing Jesus and developing a richer faith, rather than trying to fill Sunday seats.
A 10:45 Sunday Service That Makes Room for the Visitor
The service begins at 10:45, and regular arrivals start around 10:30. A first Sunday can be used to find the building and get comfortable before worship. Clothing is intentionally informal and varied: sweats, suits, and traditional Liberian dress all appear in the congregation. Visitors may sit in the back or on the front row, and the church offers to have someone sit with them during the service.
Scripture shapes the order of worship through the Revised Common Lectionary. Sunday readings usually include a Psalm, an Old Testament passage, a New Testament letter, and a gospel. Reading one of the gospels from beginning to end takes a year, while the lectionary covers a large portion of the New Testament over three years. Responsive readings add call-and-response moments for congregational prayer, confession, or sharing a Bible passage.
During the passing of the peace, attendees wish peace and goodwill to one another. The familiar custom is a handshake and “Peace to you,” or simply “Peace.” No particular words are required.
Deacons serve Communion on the first Sunday of every month and on certain holidays. The congregation need not be church members to receive it, while the church’s stated participation practice is for baptized Christian believers. Deacons serve people where they sit, so individuals can hold their elements until the pastor leads the congregation together in prayer. The service then continues with the Lord’s Prayer and the Doxology. The 10:45 worship gathering is also livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.
Korean and Liberian Worship at Eleven
At 11 on Sunday, the church holds Korean Worship and Liberian Worship in addition to its 10:45 service. These gatherings reflect the congregation’s varied cultural and linguistic life, a diversity also visible in the range of clothing described for Sunday mornings.
Occasionally, Lyndon Baptist joins Hanmaeum Korean Baptist Church for a bilingual Sunday gathering. Songs, Scripture, and sermons may be presented in both Korean and English. The congregation then goes downstairs for a shared meal that includes bulgogi from Hanmaeum, turning the service into an expression of the unity the two churches value.
Music That Holds Classical, Gospel, Hymns, and Praise
The music ministry serves during Sunday morning and Wednesday night services, Christmas and Easter programs, and community ministry events with other churches. Music is treated as a way to express feelings and love for God that words alone cannot always carry.
A Sunday service may include a Bach flute sonata played by Dr. Sylvia Kim, the classic hymn “How Great Thou Art,” the modern hymn “In Christ Alone,” and the praise song “How Great Is Our God.” The choir may sing an anthem written by composer-in-residence Dr. Phil Landgrave or gospel music led by organist Myshael Brownell.
Rev. Derek Harris serves as Associate Pastor for Music and plays guitar. The wider team also includes Dr. Sylvia Kim at piano, Victor Isaac on drums, James Kang on bass, Myshael Brownell at organ, and the Lyndon Baptist Choir.
The resulting style is intentionally blended. The church values the poetry of older hymns while also using contemporary praise music, and it makes room for instrumental music, gospel, and choral selections. Different backgrounds within the congregation contribute to a wide range of worshipful music.
Supper at 5:30 and Prayer at 6:30 on Wednesday
Wednesday begins with a fellowship meal at 5:30, followed by the church prayer service at 6:30. These recurring gatherings extend the church’s life beyond the Sunday gathering and give worship, conversation, and prayer a shared place in the week.
Lyndon Baptist understands prayer as more than asking God for help. It is a conversation that includes listening as carefully as speaking. The church believes God communicates through the Bible, the Holy Spirit, other people, and present circumstances.
Informal groups gather at the church throughout the week for prayer, while the Wednesday service serves as the formal church prayer gathering. Its theology is grounded in Jesus’ promise that he is present when people gather in his name.
Sunday School, Home Studies, and an Ongoing Ladies’ Class
Sunday School begins at 9:30, before the 10:45 worship service. A variety of classes are taught by church teachers who guide participants toward a fuller understanding of the Bible. The Sunday morning gathering forms one part of the church’s wider emphasis on learning what God is saying through Scripture.
Beyond Sunday School, periodic weekly Bible studies meet in church members’ homes, and an ongoing ladies’ Bible study is part of the church’s regular life. Individual studies often follow a formal curriculum selected by the group leader.
Benevolence, Quilts, and Visits for Homebound People
Lyndon Baptist’s benevolence ministry operates a special fund for people facing unexpected financial need. Assistance may cover a basic need such as a meal or a bus ticket, and people can meet with Dr. Jim Holladay to discuss the request. Receiving help has no church membership or Christian faith requirement.
The Quilters and Knitters make blankets and garments for people in need. Their Monday group, Mary Adkins Quilters, combines friendship with practical work, approaching each handmade item with love and prayer. The church describes these objects as both useful and personal gifts for the people who receive them.
Another ministry, Shepherd’s Hands, visits people who are unable to attend church because of illness. This is part of the church’s wider understanding that help can be emotional, practical, financial, material, or spiritual.
The church draws a distinction between receiving help and serving through a ministry. Many serving roles require church membership, while new quilters, knitters, and fill-in musicians are welcome to participate.
Partnerships Extend the Work of Love
Lyndon Baptist partners with organizations serving Louisville so that support can reach people who may not attend a church in Lyndon. The partnership emphasis reflects Psalm 133’s call for God’s people to live together in unity.
People in the church give money and needed items, pray for the wider community, and volunteer at events. When the church cannot provide a resource directly, its partner network offers another way to connect people with assistance.
A Full Week of Shared Tables, Groups, Music, and Study
Sunday worship is only one part of the church’s rhythm. The rest of the week includes fellowship groups, recovery meetings, choir practice, study, senior worship, and seasonal assistance:
- Monday: Mary Adkins Quilters meets at 9:00.
- Tuesday: Al Anon groups gather at 9:30 and 1:30. On the second Tuesday of each month, Healing Friends meets at noon at Cheddar’s.
- Thursday: Joyous Singers, the senior adult choir, rehearses from 9:30 to 11:30 during the September-through-May season.
- Saturday: Korean School of Louisville meets from 9:30 to 12:30 during the August-through-May season.
- Sunday: Worship is also held at 4:00 at Sunrise Senior Living of Louisville.
- Annual tax assistance: AARP Tax Aide operates from 9:30 to 2:30 between February 1 and April 15 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Lyndon Baptist Church’s week connects Sunday worship and Sunday School with weekday prayer, study, music, shared meals, recovery groups, seasonal tax help, and care for people unable to attend. At Lyndon Baptist Church, grace is shared through worship, relationships, music, prayer, and practical service.