Big Springs Baptist Church sits on North Jupiter Road on the northern edge of Garland, Texas, in a part of the Dallas Metroplex that was once open farmland. The congregation was organized in 1874 by nine Christian men and women who took the name of a spring of water that once flowed a few hundred yards from the meeting place. More than a century and a half later, the same church still meets on that same stretch of road, surrounded now by houses, businesses and commuter rail lines instead of fields. It is one of the sixteen charter members of the Dallas Baptist Association and continues to support the association's work across more than 500 churches in the region.
From a Country Church to a Garland Neighborhood
The first members of Big Springs Baptist Church drew up a Church Covenant and a Decorum to govern and express their intent. For most of its life the church was a country congregation. Members traveled by horse and buggy, and the surrounding community was made up of farmland and large families. The Big Springs Cemetery, still closely associated with the church, was part of its first existence; the congregation cared for the burial ground until 1947, when it was turned over to the Big Springs Cemetery Association.
Beginning in the 1960s, north Garland and Richardson boomed. Houses and businesses replaced the fields around the church, and Big Springs adapted. A new educational building was constructed and later expanded to include a fellowship hall, kitchen and additional classrooms. Recent work has renovated and modernized the education building, and the church offices have been relocated into that building. The old office building now serves as a space for youth activities. Through every change the church has tried to keep a single focus: reaching the surrounding community with the gospel, whether that community is made up of farms and buggies or international businesses, blended families and commuter trains.
What Big Springs Believes
Big Springs holds to a traditional Baptist statement of faith with eleven articles. The Bible is received as the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, with supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. There is one living and true God, eternally existing in three equal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father is described as an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love, who hears and answers prayer and saves all who come through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is confessed as God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, living a sinless life, performing miracles, dying an atoning death, rising bodily, ascending into heaven, interceding perpetually for His people and returning personally and visibly to earth. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, regenerates and sanctifies believers, and indwells every Christian as a helper, teacher and guide.
Big Springs teaches that human beings were created in God's image, fell into sin and stand under condemnation, and that repentance and faith in Jesus Christ bring regeneration and eternal life. The church is understood as a living spiritual body with Christ as its head and all regenerated persons as members; the local church is the primary instrument for sharing the gospel. Two ordinances are observed: baptism and the Lord's Supper, both continued until Christ returns. Religious liberty is affirmed, with each church independent of any ecclesiastical or political authority. Local churches may cooperate voluntarily in a regional or district conference, and Big Springs is part of the Dallas Baptist Association. The statement closes with the personal and visible return of Christ, the resurrection of the body, final judgment, eternal reward for the righteous and endless suffering for the wicked.
Sunday Morning on North Jupiter Road
The Sunday rhythm at Big Springs begins at 9:00 a.m. with fellowship and coffee. Complimentary donuts and coffee are set out in the education building, and anyone is welcome to gather there before Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m. Classes run until 10:30 a.m., giving way at 10:45 a.m. to the Sunday Morning Worship service.
Worship is centered on the gathered congregation and supported by the Sanctuary Choir. The church teaches that worship is primary in the life of the Christian and that music and the arts are effective tools for expressing love and gratitude to God, who calls His people to sing "hymns, songs and spiritual songs." Sermons are expository in tone and rooted in scripture; recent series have walked through themes of prayer, the lordship of Christ, and what it means to live for an audience of one.
Sunday School for Every Age
Big Springs offers a Sunday School class for every stage of life, meeting from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The list runs from the Nursery through four adult divisions: Nursery for infants and toddlers, Pre-School for ages three to five, Children for ages six to twelve, Youth for ages thirteen to eighteen, Adults 1 for ages nineteen to forty-nine, Adults 2 for ages fifty to sixty, Adults 3 for ages sixty-one to seventy-four, and Adults 4 for ages seventy-five and up. Classes are led by teachers who enjoy sharing and learning together. Literature can be taken home for study during the week, and discussion in class is open and encouraged but never required.
Wednesday Nights: Prayer, Bible Study and Choir
Wednesday evenings at Big Springs revolve around two parallel gatherings, both starting at 7:00 p.m. The adult Prayer and Bible Study, called Prayer and Praise, is led by Pastor Kelly Boggs and walks through scripture verse by verse. It is open to anyone who wants to deepen their prayer life, learn what the Bible teaches about prayer, and connect with others on a spiritual journey, whether new to Bible study or seasoned in it.
At the same hour, the Sanctuary Choir rehearses under the direction of Wes Moore, the Minister of Music, Worship and the Arts. The choir is open to everyone and rehearses from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m., then sings on Sunday mornings and for special occasions throughout the year. Music, Worship and the Arts also includes smaller ensembles - choral and instrumental groups - in which members can find a place to serve with their own gifts.
Tuesday Mornings: Men's Coffee Call
Every Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m. the men of Big Springs gather at the church for what they simply call Men's Coffee Call. The format is informal: coffee, breakfast, prayer and the Word. Some mornings bring a project to be done around the church property; other mornings are filled with fellowship and dominoes. Whatever the shape of the day, the hour is spent in prayer and scripture. The gathering is open to any man who wants to join.
Live Embers: Senior Adults on the Move
The senior adult ministry at Big Springs is called Live Embers, and it began in 1991. The group meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 11:00 a.m. Although it tends to draw adults aged 55 and over, every age is welcome. Each month looks a little different: a day outing to a museum, a brown-bag lunch and games at the church, visits to shut-ins from the congregation, or volunteer work in support of missions. Live Embers is one of the most visible expressions of the church's commitment to staying connected across generations.
Music, Worship and the Arts
The Music, Worship and the Arts ministry is led by Wes Moore, who has been on the Big Springs staff since 1990. Moore holds music degrees from Oklahoma Baptist University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the University of North Texas, and serves as Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Chair of the Vocal Division at Dallas Baptist University. Before coming to Garland he served churches in Pauls Valley and McAlester, Oklahoma, and has sung in churches and with symphonies and opera companies throughout the southwestern United States.
His conviction is that music is an act of community as much as an act of worship. Not only does the congregation sing together on Sunday mornings, but smaller groups - the Sanctuary Choir, choral ensembles, instrumental groups - give musicians a way to contribute their own gifts to the life of the body. The choir's weekly rehearsal and its leadership of Sunday worship are the most visible expression of that vision.
Pastoral Leadership
Kelly Boggs has served as pastor of Big Springs Baptist Church with more than forty-two years of ministry behind him. His earlier pastorates included churches in Central Texas, Oregon and Louisiana, and he spent eight years as Director of Development at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. For fifteen years he wrote a weekly column for Baptist Press News Service, and for ten years he served as Executive Editor of The Baptist Message, the news journal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, while also serving as the convention's liaison to the Louisiana State Legislature. He is a graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Mindy have been married for thirty-nine years and have four adult children and two grandchildren.
Visiting Big Springs
First-time visitors can expect a small, warm congregation with a traditional order of worship supported by a choir. Sunday mornings begin with coffee and donuts at 9:00 a.m., Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:45 a.m. Children can be taken directly to their age-appropriate Sunday School class, with nursery care available for infants and toddlers. The church building is located at 6538 North Jupiter Road in Garland, and the office can be reached at (972) 495-4575 or by email at bigspringsbaptistchurch@gmail.com.
Giving is available online through a PayPal link on the church's online presence, and recent sermons can be watched on the church's YouTube channel. Updates, photos and event announcements are shared through the Big Springs Baptist Church Facebook page. The church has been a quiet, steady presence on North Jupiter Road since 1874 and continues to look ahead, moving forward by faith and welcoming new faces into a congregation that has served this corner of north Garland for five generations.