OUR STORY

At Abundant Life, we are passionate about helping people find and follow Jesus. We believe that every person deserves the opportunity to hear the message of hope and healing that only Jesus can bring. As a church, our heart is to create an environment where people can connect with God and one another, discover their God-given purpose, and collectively make a difference in our world. 

We are grateful for God’s faithfulness throughout the years and are excited to see what He has in store for us in the future. We hope you will be a part of us writing the next chapter of our story, and we sincerely believe that the best is yet to come!

OUR HISTORY

  • Our Beginning

    1954

    In 1954, after much prayer and the blessing of First Baptist Church of Reading, Jack and Helen Moore, Jud and Jennie Arbo, and Eliot and Irene Castillo started a church plant in Wilmington.

    Incorporated in 1956, First Baptist Church of Wilmington was founded as the first Protestant church in Wilmington.

  • Overgrowth

    April 10, 1966

    After renting Wilmington’s Grange Hall for a period, the First Baptist Church purchased the property at 173 Church Street.

    A special building project was started to add a sanctuary, as well as rooms for adult discipleship and children’s Sunday School.

  • Abundant Life

    1982-1983

    In 1982, Pastor Everett Reed and members of the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Wilmington established Abundant Life, a discipleship-focused school, emphasizing quality education from a Christian perspective.

    For many years, Abundant Life operated out of the rented Boutwell School location, a former Wilmington public school building. During this time the nursery school developed into an infant to Pre-K daycare and earned an excellent reputation in the community.

  • Construction of new building

    A New Home

    1990-2008

    Throughout its time at the Boutwell School, Abundant Life experienced significant growth and filled the building. First Baptist Church of Wilmington desired to continue growing the school and added a Christian Education wing as a permanent space for classrooms.

    First Baptist Church of Wilmington changed its name to Abundant Life to include all parts of the ministry: Church, Childcare, and School. Pastor Ron Grimley started at Abundant Life and fostered growth and leadership among the Wilmington community.

  • Today

    2008-Today

    First Baptist Church of Wilmington changed its name to Abundant Life to include all parts of the ministry: Church, Childcare, and School.

    Abundant Life has continued to grow, adding new programming and expanding educational opportunities for children and their families. We remain committed to sharing the Gospel with others and engaging our local communities.

Abundant Life Christian School

Core to our founding is our love for education, both Christian and traditional. During the week, students from across the Boston area and southern New Hampshire attend our private school.