Two Sunday Services, One Family in Augusta
First Baptist Church of Augusta, Kansas sits at 1501 State Street in Butler County, a few blocks from the heart of a town long defined by its oil and wheat heritage. The congregation gathers around a simple motto, Belong. Believe. Become., and its doors are open for anyone who wants to grow in the Christian life.
Sundays follow a steady rhythm that makes the church easy to step into. Blended Worship begins at 8:30 a.m. in the sanctuary, a service built around hymns and some praise songs accompanied by piano and organ. The service is also streamed into the Friendship Room for those who want the same words and songs in a quieter setting. Sunday School for all ages meets at 9:45 a.m., and Contemporary Worship begins at 11:00 a.m. with a praise band of guitars, keyboard, and drums. Both services feature the words projected on two large screens in the sanctuary. Communion is shared on the first Sunday of every month, with an open table - all who have placed their trust in Jesus are welcome to participate.
What a First-Time Visitor Can Expect
Parking is limited along State Street and is mostly reserved for handicap-accessible and street parking. Most visitors find a spot on the west side of the church along Kelly and Washington. Valet parking is offered on the State Street side - drivers who need assistance can pull up under the covered entrance and a volunteer will handle the rest.
Greeters wearing "Connect" lanyards and name tags are stationed at the east and west entrances and at the door of the sanctuary. A welcome center near the east entrance can answer questions about classes, ministries, and where to take children. A typical worship service runs about an hour, occasionally a few minutes longer.
Dress is whatever makes a guest comfortable. In the 8:30 a.m. blended service, some men still wear suits or sport coats and some women wear dresses; most lean business casual or jeans. The 11:00 a.m. contemporary service is heavy on casual, with jeans common, business casual sprinkled in, and shorts appearing when the weather warms.
Kids at Every Turn
Children are treated as a real part of the church, not an afterthought. The 8:30 a.m. service does not offer nursery; the 9:45 a.m. Sunday school hour and the 11:00 a.m. service both provide a staffed nursery for children birth through age 3 in Room 13.
During the 11:00 a.m. service, kids begin in worship with their families, then join the pastor on stage for a Children's Message before being dismissed to Kids Connect. Kids Connect runs an opening time in Room 19, then breaks into Pre-K in Room 21, K-2nd in Room 16, and 3rd-5th in Room 19. Sunday school classes are organized by age as well: Pre-K and Kindergarten in Room 21, 1st and 2nd grades in Room 16, 3rd through 5th grades in Room 15.
The church uses KidCheck for check-in, both at lobby stations and through the KidCheck mobile app. Families can create a free account at go.kidcheck.com ahead of time and use Express Check-In from the parking lot. Sticker-based child release keeps pickup safe and quick.
On Wednesday nights during the school year, AWANA runs from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. for grades K-5, with a preschool option for volunteers' children. The evening includes worship, Bible stories, scripture memorization, games, theme nights, and an Awana store where kids spend the "bucks" they earn. A family dinner is served at 5:45 p.m. before the program. Children's Ministry Director Wanda Partin oversees registration and the volunteer team.
A yearly Children's Christmas Program, presented on the first Sunday in December, gives kids another way to lead the church family in worship.
MDWK: Encounter Student Ministry
Middle and high school students find their own Wednesday-night home in MDWK, also called Encounter Student Ministry, which meets from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. with the same 5:45 p.m. family dinner. Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. gives students a second touchpoint: 6th-8th grade in Room 102 and 9th-12th grade in Room 107. The church also partners with Augusta Young Life and WyldLife, giving teens a broader network of leaders and friends.
FBC Preschool: Licensed, Loving, Local
First Baptist Preschool is a state-licensed program under the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, with its license posted in the preschool office. The school exists to provide a loving Christian environment where preschool children can grow in social, communication, cognitive, and motor skills; in reading readiness, self-concept, expressive art, and caring for others.
Classes run from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The 3-year-old class meets Tuesday and Thursday at $125 a month. The 4-year-old class meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at $150 a month, with a Monday-through-Friday option at $200 a month. Children must be 3 or 4 by August 31, toilet-trained, and current on immunizations. There is a $75 non-refundable enrollment fee that includes a preschool t-shirt. Parents can enroll online or by calling the church office at (316) 775-5466 ext. 104.
Adults and Families: Sunday School for Every Stage
Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. is treated as a serious hour of study, not a babysitting slot. The church runs nine adult classes at the same time, taught by lay leaders:
- Soldiers for Christ, led by John Price, is an all-ages class in Room 305 that is working through Genesis.
- Crusaders, taught by Wendell Corneil, Ted McMurphy, and Bill Wallace, gathers seniors in Room 205 to study Old and New Testament material.
- Loyal Heirs, with Zach Wilkerson, is another senior class in Room 211, focused on the letter of Peter.
- Genesis, led by Steve Duncan, is for young seniors in Room 209 and is going through Chiseled by the Master's Hand.
- Bible Study Fellowship, taught by Charles Klassen, meets in the Friendship Room and is working through 2 Peter.
- Family Focus, led by Jesse Rider, is built for married couples in Room 301 and is studying For the Health of the Nation.
- Sojourners, taught by Richard and Evan Stumpf, is an all-ages upstairs class in Room 308 working through None Like Him.
- Young Adults, led by Senior Pastor Mac Martin, is for ages 18-30 in Room 304 and runs as an open Scripture discussion.
- Seekers, taught by Ed Kittle, is an all-ages class in Rooms 206 and 208 working through a Bible study from Lifestone Press.
Outside the Sunday hour, the church runs two weekly Bible studies specifically for adults. Women's Bible Study meets on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Friendship Room. No workbook is required - just a Bible - and topics vary from week to week. Men's Bible Study meets on Friday mornings from 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. in the Friendship Room and is open to men from the community. A separate Men's Prayer Breakfast gathers on the second Saturday of each month.
Women's and Men's Ministries
The Women's Ministry exists to build and maintain healthy relationships and promote spiritual growth through unity and love. In addition to the weekly Bible study, the ministry hosts seasonal events such as the Hanging of the Greens and Soup Lunch in late November and a Christmas Cookie, Candy, and Ornament Exchange in December. Judy McVay leads the Women's Ministry, and Glennis Svanda coordinates Bible study registration.
Men's Ministry centers on the Friday morning Bible study, the monthly Prayer Breakfast, and a fellowship built around shared time, food, and service.
Fellowship Groups and Small Groups
Outside of formal classes, the church hosts small, interest-based fellowship groups. A Dining Group, led by Mike Todd, meets monthly to eat out together. Sewing for a Cause, led by Susan Appleman, gathers in the Friendship Room to sew mission-oriented projects. Anyone interested in joining an existing group or starting a new one can call the church office.
Missions: Local to International
Missions are a clear heartbeat of the church. Locally, First Baptist partners with the Augusta Christian Counseling Center, Augusta Young Life and WyldLife, Central Kansas Prison, the Community Caring Center, the Branches Pregnancy and Family Center, Sunlight Children's Advocacy, and the Union Rescue Mission. Troy Taylor, Pastor of Missions and Outreach, leads this work.
Internationally, the church supports missionaries across ten countries and organizations:
- Rick and Anita Gutierrez in South Africa with International Ministries
- Lee and Tina Svanda serving in Germany through Avant Ministries
- Walter and Cheryl Spicer in the Philippines
- Jeremiah and April Markley with New Tribes Mission in Papua New Guinea
- Ariel Tatum in Mozambique
- The Burrows Family at Trinity Church in Kansas City, Missouri
- Leah Decker with the Leadership Institute in Eminence, Missouri
- Jennifer Hill with Koinoneo and Hogar de Ninos Huerfanos in the Dominican Republic
- Brandon and Kristin Crouch with the Navigators in Riverside, California
- The Culberson Family with Awana
- The Bryant Family in the Middle East
A Missions Celebration Dinner brings missionaries and the congregation together periodically, with country-themed meals and special guests sharing updates from the field.
Stephen Ministry: Walking Beside the Hurting
For members and neighbors walking through grief, illness, divorce, job loss, deployment, spiritual crisis, or chronic illness, Stephen Ministry offers one-on-one Christian care. Stephen Ministers are church members who have completed 50 hours of training and meet twice a month for ongoing supervision under trained Stephen Leaders Charles Klassen and Ken Bratton. Care receivers are matched with a Stephen Minister who meets with them about an hour each week for as long as the need persists, in complete confidence. Stephen Leaders at First Baptist are Charles Klassen and Ken Bratton, and the active Stephen Minister team includes Mike and Terri Todd, Steve and Dana Wear, Mike Nighswonger, Judy McVay, Pat Pray, Karen Klassen, and Mari Beadle.
Articles of Faith
The church's Articles of Faith are classic Baptist distinctives. The church affirms one true God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and the historic doctrines of the fall of man, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and believer's baptism by immersion. The Bible is held as the supreme standard for faith and conduct, and every believer is taught to have direct access to God through Christ without human priests. The church practices two ordinances, believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper, the latter observed monthly on the first Sunday. Local church autonomy, the priesthood of believers, the separation of church and state, and the personal return of Jesus Christ are core commitments. The church also teaches a biblical view of marriage as the union of one biological man and one biological woman.
Pastoral Leadership and Staff
Mac Martin serves as Senior Pastor. Mac and his wife Brandi were both raised in the Wichita area, have lived in Augusta for more than ten years, and have been in ministry for over fifteen years. Troy Taylor, Pastor of Missions and Outreach, and his wife Penny have lived in the Wichita area for the last eight years and bring cross-cultural ministry experience to the missions work of the church. Wanda Partin directs the children's ministry, including Kids Connect, AWANA, and the New Believer's Class for children. The church also points members to Pastor Mac's Daily Devo Blog for weekday Scripture reflection.
Online and Ongoing
The Sunday 8:30 a.m. blended service is livestreamed on YouTube and Vimeo, with a recording archive available after each week. Online giving is available through the church's giving portal, both as one-time and recurring gifts. The church is active on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube, and Vimeo, and a FBC Kids Facebook Group keeps families in the loop on children's ministry news.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, with voicemail covered after hours at (316) 775-5466.