McKernan Baptist Church - What to expect when you visit

Welcome to McKernan Baptist Church! We’re so glad you’ve arrived to check us out. We are located at 11103 – 76 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta. We offer three Sunday Services at 9:30 am, 11:15 am and 6:00 pm. The sermon is the same for all three services. The 6:00 pm service often has more contemporary worship and a more intimate setting. Our Sunday morning services offer a blend of traditional hymns as well as many contemporary worship choruses. During the 9:30 am service from September to June, the service is relayed by Video Link to our Lower Auditorium. This provides a smaller, quieter setting. The service is live from the Main Sanctuary.

We want you to feel welcome and comfortable as we strive to become a community of fully devoted and developed followers of Jesus Christ that reaches our world with his transforming love and truth. Please know that no matter which service you choose to attend you will not be singled out as a visitor.

The church campus consists of three buildings: the Main Building is on the southwest corner of 111 Street and 76 Avenue. Immediately to the west is the Office Building (open Monday - Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm), and west of that is the Lighthouse - which is used for various children's and youth ministries events. The Lighthouse is also used during the week by the McKernan Child Development Centre - a community daycare operated by McKernan Baptist Church.

Here is a typical Sunday timeline at McKernan Baptist Church:

9:15 am - Childcare begins in the Children’s Wing (east side of the main church building) for infants to kindergarten. Grades five and six are also in this area. Grades one to four meet in the Lighthouse.
9:30 am - First service begins in the Sanctuary and via Video Link (from September to May) to the Lower Auditorium and runs until about 10:45 am.
10:45 am – 11:30 am Higher Grounds Café is open in the Lower Auditorium.
11:15 am - Second service begins in the Sanctuary and runs until about 12:30 pm.
11:15 am - Childcare available in the Nursery during the second service (east side of the main church building).
6:00 pm – Evening service begins in the Lighthouse.

Some of the things that are part of our services, regularly or occasionally:

Worship through music: We will sing several songs throughout the service (hymns as well as more contemporary songs) as a corporate act of worship.

Message: Each service incorporates a teaching portion (a sermon) from one of our pastoral staff, or occasionally a guest speaker. To listen to some of our archived sermons, click here.

Prayer: During every service we will have a time of corporate prayer. One of the pastoral staff will lead the congregation in prayer.

Taking of the Offering: The offering plate is passed as an act of worship for our regular attenders to give back a portion of what God has blessed them with. Please do not feel any obligation to participate – it is perfectly acceptable to pass the plate on by.

Serving of Communion: We participate in taking Communion once a month, generally on the first Sunday of the month. We eat a small piece of bread and drink a small amount of juice from individual cups as a continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ. It is an act of thankful dedication to Him and serves to unite His people until He returns. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour (a believer) you are welcome to participate in this ordinance as well. Please do not feel obligated to participate – once again, it is perfectly acceptable to pass the plate on by.

Water Baptism: Here at McKernan Baptist Church we baptize by immersion. This is a public declaration of a believer’s personal commitment to Christ. Usually, the individual gives a testimony of what Christ has done in their life, then the pastor immerses the individual in a pool of water as a symbol of dying to self and being raised to life in Christ.

Child Dedication: Child dedication is an act of the parents dedicating themselves to raise their child in the ways of Christ. Generally the parents say a few words about the child and to the child. Following this a pastor would pray for the child and the parents. This does not constitute salvation for the child rather a desire to see the child raised up in the knowledge of Christ so that one day they will be able to make a decision for themselves.

Commissioning: We regularly have the privilege of commissioning McKernan attenders as they follow God’s leading into various ministry appointments, short-term missions and long-term missions opportunities. This often involves a brief overview of the work they are planning to do, followed by a prayer to send them out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the church believe?
Read our statement of beliefs here.

What should I wear?
Come as you are! We generally are a casual church so please wear whatever you are comfortable in.

Where should I park?
There is a small parking lot next to the church, though this does tend to fill up. There is reserved Visitor Parking on the West side of the Church Building. There is also street parking in the area. Please observe all signs and be respectful of the driveways of our neighbours.

What about my kids?

Children’s Ministry: We provide care for nursery aged children (infants to age two) as well as Sunday School programs for children aged two up to grade 6 on Sundays during the 9:30 am service. Nursery care is also available during the 11:15 am service.
Youth Ministry: Our Junior High students are on a 3 week “Head, Hearts, Hands” rotation during the first service. Week 1 is the “Head” Sunday and they gather together for their own group study. Week 2 is “Hands” Sunday and the Junior High students participate in various volunteer positions throughout the church, such as helping in children’s ministry, Ushering, or Video Tech team. Week 3 is “Heart” Sunday and they join the rest of the congregation in the Sanctuary for the service.

What if I have questions?

You will likely be met at the door by one of our Greeters. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them to point you in the right direction.

Also in the main foyer is our Welcome Centre. It is the hub of information at McKernan Baptist Church. Drop by to ask questions or to pick up a brochure regarding a particular ministry. You can also pick up a newcomer’s package here to give you some more information about our church.

How do I get connected?

Higher Grounds: Between the two morning services, join us downstairs in the Lower Auditorium for coffee and a snack. This runs from September to June and is a great opportunity to socialize and meet others who attend McKernan Baptist.
Small Groups: If you’re interested in joining a small group, you can fill out a Small Group Intake form available at the Welcome Centre in the main foyer. You can also apply online here.
Volunteering: If you would like to get involved by helping in a ministry click here for position descriptions about some of the opportunities. If there is another area where you would like to serve please send us an email.
Membership: If you are interested in learning more about becoming a member of McKernan Baptist Church, we offer regular classes on this subject. Please send us an email to find out more.
Baptism Classes: If you are interested in learning more about baptism by immersion, we offer regular classes on this subject as well. Please send us an email to find out more.
Alpha: If you are interested in exploring the foundations of Christianity, join us for free dinner and discussion at Alpha. Click here for more information, or to register for the next Alpha course.
Other Ministries: For information on our other ministries, click here.
Our Staff: Allow us to introduce ourselves! To meet our pastors click here.

Other Resources:

Sermon archive: To listen to past sermons, click here.

Devotional Guides: For a daily devotional guide written by our Pastoral Staff, click here.

Programs: To download the weekly program, click here.