LIBRARY MINISTRY

The library at First Baptist Church of Highland Park provides print and multimedia materials based on Christian values and doctrines in a systematically organized collection that supports the Christian Educational goals of the First Baptist Church of Highland Park and the leisure reading interests of the church congregation and the Highland Park Christian Academy.

The library is located in the James J. McCord Education Building, Room 200. Contact the library staff by calling the church office at 301/773-6655

The mission of the Library Ministry is to serve as a resource and reference center offering materials brought together to help enrich lives, deepen spiritual understanding and offer spiritual nourishment and growth to individuals and congregational groups.

The ministry was established in 1998 but was originally conceived from the vision of Pastor James J. McCord in 1996. A committee met under the guidance of Rev. Henry Green and member M. Patricia Jones to set objectives, identify tasks and establish additional committees to carry out the tasks. An Action Plan for Implementation was established and the work was begun to fulfill the vision. Yvonne Felton (now Rev. Felton), the head of the Christian Education Ministry was given the additional responsibility for the development and oversight of the church library.

On August 22, 1998 the new library of First Baptist Church of Highland Park was dedicated and officially opened for use by church members. The original committee members included M. Patricia Jones, Joyce Alexander, Charlene Dates, Esther Harding, Robert Hill, Margaret Kemp, Wilhelmina Lashley, Anne Love, Linda Redmond, Mary Evans, Anne Trice and Ruby Alexander. The previous Directors were M. Patricia Jones and Linda Redmond. The Library Ministry currently has 18 adult FBCHP member volunteers which includes a director, assistant director, and 4 story time readers.

The library is open for service to the FBCHP congregation on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-8:30pm. It is closed on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Saturday hours are from 10am-12noon. 13 adult church member volunteers serve during the evening and Saturday hours and 4 adult volunteers serve during story time sessions with PreK 3, Kdg, 1st and 2nd grade classes from the Highland Park Christian Academy. The library is also open for use by the Academy every day during school hours with individual classroom teacher supervision of their own class.

There are 6 computers available for use during the evening and Saturday hours as long as one of the Library Ministry volunteer staff is available for assistance.

FBCHP members may borrow library materials using their church envelope number as ID with their name, current address and phone number. Non-FBCHP persons may use library materials only in the library.

Bibles, Bible dictionaries, Bible commentaries, Christian counseling materials, African American and other reference volumes, popular and current Christian fiction books, children's and juvenile literature based on Christian and moral values, Videos/DVDS, CD/CD-Roms, FBCHP publications, archival materials and some magazines of interest to adults, children and youth. .

Thinking of buying a Bible and need to select the right one? Examine the library's wide selection.

• Christianity Today
• Discipleship Journal
• Diversity
• In Touch Magazine
• Leadership
• Pockets (for children)
• Ranger Rick (for children)
• Today's Christian Women
• Your Big Backyard (for children)
• Ranger Rick (for children)
• and more

View a video/DVD or listen to an audiocassette or CD-ROM. Borrowers can checkout videos for a week or the cassettes for three weeks. The library has six computers that can be used for word processing, viewing CD-ROMS/DVDs or for working offline on the Internet (at the current time).

Use the library for researching homework questions. Our reference tools include: The Unabridged Merriam-Webster Dictionary of the English Language,Henry Louis Gate's Encyclopedia Africana, World Book Encyclopedia, World Almanac, and others

2 Timothy 2:15:
"Study to show thyself approved, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth". KJV

Proverbs 2:9-10
9 "Then you will understand what is right, just and fair and you will know how to find the right course of action every time"; 10 "For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will fill you with joy". NIV

For more information regarding the Library Ministry contact Ruby Alexander through the church office at (301) 773-6655