A Baptist Family on Cedar Springs Place
Cedar Spring Baptist Church meets at 140 Cedar Springs Place in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A Southern Baptist-flavored congregation that describes itself as a family, Cedar Spring gathers for blended worship on Sunday mornings, fills its calendar with Wednesday prayer and music, and reaches into the Spartanburg community and beyond through a steady stream of hands-on missions. The church's office sits open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and its pastor, Dr. Todd Lowe, has led the congregation since September 2008.
What They Believe
Cedar Spring describes itself as a Baptist church that observes two ordinances - baptism and the Lord's Supper - and operates as an autonomous body under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Members hold to believer's baptism by immersion, which they teach is a public testimony to death to sin, burial of the old life, and resurrection to new life in Christ; baptism by immersion is required for membership at Cedar Spring. The church celebrates open communion, inviting any believer who has accepted Christ and been baptized to share the bread and juice.
Scripture is regarded as divinely inspired and without error, the supreme standard for Christian living, and the lens through which all of life is to be tried, with Jesus Christ as the interpretive criterion. The church teaches one living and true God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the eternal Son, Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary, crucified, raised, ascended, and one day returning to judge the world; and the Holy Spirit, who inspired Scripture, convicts of sin, calls people to Christ, and empowers believers for worship, evangelism, and service.
Salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through repentance and faith. The Christian life is framed as a calling to make Christ's will supreme, to oppose greed and selfishness, and to care for orphans, the needy, the elderly, the helpless, and the sick. The church also affirms that men and women are equally called to every aspect of God's work in the church, and that every Christian has the privilege and duty of making disciples of all nations.
Sundays at Cedar Spring
Sunday mornings follow a steady two-part rhythm. Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m. with classes for every age, and the Morning Worship Service follows at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. Adult Sunday School options include a Co-Ed Adult Class for everyone, the Ruth Class for ladies of all ages, and the Joe Webb Class led by senior adult men.
Children are welcomed from the earliest age. A nursery is provided for infants through four years during both Sunday School and the Worship Service, staffed by adults who care for the children through songs, stories, and interactive play, with separate rooms for infants and toddlers. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade attend the worship service with their families and then, after the music portion, are dismissed with a children's leader for Kidz Worship, a separate lesson time that includes Bible verses, songs, crafts, activities, and games tailored to their age.
Middle and high school students have their own Sunday-morning Bible study. AMPLIFY runs from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. at The Gathering Place and is described as a yearlong study that walks students through the life of faith. Students are also encouraged to worship with the congregation from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Wednesdays Around the Church
The middle of the week carries the church's heartbeat. The day begins at 12:00 p.m. with the Wednesday Prayer Luncheon, a meal and prayer gathering that has become a fixture at Cedar Spring.
Evenings fill with multiple groups. At 6:00 p.m., middle and high school students arrive at The Gathering Place for The Gathering, a weekly time of worship, small groups, food, and games that runs until 8:00 p.m. Adults gather for the Adult Choir rehearsal at 7:00 p.m., followed by Praise Team rehearsal at 8:00 p.m. The full music team - vocalists, instrumentalists, and media coordinators - rehearses on Wednesday evenings in some combination, depending on what the week ahead calls for.
Every Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m., a separate group of volunteers gathers to prepare food bags for seventy students through the EP Todd Backpack and Food Ministry, then prays for those students and their families.
Children's Ministry
Children's Ministry at Cedar Spring is led by Krystal Alley, who has served as Children's Director for more than twenty-eight years and has been a member of the congregation for more than thirty-one. A retired Spartanburg County schoolteacher known to everyone at the church as Ms. Krystal, she directs a well-balanced program of biblical instruction and activity for the church's youngest members.
Each summer, Cedar Spring hosts a five-day Vacation Bible School in the evenings. VBS opens with a light supper and is followed by classes for children ages four and up, youth, and adults. A kickoff and registration afternoon is held the week before to give families a chance to sign up early and enjoy snacks and activities together. Throughout the calendar year, the children's ministry also hosts an Easter egg hunt, summer water games, a Trunk-or-Treat Halloween event, a Happy Birthday Jesus Christmas party, a Children's Nativity presentation, and other special activities.
Children also have a steady place in the music life of the church. A Children's Choir introduces kids to singing, handbells, and dramas, and they are given regular opportunities to participate in the Sunday morning worship service, including Christmas programs, Palm Sunday processionals, and handbell performances throughout the year.
Students and Youth
The Student and Youth Ministry exists to engage middle school and high school students in real and personal relationships with Jesus Christ through Bible study, worship, and missions. Under Student and Missions Director Lori Smith, the ministry challenges students to live out what they call the WILD LIFE - walking by faith, imitating Jesus, loving all people, disciplining themselves, loving God, impacting their world, following Jesus, and experiencing God's best.
Beyond AMPLIFY on Sunday mornings and The Gathering on Wednesday evenings, students gather for FORGE 27:17, a small-group night built around the image of iron sharpening iron, where friends push each other to grow in their relationships with God and with one another. Friday nights sometimes bring Gather N Gab, an evening of games, snacks, and hanging out at The Gathering Place. On Wednesday mornings during the national See You at the Pole week, students across the country gather around their school flagpoles, and Cedar Spring's students host a Celebration Rally at The Gathering Place that same evening.
Adults, Families, and Senior Adults
Adults and Family Ministry at Cedar Spring is built around Sunday School, special studies, fellowship, and events. Beyond the regular classes, the church hosts learning opportunities throughout the year such as Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God Bible study, the 90 Minutes in Heaven Bible study with Rev. Don Piper, and even a Green Thumb gardening course. Special speakers and events round out the calendar, with the church framing fellowship itself as a vital part of discipleship.
Senior adults are woven into nearly every part of Cedar Spring's life. From helping teach children at VBS to leading in worship on Sunday mornings to enjoying local day trips together, the seniors are described as a vital part of the ministries of the church and an open door for anyone looking for friendship, faith, and a renewed sense of purpose in ministry.
Music Across Every Age
The Music Ministry at Cedar Spring is intergenerational and intentionally varied. The Adult Choir leads worship at every service, blending traditional anthems with praise and worship music and presenting cantatas and special programs throughout the year. Out of the choir, a Praise Team focuses on contemporary praise and worship, introducing new songs and drawing on celebration songs of years past, with soloists offering their gifts as the music allows.
The youth have their own worship team called Mountain Movers, which brings contemporary worship songs, solos, and instrumentals to services on a regular basis. The Children's Choir rounds out the music program, giving kids their first opportunities to sing, ring handbells, and take part in dramas.
A dedicated group of instrumentalists, including piano, guitar, bass, and drums, supports the youth, the Adult Choir, and the Praise Team, and the group is open by audition. Behind the scenes, Media Coordinators run the sound, prepare visual support, and film the worship services, helping services flow smoothly.
Missions at the Spring
Missions at Cedar Spring, sometimes called Missions at The Spring, is led by Lori Smith, who came to the church in 2020 after a decade of service in Mali, West Africa with the nonprofit Harvest Seekers International. The ministry keeps the church engaged locally and around the world.
The most visible local work is the EP Todd Backpack and Food Ministry. Every Wednesday morning, a team prepares food bags for seventy students and prays for them and their families. Each fall, the church collects Christmas Prisoner Packets, assembled to exact specifications approved by the South Carolina Department of Corrections, for distribution across the state ahead of the Christmas season. In early winter, the church travels to Jenkins, Kentucky, crossing the border from a hotel in Wise, Virginia, to pass out backpacks, play games, and share the gospel with students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Steps of Faith
Cedar Spring lays out a four-step path for new believers. Step One is Salvation, an explanation of God's love, the separation caused by sin, and the bridge made through Jesus Christ, closing with a sample prayer. Step Two is Baptism, the believer's immersion that is required for membership at Cedar Spring. Step Three is Finding a Church, with an invitation to talk with Dr. Todd Lowe about membership. Step Four is Grow in Faith, with three habits the church commends: pray daily, read the Bible daily, and become involved in what God is doing in the world.
Giving and Staying Connected
Cedar Spring accepts online donations through a dedicated giving page, with a 2.9 percent plus thirty-cent fee charged on credit and debit gifts and a 1.0 percent plus twenty-five-cent fee on ACH and bank transfers. Members and friends stay connected through a private Facebook group under the name Cedar Spring Baptist Church-Spartanburg.