Fifth Avenue Baptist Church

Welcome to Fifth Avenue Baptist Church in Huntington, W.Va.!
The building in which we worship reminds us of the congregation inside its walls. The most noticeable part of the church building is the front of the church where six stately columns face Fifth Avenue in downtown Huntington. While we hope you soon see that the church is much, much more than a building, the columns are symbolic of our goals as a body of believers.

Through the two outer columns, we acknowledge two of the greatest commandments as defined by our Lord. The far column on the right represents the mandate to love God; the far column on the left represents the commandment to love others. We see these as the two foundational columns, since these are the basis for our very existence. Everything we do, whether inside or outside these columns, must reflect love of our God and love for others. The four inner columns represent the four primary areas of the life of our church: Inreach, Outreach, Spiritual Growth, and Missions.

The first column represents spiritual growth. Spiritual growth deepens our relationship with God. Collectively, we do this through worship. We gather every Sunday morning at 10:45 a.m., except for summer months when we also offer an early service at 8:15 a.m. We worship with our hearts, our voices, and our minds…in other words, with our whole selves. Our worship is intended to be reflective and reverential as we are in direct communion with God the Father. At 9:30 a.m., we have Bible study for all ages from the very young to the not so very young. Some of the classes are age-divided, while others have spawned out of life situations. We encourage you to try every class that might be of interest to you until you settle on the one that best fits your needs for your current place in life.

During the school year, we also gather on Wednesday evenings for a time of dinner, Bible study, and activities. Again, programs are available from infants through adults. The youth Bible study downstairs and the adult Bible study in the fellowship hall offer an informal time to discuss application of Scripture to everyday living. Additionally, children, youth, college students, and adults have a variety of other opportunities throughout the week for spiritual growth through retreats, seminars, small groups, and other classes.

The second column represents outreach. Fifth Avenue wants to be a welcoming church, to reach out to those who might be looking for a church home. We want to embrace you and help you find kinship with our members who have like interests. Since our worship style tends to focus more on the connection between believer and God Himself, we want to help you find the smaller fellowship group that will help you truly know the character of this church. We believe God brings each church member into our fold to fulfill his or her calling to a specific ministry through each person’s spiritual gifts. We would welcome the opportunity to talk further with you about what it means to be part of this congregation.

The third column represents inreach. This is the vital part of church life in which we take care of one another. We realize that throughout the journey of life, we all have extreme situations. We want to be there for you in the highs and the lows of life. We need each other in both of these situations. The most direct way we care for each other is through our various small groups, such as Sunday School or Bible study groups. The members of these classes and groups are wonderful caregivers for each other during times of sadness, loss, grief, happiness, and celebration. We also have quite a few innovative ways in which we minister to the needs of our congregation on a church-wide level. One of the most effective ministries is our Stephen Ministry, which facilitates the care of the congregation through direct interaction. Through the Stephen Ministry, trained lay ministers provide one-to-one care for those experiencing life challenges and celebrations. The ministry is confidential, allowing a care receiver to share freely and trust that he or she can find his or her path to healing and wholeness.

The fourth column at the front of our church represents missions. Fifth Avenue takes seriously the responsibility to be salt and light to the world around us and to the "uttermost parts of the earth." In the last several years, members of the church have traveled to Mexico where we helped with construction at a small church and with medical needs in the community. Subsequently, Nicaragua beckoned us. Our first trip was a massive effort as 112 volunteers traveled to Nicaragua to offer assistance in construction, teaching, and medical care. Since then, more than 20 groups have traveled to minister in this poorest country in our hemisphere, and we have established a monthly sponsorship program at the orphanage that touched our hearts so deeply during that initial trip. We start at home, however. Fifth Avenue has constructed several houses in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity. Furthermore, each month we adopt a local agency and call this our Aid to Local Ministries ("ALMS") for the next 30 days. We try to help these community groups meet the overwhelming needs they daily face from their constituents. From working at the Huntington City Mission, to hosting crafts and games with disadvantaged children, to working with other local agencies, to traveling to flood-ravaged communities in West Virginia to help clean and even rebuild damaged homes, we are intentional about those who have less than or even have not. We are constantly looking for opportunities to make sure that what we do within the columns has a direct impact on the world outside our columns.

Although there is no way to capture fullya day in the life of Fifth Avenue, we hope this gives you a small glimpse. Please know that we would love to have you join us on our journey of faith! We are pilgrims on the path, trying to be the congregation God has called us to be—both inside and outside the columns.

Blessings,
Allen Reasons, Ph.D.
Senior Minister