Sunday March 25, 2007
First Baptist Church
Doylestown, PA
Grade: B
Easy to find, take the Rte 611 bypass in Doylestown, PA. Look for and follow the Doylestown Hospital signs on the 611 bypass. The church is on the same street, same side, within a long walk of the Doylestown Hospital, next to a school. Large brick church, most of the parking is behind the building.
Entering from the front door appears to be the easiest way to get into the sanctuary. The church has greeters at the front door, back door, and parking lot. The greeters will offer you a warm hello, a church program, along with directions into the sanctuary if you need them.
Please Note .. When I reviewed this church, the church was in search of a full time pastor. Services were conducted by the staff, along with a visiting pastor. All those in charge of the service did a real nice job.
Church reviews are given so you can have a general idea, in terms of what to expect when you visit a service. Most services have similarities, as well as differences, depending on a wide range of factors, everything from those in attendance to the folks giving the service.
The majority of those in attendance were white, with a few exceptions middle class, with a mix of families seniors and all kinds of folks in between. Dress was casual, for the most part. However, you could see someone in a suit sitting next to someone in jeans. Everyone appeared to be well groomed.
The sanctuary is large, with plenty of pews. The pews are padded in a light blue material. Every seat in the sanctuary seems to be a good seat. Stained glass window, baptismal tank, raised platforms, podiums in front of the sanctuary. The sanctuary has a modern tasteful interior.
9 am - Services start with music. The words to the songs are posted on a large screen. The majority of the songs are positive upbeat.
9:05 We all stand up and greet the folks around us with hand shakes.
9:07 - More songs.
9:15 Two young members of the church, are baptized in the baptismal pool. The ceremony takes about five minutes. This is a very tasteful presentation.
9:20 - More songs are sung, announcements are made, the plate is passed around, once and only once.
9:40 - The guest pastor starts preaching. The pastor was very good professional. It may be a good idea to bring a bible if you have one. If you do not have a bible, you can find a bible in your pew.
10:10 The service was over. A few announcements are made. Folks were encouraged to come to the front of the sanctuary for prayer fellowship.
Please look at the church website. With or without a full time pastor in charge, this is a good church, with nice people. B is the grade.