Kirkwood Baptist Church

06/14/2026

Celebrating 10 Years of Ministry with Rev. Dr. Matthew Vandagriff!

On June 15, Rev. Dr. Matthew Vandagriff marks ten years as Pastor of Kirkwood Baptist Church. We give thanks to God for Matt's faithful leadership and ministry among us during the past decade.

The congregation is invited to a special celebration in his honor on Sunday, August 9, with a reception following worship. The celebration is being held in August due to the busy summer schedule at KBC, including Matt's sabbatical in July.

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us as we celebrate this milestone and give thanks for Matt's ministry.

06/12/2026

It's been busy around here today!

06/10/2026

“God equally calls women and men to all places of leadership in the church, including preaching, pastoral leadership and as senior pastor.”

As we prepare to gather for 2026 General Assembly next week in Jacksonville, CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley reaffirms our commitment to the Fellowship since its beginning 35 years ago: God calls and gifts women and men alike for ministry leadership.

Read Baxley’s full statement and revisit his “An Invitation to Baptist Christians" below.

https://cbf.net/cbfs-baxley-god-equally-calls-women-and-men-to-all-places-of-leadership-in-the-church-including-preaching-pastoral-leadership-and-as-senior-pastor/

“God equally calls women and men to all places of leadership in the church, including preaching, pastoral leadership and as senior pastor.”

As we prepare to gather for 2026 General Assembly next week in Jacksonville, CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley reaffirms our commitment to the Fellowship since its beginning 35 years ago: God calls and gifts women and men alike for ministry leadership.

Read Baxley’s full statement ➡️
https://cbf.net/cbfs-baxley-god-equally-calls-women-and-men-to-all-places-of-leadership-in-the-church-including-preaching-pastoral-leadership-and-as-senior-pastor/

And revisit his “An Invitation to Baptist Christians" from June, 2023 ➡️ https://cbf.net/an-invitation-to-baptist-christians/

06/09/2026

Check out what our youth are doing in the Dominican Republic this week!

05/29/2026

Restoring Sacred Spaces

As our three-year Restoring Sacred Spaces Capital Campaign nears its conclusion in December 2026, we celebrate the many improvements made possible through the generosity of our congregation.

Projects have included elevator upgrades, a new sanctuary HVAC system, new sanctuary windows, a new organ processor, updated security and locks systems, and steeple repairs, as shown in these photos.

These investments help ensure that our church remains a welcoming, safe, accessible, and inspiring place for worship, learning, service, and community for years to come. Thank you to everyone whose support made this work possible. Together, we are preserving our heritage while preparing for the future.

05/24/2026

Pentecost Sunday 2026

Holy Spirit, come to us,
Kindle in us the fire of your love.

05/18/2026

What was inside the time capsule?

This morning, our seniors gathered with the other youth and children — along with their former Sunday School teacher, Betty Bock — to dig up the time capsule they buried back in 2019 when they were preparing to promote to 6th grade.

Inside were many treasured memories: photos of the children, handwritten notes, artwork, and other special reminders of that season of life and faith together. There was lots of laughter, surprises, and a few sentimental moments as everyone looked back on how much these young people have grown over the past seven years.

A very special morning for everyone— and especially for our seniors and Ms. Betty!

05/14/2026

This Sunday, May 17, is Seniors Sunday.

Nearly seven years ago, when the current seniors were preparing to promote to 6th grade youth, their beloved Sunday School teacher, Betty Bock, decided it was time for her to “promote,” too, and retire from teaching. She had the idea for all of the children to bring items to place in a time capsule and bury it beside the building where the sanctuary and Christian Education wings meet.

It’s not July yet, of course, but we realize many of our youth and families will be away at different times this summer. So this Sunday at 9:45, all youth and children are invited to gather as we dig up the time capsule together.

What could be inside? Find out on Sunday!

05/07/2026

An exciting new opportunity is beginning here at KBC! We are launching a new fitness program designed specifically for aging adults, created in response to a growing need among parishioners and the surrounding community for safe, accessible ways to stay active and independent. The program will be hosted at the church and led in partnership with HouseFit Physical Therapy & Fitness, a local provider specializing in medical fitness for older adults.
This program begins June 1, however, HouseFit highly recommends everyone interested complete an assessment prior to the start of the program so they can create a program that can meet everyone where they are at physically. See the graphic for information on scheduling your assessment.

05/03/2026

Quote of the day: “At KBC, it doesn’t matter where you come from—it’s where you are going.”

The Deacons Ordination Council met this afternoon with two candidates, Jessi Fillingham and Than Landman, who shared their testimonies and thoughtfully responded to questions.

Following this time of discernment, a motion was made and seconded to ordain both candidates. The vote of both active and inactive deacons was unanimous in support of Jessi and Than.

Their ordination service is scheduled for Sunday, June 14, at 10:30 a.m.

Jessi and Than will be wonderful additions to the deacon ministry, as they have already demonstrated faithful service in many ways within our church and the broader community.

As one candidate shared during the meeting: “At KBC, it doesn’t matter where you come from—it’s where you are going.”