Hi. I’m Jody. And I’d Like to Invite You to Church.

I’ll be honest with you — I’ve never been a big church guy. I grew up in church, but I spent a good portion of my adult life keeping it at arm’s length. So if that’s where you are right now, I get it.

But something happened to my family a few years ago that I didn’t see coming.

How We Got Here

My wife Melanie and I decided to visit First Naples before our kids started school there, just so they could get familiar with the place. We weren’t looking for a new church. We were just being practical parents.

What we didn’t know was that a new pastor was about to start — a pastor from Kentucky. Melanie and I are both from Kentucky. And we happened to walk in on his very first Sunday.

The church had been through some difficult seasons. And when that pastor stood up and preached that morning, I genuinely felt like the Holy Spirit had handed him that exact message for that exact moment. I can’t explain it any other way. It was too perfectly fitted to what that congregation needed to hear.

We kept coming back.

What Makes First Naples Different

Our pastor is a Bible preacher. Not an inspirational speaker — a Bible preacher. He goes straight into the Word and leaves no topic unturned. He doesn’t avoid hard things. If you’re tired of Sunday morning messages that feel more like TED Talks than sermons, you’ll notice the difference immediately.

The worship is something else entirely. Our worship leader, Pastor Thomas, is from Louisiana and brings a gospel-rooted approach to modern praise music. Most of what we sing is contemporary, but his gospel influence is undeniable — and every so often he weaves in a traditional hymn in a way that just stops you in your tracks. If you prefer traditional worship, the 8:30 service is built for you.

If I sat down and wrote out exactly what I’d want in a preacher and a worship leader, these two men would be the answer. I didn’t plan that. God did.

And since our family started attending, our faith journey has genuinely exploded. There’s no other word for it. What the Holy Spirit has done in our family through this church is something I don’t take lightly.

Something Special Is Happening Here

First Naples is growing. As a business owner, my first instinct when I hear that is to think about numbers. But that’s not what’s exciting about it. What’s exciting is that more people are accepting Jesus. More people are being discipled. The growth isn’t organizational — it’s spiritual. God is blessing this church, and you can feel it when you walk in.

Service Times

Sunday Mornings

8:30 AM — Traditional Service

10:00 AM — Contemporary Service

11:30 AM — Contemporary Service

11:30 AM — Spanish Language Service

Wednesday Nights — Midweek

Men’s group, women’s group, middle school group, and high school group all meet separately. I’m involved with the high schoolers.

Childcare and teen groups are available on Sunday mornings.

Find Us

First Naples Church

3000 Orange Blossom Drive, Naples, FL 34109

(239) 597-6057

firstnaples.org

Come Find Us

I built this site because I want to invite you to church. That’s it. No agenda beyond that.

If you come on a Sunday morning at 11:30, look for me and Melanie near the doors. We’ll be the ones in lanyards and badges with the guest services team — holding doors, answering questions, and genuinely glad you showed up.

Hope to see you soon.

— Jody Pugh