By Barrett SMITH

On Jan. 19, the First Baptist Church at La Crescenta invited the community to join them in celebrating an achievement 20 years in the works. The church recently finished a new courtyard entrance that has been in various stages of planning since 1991. The courtyard itself is about 6,000 square feet with a built-in seating area shaded by fichus trees. Over 250 members of the community gathered at First Baptist for “Celebration Service,” which was followed by a ribbon cutting and a meal.

First Baptist Church has been a part of the Crescenta Valley community for almost 70 years, having been founded by a group of Swedish-Americans in 1945. Since its establishment, many of its members have been actively involved in community service.

Bill Flanders, who has been a pastor at First Baptist for four-and-a-half years, commented on the decision to invite the entire community to celebrate the new courtyard.

“We feel like part of the community,” said Flanders. “We’ve been a part of this community for a long time, and we believe that the church goes beyond what happens inside the walls of the building. We have a beautiful courtyard, and it’s an asset to the church and the community. It’s this great sacred outdoor area where we hope people from the community will come to gather and fellowship, pray, grow closer to God, and grow closer to each other.”

To learn more about First Baptist Church and their involvement in the community, join them at 10:45 on Sunday mornings for worship, or visit their website, www.fbclc.org.

  Barrett SMITH