OUR PURPOSE

To worship and praise God should be the goal of all who know and love Jesus. There is no better way to praise and honor God than through consistent Bible study, prayer and worship with fellow Christians. Sunday morning worship at Melrose is a highlight of the week for members and guests.

The service is planned to help the congregation focus on God and His salvation. Traditional hymns as well as contemporary music provide a worshipful atmosphere for all age groups. From the opening greeting, through the benediction, the ministers encourage worship and thanks to God for His Son, Jesus the Christ. Fellowship with others, prayer and praise to God, soul-searching through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and concern for lost souls help worshippers leave the service ready to reach out to others.

“Enter to Worship, Depart to Serve” continues to be the challenge of this ministry. All are invited to join in worship at Melrose.

God planned for us to love and serve Him and each other. Fellowship is a vital piece of the fabric of Melrose, and we are a welcoming, warm, and loving congregation. There is fellowship before and after worship on Sunday mornings, in small groups during the Sunday School hour, and on various evenings during the week as individuals and families participate in age-related activities.

Melrose has many small groups organized for all ages from preschool through senior adults. There are coed classes for youth and adults as well as individual classes for men and women. All the groups or classes seek to find innovative methods that will interest members and prospects in the study of God’s Word and its impact on their lives.

In addition to Sunday morning studies, there are classes at other times throughout the year to study the Bible and other inspirational training books. Discipleship training is an ongoing process for Christians to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Christ.

All of us are shaped for serving God. Even though our services may be diverse, the love for God and for God’s children should be the same in every heart. Melrose is full of volunteers whose many talents serve God through this church.

Many volunteers gladly perform tasks every day without any thought except to use their talents for the Lord’s service. They often work behind the scenes to ensure this busy congregation continues to thrive and reach out to the community.

Outreach activities are ongoing at Melrose. In addition to the Sunday morning worship services that seek to minister to those who need to make a commitment for Jesus or to find a church home, several groups have specific programs to enlist members or assist those who need help.

Some of those groups are:
- Women’s Missionary Union
- Baptist Men’s Ministry
- Support of Keystone Community Center and Friendship House
- Roanoke Rescue Mission
- Operation Christmas Child
- Youth participation in Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies (A.M.O.S)
- Adult mission trips
- Support to various ministries of the Roanoke Valley Baptist Association, the Baptist General Association of Virginia, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (state and national)