Annaville Baptist Church sits on Violet Road, right where Violet meets Butler and the chain-link backstops of the Oil Belt Little League fields rise behind the parking lot. On Sunday mornings the lights are on early at 4025 Violet Road in the 78410 zip code, and families file in for one of two worship services, with an hour of Sunday School wedged between them. The church calls itself "ABC" in its own materials, and the simple phrase underneath says it all: "Love God and Love Others."
The motto is short, but the vision is big. The congregation dreams of a church that experiences the "awe" of the presence and power of God as the early church did in Acts 2, of reaching the broken and the lonely with the love of Christ, of thousands of Sunday School classes reaching and teaching in His name, of missionaries in every country of the world, and of a facility where people in need of healing can be housed and truly helped. Everything from the worship music to the building schedule is measured against a six-fold mission statement: exalt God, lead others to faith in Christ, teach God's Word to grow believers, minister to others made in God's image, provide wholesome Christ-centered fellowship, and spread the love of Christ to the ends of the earth.
"Come As You Are" and the Sunday Rhythm
ABC's house style is plainspoken. "We take God seriously and want to give Him our best, but we also want to be real and come as we are," the staff says. "So on any given Sunday our pastor might be preaching in a dress shirt and tie, but he also might be wearing his blue jeans and boots."
Two Sunday morning worship services are held at 8:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in the Worship Center. Each service includes singing songs of praise, prayer for those in need, preaching the truth of God's Word, giving, and a chance to share the good news of Jesus with others. Both services are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Between the two morning services sits Sunday School for all ages at 9:30 a.m., which the church considers the heart of the week. Sunday evening worship returns at 6:00 p.m., described as "more in depth" with a stronger focus on worship and preaching.
A weekly prayer gathering fills out the rhythm. Praise and Prayer Service meets Monday night at 6:00 p.m. in the Worship Center, framed as the lifeblood of the church. Wednesday nights bring Adult Bible Study at 6:30 p.m. in the Worship Center, with children and students meeting in their own rooms at the same time.
Sunday School at 9:30
The 9:30 hour is where most of the church's small-group life happens. The Sunday School ministry exists to "REACH people for Jesus, GROW them in the truths of God's Word, and LOVE them through caring, lasting relationships," with a printable list and map for newcomers.
For the youngest, J.A.M. (Jesus and Me) meets for babies through pre-kindergarten in Rooms P101 through P106 in the Preschool Wing, directed by Veda McWhorter. SHINE Children's Ministry covers kindergarten through fifth grade, with Julie Martin serving as SHINE director. Middle schoolers meet in The Zone, divided by gender in Rooms C105 and C110, and high schoolers meet in Soul Fuel (Room Y100). Adults can choose from Veritas with Nat Simmons in the Worship Center, The Throne Room with Chris Besherse in the Worship Center balcony, Unity with Curtis Strzinek in Room C101, Christ Followers with Charlie Speegle in Room C103, Amistad with Jordan Doty in Room C104, College and Career for ages 18 to 25 with Justin and Tracie Chapman in Room C102, Common Ground for ages 20 to 39 with Adam and Kendra Harrington in Room Y109, Joy Seekers for women with Brenda Simmons in Room A101, Faith and Family for senior adults with Larry Smith in Room A103, Legacy for senior men and women in the downstairs Conference Room, and Disciples' Fellowship with Ralph Mathisen in the Prayer Chapel.
J.A.M., SHINE, and Adventure Club
J.A.M. is the entry point for the youngest. The "Jesus and Me" program meets Sundays at 8:15 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 6:00 p.m., and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. First-time guests check in at the Welcome Center, fill out a guest registration form, and are assigned to a class. Regular members use the check-in hut in the Family Life Center, the church's gym. The teaching goal is simple: every child should know that God made them, God loves them, and Jesus wants to be their friend forever.
SHINE Children's Ministry partners with parents for kindergarten through fifth grade. Children attend children's church during both Sunday morning worship services, beginning in the Worship Center balcony before moving to their own rooms. SHINE's summer schedule keeps Wednesday night programming going in the gym during July and August after the regular program pauses for summer. Each summer the church hosts a free Vacation Bible School in the gym with worship, Bible lessons, crafts, snacks, games, and activities for kids entering kindergarten through completed fifth grade.
Adventure Club is the Wednesday night program for kids age three through sixth grade. It meets at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center from September through May, with a $20 cost for returning clubbers and $30 for new clubbers covering books and supplies. Kids start in the gym for games and fun, then split into three age groups: pre-K and kindergarten (Trackers), first through third grade (Scouts), and fourth through sixth grade (Trailblazers). The whole program uses the same Bible lesson and memory verses, so parents and siblings can be on the same page each week. The nine-year curriculum covers nine points of Bible doctrine every three years and repeats through each age group. Coordinators Charles and Haley Fox oversee the program.
The Zone and Soul Fuel
For middle schoolers, The Zone exists for sixth through eighth graders "too big for children's church, but not quite ready for the high school ministry." The Zone meets on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. in Room C105 or the Youth Room Y100 on the second floor, and for Sunday morning Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. Students bring a few dollars for snacks and drinks.
Soul Fuel is the high school ministry, led by Student Pastor Justin Chapman. The group meets Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Youth Room Y100 and Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. for Bible study. Throughout the year they host retreats, camps, and projects. The aim is to help students "shine the light of Jesus to everyone they know."
Ladies, Men, and Young At Heart
The women's ministry umbrella is L.A.C.E. - "Ladies After Christ's Example" - which organizes quarterly Bible studies, weekend conferences, and service projects. Three sub-groups give the ladies ways to plug in. Sisters in Christ is a monthly fellowship night that meets the first Tuesday of each month from September through May at 6:30 p.m., with a devotion and a seasonal craft and a dish to share. Ladies Bible Studies meet on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. each fall and spring. The Ladies High Tea is a special Saturday brunch held in the Worship Center with tea, worship, a speaker, and table fellowship. G.L.A.D. - "Giving Love and Dinners" - delivers meals and encouragement to people who are sick, have a new baby, or have lost a loved one.
Kingdom Forged Men's Ministry encourages and equips men to follow Jesus Christ and be the spiritual leader in their home and workplace. The men meet monthly for a free Men's Breakfast on the last Saturday morning in the outdoor pavilion across the street from the church, and they gather for quarterly men's Bible studies, men's groups, and special events throughout the year. Bible studies meet Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m. for eight-week sessions.
Young At Heart is the seniors ministry, with monthly gatherings on the second Tuesday of each month from noon to 3 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Lunch is provided along with a short Bible devotion, table games, and cards. For those who cannot make it in person, lunch can be picked up at the gym's rear covered entrance from noon to 1 p.m.
Going Beyond the Walls
The missions ministry reaches from Corpus Christi to Central Asia. The church has joined the Illuminations alliance of Bible translation partners to fund a complete Bible translation for Uzbekistan, a landlocked country of more than 37 million people where 95 percent of the population identifies with Islam. The total project cost is about $726,000, and ABC has joined seven other local churches to raise $100,000 for the first installment, with a real-time giving tracker online so the whole congregation can watch progress.
Kairos Prison Ministry sends a team into McConnell Maximum Security Prison in Beeville, Texas, where the Annaville Kairos team ministers year-round and holds retreat weekends inside the prison in April and October. Helpers can bake homemade cookies, buy meal tickets, or commit to prayer.
M and M - "Mission and Ministry" - feeds and serves the homeless every other Friday at 6:00 p.m. at the corner of Agnes and Laredo, under the bridge across from Galvan Music. The ministry welcomes help with food, clothes, toiletries, blankets, and prayer. M and M also runs a food bank for church members and their families, with non-perishable items collected in marked bins in the church hallway.
ABC Christian Childcare is a Christian preschool on the church grounds, reachable at 361-242-2666, that serves babies and toddlers of working families. Hope in the Light is the sponsorship program for a Christian school ministry in Haiti, where sponsors are matched with students at $30 a month.
Celebrate Recovery
Celebrate Recovery meets every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center. It is a Christ-centered 12-step program for anyone with a hurt, habit, or hang-up, with worship, a large group meeting, and small group discussion. The local chapter connects to the broader Celebrate Recovery network and is led by Patti Cox.
Livestreams, the Annaville Report, and P.S.S.T.
ABC livestreams its worship services every week on Facebook and YouTube, with a full archive of past services available online. The Annaville Report is a weekly video news show filmed on location, bringing news and interviews about upcoming events in the church and community. P.S.S.T. - "Probably Shouldn't Say That" - is a podcast hosted by Pastor Robert and Bethany Simmons with other guests, talking honestly about what God's Word says through personal and generational perspectives; the show is available on YouTube and through the podcast apps.
Beliefs
ABC's beliefs are rooted in historic Christianity and grounded in Scripture. God is one living and true God, eternally existent in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. The sixty-six books of the Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, are the only infallible, inspired Word of God, with ultimate, final, and eternal authority that cannot be added to, subtracted from, or superseded.
Man was created in God's image, endowed with freedom of choice, and through free choice brought sin into the human race. All human beings are born with a sinful nature and need redemption through the grace of God by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord; salvation in Christ is a free gift appropriated by faith and includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification.
The church holds to the eternal security of the saved, baptism by immersion of believers in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as a public symbol of faith, and the Lord's Supper as a memorial act of obedience commemorating Christ's death and anticipating His second coming. The church is described as God's instrument in the present age, purchased with Christ's own blood, with Christ as Head and the pastor serving as under-shepherd.
Personal evangelism and missions are duties of every believer, who is to share the message of salvation with all people regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic status. The Christian life is filled with trials and warfare against a spiritual enemy, requiring dependence upon the Holy Spirit and a willingness to die to personal desires and passions.
What to Expect When You Visit
Guests park in front of the church and head to the Welcome Center, where they are greeted, given a guest packet, and helped to check kids into the nursery, preschool, or children's area. The Worship Center sits right next to the Welcome Center, with Sunday School rooms and the youth ministry on the second floor above. Handicapped parking is available up front near the office entrance and Welcome Center, with additional parking on the side and rear of the building.
Dress runs the full range. Jeans and boots or a dress shirt and tie are equally at home at the 8:15 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. service. Office hours are Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The church office can be reached at 361-241-9557, with a fax line at 361-241-9559. Giving is accepted in person during services, by visiting the church office, or through the church's online giving page.