Sundays at Royal Palms
Royal Palms Baptist Church sits on the north side of Phoenix, near the corner of 19th Avenue and Alice Avenue, in a neighborhood of single-story homes and wide, sun-bleached streets. Step onto the property on a Sunday morning and you will find families walking in from the main entrance off 19th Avenue, kids being checked in at the Kids Ministry area, and greeters with the safety team ready to help direct traffic. The church's stated aim is to build up believers in Christ-centered grace and hope, and the rhythm of every week is built around that single mission: gathering on Sunday, growing through the week, and going out on mission.
Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs sixty-five to seventy minutes. Arrive about fifteen minutes early and there is time to park, check in children, and grab a coffee or bottle of water before finding a seat. The service opens with band-led worship, with lyrics projected on screens at the front so anyone can follow along. Most people stand during the songs, but the church asks only that visitors be comfortable. After music the congregation takes an offering; guests are not expected to participate. Communion is observed on the second or third Sunday of each month, and weekly attenders who are Christians are encouraged to take it. Each week a pastor preaches a biblical, expositional message, sometimes topical in theme but always working through a passage of Scripture. Recent series have walked through books of the Bible including Colossians, Ephesians, and Ecclesiastes.
Before the service, at 9:00 a.m., Kids Bible Study and Student Bible Study meet on campus. Children from birth through sixth grade gather for age-specific discipleship, and students in seventh through twelfth grade dig into a book of the Bible and apply it to their lives. Kids move from the 9:00 a.m. Bible Study directly into Kids Church at 10:15 a.m., while students join the whole congregation for the 10:30 a.m. worship service.
What to wear runs the full spectrum, from jeans and shorts to tucked-in shirts and dresses. The church asks only that clothing not draw attention to itself so that attention stays on Christ.
Parking is plentiful on campus. The lot begins at the main 19th Avenue entrance and extends around toward Alice Avenue. Sections of the property gate are closed for security as determined by the safety team, but a greeter or safety team member is on hand to help if needed. The Worship Center is the building closest to the 19th Avenue entrance.
Wednesday Community Night
The midweek rhythm at Royal Palms is built around Community Night, which runs every Wednesday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters. At 4:00 p.m. the Phoenix Eagles Rec Soccer program takes over the field, and at 6:15 p.m. the rest of the church gathers for separate Men's, Women's, Kids, and Youth ministry times. The intent is that no matter a person's age or stage of life, there is a place to learn the Bible and grow with others. Some Wednesdays take a different form: Worship and Prayer Nights are held in the Courtyard and replace the regular Community Night schedule for that week.
Children get age-appropriate teaching and interactive activities that reinforce the Sunday morning topic. Youth go deeper into the same passage, building relationships with their peers through small group conversation. Adults gather for men's and women's Bible studies. After Community Night, on selected weeks, the church enjoys ice cream together.
Kids Ministry
The Kids Ministry serves children from birth through sixth grade, with the stated goal of helping kids know God personally, trust Him deeply, and walk with Him daily. Volunteers and staff teach the Bible, pray with the children, and lead meaningful activities that make the gospel accessible and enjoyable. Every leader undergoes a background check and is regularly trained on safety protocols.
On Sunday mornings, Kids Bible Study meets at 9:00 a.m. and Kids Church begins at 10:15 a.m. Kids Church is a time of worship, teaching, and fun, with children released at the end of the service back to their families. Only parents or guardians registered with the check-in system can drop off or pick up a child. On Wednesday evenings, Kids Community Night runs alongside the rest of the church's Community Night schedule. Children explore the same topic as Sunday morning, with games and interactive activities designed to help them connect God's Word to everyday life.
Jackie Fry serves as the Children's Director, and Maribell Maldonado serves as a Preschool Intern.
Student Ministry
The Student Ministry exists for middle and high school students in seventh through twelfth grade. The aim is to help teenagers know God, grow in their faith, and live out His purpose in their schools, communities, and friendships. Students meet on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for Bible Study, then join the rest of the congregation for the 10:30 a.m. worship service, often serving in the service themselves. On Wednesday evenings, from September through December and January through May, the youth go deeper into the same topic covered on Sunday, with Bible lessons, interactive activities, and small group conversations.
Scott and Ivy Weesner direct both Youth Ministry and Communications at the church.
Young Adults
For young adults ages eighteen to twenty-nine, a separate community gathers. The Young Adults ministry meets for Thursday Bible Study at 7:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, with evenings of worship and discussion. YA Hangouts happen after the 10:30 a.m. service on selected Sundays for community, food, and fun. Eagles Nights are indoor soccer gatherings open to anyone in the community. The ministry is led by Pastor Joshi Yesudasan.
Men's and Women's Bible Studies
The Men's Ministry meets on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters as part of Community Night. Studies typically run nine sessions and are built around biblical teaching and testimonies, exploring what it looks like to follow Jesus in the middle of real life - in jobs, marriages, fatherhood, and friendships.
The Women's Ministry offers three weekly Bible study options during the semester, all studying the same material so participants can pick whichever time works best. A Wednesday morning study meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Women's Ministry Room; a Wednesday evening study meets at 6:15 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall as part of Community Night; and a Thursday evening study meets at 6:00 p.m. in the Women's Ministry Room. Recent studies have worked through the names of God from Genesis to Revelation, exploring names for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Beliefs and Governance
Royal Palms Baptist Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The church's Statement of Faith is adapted from the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, and was most recently amended on June 14, 2023, by action of the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention. The statement is organized into eighteen articles covering the Scriptures, God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), man, salvation, God's purpose of grace, the church, baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Day, the kingdom, last things, evangelism and missions, education, stewardship, cooperation, the Christian and the social order, peace and war, religious liberty, and the family.
Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, performed as an act of obedience symbolizing faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience in which church members, through partaking of bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.
Elders serve as spiritual shepherds of the church, with responsibilities for doctrine, direction, and discipline. The terms "overseer," "elder," and "pastor" (or "shepherd") are all used in the New Testament to refer to the same office. The current elders are Jason Draper (Senior Pastor), Mark French (Chairman of Elders), Steve Jimenez, David Johnson, Scott Weesner, and Joshi Yesudasan (Associate Pastor).
Missions: Phoenix to the Ends of the Earth
The church describes missions as something it is rather than something it does. Each year, more than ten percent of the operating budget goes toward mission partnerships, both local and global.
The Phoenix Eagles is a soccer-based local outreach that engages kids in the surrounding community. Through the game of soccer, the church builds relationships and opens doors for kids to hear about Christ and experience His love.
The Arizona Mission Network joins Royal Palms with churches across Arizona to plant churches, develop leaders, and engage in compassion-driven ministry throughout the state. Through the Southern Baptist Convention and its International Mission Board, the church supports missionaries sent to places where the gospel has never been heard. One specific global partnership is with John and Wanne Dine, missionaries serving among unreached people groups in Africa.
In addition to budgeted giving, Royal Palms participates in two historic mission offerings. The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering fuels North American missions through the North American Mission Board; the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering supports international missions through the International Mission Board, with one hundred percent of gifts going directly to missionaries on the field.
The church describes its active participation in three ways: prayer for mission partners, financial investment through the annual budget and the two offerings, and going - whether to Phoenix Eagles outreach locally or on short-term mission trips to places like Africa.
Staff and Contact
Jason Draper serves as Senior Pastor. Joshi Yesudasan serves as Associate Pastor. Abel Wild is the Technical Director. Scott and Ivy Weesner direct Youth Ministry and Communications. Jackie Fry is the Children's Director, and Maribell Maldonado serves as a Preschool Intern.
The church is located at 8802 N. 19th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85021. The office can be reached by phone at (602) 944-3306 or by email at office@royalpalms.org. Sermons are shared on the church's YouTube channel, and updates appear on Facebook and Instagram. Giving is available online through the giving portal.