Unity Baptist Church sits on 29th Street in the South Ashland neighborhood of Ashland, Kentucky, where it has gathered for worship since 1837. Out of the old Poage Settlement, generations of believers have built a multi-generational house of hope that today serves families, students, children, and senior adults from across Boyd County. The church's motto - LOVE. LEARN. LIVE. SHARE. - captures the steady rhythm of a congregation that has spent nearly two centuries pointing its community to Jesus Christ.
A Mission Wrapped in Four Words
Unity's mission is short enough to memorize: "Loving, Learning, Living, and Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ." For the pastors and members here, those verbs are not slogans but a daily practice. Loving means treating every neighbor as image-bearer of God. Learning means digging into Scripture together in age-appropriate groups every week. Living means letting the gospel shape how members work, raise children, and serve their neighbors. Sharing means taking the message of Christ beyond the building to Ashland, the tri-state area, and the ends of the earth.
Senior Pastor Heath Bauer puts it this way: "Leading generations to make disciples of Jesus Christ in all the world." Under his preaching, the church keeps its focus on three durable habits - evangelism, discipleship, and raising up committed Christians of every generation.
Sunday Morning at Unity
Sunday is built around two anchors. Community Groups for every age meet at 9:15 am, giving children, students, and adults a chance to study the Bible in a generational classroom. Worship gathers everyone together at 10:30 am for singing, prayer, and preaching.
Worship at Unity is multigenerational by design. The Worship Arts Ministry offers a place for many callings: a children's choir, an adult Celebration Choir, a praise band, an orchestra, handbells, drama, and special seasonal events. Whether a worshipper connects best with a hymn or a modern arrangement, there is room at Unity to lend a voice or an instrument.
For anyone who cannot be in the pews, every Sunday service is livestreamed online, and past services are archived so worshippers can revisit a sermon or sing along with a favorite song. The church also publishes a sermon podcast that includes both Sunday and Wednesday teachings.
Wednesday Nights for the Whole Family
Wednesday is when Unity pulses with midweek ministry. Children's programs begin at 6:15 pm, giving parents a window to attend adult gatherings at the same time. At 6:30 pm, three things happen at once: a Prayer Meeting, the Discipleship Groups (called D-Groups), and Unity Studentz for grades 7 through 12.
Prayer Meeting is a no-frills gathering for united prayer. D-Groups are intentionally small - two to four men meeting with men, or two to four women meeting with women - for Bible study, scripture memory, journaling, and accountability. Unity Studentz is the student ministry's midweek large-group gathering for middle and high schoolers.
Unity Kidz: A Whole-Orchestra Approach to Children's Ministry
Amber Bauer, Unity Kidz Director and ACBC-certified biblical counselor, oversees a children's ministry that begins in the nursery and runs through sixth grade. The philosophy is partnership with parents rather than a drop-off program. "We work with you to help you enjoy a fulfilling relationship with your children and to point their hearts to Christ," she explains.
A typical week can include nursery care, Children's Church, Children's Community Hour, AWANA, Children's Choir, and a Wednesday night Story and Craft Hour. Summer brings Backyard Bible Clubs and a Parents' Night Out. Seasonal emphases such as Children in Action round out the calendar.
Safety is built into the structure. Every children's worker has been a church member for at least several months, completed a background check (run through Protect My Ministry), been personally interviewed, and is paired with an unrelated partner in the classroom. Children are never left alone with a single adult, and workers receive ongoing training in ministry and child security.
Unity Studentz: 7th Through 12th Grade
Unity takes seriously the statistic often quoted in youth ministry circles - that a large share of students active in church during high school fall away during the college years. Unity Studentz is built as a holistic ministry for middle and high schoolers, mixing small-group discipleship with large-group gatherings, retreats, mission trips, and outreach events. Students are invited to see themselves as the church of today, not just the church of tomorrow. Recent summers have included mission trips to Myrtle Beach through IMPACT, giving students a hands-on window into what it means to serve.
Discipleship at Two Depths
Unity runs two complementary group systems. Community Groups are the front door. They are generational, meet mostly on Sunday mornings at 9:15 am (with some meeting during the week in homes), and aim at four habits: love God, grow together, serve others, and go share. There is a group for preschoolers through senior adults, and the leaders and other attendees are described as "a great cornerstone of stability and friendships."
D-Groups are the deeper dive. These are tight circles of two to four same-gender participants plus a trained facilitator. They meet during the week and emphasize Bible study, scripture memorization, and accountability. The image the church uses is a thirsty traveler finding living water - spiritual growth that the casual sources of life cannot satisfy.
What Unity Believes
Unity subscribes without revision to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the confession of faith shared across the Southern Baptist Convention. The full statement is published on the church's teaching page, with articles on the Bible as the inspired, true, and trustworthy Word of God; the one true God revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the person and work of Jesus Christ; the person and work of the Holy Spirit; the dignity of man as God's image-bearer and the reality of human sin; salvation by grace through faith in Christ (regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification); God's purpose of grace and the perseverance of believers; the church as an autonomous local body of baptized believers with baptism and the Lord's Supper as its two ordinances; the Lord's Day; the Kingdom of God; the last things; evangelism and missions; Christian education; stewardship; cooperation among churches; the Christian and the social order; religious liberty; and the family as the foundational institution of human society, defined as the covenant union of one man and one woman.
In summary: Scripture is the final authority, salvation is in Christ alone by grace alone through faith, baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances for believers, and every member of the church has a part in sharing the gospel with the world.
Reaching Out and Giving Back
Unity describes itself as a "multi-generational house of hope for the South Ashland community." That hope takes practical shape: a guest-friendly Starting Point desk, free community events such as the annual Spring Carnival open to the whole neighborhood, mission partnerships through the International Mission Board during the Bauers' years in China and Malaysia, and ongoing outreach to the families and neighborhoods of Boyd County.
Online giving is available through a PayPal giving page, and the Realm Connect app provides a directory and communication tool for church members. Visitors who want to take a next step can fill out a PLAN YOUR VISIT form online or stop by the Starting Point desk on Sunday morning.
Planning a Visit
Guests are warmly expected. The church's guest page invites first-time visitors to stop by the Starting Point desk in the front lobby for a free gift and a chance to share a little about themselves. Guest parking is clearly marked in the front parking lot, and the Starting Point team is ready to help from the car to the sanctuary.
Services are held in English. Dress is generally casual to business casual - families in jeans sit alongside those in ties, and the worship style is a blend of traditional and contemporary elements. Children are welcomed from the nursery through sixth grade, with a full Unity Kidz program during the Sunday Community Group hour and the morning worship service, plus Wednesday night programming.
The building at 2320 29th Street has been the steady home of this congregation for nearly two centuries. Visitors will find a church that still believes the work of making disciples is worth doing one generation at a time.