We have a new Sunday Morning Schedule beginning October 4 and know that there are many questions! Below you'll find a Pastor Show that explains many aspects of it as well as a FAQ further down the page.
Pastor Show
Questions You Might Ask
We know a change to our Sunday morning schedule naturally brings questions. Here are answers to some of the questions you may be asking as we prepare for our new schedule beginning October 4.
When does the new Sunday morning schedule begin?
The new schedule begins Sunday, October 4, 2026.
What will the new Sunday morning schedule be?
Our new Sunday morning schedule will be:
8:30 AM — Summit Worship
9:45 AM — Sunday School
11:00 AM — Celebration Worship & Summit Worship
Why are we changing the schedule?
God has blessed First Baptist Nacogdoches with significant growth, and that growth has created challenges with both worship space and parking. Our current schedule does not provide enough room to comfortably accommodate everyone, particularly as our Summit congregation continues to grow.
The new schedule will spread attendance throughout the morning, giving us additional worship space and helping alleviate some of the parking challenges. More than simply making room for a growing church, this change is about creating greater opportunities to make much of Jesus and reach our community for Christ.
Will the Summit and Celebration services change?
No. The worship styles are not changing.
Summit will continue to be a contemporary worship service in The Crossing, while Celebration will continue to be a more traditional worship service featuring choir and orchestra.
How will preaching work at the 11:00 AM services?
At 11:00 AM, we will continue the approach we currently use. The message may be preached live in one room while being shown live in the other room.
Depending on the Sunday, preaching may take place in the Sanctuary or in The Crossing. Regardless of where the message is preached, both congregations will participate in the same worship service and hear the message live.
Will the 8:30 AM service have live preaching?
Yes. The 8:30 AM Summit service will have live, in-person preaching.
What is the heart behind this change?
This is ultimately about more than a schedule.
We are thankful for what God is doing at First Baptist Nacogdoches, and we want to be good stewards of the opportunities He has given us. As our church grows, we want to make room for more people to worship, grow as disciples, and hear the Gospel.
Our desire is to continue making much of Jesus and making disciples of Christ here in Nacogdoches and around the world.
What about children’s ministry?
Children’s ministry will continue to be available during the morning.
Nursery, childcare, and children’s worship opportunities will continue around the 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM worship hours, allowing families to choose the worship hour that works best for them.
What time will Sunday School be?
Sunday School will begin at 9:45 AM.
This allows Sunday School to remain a central part of our Sunday morning while creating a better flow between worship and Sunday School.
Why did we choose 8:30 AM, 9:45 AM, and 11:00 AM?
The new schedule provides a balance between our worship services, Sunday School, children’s and youth ministries, parking, and the available space on our campus.
It also gives us additional capacity to welcome people as our church continues to grow.
How can I help make the transition successful?
There are several simple ways every member can help:
Invite someone. The new schedule gives us additional opportunities to invite friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members to join us.
Consider serving. We will need volunteers in areas such as parking, greeting, ushering, media ministry, children’s ministry and more!
Worship one hour and serve another. The new schedule may allow you to attend one worship service while serving during another.
Will we still have baptisms?
Of course! Baptisms will continue to take place during our worship services!
What about special events?
Our special events and celebrations will continue. Events such as Christmas at First will not be eliminated because of the new schedule.
Some special events may require adjustments to their specific schedules or logistics, and those details will be communicated as they are finalized.
Could the Sunday morning schedule change again someday?
As our church continues to grow, we may need to make additional changes in the future.
Our desire is to respond wisely to what God is doing and make whatever adjustments are necessary to continue providing opportunities for people to worship, grow as disciples, and hear the Gospel.
Were other schedule options considered?
Yes. Several options were considered before settling on the new schedule, including an 8:00 AM worship service, a schedule with worship and Sunday School happening simultaneously at 9:00 AM, and options involving a later worship service.
Each possibility was considered in light of attendance, worship space, parking, children’s and youth ministry, staffing, rehearsals, and the overall flow of Sunday morning.