Elizabeth River Baptist Church

601 Sparrow Road Chesapeake, VA 23325

(757) 420-8478 Fax: (757) 420-5402

Pastor: Dr. Sanford Martin

email:doctorsandy@elizabethriver.com

Welcome!

A Place Where You are Always Welcome

Whether you are brand new to the church thing or you’ve been around church for a while, we want to say welcome! Our goal at Elizabeth River Baptist Church is to create environments and experiences where you can encounter God in the midst of your life. When you visit with us at Elizabeth River Baptist Church our aim is that you would be inspired by the music, encouraged by the message, welcomed by our amazing community of people & be reminded that God’s grace is here!

Week of Prayer for North American Missions

March 1 – March 8, 2026

The Week of Prayer is annually observed by SBC churches to specifically pray for missionaries on the field, the needs of their ministries and the needs of their families. Prayer is the fuel enabling God to spiritually and emotionally sustain missionaries in places where the gospel is greatly needed, but often opposed.

Prayer Walking/Prayer Driving

Door Hanger Distribution

Our 30 Days of Prayer for the community will begin on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Through prayer walking and prayer driving, our goal is to cover the neighborhoods around the church in prayer, encouraging others to experience the love of Christ. This initiative also provides an opportunity to invite neighbors to church and share information about upcoming events, including Palm Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, the annual Block Party, and Vacation Bible School. We will focus on the Norfolk Highlands, Sherry Park, Tanglewood, and Elizabeth Terrace communities. Maps will be provided. Sign-up sheet is available in the annex .

Along with our prayer walking/prayer driving, we will continue distributing our door hangers in the 23464 zip code neighborhood.

Daylight Savings Time Starts

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Remember to set your clocks AHEAD one hour Saturday night or Sunday morning

Neighborhood Block Party

Sunday, June 21, 2026

1:00 – 3:00 PM

Join us as we kick off our week long Vacation Bible School. We will have FREE Inflatable Bounce House, snow cones, hot dogs, and kids crafts.

Vacation Bible School 2026

June 22-26, 2026 2:00-4:00 PM

Elizabeth River Baptist Church’s 2026 VBS theme is “Magnified! Discovering the Bigness of God in the Smallest of Things,” focusing on Psalm 34:3 to teach kids God’s greatness.

Magnified!: Kids explore tiny details like ladybugs, dew drops, or acorns to see God’s immense creativity and love.
Key Verse: Psalm 34:3 – “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together”.
Core Message: God made us, cares for us, loves us, forgives us, and is faithful, teaching kids to proclaim His greatness.

Everyone is Welcome! Pre-K and up

World Changers Chesapeake, VA

July 21 – 24, 2026

“World Changers” in Chesapeake, VA, is an annual summer mission program where youth groups from across the U.S. perform home repairs (like roofing, painting, building ramps) for residents and engage in community service and spiritual outreach, organized by the national World Changers Missions to help local families and share their faith. The project date will be Tuesday, July 21, to Friday, July 24.

Elizabeth River Baptist Church will host a team by providing a hot lunch at either the job site or the church. For more information, please call the church office at 757-420-8478.

What is Operation Inasmuch?

Operation Inasmuch is a worldwide ministry that comes alongside churches and pastors to equip and motivate them to obey the biblical mandate to minister to the “least of these.”

For more information, please talk with Pastor Sandy or Ken Bliss or you may call the church office at 757-420-8478.

Saturday, October 24, 2026

8:00 am – Noon

WORSHIP!

SUNDAY AT 11:00 am

Elizabeth River Baptist Church is a church where we love to worship. Not just on Sundays, but every day of the week. Come worship the Lord with us!

BREAKFAST &BIBLE STUDY

SUNDAY AT 9:30 am

Elizabeth River Baptist Church is a church where we love to study the Word of God. We believe that God’s will, plan and purpose are revealed in His Word.

FELLOWSHIP

The Bible advises us to continue in fellowship with other believers. There is a reason for that! It edifies is, keeps us accountable, makes us more transparent and unplugs us from our secluded self-centered lives. We learn to share, invite-in, commune and interact with other believers.

GENEROSITY

We are givers at heart and we model that in our lives. We do not believe in creating a mega church with lots of beautiful buildings and facilities. Rather, we believe in giving back. A healthy community is ripe to hear God’s Word. We invite our members to give to any of our community programs on a regular basis.

GROWTH

If you attend Elzabeth River Baptist Church and there is no spiritual growth in your life, then we did something wrong. That is why it is very important to us that you take away real life application not just spiritually, but for your family, finances and all areas of your life. God is our source of joy, and our deliverer.