WELCOME

We would like to welcome you to come visit us and worship with us. If this will be your first time, you probably have some questions. Hopefully we can answer them here. But if you don’t find your answer here, please feel free to contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Sunday School begins at 9:00 AM and Worship begins at 10:00 AM.
There is parking available on both the South (front) and the East of the building.
Although there are steps involved to enter into the sanctuary from the front entrance, handicap access is available through Pitman Hall on the East side of the building.
For anyone requiring assistance there are members always willing to help.
Yes. If you enter through Pitman Hall a lift is available to give access to the sanctuary.
Our people wear anything from suits and dresses to jeans and t-shirts. Whatever you feel comfortable in for worship will be fine.
Our focus is not on what we wear, but on whom we worship! Come as you are; you will fit right in!
We take as the basis for our beliefs the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.
Our worship style is a blend between traditional & contemporary.
Yes, on the first Sunday of each month we observe The Lord’s Supper. At First Baptist Church of Virden we observe an open communion which means you do not have to be a member of our church, anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal saviour is welcome to participate.
Children are most definitely welcome. During Sunday Worship, there often is a short story when the children are asked up front to listen and participate. Ages kindergarten through fifth grade are then dismissed downstairs for Children’s Church - a time for Bible lesson and crafts.
There is also a nursery available for infants through pre-school age.

MEET OUR PASTOR
REV. MARTY NAGEL

“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:1-3

I was trying to find a brief passage of scripture that would serve as an introduction to my first newsletter article as the interim pastor at Virden First Baptist Church, and these words from the apostle Paul provide me with sound guidance as I prayerfully seek to serve our Lord and His congregation at VFBC in the coming months.

I am no stranger to the North Mac communities, having grown up in Girard and graduating with the 1972 Class of Virden Community High School – and if you do the math, you can figure out my age! As far as my faith journey, I was baptized as an infant at the Girard Methodist Church (my mother’s church) and then confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church (my father’s church). After a few years away from church, I realized my need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and received Him as my Lord and Savior in 1975. A year later, I moved to Minneapolis, where I attended North Central Bible College and received a B.S. in Pastoral Studies (1980) before beginning my ministry as youth pastor and minister of music at First Assembly of God in Virden. Returning to Minnesota, I served several congregations in various capacities before pastoring Christ’s Chapel in Park Forest, Illinois. Then, in 1993, I returned closer to home, serving on the pastoral care staff at St. John’s Hospital until my retirement in 2019. During that time, I returned to school, receiving the M.A. in Ministry from Lincoln Christian Seminary (2002). I also served as interim pastor at First Christian Church in Girard (2014-2018).

On a more personal level, I have been married to my wife, Barb, for the past 45 years – and counting! We have two grown children (Amanda and Kyle) as well as four grandchildren (Malaki,
Serenity, Ellie, and Ezra).

Now I’m wondering if I’ve given you “TMI”, as they say, but I wanted you to have some idea of the circuitous route that has led me back to ministry in Virden after all these years. Honestly, I wasn’t looking for another congregation to serve as a pastor, but I made a commitment to the Lord that, if an opportunity presented itself, I wouldn’t say “No” without good reason. So here I am, and here I will remain for as long as it pleases God and this congregation.

Recalling those words of Paul, I will seek to serve you with humility, gentleness, patience, and, most of all, with love in the days to come.

Yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Marty Nagel

OUR BELIEFS

Belief
We take as the basis for our beliefs the life and teaching of Jesus Christ that we may have: Personal and free interpretations of the Scriptures.
Sincere beliefs in the fundamental truths of the Christian faith.
Purpose
The purpose of this church shall be to maintain the worship of God, the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the administration of the ordinances of the New Testament, the religious training of its youth, the spiritual development of its members, the conversion of the world to Christ through systematic support of Missions, personal efforts of evangelism, and the furtherance of the Kingdom of God through such activities and organizations as we are led by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible
We believe that the Bible is God's book, the inspired record of divine revelation, written under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit that interprets its divine truths to us.  Its author is God, Its message is Grace,  its motive is Love, and its purpose is Salvation.  It came from God to lead us back to God.
God
We believe that there is but one God - a spiritual and personal being, infinite in holiness, wisdom and power and that He has been revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Ordinances
As commanded by our Lord, the ordinances of this church are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  They are to be perpetuated as part of the worship, witness and mission of the church by a proper administrator duly authorized by the church.  Baptism is to be by immersion preceded by repentance toward God and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.  It I  administered in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and is an emblem of our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior and a symbol of our death to sin and resurrection to new life.  The Lord’s Supper is observed as a reminder of God’s Grace, as prescribed by the Scriptures at such times as designated by the church and shall be open to all professing Christians.
Christ
We believe that Christ Jesus is the divine Son of God and that He is the atonement for our sins and the only way of salvation for lost sinners.  We believe that men find salvation by repentance for their sins and by faith in Christ Jesus as their divine Savior.
Democracy
We believe in the right of the Individual Church to be self-governing.
Child Care
Childcare is provided for infants through pre-K age for Sunday Morning services, Wednesday evening service, as well as most special church sponsored functions. The nursery is located in Pitman Hall just off the east entrance. Our safe and modern nursery contains age appropriate toys and a restroom located inside with a child sized commode and sink. Nursery workers are experienced and background checked.
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