https://www.firstbaptistchurchchelmsford.org/

First Baptist Church of Chelmsford, 2 Maple Road, Chelmsford, MA (2026)

06/14/2026

Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 10:00AM
Rev. Karina Fontanez, MDIV, Pulpit
Mrs. Jena Marie DiPinto, Music

Welcome and Announcements
We welcome everyone to our worship service this morning. May you be blessed as we worship together before our God.

Quiet Preparation for Worship:
“At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.” – Jean Houston

Responsive Call to Worship:
Do not cling to the events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch closely! The Lord is about to do something brand new. It is bursting forth right now; can you not see it?
The Lord makes a way through the wilderness, and opens up rushing streams in the dry desert wasteland!
The righteous will flourish like palm trees; they will grow strong like the mighty cedars of Lebanon. Planted securely in the house of the Lord, they will thrive in the courts of our God.
Even in old age, they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital, fresh, and full of life!
They will declare with confidence: "The Lord is upright! He is our rock, and there is no unrighteousness or limitation in Him."
For when the Lord restores our fortunes, we are like those who dream. Our mouths are filled with laughter, and our tongues with shouts of joy!
Those who have planted their seeds with bitter tears will reap a harvest with songs of pure wonder.
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with gladness! Come, let us worship the God of new beginnings!

Opening Hymn: #91 – ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

Invocation and The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.

Hymn: #454 – Trust And Obey

Our Tithes & Offerings For God’s Work
Offertory Collection

Doxology: #382
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Offertory Prayer

The Church At Prayer
• Sharing our Concerns and Praises
• Silent Prayer
• Pulpit Prayer

Scripture Reading: Genesis 18:1-15 (NRSV)
The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground.
He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.”
So they said, “Do as you have said.”
And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.
Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?”
And he said, “There, in the tent.”
Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I be fruitful?”
The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.”
But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.
He said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Hymn: #98 – Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Sermon: “The Laugh That Rebuilt a Life”

Closing Hymn: #363 – To God Be The Glory

Closing Prayer and Benediction

Upcoming Important Dates:
Monday, June 15, 2026:
† Council Meeting at 6:30PM on Zoom
Sunday, June 21, 2026:
Father’s Day

Sunday services are held every week at 10:00AM in the church sanctuary unless otherwise noted. Cancellations due to extreme weather will be emailed and posted online.

All are welcome!

To subscribe to the church’s Google Calendar: http://www.tinyurl.com/FBCCMAcalendar

Church Wellness
† Christian Meditation is held on the first Monday of the month at 7PM in the sanctuary.
† Tai Chi/gentle movement practice is on hiatus.
No previous experience is needed for either, and all bodies are welcome!

Announcements
We are collecting diapers, wipes, and other new baby things for Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries for their Advocacy Celebration Empowerment Shoppe. Father’s Day is next weekend, so if you have anything for this collection, please bring it in on Sunday!

Prayer List
If you have a prayer concern, particularly during the week when we’re not all gathered for worship, you can send it in an email to Linda or to the church email address at [email protected] and we will share it with the prayer list.
Prayer works!

06/09/2026

CHELMSFORD — The Chelmsford High School Class of 2026 gathered with family, friends and teachers at the Tsongas Center on Saturday, where Superintendent Jay Lang told graduates that “today is a day you will remember for the rest of y…

🔗 Read more at the link in the first comment

06/07/2026

Communion Sunday
June 7, 2026, at 10:00AM
Rev. Karina Fontanez, MDIV, Pulpit
Mrs. Jena Marie DiPinto, Music

Welcome and Announcements
We welcome everyone to our worship service this morning. May you be blessed as we worship together before our God.

Quiet Preparation for Worship:
“Over every mountain there is a path, although it can't be seen from the valley.”
– Theodore Roethke

Responsive Call to Worship:
Come out of the rush, the noise, and the demands of the world. Step into the quiet rhythm of God’s grace.
We bring our restless hearts, seeking the peace of the Creator’s timeline.
Do not despond if you find yourself in a winter season, or if the fruit you long for is still hidden beneath the soil.
A flower in February is not a failure; it is a promise. We trust the deep, silent work of the Holy Spirit within us.
The Lord is the Alpha and the Omega, the God of the seed, the sprout, and the harvest.
We praise the One who anchors our roots in love and secures our season of bloom.
Come, let us gather around the Table of the Lord, where what was once buried and crushed is made holy and life-giving.
Let us worship the Master Gardener, whose timing is perfect, and whose grace sustains us now and forever. Amen.

Opening Hymn: #332 – The God of Abraham Praise

Invocation and The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.

Hymn: #681 – Let There Be Peace On Earth

Our Tithes & Offerings For God’s Work
Offertory Collection

Doxology: #382
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Offertory Prayer

The Church At Prayer
• Sharing our Concerns and Praises
• Silent Prayer
• Pulpit Prayer

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1–11 (NRSV)
For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to break down and a time to build up;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek and a time to lose;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Hymn: #468 – Be Thou My Vision

Sermon: “The Seasonality of Grace”

The Table Of The Lord
Communion Hymn: #556 – There’s A Quiet Understanding
• Invitation To The Table
• Sharing The Bread & Cup
• Prayer of Thanksgiving

Diaconate Offering

Closing Hymn: #544 – The Bond Of Love

Closing Prayer and Benediction

Upcoming Important Dates:
Sunday, June 7, 2026:
† Communion Service at 10:00AM

Sunday services are held every week at 10:00AM in the church sanctuary unless otherwise noted. Cancellations due to extreme weather will be emailed and posted online.

All are welcome!

To subscribe to the church’s Google Calendar: http://www.tinyurl.com/FBCCMAcalendar

Church Wellness
† Christian Meditation is held on the first Monday of the month at 7PM in the sanctuary.
† Tai Chi/gentle movement practice is on hiatus.
No previous experience is needed for either, and all bodies are welcome!

Announcements
Through Father’s Day, we will be collecting diapers & wipes (and any other new baby things you may wish to donate!) for Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries for their Advocacy Celebration Empowerment Shoppe.

Prayer List
If you have a prayer concern, particularly during the week when we’re not all gathered for worship, you can send it in an email to Linda or to the church email address at [email protected] and we will share it with the prayer list.
Prayer works!

05/31/2026

May 24, 2026, at 10:00AM
Rev. Karina Fontanez, MDIV, Pulpit
Mrs. Jena Marie DiPinto, Music

Welcome and Announcements
We welcome everyone to our worship service this morning. May you be blessed as we worship together before our God.

Quiet Preparation for Worship:
“The unknown doesn’t have to be something to fear; it can be where you find yourself, one step at a time.” – Unknown

Responsive Call to Worship:
Psalm 100, Psalm 105:1-5
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done.
Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts!
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. Let us worship our God together!

Opening Hymn:
#338 – We Sing The Greatness Of Our God

Invocation and The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.

Music Meditation:
#495 – It Is Well With My Soul

Our Tithes & Offerings For God’s Work
Offertory Collection

Doxology: #382
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Offertory Prayer

The Church At Prayer
• Sharing our Concerns and Praises
• Silent Prayer
• Pulpit Prayer

Scripture Reading:
Hebrews 11:1, 8-9 (NRSV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance, and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

Hymn:
#43 – Through It All

Sermon:
“A Destination That I Had Not Imagined”

Closing Hymn:
#454 – Trust And Obey

Closing Prayer and Benediction

Upcoming Important Dates:
Monday, June 1, 2026:
† Christian Meditation at 7:00PM
Sunday, June 7, 2026:
† Communion Service at 10:00AM

Sunday services are held every week at 10:00AM in the church sanctuary unless otherwise noted. Cancellations due to extreme weather will be emailed and posted online.

All are welcome!

To subscribe to the church’s Google Calendar: http://www.tinyurl.com/FBCCMAcalendar

Church Wellness
† Christian Meditation is held on the first Monday of the month at 7PM in the sanctuary.
† Tai Chi/gentle movement practice is on hiatus.
No previous experience is needed for either, and all bodies are welcome!

Announcements
Through Father’s Day, we will be collecting diapers & wipes (and any other new baby things you may wish to donate!) for Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries for their Advocacy Celebration Empowerment Shoppe.

05/24/2026

Pentecost Sunday
Memorial Day Weekend
May 24, 2026, at 10:00AM
Mrs. Arlene Lanciani, Pulpit
Mrs. Jena Marie DiPinto, Music

Welcome and Announcements
We welcome everyone to our worship service this morning. May you be blessed as we worship together before our God.

Quiet Preparation for Worship:
“The Holy Spirit transforms and renews us, creates harmony and unity and gives us courage for joy and for mission.”
– Pope Francis

Responsive Call to Worship:
Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
The Lord confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.

Opening Hymn: #580 – There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing

Invocation and The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.

Our Tithes & Offerings For God’s Work
Offertory Collection

Doxology: #382
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Offertory Prayer

Music Meditation: #574 – Revive Us Again

The Church At Prayer
• Sharing our Concerns and Praises
• Silent Prayer
• Pulpit Prayer

Hymn: #318 – Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing

Pentecost Scripture Reading: John 7:37-52; 8:12
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This is really the prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" The Pharisees answered them, "Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed." Nikodemos, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee." Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Sermon: “The Gift of the Holy Spirit”

Closing Hymn: #155 – Spirit Of The Living God

Closing Prayer and Benediction

Upcoming Important Dates:
Monday, June 1, 2026:
† Christian Meditation at 7:00PM
Sunday, June 7, 2026:
† Communion Service at 10:00AM

Sunday services are held every week at 10:00AM in the church sanctuary unless otherwise noted. Cancellations due to extreme weather will be emailed and posted online.

All are welcome!

To subscribe to the church’s Google Calendar: http://www.tinyurl.com/FBCCMAcalendar

Invitation To Share
Would you like to be a more active participant in worship? We would love to make the meditation more personal, if you have a song or short reading selection that you would like to share at that time. You can sing the hymn if you’d like, or Jena can play and sing it, or we can find a recording. Whatever you feel best presents the message!

Church Wellness
† Christian Meditation is held on the first Monday of the month at 7PM in the sanctuary.
† Tai Chi/gentle movement practice is on hiatus.
No previous experience is needed for either, and all bodies are welcome!

Announcements
From Mother’s Day through Father’s Day, we will be collecting diapers & wipes (and any other new baby things you may wish to donate!) for Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries for their Advocacy Celebration Empowerment Shoppe.

Prayer List
If you have a prayer concern, particularly during the week when we’re not all gathered for worship, you can send it in an email to Linda or to the church email address at [email protected] and we will share it with the prayer list.
Prayer works!

05/24/2026

CHELMSFORD — The Select Board voted unanimously Monday to place firefighter Nick Spinale on paid administrative leave and endorsed legislation filed by Gov. Maura Healey that would grant benefits to him while he is out of work recovering f…

🔗 Read more at the link in the first comment

05/17/2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 10:00AM
Rev. Karina Fontanez, MDIV, Pulpit
Mrs. Jena Marie DiPinto, Music

Welcome and Announcements
We welcome everyone to our worship service this morning. May you be blessed as we worship together before our God.

Quiet Preparation for Worship:
“The Church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.” – William Temple

Responsive Call to Worship:
Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy!
For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.
God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises!
Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
He is the one who opens our minds and lifts his hands to bless us.
We enter his courts with thanksgiving and his gates with praise!

Opening Hymn: #377 – Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Invocation and The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.

Our Tithes & Offerings For God’s Work
Offertory Collection

Doxology: #382
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Offertory Prayer

Music Meditation: #444 – Speak, Lord, In The Stillness

The Church At Prayer
• Sharing our Concerns and Praises
• Silent Prayer
• Pulpit Prayer

Hymn: #159 – Sweet, Sweet Spirit

Scripture: Luke 24:44–53 (NRSV)
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power
from on high.” Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Sermon: “The Power of the Open Mind”

Closing Hymn: #325 – All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name

Closing Prayer and Benediction

Upcoming Important Dates:
Monday, May 18, 2026:
† Council Meeting at 6:30PM on Zoom

Sunday services are held every week at 10:00AM in the church sanctuary unless otherwise noted. Cancellations due to extreme weather will be emailed and posted online.

All are welcome!

To subscribe to the church’s Google Calendar: http://www.tinyurl.com/FBCCMAcalendar

Invitation To Share
Would you like to be a more active participant in worship? We would love to make the meditation more personal, if you have a song or short reading selection that you would like to share at that time. You can sing the hymn if you’d like, or Jena can play and sing it, or we can find a recording. Whatever you feel best presents the message!

Church Wellness
† Christian Meditation is held on the first Monday of the month at 7PM in the sanctuary.
† Tai Chi/gentle movement practice is on hiatus.
No previous experience is needed for either, and all bodies are welcome!

Announcements
From Mother’s Day through Father’s Day, we will be collecting diapers & wipes (and any other new baby things you may wish to donate!) for Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries for their Advocacy Celebration Empowerment Shoppe.
The average family spends about $500-$900 per year on disposable diapers, so your generosity truly helps these parents!

Thank you for your help with the Church Cleanup Day! Our church family is such a wonderful team.

Prayer List
If you have a prayer concern, particularly during the week when we’re not all gathered for worship, you can send it in an email to Linda or to the church email address at [email protected] and we will share it with the prayer list.
Prayer works!

05/11/2026

Firefighter Nick Spinale was discharged from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital this morning. Nick stopped by headquarters and seeing him here meant everything to this department.

None of today would have been possible without the exceptional care provided by the teams at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester and Spaulding Rehabilitation in Charlestown. Their skill and dedication over these past weeks gave Nick the foundation he needed to walk back out those doors. We are deeply grateful.

Thank you to the Chelmsford Police Department for coordinating and providing an es**rt home. That kind of partnership reflects exactly what this community is built on.

To the area fire departments who staged on overpasses along Routes 93 and 495 to recognize Nick as he passed, thank you. The brotherhood and sisterhood of the fire service showed up through all of this, and we will not forget it.

Nick, we are proud of the fight you have shown and we are glad to have you back. This is only the beginning. We cannot wait to see what you accomplish from here.

Welcome home!

First Baptist Church of Chelmsford

06/14/2026

06/09/2026

06/07/2026

05/31/2026

05/24/2026

05/24/2026

05/17/2026

05/11/2026

Address

Opening Hours

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Place Of Worship

Shortcuts

Share

Category