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Worship "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name." Psalm 100:4 First Baptist Morganton considers worship to be the most important ministry of the church. Conscious effort goes into making worship services reverent, joyful celebrations through dynamic Biblical proclamation, a variety of choral and instrumental music, innovative use of drama, interpretive dance, puppetry, and other art forms, and creative congregational participation in the worship experience. The various gifts of the members of the congregation, including children and youth, and of special guest worship leaders are used to enhance the worship experience.
Contact: Bill Rotan, Minister of Music and Administration, 828/437-2544, ext. 16, brotan@hci.net  Welcome to Guests First Baptist Church Morganton is located near the downtown area on historic West Union Street. Parking is available in two main lots and two smaller paved areas behind the church. Handicapped spaces are provided in the two main lots.
Worship services are designed to be Christ-centered, worshipful, reverent and experiential. You will receive a clear and carefully designed order of worship from an usher as you enter the sanctuary. This bulletin focuses mainly on the worship experience with only a few brief announcements. At the conclusion of the service, you will receive a church newsletter with more detailed information about coming events and weekly activity schedules. Care is taken not to put guests "on the spot" or to embarrass them in any way. There is a desire for guests to feel welcomed without feeling "singled out." All worshipers are asked to sign the attendance registers as they are passed down the pews. Guests are invited to provide their names, addresses and phone numbers so they can be contacted with expressions of appreciation for worshiping at First Baptist and to answer any questions they may have. First Baptist Church Morganton is a warm and loving Christian fellowship. By lingering a little after the worship experience, you will give members and ministers an opportunity to show that to you. Worship Format
In the same way, every service is carefully planned so that opportunities for each of these experiences of true worship may occur. Worshipers are invited to enhance the worship experience for themselves and others by:
 Seasonal Worship Themes
Worship services are also based on themes suggested by the seasons of the Christian Year.
Children and Worship Children are included in worship services through the children's sermon and special events in which they are included as worship leaders. Children in the Morning Star Bible Adventures regularly lead calls to worship based on Scriptures they have memorized in their studies. Four-and five-year-old children have children's church immediately following the children's sermon. A nursery is provided for children three and under, staffed by professional, experienced leaders.
Special Advent Experiences
The tradition of the First Baptist Church Chrismon Tree began in 1972. The term Chrismon is a compound of Christ and monogram. Chrismons are ornaments that depict the life of Christ or reflect some aspect of His teachings. These creations are always done in white and gold to reflect the purity (white) and royalty (gold) of the Lord Jesus. A Chrismon committee creates a new Chrismon each year. First Baptist Church is blessed to have four woodcuts created by Dr. Fred Bentley from basic design ideas suggested by the Rev. Fred Schuszler. These were dedicated during Advent of 2001. These four 20 by 26 inch panels illustrate in vivid symbolism the four Sunday themes of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. They are progressively displayed during the Advent season and have become a beautiful addition to the visual pallet of the worship experience.
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Greeters at the main doors of the educational
building and Kistler home annex meet visitors arriving for Sunday
morning Bible study. These friendly folks can help you find a 
The pattern of the
worship service at First Baptist is Biblically-based. In Isaiah 6:1-10,
the prophet Isaiah has an experience of worship in which he:
The advent season at First Baptist Church Morganton provides numerous opportunities for worship and celebration. Special events include a Hanging of the Green service, which includes music and worship as the sanctuary is being decorated for Christmas, and a Christmas Eve Communion service, which ends with churchgoers exiting the sanctuary by candlelight for the singing of a closing carol on the front steps.
