A 1924 Union on Main Street
United Baptist Church of Saco has stood at 318 Main Street since 1924, the year two earlier congregations came together as one. Cutts Avenue Baptist Church and Main Street Baptist Church merged that year, and the combined body has occupied the Main Street location ever since. A century later, the church describes itself with the phrase "Your Community. Your Church." and a tagline: "Connecting people and God. Together."
The church is a member of the American Baptist Churches, USA, a denomination it describes as "theologically moderate, yet evangelically oriented" with about 1.5 million members across the country. Although its roots are Baptist, the congregation's own membership draws from many different Christian backgrounds, and the church welcomes anyone seeking a church home or hoping to deepen a relationship with God.
What Sunday Morning Looks Like
Sunday worship is the center of life at United Baptist. The service begins at 10:00 AM during the school year, shifting to a 9:00 AM summer schedule that runs from the last Sunday of June through Labor Day weekend. The church observes the liturgical church year, holding special services during Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, and the bulletin describes Jesus Christ as Lord at the center of worship.
Preaching carries a high value in this Baptist tradition. The pastor brings a strong commitment to the preaching ministry, and the gathered order of worship each week is published in advance so members and visitors can follow along. Services are also livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person.
Following the service, the congregation gathers for a time of fellowship in the vestry, the large meeting space that anchors much of the church's communal life.
Children and Sunday School
Children are woven into Sunday morning rather than separated from it. During the early Gathering Hymns, children are invited forward to attend Sunday School, where they hear Bible stories, work on crafts, and share in worship time of their own. The program is in recess during the summer months but resumes when the 10:00 AM schedule returns the Sunday after Labor Day.
For the youngest children, the church maintains a nursery so parents can participate fully in worship with peace of mind.
Little Folk Nursery School
Tucked into the church's ministry is a separate preschool program: Little Folk Nursery School. The school operates from 12 Cross Street in Saco and runs from September through June, with limited spaces available each year. It is a ministry of United Baptist Church, and the church describes its mission as providing a positive early education experience where children can feel successful and flourish in all areas of development within a Christ-centered atmosphere.
The school builds its days around prayer, biblical references, teachings, and Christ-like role modeling, set within a strong academic curriculum. The program emphasizes that children learn through play and hands-on experience, and the staff works to keep families closely connected through a monthly calendar and a weekly newsletter that lets parents continue the discoveries at home.
Parents can reach the school directly at 207-282-4971 or by email at littlefolk@ymail.com.
Tuesday Bible Study and GriefShare
Adult formation happens midweek. A Tuesday morning Bible Study meets at 10:00 AM and is open to anyone, no matter how well they know the Bible. The group reads through books of Scripture together and occasionally walks through a study book; a recent season worked through The Story by Max Lucado, a chronological arrangement of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The study takes January off and resumes in February.
Alongside Bible study, the church hosts GriefShare, a 13-week faith-based support program for anyone grieving the death of a loved one. The current series has finished its run, with new sessions planned to begin in February. Interested participants are invited to speak with Beverly, the program coordinator.
Christian Education and Fellowship
The church treats Christian education as a lifelong endeavor. Its library, located off the vestry, is kept well-stocked and up to date as a learning resource for the whole congregation. Beyond the formal programs, a variety of fellowship groups are available to parishioners because, as the church puts it, "we all need the encouragement of fellowship with other Christians."
Laity and clergy share in ministry together. Men and women serve in full partnership, and parishioners are encouraged to recognize the gifts the Holy Spirit has given them. The congregation is led through a democratic congregational policy by four boards: Mission, Deacons, Christian Education, and Trustees, with every member entitled to a vote.
Mission Beyond the Building
United Baptist takes seriously what it calls the Great Commission, framing mission in the words "the Church exists for mission, as fire exists by burning." Locally, the church helps stock and administer the local food pantry, hosts a monthly food distribution, runs Little Folk Nursery School, and partners with the American Red Cross to host blood drives. It also shares in the wider American Baptist witness around the world.
Beliefs in Their Own Words
The congregation's Affirmation of Faith names the triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - as the primary focus of its mission. It commits to worshipping God joyfully through Jesus Christ, looking to Scripture for instruction and inspiration, educating and equipping people of all ages for discipleship, enjoying fellowship as friends in Christ, serving as beacons of hope and healing, and acting on the Great Commission locally and globally. The closing line sums up the aspiration: "loving, striving for peace, and working for justice in our personal relationships, civic responsibilities and corporate witness."
The church also affirms that Christian unity does not require uniformity, and that there is "plenty of common ground" with other denominations. That openness is part of what has shaped a Main Street congregation where, as the church says, "everyone is welcome at United Baptist Church, without exception."