YOUNG ADULTS AT FBCDC

Young Adults at First Baptist make up a vibrant community of twenty and thirty-somethings navigating life and faith with purpose in the nation's capital. Whether you’re a Hill staffer questioning everything, a grad student seeking deeper meaning, a young professional wrestling with faith and politics, or newly married with children and trying to figure it all out—you’ll find your people here.

Our community is beautifully complex: some of us grew up in church and are reimagining what faith means now, others are cautiously returning after time away, and still others are exploring progressive Christianity for the first time. What unites us is our search for authentic spiritual community that takes both our questions and our convictions seriously.

In a city that can feel relentlessly political and professionally demanding, we’re creating a sanctuary where you can show up as you actually are—doubts, hopes, and all. We gather weekly to share meals and explore faith through teaching, contemplative practices, and honest conversation. We also come together for seasonal retreats, service projects, and the kind of dinner gatherings where conversations last until someone realizes it’s midnight.

This is not your childhood church’s young adult group. We’re a community where progressive theology meets practical spirituality, where ancient practices ground modern lives, and where being “in process” is the norm. If you’re looking for easy answers, this might not be your place. If you're looking for companions who will walk alongside you as you figure out how to live faithfully in these uncertain times, pull up a chair. You belong.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Sunday Morning Worship

Sunday morning worship at 11 am is the heartbeat of life at First Baptist, and for most people, it’s the first point of entry to our faith community. In worship, we encounter the sacred through progressive liturgy, preaching rooted in scripture and the teachings of Jesus, music that spans centuries, and fellowship with Christ-followers from the cradle to the grave. After worship, conversations spill into the lobby and beyond, as relationships that begin in the pews deepen over coffee and continue throughout the week.

Mid-Week Gatherings

Way Wednesdays are our weekly gatherings. We share meals and explore faith through teaching, contemplative practices, and honest conversation, all of which help us seek the sacred in the midst of our nation’s capital. Whether you’re returning to church, questioning everything, or somewhere in between, you’ll find companions for the journey in these gatherings. This is our weekly practice of becoming the community we need in uncertain times. In Fall 2025, these gatherings will be at the church Wednesday, October 1 through Wednesday, November 19 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm.

Beyond Sundays and Wednesdays

Throughout the year, we punctuate our regular rhythms with experiences that deepen both our faith and friendships. Seasonal retreats and camping trips take us outside the Beltway—literally and metaphorically—where we trade DC’s constant urgency for campfires, contemplative practices, and the kind of unstructured time where real connections form. Service projects channel our desire to do something meaningful in the face of political frustration, reminding us faith requires action. 

But perhaps nothing captures our community’s spirit quite like our occasional Sunday night dinners, summer gatherings on rooftop decks, mid-week coffees, or spontaneous post-church lunches that turn into four-hour conversations about everything from theology to whether Ted Lasso is actually a show about progressive Christianity. 

These are the moments where someone’s casual question launches a discussion that ranges from personal faith crises to the best Ethiopian food in Adams Morgan, where newcomers become friends, and friends become chosen family. In a city built on networking, we’re building something different: genuine relationships where showing up as your full, complicated self is more than allowed. It’s expected, and celebrated.

Getting Connected

You are welcome to join our young adults anytime, anywhere. All you have to do is show up. That said, one of the first steps for newcomers is often a meal, coffee, or drinks with Pastor Eric. This is a chance to share your story, ask questions about faith and community, and figure out if First Baptist might be home for you.

These conversations aren’t membership classes in disguise; they’re informal meetings where you can be honest about where you are on your spiritual journey, whether that’s committed, skeptical, or somewhere in between. If you’re new and wondering about next steps, reaching out for one of these conversations is a natural starting point. Send a quick email to eric@firstbaptistdc.org.