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Whether you’re new to the island or just visiting and looking for a worship service to fit your needs, First Baptist Church of Marco Island may be right for you.

For someone who knows nothing about FBC, it can be assumed that at some point they have most likely heard someone utter the words, “That’s one of those Baptist churches” or even more specifically, “That’s a Southern Baptist church.”

After all, the tendency to “stereotype” things is human nature. And for those who “buy it” before they even enter the store, less than inspirational jabs aimed at the Baptist faith can become misleading and confusing. Pastor Timothy Neptune says he believes people would be quite surprised at what they would find upon visiting the First Baptist Church of Marco Island.

“Some people have a bad connotation with the word Baptist. They’ve heard the name somewhere in the past and they have a misconception of what it means. So when they finally come here they say, ‘wow, this isn’t at all what I expected. And it’s very refreshing that this is real, it’s very friendly and people do love you when you come through the door,” Neptune explains.

Upon forgetting about any preconceived notions and preparing to take a genuine look at the church, it’s hard to miss what appears to be an extravagant new building being constructed toward the sky on Winterberry Drive. Didn’t Jesus, in a modest way, preach in the streets? So why, then, the need for big and fancy?

HARMONY OSWALD / Eagle staff

The members at First Baptist Church of Marco Island hope everyone in the community will feel comfortable stepping foot inside a tastefully modern yet not overly “flashy” brand new facility, which will likely be completed in January of 2008.

“Our overriding principle is excellence not extravagance and our building will demonstrate that. I think that’s a very important distinction,” explains Neptune. “Some people would view extravagance as a real waste of money. People sometimes spend a lot of money on things that are not going to have any return as far as reaching people. What we’re building is not extravagant but it will be first class and very nice and every nook and cranny of that building will be used for ministry to help us reach out into the community.”

The congregation at FBC Marco works to do just that, through demonstrating authenticity. Neptune hopes this characteristic of “being real” will help the church in reaching out to the 50,000 people on the island who “need to hear about the gospel.”

“We accept people here. We view this as a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints. There’s a big difference. It’s not about putting on a big show on Sunday mornings so that Christians can come and be entertained and walk out feeling good about the fact that they’ve come to church. If that’s the case, we’ve missed the point. We are here Sunday mornings so that we can then go out into the community and share our faith with those on our streets and in our community. It’s not about bringing people in. It’s about going out and bringing the church to the community. It’s about loving neighbors, being kind and meeting needs in their lives,” Neptune offers. “So when I say that we’re authentic, what I’m saying is we have a good understanding of what it means to be a church. And it’s not about gathering. It’s about living a transformed life in the community.”

At FBC, the goal is for everyone to feel comfortable. What people wear to Sunday morning service doesn’t matter. According to Neptune, some people like wearing jeans and a T-shirt, while others arrive in a three piece suit. There are no rules and regulations to consider before walking through the door.

“As long as it’s modest, we don’t care at all. It’s not a social environment where you put on your fancy clothes to go to church. We want you to come and see other people like you who are on a spiritual journey. Some are seekers who don’t believe but they’re interested and they want to come check us out. We encourage them to come. There are people that have been Christians for 40 years and they feel most comfortable in a suit and tie. We don’t have a set of rules that says if you’re going to come here this is what you need to do,” Neptune says. “I don’t wear a tie when I preach. It’s not that I’m against ties. I just don’t want to create any kind of barrier. I would hope people would never feel that they have to look or dress a certain way in order to come to church.”

During summer months, FBC Marco Sunday worship service starts at 10:30 a.m.. In season, starting in November, the church offers a traditional service at 9 a.m. and a contemporary service at 10:30 a.m. Children’s worship service and classes are offered during adult services and include DVD’s and high energy music. On Wednesday nights, AWANA teaches children that “Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed.” Children receive vests and earn special patches as they memorize Bible scriptures and do fun activities. When Pastor Neptune and his family arrived in Marco Island four years ago, he realized that creating a top notch children’s ministry should remain a high priority.

“We’re very kid centered and kid focused, intentionally. When I first got here, I realized there was not much on the island for children. Everyone pretty much focused solely on snowbirds. So we made the decision that we were really going to emphasize children’s ministry. And what happened is children have brought their parents, who’ve brought they’re grandparents. So we’re reaching a lot of families by focusing on kids. At the same time our teen ministry has grown,” Neptune explains.

In the midst of substantial growth, it’s always important to stay focused on the vision at hand. At FBC, the vision is not the “new building.” Members are on a mission to reach every man, woman and child on Marco Island with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The building will function as a tool to help reach the community. According to Neptune, the definition of a church has nothing to do with a building, it has to do with the people who gather there.

“Remember when Elvis would finish a concert? They would say, “ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building!’ And people would want him to stay. Well, on Sundays as people leave the building, the ‘church’ has left the building. We the people are the church. This is a place to gather. We are the launching pad. We will use it to reach children, to connect with teenagers and to train adults. We will use it for different outreach opportunities and for our different worship services.” Neptune confirms.

As it stands, the “church” has currently outgrown it’s facility. When guests arrive on Sunday mornings, it’s not uncommon to search for a parking spot, not to mention a seat inside the sanctuary. As the congregation waits patiently for new walls to rise on Winterberry Drive, members continue to help establish “daughter churches” throughout Southwest Florida. Planting churches is a huge outreach mission for FBC Marco.

“We’re planting two additional churches right now. Fairway Community Church is a ‘daughter church.’ We’re sending a lot of people to plant another church at Edison Community College in Naples. We’re starting a Brazilian Church at the same time in Ft. Myers. We’re looking to recruit any Hispanic pastors so we can start a Hispanic church. So it isn’t just about us building a building for us, we’re really permeating our whole community with the gospel and creating more opportunities for people to hear about Jesus,” says Neptune.

One last misconception: Contrary to popular belief, the construction at FBC Marco does not include a high school. Although the completion of the new facility will give the community an opportunity to move forward in the hopes of establishing a Christian high school eventually, plans are not yet in motion on that project.

In the midst of substantial growth and development, one thing, according to Neptune, will never change. At FBC Marco, there will always be that attitude of authenticity.

“We have one man at the church who had been in jail for drunk driving. He lost his license. As soon as he got out of jail, he came to church and said, ‘I’ve got to get my life straightened out.’ We reached out to him, loved and encouraged him. Now, he has gone out to AA meetings in the community. He shares his faith. He is a constant encourager to people who are trying to conquer alcoholism,” Neptune explains. “He’s not a perfect person. If you look at him you wouldn’t say, ‘Oh wow, there’s a super religious, super Christian kind of guy.’ He doesn’t have that look. But in his heart, he is the real deal. His faith is true. That’s one example of an authentic person who came to our church and was saved.”

•••

First Baptist Church of Marco Island

1450 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island, 34145

Phone: 239-394-1646, 239-394-5412

Fax: 239-394-1007

Web site: www.fbcmarco.com

Sunday morning worship: 10:30 a.m.