First Baptist Church of Cole sits on a wide hilltop along State Highway 74B, about five minutes south of Blanchard in south-central Oklahoma. From that location the congregation has served as a lighthouse for the surrounding area for more than thirty-five years. The church keeps its focus simple: introduce people to Jesus Christ and walk with them as they grow into disciple-making disciples of the Lord. Its motto captures that heartbeat: Experiencing God, Engaging People, Expanding His Kingdom.
A Beacon on a Hill South of Blanchard
Members and guests describe FBC Cole the same way. The church sits high enough that drivers along Highway 74B notice it, and from the inside the congregation talks about being a lighthouse to its neighbors. The church family calls itself a "growing community of believers" and invites newcomers to "feel right at home" as they look for a deeper walk with the Lord.
Senior Pastor Kurt Bloomstadt was born and raised in Torrance, California, before moving to Oklahoma in 1977. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1983, surrendered to the gospel ministry in 1985, and was ordained in 1991. After pastoring other churches for twenty-eight years, he was called to FBC Cole. He and his wife Linda have been married for over three decades, and they have two sons, Michael and Josiah, who also serve in the church as Josiah directs media and Linda leads Sunday School.
The church takes its hilltop setting seriously. "The Lord has filled our hearts with the love of His presence," the congregation says. "Now having been filled by the Master, we seek to take that bread to the hungry and hurting."
Sundays at Cole: Sound Check, Sunday School, and Worship
The Sunday rhythm at FBC Cole begins early. At 9:30 AM the worship band gathers for SoundCheck, rehearsing the songs that will anchor the morning service. At the same hour, Sunday School classes for every age meet across the campus. Children's Sunday School runs from 9:30 to 10:00 AM, and the student ministry Sunday School meets from 9:30 to 10:25 AM.
The Sunday Morning Worship Session begins at 10:45 AM and is the heart of the week. The service is livestreamed on Facebook Live at that time for anyone who cannot be in the room. Sunday does not end at noon: the student ministry gathers again in the evening from 5:00 to 7:00 PM for worship and Bible study, and the congregation as a whole meets in the evening for additional teaching and small-group discussion.
Wednesday Nights: A Mid-Week Reset
Wednesday is built around community at three different ages. The Student Ministry meets at 6:00 PM for games, worship, and a Bible study aimed at helping teenagers grow closer to Jesus. The children's Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action clubs meet mid-week as well, giving boys and girls their own mission-focused programs. At 7:00 PM the whole church gathers for an Evening Session that includes prayer, study, and singing. Members describe Wednesday as a time to pause the week and refocus on what matters.
Inside a Cole Worship Session
Worship at Cole is a deliberate mix. Worship Leader David Petete works with singers, instrumentalists, and a sound booth to move the congregation "from the hurriedness of life into the presence of the Lord." Services blend modern worship songs and traditional music, along with prayer, multimedia, a time for tithes and offerings, and a message from the pastor. Each message includes an invitation, giving everyone in the room a chance to respond to what God has said to them that day. The music team's goal is straightforward: to always promote the Lord Jesus Christ first and foremost with the talents He has given.
Discipleship Through Small Groups
FBC Cole calls small-group ministry its main focus for discipleship. Each Sunday morning and evening, and again on Wednesday evenings, members meet together to "discuss and examine life situations in the light of biblical revelation." Sunday School classes for every age, plus ongoing Bible studies for men and women, give the congregation regular opportunities to study the Word and to know one another. Linda Bloomstadt serves as Sunday School Director and oversees that work across the church.
Children at Cole
Children are welcomed into every part of church life at Cole. Sunday School for children runs from 9:30 to 10:00 AM, and during the Morning Worship Session the children are dismissed after a short children's message from the pastor for Children's Church. April Dunn serves as Children's Director.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the children's calendar is packed. Vacation Bible School, a Fun Fall Festival, regular skating trips, and Children's Camp are all annual events. Mid-week, Royal Ambassadors (for boys) and Girls in Action (for girls) give children their own mission-focused clubs, and special events like FBI nights round out the year.
Student Ministry
The student ministry at FBC Cole aims high: to make disciples who will impact their schools and campuses for Christ. The youth group meets on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM for Sunday School, Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 PM for worship and Bible study, and Wednesday nights at 6:00 PM for games, worship, and a Bible study designed to help teenagers grow closer to Jesus.
During the year students look forward to Falls Creek, YEC, the Orr Family Farm, concerts, guest speakers, movie outings, and Christmas parties. The ministry draws on the long experience of youth leaders in the church, with a heart for both evangelism and discipleship.
Men's and Women's Ministries
The Men's Ministry at Cole meets on the third Saturday of every month for a prayer breakfast with guest speakers and fellowship. Men also gather for the annual Falls Creek Retreat and for outings that include golf, fishing, and hunting. The ministry exists to help men step up in their roles as fathers, husbands, and leaders in their families, workplaces, and the church, quoting 1 Corinthians 16:13: "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."
The Women's Ministry Team serves both the women of the church and the wider community. Bible studies using a written curriculum anchor the year, alongside the Women's Retreat at Falls Creek and an annual trip to the Rose Day Rally at the state capitol. Monthly events keep the women of Cole in close fellowship, anchored by Proverbs 21:36: "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."
Beyond Cole: Missions and Outreach
Expanding His Kingdom is the third part of the church motto, and missions are a focal point of the outreach ministry at FBC Cole. Each year the church participates in the Lottie Moon Offering and supports two international missionaries, along with local mission projects in the area around Blanchard. Students, men, and women all take part in mission awareness and short-term mission trips.
What FBC Cole Believes
FBC Cole is a Southern Baptist church and adheres to the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as its statement of faith. The church teaches that the Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God, totally true and trustworthy, and that all Scripture testifies to Christ. There is one true God, infinite in holiness and all perfections, who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. A New Testament church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, and the scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. Christian baptism is by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the Lord's Supper is a memorial of the Redeemer's death. Election is the gracious purpose of God, and true believers endure to the end, kept by the power of God through faith.
The church also teaches that marriage is the union of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime, that children are a blessing from the Lord from the moment of conception, and that every person of every race possesses full dignity. It affirms religious liberty, the separation of church and state, and the responsibility of believers to engage in evangelism, missions, Christian education, and cheerful, systematic stewardship.
Staying Connected
Sunday Morning Worship at 10:45 AM is livestreamed on Facebook Live, and recordings remain available afterward. Audio of recent sermons can be heard on the church's SoundCloud account. Giving is available online through Tithe.ly, with receipts issued at year-end for tax filing. The church maintains an active presence on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter with photos and updates from the ministries and staff.
FBC Cole sits on a hilltop at 15427 State Highway 74B, about five minutes south of Blanchard. The mailing address is PO Box 829, Blanchard, OK 73010. The church office can be reached at (405) 485-3377 or jlwfbcole@pldi.net.