First Baptist Church of Choctaw has stood on Main Street in Choctaw, Oklahoma, since 1901. The church's motto is "A Church for Choctaw." The congregation that gathers there describes itself as a community centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ, equipped to fulfill what it calls the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) through the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40). Members value biblical teaching, small group community, missions, and what the church calls "kingdom growth over personal preference."
A Sunday at FBCC
Worship and Connect Groups happen at two identical Sunday morning hours, 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. Each hour includes a worship service in the Worship Center, on the north side of the building, paired with age-based Connect Groups for children, students, and adults. Services run about an hour and ten minutes. The atmosphere is casual; members dress anywhere from blue jeans and a t-shirt to upscale casual.
First-time visitors are encouraged to arrive early. Guest parking sits on the west side of the campus off of Main Street, and guests entering through the west doors are greeted by Welcome Team volunteers. Children are checked in on the first floor of the Education Building, accessed through the southwest entrance. Because every child must be checked in before service begins, families with children are asked to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. A Welcome Center helps newcomers find their Connect Group before the service begins.
For those who cannot attend in person, services are livestreamed on YouTube.
Connect Groups: Small Groups as the Foundation
Connect Groups sit at the center of life at FBCC. The church teaches that life change happens in small groups, and the groups serve as the foundation for discipleship, community, care, and service. They meet during both Sunday morning hours and are organized by age and gender where appropriate, including gender- and age-specific groups for students. Newcomers can use a Connect Group interest form to find a fit.
Kids and Students
Children's ministry covers the Sunday morning hours through the church's "Flip Flop" plan, which organizes classrooms so that kids move with their families between the worship hour and the Connect Group hour. Children are checked in by certified volunteers on the first floor of the Education Building, and a Kids Worship Guide is available to help young children follow along during the service.
Student ministry serves grades 6 through 12 and centers on a Wednesday night Bible study called "The Attic" that runs from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The service combines worship in song with a Bible-based message and is designed both to share the Gospel and to help students deepen their walk with the Lord. On Sunday mornings, students join the 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. Connect Groups.
Once a month, the church hosts "First Wednesdays," an after-school program for students that runs from 2:45 to 7:30 p.m. The afternoon includes group games, basketball, gaga ball, crafts, snacks, and dinner before transitioning into the Wednesday evening youth service.
Discipleship Classes
Each fall and spring, FBCC offers a slate of Discipleship Classes that meet on Wednesday evenings. Recent offerings have included "Daring Joy" (a women's study), "The Parables of Jesus" with Chris Campbell, "Deep Discipleship" with Zac Ward (a year-long curriculum on Christian story, belief, and formation), "The Man for the Day" taught by Senior Pastor Andy Finch for men, "Financial Freedom" taught by Associate Pastor Brandon Adams, and "The Titus Ten" for younger men ages 18 to 30 taught through a study of Paul's letter to Titus. Classes generally meet from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, with limited childcare available for select classes.
Discover First
Prospective members are invited to a Discover First class held on the first Sunday of each month. The class introduces newcomers to the church's beliefs, values, and the four-step membership process.
Worship
FBCC Worship exists to magnify the greatness of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by skillfully combining God's Word with music, thereby motivating the gathered church to proclaim the gospel, to cherish God's presence, and to live for God's glory. The team invites musicians and vocalists to sign up to serve, and curated worship sets are available on Spotify for congregants to listen to throughout the week.
Missions: Kansas City and Central America
Missions work is organized around three spheres: community, country, and world. The church partners with church planters, pastors, and the North American Mission Board in Kansas City, a metropolitan area of 2.2 million people where roughly 20 percent identify as evangelical Christians. Internationally, FBCC has specific partnerships with missionaries in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Belize. Mission trips are framed as an entry point for people of all ages to engage in international missions, and a short-term missions application is available for those interested. Associate Pastor Brandon Adams coordinates the Central American partnerships.
Bible Reading and Devotion
The church provides three tiered Bible reading plans to help members engage Scripture daily. "Foundations New Testament" walks readers through the entire New Testament in a year, with five weekly readings and a journal available for purchase. "Foundations 260 Day" covers both Testaments in a year. "The Bible Recap" goes through the whole Bible chronologically in 365 days and comes with a study guide and companion podcast. Student and kids editions of the Foundations plans are also available so families can read through the Bible together.
The Lead Well Podcast
For leaders and aspiring leaders, the church produces a weekly podcast called Lead Well. The podcast offers short, practical encouragement on the spiritual disciplines and character of Christian leadership, designed to be listened to on a commute or during exercise. Episodes are available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
What FBCC Believes
First Baptist Choctaw cooperates with the Southern Baptist Convention and adheres to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Its Affirmation of Faith holds to belief in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; the Bible as the inspired and true Word of God; the virgin birth, sinless life, sacrificial death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus; His return in glory; the eternal security of those born again through faith in Christ; and the church as the current body of Christ on earth. The full Statement of Faith addresses, in depth, the nature of the Bible, the character of God, the person and work of Jesus, the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the nature of humanity, salvation by grace through faith, eternal security, spiritual growth, the presence of evil, the reality of heaven and hell, the nature of the church, and the promised return of Christ.
Core values include biblical teaching as a foundation, the importance of small group discussion, environments with a specified purpose, Christ-like reflection, the importance of missions, kingdom growth over personal preferences, and the power of intercessory prayer. The church describes its work through a three-fold process: Gospel (reaching people with the good news of Jesus), Grow (training and deepening believers in the Christian walk), and Go (sending members to serve at the church, in the community, across the country, and to the nations).
Baptism and Membership
Baptism at FBCC is reserved for those who have already placed their faith in Jesus, and the practice is by immersion under water, symbolizing Christ's death and burial, with the rising up celebrating His resurrection. Baptism does not save; it is the public declaration of a faith already placed in Christ. The church celebrates baptisms in weekly worship services as often as possible.
Church membership follows four steps: plug into a Connect Group, attend Discover First, participate in a membership interview with one of the pastors, and be presented for membership at the close of a worship service during the invitation song. The requirements for membership are faith in Jesus Christ and baptism by immersion.
Leadership
The pastoral team is led by Senior Pastor Andy Finch, who also teaches the men's study "The Man for the Day." Brandon Adams serves as Associate Pastor and coordinates the Central American missions partnerships and the Financial Freedom class. Miles Woods is Minister of Worship. Colt Johnson serves as Pastor of Family Ministries, and AJ Stewart is Student Minister.
Giving
FBCC teaches that giving is an act of worship and describes it as "making us more like Christ" by increasing intimacy with God, building Christ-like character, recognizing God's ownership, teaching trust, and countering the idolatry of money. Giving is available online through the church's giving platform, by mail to the PO Box, by automatic withdrawal (arranged by email), or through offering boxes at each exit of the Worship Center.