Do you know what’s really special about us here at Chestnut Street Baptist Church?

Nothing! Absolutely nothing! If you are looking for a perfect church then you are going to be very disappointed with us. At CSBC you’ll find real people, with real problems, who live real lives, and are all learning to love a real God whose grace is more than enough for all our needs.

You see, at CSBC we don’t need to cling to our own “special-ness” or “goodness” because of the cross of Jesus Christ. At His cross we find that none are really “good” at all. In fact, at Jesus’ cross we discover that we are unquestionably guilty and yet can be unconditionally forgiven.

At the cross we learn that Christ does NOT want to condemn us in our sins but to save us from them. At the cross we find that God receives us just where we are but He loves us enough not to leave us there. God can and will change lives. He is changing us and can change you as well.

Here at CSBC there are only people. People like me. People like you. People like us. People who desperately need God’s grace. Everyone is welcome to come and receive that grace. We invite you to join us on this life-changing journey.

Welcome Home to Chestnut Street Baptist Church!

What to wear and a typical service

We’re much more concerned with people’s hearts than what they wear. Feel free to wear what you are comfortable with, whether that’s a suit or shorts and a t-shirt. Our only requirement is…wear something!

We know that visiting a new church can be a bit awkward or intimidating, so don’t worry, we won’t ask you to do anything that will embarrass or single you out in any way. Coffee is on us, our worship team will play a few songs and each week’s message lasts for about 30 minutes and overall, service lasts about just over an hour.

No matter where you’re from or how you got here, you matter to God and you matter to us.

WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT YOU WOULD CHOOSE TO SPEND AN HOUR OF YOUR WEEKEND WITH US AT CSBC!

Sunday School for all ages - 8:45 am

Sunday Worship Service - We are live (in-person) on Sundays at 10:00 am - or join us on YouTube and will meet you where you are!

There are many Bible studies throughout the year which may not be listed here. If you are interested in the current studies going on, please contact us.

Monday - Camden Community Breakfast - 7:00am- 9:00am

Wednesday Prayer & Family Discipleship 6:00 pm

Prayer Meeting Zoom ID: 216 277 022

Saturday Men’s Group 8:00 am — In-person here at the church - The Men's Group at Chestnut Street Baptist Church meets every Saturday morning from 8:00 to 10:00 AM. We meet to share our lives together as Christian brothers and be "mutually encouraged by each other's faith" (Romans 1:12). As we listen to each other and share our struggles and joys, we aim for honesty, humility, accountability and a focus on how Christ is working in our lives. While not specifically a Bible study, the scriptures are central to our perspective and conversation. It is our hope that being a part of this group will help us grow closer to Christ and to mature as his disciples while bearing witness to him in our marriages, families, church and community. We welcome all men, regardless where you are on your spiritual journey, particularly those struggling with issues of life, church, faith or belief. For more information contact: Brian Vanden Brink

We recommend you check out our This Sunday at CSBC Page to learn how to get connected with us. The easiest way is to join us on Sunday mornings. You can also check out the I’m New Page.

If you feel safe and are able to meet with us, we’d love for you to join us for a worship service Sunday mornings at 10:00 am where we sing songs, hear a sermon, pray, and connect with friends as well as make new connections and check in on eachother.

Feel free to look below and browse our web page for more information and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.

You can contact the staff by calling the church office at 207.236.2195 or through email. Pastor Adam Kohlstrom or CSBC office. The church office is open Tuesday-Friday from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Information about our activities and programs is available on our website, in our weekly bulletin available in our Sunday services, our general email (any changes or announcements sent out) and weekly newsletter which you can sign up for here on the website by entering your email address, or by liking us on Facebook and/or Instagram. We also have an online Calendar of events on this website. Feel free to visit our website often as we continually update it. We have quarterly business meetings where a majority of major events and planning happen and updates much more detailed with a chance to ask any questions you may have. You do not have to be a member to attend; however, to vote, membership is a requirement. We welcome all.

Getting involved will help you feel connected. A great place to start is to attend worship service on a regular basis. Next, get plugged into one of our Small Groups. Visit this page for more information. Finally, serve in a ministry. To receive more information about service opportunities at CSBC, please contact us.

Membership is discussed in detail during one of our “Next Step” Membership classes. Classes are held about throughout the year. We want all people interested in joining CSBC to be well informed on what we believe and value. This class is a must for membership. Please click this link for information regarding our Next Step Membership Class. We suggest that if you are new to CSBC or not ready for membership, you attend regularly and please ask any questions you may have.

For many Christians membership sounds stiff, something you have at your bank or the country club, but too formal for the church. Even if it’s agreed that Christianity is not a lone ranger religion, that we need community and fellowship with other Christians, we still bristle at the thought of officially joining a church. Why all the hoops? Why box the Holy Spirit into member/non-member categories? Why bother joining a local church when I’m already a member of the universal Church?

That is not the way the Bible refers to membership. In fact, in 1 Corinthians Paul doesn’t say the church is like a body. He says the church is a body. The phrase he uses to describe the individual connectedness is we are “members of the body.”

Membership is often misunderstood, misapplied or not applied at all. The word “member” in the Bible is more closely related to the medical word “member” than it is to the common cultural term. As an example, some of you who are reading may have lost a finger or toe in an accident. On that unfortunate day, you were dismembered. That’s the actual technical terminology. A member of your body was separated from the body. That is a tragic thing.

Yet today in Western culture, being separated from the body of believers is not tragic. It’s almost normal. It is almost understood that Christians and churches should be separated. Lone Ranger Christians are common. But there is no such thing. There is no Christianity without community. We can not go it alone just as an ember removed from a fire (even one set close to the fire) grows cold very quickly on its own.

Biblical Membership

Why then do we have membership? Because regardless of how the culture sees it or Christians misunderstand it, membership is not simply an opportunity to say, I’m a part of a club, but rather a scriptural expression of covenant connectedness to a church [body].

Just attending a service will give you a good overview of and an idea of just some of our current ministries and many ways to serve here at CSBC. You can contact the church office or talk to our Deacons of Worship gatherings, Deacons of Outreach or a ministry, or any of our team leaders about positions available in any ministry.

We are committed to sending out and supporting workers in many regions around the globe. Opportunities are available for everyone to pray for, encourage and support our church family in the mission field. This is why we are committed to giving 16% of our annual giving to missions. Please see our Missions page to see missions supported here at CSBC.

Absolutely! Yes! Prayer is the core of every ministry. The church gets it direction from the Word and the Holy Spirit as we commune with God in prayer. We have an email prayer group that prays for the weekly requests and we gather Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm during our Family (Church Family- all are welcome!) Discipleship for prayer as well. If you have a prayer request, email us during the week, on Sundays fill out our prayer request list on the back sanctuary table - or place in the comment section of our YouTube chat with your prayer request. If you would like to be added to the Prayer Chain email, please let us know and we will gladly add you.