New Bridge Baptist Church sits on Elko Road in Sandston, Virginia, just east of Richmond in Henrico County, and has been gathering under that name, in one form or another, since 1834. What began as a mission church composed largely of members from First Baptist Church of Richmond has grown into a multi-generational congregation that runs a K-12 Christian academy, a weekday preschool and daycare, a free food pantry, and dozens of ministries for children, students, adults, and seniors. The church's three-word motto - Love God, Learn Together, Serve Others - shapes everything from the Sunday schedule to the way members reach into their own community.
From Nine Mile Road to Elko Road
The story of New Bridge Baptist begins in the 1830s in eastern Henrico County. The original name of the congregation came from a road and a bridge that crossed the Chickahominy River; that road is known today as Nine Mile Road. In its first decade the small mission church dissolved, reorganized, and weathered the Civil War, during which its building was pressed into service as a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers. After the war the congregation reorganized in 1868 and carried on until 1892, when many of its members departed to form Highland Springs Baptist Church, which still meets in neighboring Highland Springs.
The church continued to form and disband over the next several years until Rev. M.J. Hoover was called as pastor in 1917. Hoover served for more than twenty-eight years and led the building of a brick sanctuary and classrooms on Nine Mile Road. The new building was dedicated the first Sunday of December 1924. Additional building projects followed, including an educational wing in 1949 and a larger sanctuary in 1962, and the church grew enough to add a second Sunday morning worship service.
Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, New Bridge kept adding ministries that the surrounding community needed. A Kindergarten program began in 1970, and when Henrico County Public Schools opened their own Kindergarten classrooms, the church shifted its program to nursery school. In 1975 the nursery school was combined with a day care program to form the Weekday Early Education Center (the WEE Center), which still operates today. A Family Life Center and additional education space were completed in the 1970s, and in 1978 the church sponsored a mission church in Chesterfield County that grew into Swift Creek Baptist Church.
During the pastorate of Dr. Gary Threatt, the church purchased land on Elko Road and prepared to relocate from its historic Nine Mile Road home. The old property was sold to Henrico County, and the final Easter service at Nine Mile Road was held in April 2001 - the same month the foundation was poured at Elko Road. After meeting for several months at Highland Springs High School while the new facility was under construction, the congregation celebrated Easter 2002 in the new church building at 5701 Elko Road and held a grand opening that June.
The new home opened the door to still more ministry. In 2004 the church established New Bridge Academy, a private Christian school serving students from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Pastor Rob Edwards was called as Lead Pastor in November 2009; he is the twenty-seventh full-time pastor in the church's history. His wife, Anne, teaches at New Bridge Academy, and under his leadership the church has continued its missions tradition with trips to Peru and Puerto Rico and with "A Touch of Hope," a local outreach that meets practical needs while sharing the gospel.
Love God: Sunday Worship at 10:30
Sunday morning at New Bridge follows a steady rhythm. Bible Study for all ages begins at 9:00 AM, followed by the worship service at 10:30 AM in the Worship Center, which is located to the right when entering the building. The congregation is casual and relaxed, and visitors are welcomed as they are. Each week a praise team and praise band lead music in a blended style, and the Senior Pastor preaches a biblically rooted message. Children in Kindergarten through fifth grade join their parents in the Worship Center for the opening of the service, then step out with the Children's Pastor to a Kid's Worship Room designed for their age group. A nursery is staffed during the 10:30 service for children from birth through four years.
For those considering membership, the church offers a three-week class called Membership Matters that covers what New Bridge believes and what it expects of members. Membership at New Bridge is open to baptized believers who complete the class and sign the membership covenant. Baptism is by immersion and is described in the church's statement of faith as a prerequisite for both membership and participation in the Lord's Supper.
Learn Together: Sunday Mornings, Midweek, and Beyond
The Sunday School hour at 9:00 AM is one of the busiest times on campus. Adult classes include the Discovery Class, the Berean Class, No Other Name, Resounding, the Redeemed Class (currently studying the Gospel of John), the Seeker Class, the Young Adults study in the Book of Revelation, and the Young Families class taught by Pastor Rob and Anne Edwards. Men's classes include the Gary Class, and women's classes include the Esther, Faith, and Flourish groups. Preschool Sunday School meets in the preschool and nursery area, and Children's Sunday School for K through fifth grade gathers in the Kid's Worship Room. Youth Sunday School for grades 6 through 12 meets in the Fellowship Hall. Most adult electives are built around Lifeway studies such as Explore the Bible, Bible Studies for Life, The Gospel Project, and Experiencing God.
Weeknight studies fill out the week. On Tuesdays, Covered Bridge hosts Marriage Matters at 7:00 PM at the Pearlswig home in Sandston, where couples and engaged pairs work through studies together. On Wednesdays at 7:00 AM a group of men meets for Bible study and fellowship at Cold Harbor Restaurant in Mechanicsville. At 6:30 PM on campus, ladies meet for God's Masterpiece (a study of Psalm 119) or Abide (a study of James), men gather in Room 210 for a Men's Christ Study working through Isaiah, and Marriage Matters meets upstairs in Room 204. On Thursdays at 10:00 AM a women's group studies Kelly Minter's "What Love Is" letters of John in the Conference Room. A Sunday afternoon Men's Fellowship Group at 4:00 PM and a parallel Women's Fellowship Group meet in the Conference Room and Kid's Worship Room respectively.
Pastor Rob maintains a daily Bible reading plan that walks through the Bible in a year, and the church's online bulletin carries the weekly sermon notes for those who want to follow along.
WEE Center and New Bridge Academy
Two ministries share the campus and the church's heartbeat. The WEE Center (Weekday Early Education Center), founded in 1975, provides full-time child care for children six weeks through five years of age and after-school care for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with pickup from Donahoe, Fair Oaks, Seven Pines, Sandston, Ward, and Quinton Elementary Schools. A part-time nursery school serves two-, three-, and four-year-olds. The center operates from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and parents from the center are invited into other church-sponsored programs that support them at home. Preschool Director Leslie Haynes oversees the program.
New Bridge Academy, established in 2004, occupies more than 51,000 square feet on the church's property. The academy offers Kindergarten through twelfth grade in a Christian setting, with elementary, middle school, and high school divisions. Classrooms are designed around smaller class sizes and natural light, the building includes a full gymnasium used for volleyball and basketball, and a fenced playground sits outside. Hot lunches are prepared daily in a fully inspected and certified kitchen. The academy serves as both a school and an extension of the church's discipleship mission for the families of the Sandston area.
Children, Students, and Young Adults
Beyond Sunday School and Wednesday nights, the Children's Ministry (K through fifth grade) runs M&M's (Music and Missions) on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 7:45 PM, where children learn music for the Sunday services, study missions, and complete mission projects. Vacation Bible School, Wacky Wednesdays, and a Children's Adventure Camp in August round out the year. Children's Pastor JD Sluss oversees the work, and Laurie Amadeo coordinates M&M's. Safety protocols include background checks for everyone who works with children and youth.
Students in grades 6 through 12 are part of the Youth Ministry, with their own small group Bible Study at 9:00 AM on Sunday mornings and student-led worship, games, large group Bible study, and community groups on Wednesday nights from 6:15 to 7:45 PM. Annual events include Week of Awesome, spring break trips, movie nights, and Youth Camp. Youth Pastor Jeremy Sluss and his team keep the schedule moving.
Young Adults ages 18 and older meet for Sunday School in Room 210 at 9:00 AM and gather for food, fellowship, and teaching on the last Friday of each month at 6:30 PM at the Cordeiro home.
Women, Men, and Marriage
The Women's Ministry at New Bridge is built around a number of groups that meet monthly for Bible study, mission action, or both. The WMU coordinates the church-wide missions involvement and partners with Eastern Henrico FISH. In addition to the Sunday and Wednesday studies already mentioned, Saturday Seminars are held from 9:00 AM to noon as "mini-retreats" for women of all ages.
The Men's Ministry centers on a Wednesday morning study at Cold Harbor Restaurant, a Sunday afternoon topical study in the Conference Room, and a Wednesday evening Men's Christ Study working through Isaiah. A Men's Breakfast is held periodically in the Fellowship Hall and is open to men of all ages.
The Covered Bridge Marriage Ministry, led by Mathew and Carmen Pearlswig, hosts Marriage Matters on Tuesday evenings at the Pearlswig home and Wednesday evenings at the church, and organizes periodic marriage retreats and seasonal movie nights for couples.
Seniors, Insight Outdoor, and the Wider Church
Senior adults at New Bridge have their own rhythms. YAH's (Young at Heart) meets several times a year at 10:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall for food and fellowship. The 55 Plus group adds a travel ministry, with past trips including a Nashville bus trip and Opryland visit, a Hawaiian cruise, and trips to the Sight and Sound Theater in Pennsylvania. The Faithful Friends Ministry to the Homebound visits members who cannot attend because of long-term illness, making a monthly connection.
The Insight Outdoor Ministry is built around hunting, fishing, and shooting sports. It hosts an annual sporting clays tournament, fishing and hunting excursions, hunter safety courses taught by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, and an annual banquet and ministry event each winter.
Serve Others: Food Pantry, FISH, and Beyond
Serving the surrounding community is a visible part of New Bridge's identity. The Free Food Pantry on campus is stocked with nonperishable groceries, baby essentials, household items, and personal care items, and is open to anyone in need. The pantry's donation list is updated regularly.
New Bridge partners with Eastern Henrico FISH, a coalition of local churches that provides a clothes closet, food pantry, and financial assistance to neighbors in the area. The church's WMU helps support FISH, and the congregation contributes monthly focus items such as shampoo and beef stew.
The Operation Christmas Child ministry collects shoebox gifts year-round, with monthly focus items and a green drop-off box in the church foyer. Members also serve the middle school next door, supporting teachers and students, and participate in the church's mission studies and action groups.
Faith Support Group and Prayer and Care
For those facing cancer, New Bridge hosts the Faith Support Group, a Christian support group for patients and caregivers facilitated by Jan Sullivan. The group meets at 10:00 AM on the second Tuesday of every month in the Conference Room.
The Prayer and Care ministries include United in Prayer, which meets at 10:00 AM on the first and third Wednesdays to pray for individuals, the church, and the community; an email prayer team with a weekly newsletter; the Bereavement Ministry, which provides hospitality and meals during a family's time of grief; and Faithful Friends visits to homebound members. Prayer requests can be submitted through the church's contact channels.
What New Bridge Believes
New Bridge Baptist Church is part of the Southern Baptist Convention and is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia. The church's statement of faith holds that the Bible is God's revelation, totally true and trustworthy, with Christ at its center. There is one true and eternal God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father reigns in providential care, the Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ for the redemption of sinners, and the Holy Spirit indwells believers, gifts them for service, and seals them until final redemption.
Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and those who are truly saved will persevere to the end. The church is described as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, governed by democratic processes and led by pastors and deacons, with baptism and the Lord's Supper as the two ordinances. Baptism is by immersion, and the Lord's Supper is open to all baptized believers. New Bridge teaches believer's baptism by immersion as a prerequisite for membership.
The church holds a complementarian view of marriage and the family, understanding marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman and reserving the offices of pastor and deacon to men. It also teaches that Scripture will one day be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns personally and visibly to judge the world, raise the dead, and receive the righteous into eternal life.
A Building Project on the Way
On November 5, 2023, the congregation voted to move forward with a new building proposal on the Elko Road campus. The total cost of the project is 4.5 million dollars, and the church is currently working with Henrico County on its Plan of Development. A 29:11 Legacy Fund has been set up to support the effort, and members gather on the 29th of each month at 11:00 AM and 11:00 PM to pray for the project and its funding. The goal of 2.5 million dollars in giving has been met, with additional commitments pushing the church close to its target.
Getting Involved
Visitors can expect a relaxed Sunday morning at New Bridge. Dress is casual. Nursery care is available during both Bible Study and the worship service for the youngest children, and preschoolers through fifth graders have their own Sunday School classes at 9:00 AM and their own worship time during the 10:30 service. The church office can be reached at 804-737-7331 or nbbc5701@gmail.com. The WEE Center and New Bridge Academy each have their own extensions, and a staff directory is available through the church's contact channels. Those who want to give can do so in person, by mail, through the church app, or through the online giving link, and there are regular opportunities to serve in greeter teams, chair teams, safety and security, choir, praise band, media, food pantry, and more.