Welcome to Slayden Baptist Church!
(Prepare for Bad Jokes & Good News!)
A little bit about me: I’m a former missionary – spent some amazing years sharing the Gospel in Moscow, Russia (Nyet, I didn’t meet Putin, but I did eat a lot of borscht!). When I’m not at church, you might find me glued to a St. Louis Cardinal baseball game (Go Cards!), or maybe out trying to convince my slightly-too-old body to complete another triathlon. But honestly, my biggest passion – and the reason I’m so excited to be part of Slayden – is helping people understand the incredible story of the Bible and how it changes everything.
Speaking of Slayden, you might be wondering, “What’s this church all about?” Well, at its heart, Slayden Baptist Church is a family committed to something really simple, but profoundly important: helping each other follow Jesus. We actually covenant together to do just that – to walk alongside one another on this journey of faith.
We often talk about our DNA in three simple phrases: Bible-knowing, Gospel-sharing, and Missions-sending. Let me unpack that a bit:
- Bible-Knowing: We are serious about the Bible. We believe it’s God’s very word to us, and we are dedicated to knowing it deeply. We aren't just casual readers; we want to understand what God is saying about Himself, about us, and about the world around us. We believe the more we know God’s Word, the better we know God Himself.
- Gospel-Sharing: Knowing the Bible isn’t just for us to keep to ourselves! We believe the Good News of Jesus – the Gospel – is the most amazing message in the world, and it’s meant to be shared! We are passionate about communicating this Gospel clearly and effectively to everyone we meet. We want to become expert communicators of God's truth.
- Missions-Sending: This isn’t just about knowing and sharing – it’s about going! We believe God calls us to take the Gospel to our community, our region, and the world. Whether that’s across the street or across the globe, we want to be a church that sends people out to make a difference for Christ. And guess what? You're part of our mission field right now!
We believe we have a limited amount of time on this earth to truly know God, understand His Word, and share it. That's why we're so focused.
And we're not just about robust discipleship for adults! We are incredibly committed to investing in the next generation. We have flourishing Children's and Student Ministries because we believe in preparing kids and students now to be sent out from Slayden as lifelong disciple-makers. Our goal is to equip them to share the Gospel and start discipleship groups wherever life takes them, for the rest of their lives! Imagine the impact!
You've picked a great time to visit Slayden! We are growing in all age groups – it’s a vibrant, multi-generational family here. In fact, we are so excited about what God is doing that we are embarking on a building project to create even more space for ministry! This will mean incredible new areas for our Children’s Ministry, Student Ministry, and education, plus expanded space for our sanctuary and fellowship – because we also believe in having fun together as a church family!
We aren't just focused on ourselves either. We have a big vision to impact our entire region by planting new churches and helping other churches thrive. We believe God has called Slayden to be a hub of Kingdom growth.
So, what’s next? We’d love to invite you to begin a discipleship journey with us. To explore what it looks like to know God’s Word, grow in your faith, and go share His love with the world, right here at Slayden Baptist Church.
Take a look around, grab some coffee (and maybe brace yourself for another bad joke if you see me!), and please, don’t hesitate to ask questions. We are genuinely excited you are here and hope you’ll consider making Slayden Baptist Church your church home.
Welcome to the family!
Warmly (and with maybe just a slightly corny joke in my heart!),
Joel Strahan
Senior Pastor, Slayden Baptist Church
Hey There!
If you’re reading this, welcome to Slayden Baptist Church! And welcome especially if you are looking for a church home – you’ve come to the right place, and we are genuinely thrilled you’re here. Seriously, we are!
Let me introduce myself – my name is Joel Strahan, and I’m just one of the many folks here at Slayden who are excited to meet you. Now, fair warning: I’m known for two things around here – a deep love for Jesus and… well, let’s just say my jokes are less “laugh out loud” and more “groan and bear it.” But hey, at least they’re memorable, right? Maybe? You be the judge!