Small Groups

This Fall/Winter we have seven small groups that people can join and be a part of. We will be kicking off our Fall/Winter 2025 small groups and Sunday School classes on Sunday, September 7th with a breakfast at church from 8:30-9:30 AM where people can join in fellowship, enjoy breakfast together, and meet with other people in their small groups and Sunday School classes. Here is a list of all of our small groups for Fall/Winter 2025, when they will be meeting, and which books each group will be discussing if you would like to join:

1. Co-ed Small Group for all ages #1 will be reading and discussing the book, "Shepherds For Sale" by Megan Basham and will be led by Austin Featherstone. Group will be meeting at Darlene and Wayne Crowder's house every other Monday starting on Monday, September 8th from 7:00-8:30 PM. The group will be discussing a chapter from this book every two weeks and how as Christians/the church, we must stand firm in the Word of God and not be persuaded by what society says is right. For more information about this group or to join, please contact the church office.

2. Co-ed Small Group for all ages #2 will be reading and discussing the book,"Unshakable Hope" by Max Lucado and will be led by Austin Featherstone. Group will be rotating between different hosts at their houses every other Wednesday/Thursday starting on Thursday, September 11th at Austin and Carrie Featherstone's house from 7:00-8:30 PM. We will discuss a few chapters of Unshakable Hope every two weeks and discuss how God is our hope and our light when the world gets tough and how we can turn to our loving God through all of our struggles. For more information about this group or to join, please contact the church office.

3. Co-ed Young Adult Small Group - Calling all young adults in their 20s and 30s at SEBC. This group will be meeting once a month to join together in fellowship, to pray for one another, and to grow together in Christ. If you would like to join this group, please reach out to Austin Featherstone, Christian Kolthoff, Chris Christ, or Doug Wallick. Our September activity will be to go out for lunch/dinner in downtown Frederick and to visit Surelocked In Escape Room in downtown Frederick for team building afterwards. Stay tuned for more information soon!

4. Baptist Men's Small Group - This Fall/Winter, the Baptist Men's Small Group will be reading and discussing the book, "Kingdom Man" by Tony Evans and will be led by Austin Featherstone. Group will be rotating between different hosts at their houses every other Thursday starting on Thursday, September 4th from 7:00-8:30 PM. This group is open to all men in the church and we invite you to join us. We will be discussing 2-3 chapters every other week and discuss how we can be a light to our families, friends, and communities and take up the call to become a Kingdom Man. For more information about this group or to join, please contact the church office.

5. Women's Bible Study - The women at SEBC are wrapping up the book of Revelation right now, but still have room to join them. This group is open to all women in the church. The participants have a choice of meeting at the church on every other Tuesday or virtually on every other Thursday.. If you would like to join, please contact the church office.

6. Personal Bible Blessings Women's Group - The women at SEBC are going to be kicking off a personal Bible blessings group which will be kicking off at church on Saturday, September 6th. This group will be meeting monthly and will be a time where people can share some of their favorite Bible verses and what it means to them. To get more information, please reach out to the church office for more information.

7. Seniors Luncheon Small Group - The seniors at SEBC meet monthly for lunch so they can get to know each other better, join in fellowship, and grow together in Christ. For more information about this group, please contact the church office.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you in one of our small groups this fall!

Associate Pastor, Family Ministries

Overview

The Associate Pastor, Family Ministries position at South End Baptist Church in Frederick, Maryland is a full-time leadership position responsible for pre-school and elementary children, youth, and family programs. Responsibilities will also include contact, visitation, and local evangelism. The associate pastor will develop a comprehensive discipleship ministry for preschool and elementary children, youth, and families. Finally, he will support the senior pastor as needed and report directly to him.

This position requires strong organizational and strategic planning skills as well as the ability to develop and execute ministry plans effectively. The position also requires good diplomatic skills to engage with the congregation and church leadership. Further, the position needs excellent communication, and interpersonal skills which will develop relationships and further the gospel within the community.

Personal Attributes

• Possesses a heart for the Gospel, sold out to Christ, and stands unwaveringly on the Word of God.
• Possesses maturity, Godly wisdom, integrity, and a servant leader mentality.
• A commitment to personal growth and maintaining spiritual discipline of daily prayer, study of the Scriptures, and walking in the Holy Spirit.
• A big picture thinker with the ability to innovate and adapt ministry needs, with the added ability to incorporate members into existing and new ministries.
• Collaborative, able to work effectively and connect with staff and volunteers.

Education & Other Criteria

• A seminary degree is preferred. More experience is required without a degree.
• A Baptist background is preferred. An evangelical background is required.
• A local residence is required.
• Salary is commensurate with education and/or experience.

Duties and Responsibilities for Family Ministries

1. Vision and Strategy Development

• Develop and articulate a clear vision for the Family Ministries that encompasses outreach and discipleship.
• Create and implement strategies to engage and disciple individuals from preschool age to families, and strategies for small groups which foster spiritual growth and maturity.
• Create and develop teams with team leaders to support the Associate Pastor position and various family ministries.

2. Leadership and Oversight

• Provide farsighted, creative leadership and oversight to all ministry leaders and teams within the Family Ministries scope (preschool, elementary children, youth, families, and small groups).
• Strengthen and equip the family ministries to address burnout and limited assistance as well as strengthen and develop the existing teams.
• Equip and support all ministry leaders to effectively minister to various Family Ministries, ensuring programs are engaging and discipleship oriented.

3. Church and Community Engagement

• Assist and empower parents within the church and the community to nurture spiritual growth in their children and youth.
• Provide resources, training, and guidance to help parents fulfill their role in raising spiritually mature children and youth.
• Cultivate relationships with individuals, families, and community leaders outside the church to extend ministry impact beyond the church walls.
• Oversee, or assist as needed, events for congregation and community programs such as Vacation Bible School and Soccer Camp.
• Develop additional outreach initiatives that connect with and serve the children, youth, and family in the community and beyond.

Additional Responsibilities

1. Welcoming Culture and Hospitality

• Cultivate a welcoming culture within the church that reflects the love and hospitality of Christ.
• Develop and implement processes to ensure all visitors and new members feel valued and connected.
• Lead the process of follow-up and integration for guests, ensuring that guests are connected with appropriate ministries and opportunities for service.

2. Strategic Planning

• Develop and implement a strategic retention plan that integrates newcomers into the life of the church.
• Align retention processes with the overall church vision, mission, core purpose, and values.

3. Discipleship Building

• Design discipleship strategies that promote spiritual growth and deeper community among church members.
• Oversee and strengthen small group ministry to foster connections to the church and relationships within the congregation and spiritual development.

4. Leadership and Big Picture View

• Support and assist Senior Pastor as needed. This will include leading services in his absence.
• Develop a system of teams to promote the youth program, children, and family ministries as well as for retention activities and community engagement events.
• Set and communicate clear team goals and expectations.
• Promote a culture of excellence, creativity, and collaboration within the teams so that innovative ideas are welcome.
• Foster a supportive and empowering environment for team members to grow in their skills and faith.

5. Team Development and Support

• Oversee all volunteer ministry partners, ensuring they are well-supported and trained.
• Encourage spiritual growth among team members.

6. Coordination and Implementation

• Coordinate the scheduling of volunteers for all services and special events.
• Facilitate the continuous development of new and existing leaders within the ministry teams.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of ministry operations, adjusting as needed.

Wreaths Across America

South End Baptist Church has partnered with the national Wreaths Across America organization to sponsor wreaths during the Christmas season to be placed at veterans graves at Mount Olivet cemetery. The national date and time for placing wreaths on veteran gravesites is Saturday, December 13 at noon. How can you participate? SImply go to the WAA site: here. This is the South End sponsorship site. Please use only this site. This will purchase wreaths specifically from SEBC to be placed only at Mt Olivet. Wreaths cost $17 each to purchase. In January, 2026, Wreaths Across America will refund $5 for each wreath purchased back to SEBC. This is strictly an individual effort, not an SEBC budget item.

Our goal is to have 100 wreaths purchased by November 30th.

There are 4,500 veteran gravesites at Mount Olivet. With just 4 months to go before placement, there are less than 1,000 wreaths purchased. Won’t you consider helping?

Donations Needed

SEBC will be collecting baby items for the Care Net Pregnancy Center the last three weeks in March. Below is a list of items that the Center is in the greatest need of. However, if you have already been collecting items that are not on this list, the Center will happily accept them. "Gently used" clothing is also appreciated.

We are suggesting different items for each week. However, if it is more convenient for you to bring your item on one of the other two weeks, please feel free to do so.

March 13: New baby bottles, clothes (size "newborn" - spring/summer - boys and girls)
March 20: Diapers (sizes 5 and 6*), nursing pads
March 27: Bath tubs, sanitary pads

*Diapers and clothing are needed the most.

 There will be a large box in the church lobby to put your donations in.

If you prefer to make a monetary donation, please make your check payable to: Care Net Pregnancy Center of Frederick.