First Baptist Church of Hammond Welcomes 2,011 First-Time Visitors on One Sunday

On Sunday, October 12, the First Baptist Church of Hammond saw 746 professions of faith during the start of its annual Fall Program. There were 16,930 people in attendance, with 2,011 first-time visitors. It was the first Sunday of a 7-week campaign, emphasizing the carrying out of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19, 20). Additionally, the church had 431 baptisms on that same day.

In recent weeks, the church's pastor, Dr. Jack Schaap, has underscored to his congregation the urgency to "go, win, baptize, and teach" in an effort to reach the local community and the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

For decades, First Baptist Church has used a tiered service schedule where it reuses several buildings throughout the day. The current Fall Program has been no different. There are 55 services held each weekend, with 51 multi-site services being held throughout the Chicagoland area. The largest services take place in First Baptist Church's 7,500-seat Main Auditorium with Pastor Schaap preaching, and in the Jack Hyles Memorial Auditorium, where 2,079 Spanish-speaking members were in attendance on the same Sunday.