A Church on Highway 80
Faulkville Baptist Church sits at 144 Zeigler Road in Bloomingdale, Georgia, just off Highway 80, in an area where fields and pastures once stretched toward the coast. The neighborhood around the church has changed considerably since the congregation was formed in 1971, with houses going up on every side and the church now drawing members from Bloomingdale, Pooler, and the surrounding corners of Chatham, Effingham, and Bryan Counties.
The church has been led by a succession of pastors over the years, including F.M. Taylor, Battey Bragg, Eddie Deas, Dan Johnson, Wayne Reynolds, Darnell Barner, Albert Hill, Randall Jeffers, and Chad Vanderburg. Brother Chad Vanderburg was called as pastor on June 1, 2018, and serves alongside Associate Pastor Randall Jeffers. The church describes the work of building God's kingdom in Faulkville as a continuing partnership between each generation of members and the men and women who have served from the pulpit.
Sunday Mornings in Bloomingdale
Worship on Sunday follows a steady rhythm. Sunday School classes for every age begin at 9:45 a.m., and a worship service follows at 11:00 a.m. The 11:00 a.m. worship service is broadcast live on Facebook each Sunday morning, so members who cannot be present can still join from home.
Children are part of the morning from the start. After gathering in the sanctuary for fellowship at the beginning of the service, they are dismissed for Children's Church, which begins around 11:30 a.m. A puppet ministry brings Bible stories to life on the first Sunday of each month.
Wednesday evenings are a second gathering point in the week. Choir practice begins at 6 p.m., and three things happen at 7 p.m.: a mid-week prayer and Bible study for adults, the K.I.D.S. Connection for children, and CREW Youth Ministry for teenagers. The CREW meetings include a half hour of Bible study followed by games and fellowship at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday School: Classes from Nursery to Senior Adults
Sunday School is treated as the backbone of the church. The program's stated purpose is to create small group environments that promote spiritual growth through in-depth Bible study, developing personal relationships, and training believers to serve and share Jesus Christ with others. Fellowship time starts at 9:30 a.m., with classes meeting at 9:45 a.m.
Several classes are open to visitors. The Joy Class is a women's class of mostly senior ladies, taught by Sheila Lowe. Overcomers is a mixed group of men and women aged fifty and older, meeting in the Brides Room. Life Application gathers single and married adults aged thirty-one and older for open discussion. Youth is taught by a minister of the gospel for students in grades six through twelve. Younger Boys and Girls covers grades one through three, Preteens covers grades four and five, Preschool covers ages three through five, and a Nursery class is available for newborns through two-year-olds.
A Van Ministry picks up adults and senior citizens who can no longer drive, as well as children who need a ride. Anyone who needs the service can call the church office to arrange it.
K.I.D.S.: Helping Kids Along the Way
The children's ministry is called K.I.D.S., an acronym that stands for Knowing God and His Word, Involved in Friendship and Fellowship, Developing Our Gifts, and Serving our Church and Community. It is open to children in kindergarten through fifth grade, with sixth graders crossing over into the youth ministry.
Children gather on Sunday mornings for Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. and Children's Church around 11:30 a.m., and on Wednesday evenings for the K.I.D.S. Connection at 7 p.m. Wednesday evenings blend Bible study with games, puppets, skits, crafts, missions, music, and real-life application. Sunday evenings are reserved for the Celebrate and Serve program, which teaches children how to observe holidays as Christians and how to love and serve their neighbors. Children's Director Jennifer Vanderburg leads the ministry.
The annual Vacation Bible School is a highlight of the summer. The 2026 program, "In the Wild," met on Thursday evenings in June from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with a Family Night on the final evening. Scripture memory, the ABC's of becoming a Christian (Admit, Believe, Confess), and sharing the gospel with others are woven into every class.
CREW Youth Ministry
Teenagers in grades six through twelve are part of CREW Youth Ministry, an acronym for Christians Ready, Equipped and Willing. The ministry has a three-fold purpose: to help students connect with the local church, to grow in their life in Christ, and to serve others in tangible ways.
CREW meets on Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m. for Sunday School, joins the 11:00 a.m. worship service, and returns on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. for Bible study, followed by games at 7:30 p.m. Youth Leader Kaety Mason oversees the program. Fundraisers for summer camp include chicken dinners, spaghetti dinners, pancake breakfasts, yard sales, and car washes.
Students are encouraged to attend conferences and retreats beyond the church walls, including Go Tell in Toccoa, IMPACT in Macon, Disciple Now weekends, The Move Conference in Macon between Christmas and New Year's, and SUPERWOW summer camp on Jekyll Island.
Young at Heart
Adults aged fifty-five and older are invited to Young at Heart, a fellowship that meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 10:00 a.m. Meetings typically include a devotion, a short business meeting, a game or two, a program, and lunch. The group celebrates birthdays with a card and song, marks holidays in festive ways, and takes regular trips together.
Past excursions have included fishing trips to Colson's Pond, the Georgia Aquarium, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Dollywood, the General Jackson Showboat, a Christmas play in Charleston, and The Holy Land Experience in Orlando. Each year the group holds an Annual Seniors Banquet. The motto on their red jackets comes from Isaiah 40:31: "they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles." A voluntary three-dollar offering at each meeting supports mission projects such as the Pregnancy Care Center for Effingham County. Bernetta Thomas leads the group as director.
Music Ministry
Music is treated as an act of worship rather than performance. The Music Ministry's guiding verse is Ephesians 5:19: "Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart." Choir practice is held on Wednesdays at 6 p.m., just before the evening Bible study and prayer service. Music Director Cindy Hart leads the program.
WMU and Baptist Men on Mission
The women of the church gather through the Woman's Missionary Union, which has existed in some form since 1888. The Faulkville Baptist WMU group meets on the second Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. for fellowship and mission projects. Over the years the ladies have reached out to the homeless, supported pregnancy centers, collected holiday food for families, and packed gift boxes for military service members overseas.
Each year WMU promotes three missions offerings: the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions through the International Mission Board, and the Georgia Baptist State Missions Offering in early fall.
The men of the church are organized as Baptist Men on Mission, formerly known as the Brotherhood. They meet on the fourth Friday evening of each month at 7 p.m. in an environment designed to encourage spiritual awakening, personal growth, and active ministry in the church and community. Brotherhood Director Steven Vanderburg oversees the group, which also hosts the Legacy Men Conference.
Savannah Baptist Center Partnership
Faulkville Baptist partners with the Savannah Baptist Center at 704 Wheaton Street in Savannah. The Center's mission is to glorify God by meeting the spiritual and physical needs of the communities that surround it, with three goals: develop Christ-centered families, mobilize churches and individual Christians for ministry and evangelism, and strengthen the Center church in cooperation with the Savannah Baptist Association's church planting efforts.
The Center operates a food pantry that regularly needs restocking. The list of most-needed items includes canned meats, rice, canned fruits, small bags of sugar and flour, powdered and canned milk, and jelly. Around the holidays, the Center prepares Thanksgiving food bags for clients and serves a community-wide Christmas meal to homeless and non-homeless families. Volunteers and donations are welcomed, and anyone interested can contact Hollie at the Center.
Blood Drives Since 1995
Faulkville Baptist has hosted American Red Cross blood drives since 1995. Drives are held on a Thursday about every other month, in the FBC Social Hall from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. The church frames the work as saving lives both spiritually and physically, and posts upcoming dates and a link to schedule an appointment through the Red Cross.
Beliefs and Church Membership
The church teaches from the Baptist Faith and Message of the Southern Baptist Convention. Its brief statement of faith holds that the Holy Bible is the inspired word of God and that members are a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ committed to sharing the Good News of salvation and fulfilling the Great Commission.
Anyone can join Faulkville Baptist Church by profession of faith and baptism according to the policies of the church, by promise of a letter of recommendation from another church of like faith, or by statement of prior conversion experience and baptism by immersion when no letter is obtainable. The church's New Life in Christ presentation walks through Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9, and 10:13, and includes a sample prayer for anyone ready to receive Christ as Savior.
Visiting Faulkville Baptist
Sunday morning guests are invited to come a little early for fellowship at 9:30 a.m. before Sunday School. The church office can be reached by phone, by fax, or by email at admin@faulkvillebaptist.org. The mailing address is PO Box 265, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. Donations can be given online through Cash App using the code $fbc7332. The Van Ministry is available for anyone who needs transportation, and a livestream of the Sunday worship service is posted on Facebook.