WORSHIP Gardendale Churches

BY STEPHANIE GIBSON LEPORE

The five functions of community churches are to worship, teach, fellowship, evangelize, and serve. With more than 25 houses of worship within a three-mile radius of downtown Gardendale, residents have ample opportunity to engage in all five and plenty of choices when it comes to finding a church to attend close to home. Our local churches help to support both congregants and the city, and there is no shortage of options from which to choose for Gardendale-area residents. From Baptist to Assembly of God and Catholic to Lutheran and Presbyterian, many denominations find their homes here.

Our churches include:

Baptist

Central Baptist Church offers youth and kid’s ministry, women’s Bible study, and a special group for senior adults—Young at Heart—which meets every third Tuesday for a potluck lunch.

At East Gardendale Baptist Church, a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, congregants foster community with a weekly prayer list and a traditional choir that sings during services.

Fellowship Baptist Church is a close-knit Southern Baptist congregation that focuses on community with church-wide meals, serve opportunities such as packing shoeboxes together for Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child, festivals, and Vacation Bible School. Fellowship also hosts special singers for Sunday services often.

The largest church in the community, Gardendale First Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist church that focuses strongly on missions and includes ministries that cater to veterans, children, young adults/college, singles, young families, and seniors. The church is also a sponsor of the Gardendale Miracle League. They offer two Sunday morning services and Wednesday night worship. GFBC Educational Programs is an outreach ministry of the church that offers an early learning center, day school, afterschool care, and summer camp.

Gardendale Baptist Tabernacle hosts traditional Sunday School and worship on Sunday mornings, as well as Wednesday night Bible study. In addition to kids and youth ministries, Gardendale Baptist Tabernacle makes weekly visits to surrounding communities to invite children and their parents to church through their bus ministry.

“Small but loving,” North Gardendale Baptist Church meets Sunday and Wednesday mornings and prides itself on being friendly and welcoming. Sunday services may also be live streamed.

The tight-knit Oak Grove Free Will Baptist Church holds Sunday and Wednesday services and often welcomes special guests for Christian music concerts on the grounds.

With an attendance at less than 40 people, Pineywood Baptist Church is a tiny but close Southern Baptist church in the community. Themed fellowship gatherings include chili and team colors, ladies ornament swap, and 1950s Valentine’s Day.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in accordance with all Mormon churches, meets weekly for two hours for a sacrament meeting and other classes for children and adults. If you’re new and not comfortable attending alone, you can sign up online to have someone sit with you.

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Church Of God

ChristWay Church is a part of the Church of God denomination. In addition to regular Sunday services, ChristWay offers a student ministry called The Vine, as well as a child development center/full-time daycare that operates year-round, including summer camp.

Fieldstown Church of God calls itself “a small church with a big heart.” Members enjoy praising through singing and serving, as well as by hearing Bible-based Sunday messages.

Gardendale Church of God is a multigenerational congregation that is part of the Church of God (Anderson) movement. In addition to kids, youth, and adult ministries, the church partners with several local ministries, such as Rally Point (afterschool program for teens), Our Daily Bread (providing meals for the community), and Samaritan House (providing shelter for the community).

Church Of Christ

At Gardendale Church of Christ, attendees can expect a strong emphasis on learning scripture through singing, prayer, teaching, and communion. They offer Sunday morning and evening services, midweek Bible study, and a livestream on YouTube.

Decatur Highway Church of Christ meets twice on Sundays and additionally on Wednesday evenings, where places to plug in include college-age Bible study, young adults, middle adults, ladies, and “senior saints.” Their small group, 246, is a diverse age of members who gather monthly to eat, study, and sing.

Nondenominational

At The Church at Gardendale, in addition to kids and youth ministry, the church focuses on foreign missions as well. Sunday services are followed by weekly Wednesday fellowship dinner and Bible study.

Despite its “church of Christ” name, North Gardendale Church of Christ is a nondenominational community that desires to really teach the Bible. Twice weekly services and Bible studies on a plethora of topics offer something for everyone.

Methodist

At Hope Community Church, members and attendees can get involved with various ministries (kids, adults, students, missions). The church also runs an outreach ministry through its Child Enrichment Center that teaches Bible stories, weekly chapel, organized afterschool activities, and a summer program. GracePoint at Mt. Olive is a small UMC congregation where “grace and life intersect.” They gather for weekly services that are also livestreamed on Facebook, as well as various fellowships during the year.

Presbyterian

The membership of Gardendale Presbyterian Church notes its small (fewer than 100) church has advantages such as flexibility and intimacy. Their Graceful Worship features traditional liturgy and both classic and modern music. Ministries include The Presbyterian Home for Children, Firehouse Shelter, First Light, Presbyterian Manor Apartments, and support to Rev. Dr. Jonathan Seitz and his family, missionaries to Taiwan.

Redeemer Presbyterian Church, PCA, is committed to historic Reformed theology and the doctrine expressed in the Westminster Standards. Weekly opportunities include sermon series and Sunday School.

Lutheran

A part of the community for nearly 40 years, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. On top of weekly services, Good Shepherd offers ministry teams such as altar guild, prayer team, and praise team. On Wednesdays, they open their doors to run the North Jefferson Food Bank, as well as provide assistance in the areas of financial counseling, legal, health and nutrition, and job placement.

Catholic

There is one Catholic parish in Gardendale—St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church—which holds mass Saturday evening, Sunday morning, and at 6:30 a.m. every Tuesday-Friday.

Church Of The Nazarene