Two Churches Becoming One in Round Rock
Central Baptist Church Round Rock sits in the middle of Round Rock, Texas, just off Highway 620 near Round Rock High School, and it carries a story that begins with unity rather than competition. In 1993, Lake Creek Baptist Church and Northeast Baptist Church merged into a single congregation, and the goodwill of that union still shapes the church's values today. Central is a place where families stay for decades, where children who once sat in Sunday School grow up to lead their own ABFs, and where the broader body of Christ in Williamson County is treated as family.
Out of that 1993 union grew everything from a Mother's Day Out program for two-year-olds to mission partnerships across five continents. Senior Pastor Brett McDonald, who joined the church after serving as a Southern Baptist pastor in Kentucky, says: "We are a family of Christ-followers, empowered by God and compelled by His love to 'do life' in a passionate pursuit of becoming like Jesus." That sense of family is felt everywhere on the campus, from the three-story Education Building that houses the Worship Center to the Youth Building that hosts Wednesday night student gatherings.
Sunday Mornings at Central
Worship services at Central are casual and contemporary, rooted in the truth of Scripture and shaped around the gospel of Jesus Christ. The 8:30 a.m. service meets in the Worship Center on the main campus. The 11:00 a.m. service meets in the same space and is also livestreamed on the church's Facebook Page and YouTube channel, so anyone who is sick, traveling, or simply exploring can experience Central from anywhere. Between the two services, at 9:45 a.m., the church comes alive with Adult Bible Fellowships (called ABFs), Kids Bible Fellowships, preschool classes, and youth small groups running on every floor.
Visitors are encouraged to park in the reserved guest spots out front near the glass doors leading into the Worship Center, where greeters are ready to answer questions and help families find their way. Dress is casual and nobody is asked to clean up before coming. "There are no perfect people here. We all come with our own baggage and issues and in desperate need of a Savior. You don't have to clean yourself up to come here - just come as you are."
Kids are welcomed at every service. Preschool classes are offered at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00, with trained volunteers caring for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers using The Gospel Project curriculum. Kindergarten through fourth graders are dismissed from the service after worship and escorted to the Kids Club room on the second floor for music, videos, and teaching designed just for them. On fifth Sundays, when the congregation gathers around the Lord's Supper and baptisms, Kids Church steps back so that families can worship together, with activity bags available for children who need them.
Kids and Students: Central Sprouts, AWANA, and Powerhouse
Central's children and student ministries are organized by age and led by a team that includes a Preschool Director, Kids Director, Youth and Family Pastor, and Girls Youth Associate. Children from birth through kindergarten experience Central Sprouts, where the teaching focuses on three foundational truths: God made me, God loves me, and Jesus wants to be my friend forever. Safety is taken seriously here: all volunteers are screened and trained, classrooms keep low teacher-to-child ratios, an automated check-in system tracks each child, and the preschool hallway doors stay locked with access granted only through parent Guardian Receipts.
On Wednesday evenings from 6:10 to 7:40 p.m., AWANA clubs fill the second floor for children from birth through sixth grade. Standing for "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed," AWANA combines Scripture memory, handbook time, game time, and teaching across age-graded clubs. The program runs from September through April, costs $40 per child with a $100 maximum per family, and asks that one parent or guardian serve in AWANA each week to keep the ministry parent-led.
For students in seventh through twelfth grade, the Youth Building (called the Crash Pad) is home base. Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m. bring the whole group together for announcements and prayer, then small groups divided by age and gender dig into engaging discussion and biblical teaching. Wednesday nights from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. are reserved for Powerhouse, "the best night of the week." Each Powerhouse gathering includes games, worship led by a student band, and teaching that meets students where they are and pushes them to grow deeper in their faith. Throughout the year, students participate in DNOW weekends, summer youth camp, summer mission trips, Thanksgiving breakfast, and other events designed to build friendships and disciple young lives.
Adults: ABFs, Life Groups, and Bible Studies
Central teaches that no one is meant to do life alone, and the adult discipleship program is built around that conviction. On Sunday mornings at 9:45, ABFs (Adult Bible Fellowships) meet on campus for an hour of Bible study, prayer, and community. ABFs are loosely divided by stage of life, but newcomers are welcome in any group. There is no application or qualification to join, and people who have been following Jesus for decades worship alongside people who are just beginning to explore faith.
Off campus, Life Groups gather in homes, restaurants, parks, and coffee shops across the community during the week. These smaller groups focus on three core values: Authentic, Biblical, and Committed. Groups follow a simple rhythm called the Four Feeds, reflecting each week on how they fed their soul, fed others, faced struggles, and confessed sin. Pastor Jared Mitzelfelt, who oversees Life Groups, provides resources, sermon questions, and curriculum downloads so that leaders can focus on shepherding their people.
Seasonal Bible studies round out the discipleship offerings. Men's Bible Study meets on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Center, where Pastor Brett teaches for about thirty minutes before the men break into smaller groups around tables for another half hour. The study has worked through Kings and other books of the Bible, and the room is filled with snacks and conversation. Women's Bible Study offers three weekly options during the fall and spring semesters: Wednesday morning at 9:20 a.m. with childcare available, Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m., and Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. Studies are led by a team of women who coordinate the schedule, host special events, and reach out to newcomers.
Young Adults: Belong, Become, Build
The Young Adults ministry at Central exists to disciple men and women between 18 and 30 to belong in community, become like Christ, and build the Kingdom. On Sunday mornings, three ABFs gather in the RRCA facility for young adults in different stages of life: Bridge Builders for 18-to-20-somethings navigating college or early career, Kingdom Builders for unmarried 22-to-30-year-olds pursuing career and identity in Christ, and Life Builders for young marrieds in their twenties and thirties.
Midweek Home Groups add another layer of community. On Wednesday evenings from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m., the young adult women's home group gathers for a meal, hangout time, and Bible study. On Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., the men's home group does the same. Dinner is provided at both gatherings, and newcomers are welcomed without needing to sign up first. The ministry also produces a podcast called The Lamp, available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where teaching and conversations continue beyond the campus.
Men: Bible Study, Football, and Recovery
Men's ministry at Central is built around three commitments: learn and apply the Word, build friendships with other men, and pursue Christlike character as husbands, fathers, and sons. The Wednesday night Men's Bible Study draws men of every stage of life, from seasoned believers to men exploring Christianity for the first time, with no sign-up required. A podcast version of the teaching is released weekly so that men who travel or miss a week can stay current.
On Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in room 2322 on the third floor of the Education Building, the Round Rock Samson Society gathers as a fellowship of Christian men serious about authenticity, community, humility, and recovery. The group supports men fighting patterns of addiction and provides accountability, prayer, and tools for walking in freedom. There is no sign-up process - men simply show up.
Annual events like Football & Meat, a flag football tournament followed by an all-the-meat-you-can-eat cookout at the RRCA Football Field, give men a chance to compete, laugh, and build relationships outside the classroom.
Women: Bible Study, Crafts, and Community
Women's ministry at Central is open to adult women eighteen and older and centers on three rhythms: studying God's Word together, building deep friendships, and serving the church and community. The Fall Bible Study runs from September through November each year and offers three meeting times so that women in every season of life can participate. Mornings include childcare.
On Tuesday mornings at 9:30 in room 2315, the Piece and Comfort Quilters gather with their sewing machines to laugh, pray, and create quilts that bless others. Throughout the year, the women's ministry hosts events like Ladies Paint Night, an afternoon of step-by-step painting led by a local artist that costs $12 per person with scholarships available.
The women's ministry team also coordinates ministry to local teachers at Bluebonnet Elementary and provides a Single Moms Ministry, where women in need of practical help can connect with the church family.
Central Day School
Central Day School is a Mother's Day Out program for two- to four-year-olds that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. during the school year. Tuition is $225 per month, and there is a $75 non-refundable registration fee per child ($65 for each additional child). Children must be the correct age for the class before September 1 of the school year.
The Day School uses the Wee Learn curriculum across its two-year-old, three-year-old, and four-year-old classes, weaving Christian fundamentals into centers, books, Bible stories, and creative play. Every class has a daily chapel time where children hear God's Word and sing songs of praise, and every class attends weekly music and physical education. Four-year-old classes are introduced to pre-K skills in preparation for kindergarten. Special events throughout the year include a chili cook-off, a Christmas program, Pastries with Parents, a Spring Show-Off, and a graduation ceremony for the oldest students.
Director Tricia Lopez leads a team of nine classroom teachers and aides, including dedicated teachers for two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and four-year-olds, plus a Music/PE teacher. The Day School operates as a ministry of Central Baptist Church and is one of the church's primary points of connection with young families in the Round Rock community.
Missions: A 10% Tithe to the Nations
Central gives ten percent of its general offering to missions, supporting ministries and missionaries across Central Texas, the United States, and the world. The Missions Pastor and the missions team maintain a long list of supported ministries that the congregation prays for, gives to, and visits.
Locally, Central supports Angel House Soup Kitchen at Austin Baptist Chapel, Navigators, Christ the Reconciler, Austin Disaster Relief Network, Manna Worldwide, Children at Heart Ministries, Agape Women's Clinic, Children of the King, Gideons, Round Rock Area Serving Center, Williamson Baptist Association, and The Gospel Fellowship. The church also helps plant new congregations, including Gate City Church in Florida.
Globally, Central partners with missionaries and ministries in Australia, Haiti (Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage, Hospital Marie Heuruese, and Suzanne Wesley Clinic), India (Antioch World Missions, Set Free Alliance, Child Freedom Coalition), Japan (the Rhynes, who serve with SEND International), Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Mexico, Nepal, Niger, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Romania, Sierra Leone (Water for Life), South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Uganda. Recent highlights include the Water of Life Initiative that brought clean water to two more villages in Liberia, ongoing relief support for Ukrainian refugees through missionaries in Romania, and continued prayer cover for missionaries in restricted-access nations.
Worship and the Arts
The Worship Ministry at Central is a collective of musicians, vocalists, sound and camera engineers, graphic designers, video producers, and set designers who serve together to lead the congregation. The team plays in the band, sings lead and harmony vocals, runs sound, operates the camera and computer for the livestream, designs graphics and video content, and builds the visual environment for services.
The Central Worship team has released songs like "King of Kings" and a virtual choir recording of "Doxology" that are available on the church's YouTube channel. Special events like the Hymn Sing bring the congregation together in the Youth Building to sing classic hymns as a family.
Safety, Service, and Prayer
The Safety Team at Central is made up of veterans, first responders, and volunteers with a heart to protect the congregation. Known as "the trained and training the called," the team responds to medical and safety needs on campus and welcomes anyone willing to learn and serve.
Prayer undergirds everything at Central. The Place of Prayer is a come-and-go hour on the first Thursday of each month from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in the Youth Building, where anyone can pray or receive prayer. Central also participates in the Unceasing Prayer Movement, a collaboration of more than forty churches in the Greater Austin area that covers the cities in 24/7 prayer. Central commits to covering the second Monday of each month. An email prayer group of nearly one hundred prayer warriors receives ongoing and emergency prayer needs and intercedes daily.
What Central Believes
Central's beliefs are rooted in the Baptist Faith and Message. The church affirms that God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ is the co-equal Son of God who lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the sacrifice for sin, rose again after three days, ascended to heaven, and will return to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and Son, makes people aware of their need for Jesus, lives in every Christian from salvation, and gives power, understanding, and daily guidance.
The Bible is God's Word written by human authors under the Holy Spirit's supernatural guidance and is the supreme source of truth for Christian belief and living. Human beings are made in God's image, marred by sin, and in need of a Savior. Marriage is described as a permanent, holy union between one man and one woman. Salvation is a gift from God received by faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by self-improvement or good works. Because salvation is God's gift, the believer is eternally secure through God's grace and keeping power. Humanity was created to exist forever, either eternally separated from God in Hell or eternally united with God through Christ in heaven.
Beyond doctrine, Central has named seven values that shape its culture: Scripture Foundation, Fight for the Hearts of the Next Generation, Intentional Discipleship, Embrace Your Mission Field, Better Together, Safe Places, and Generous in All Things. Membership at Central is open to any believer who has professed faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and members pursue a growing relationship with Christ, connect with others in the body, serve more than they are served, give financially, and invest in people far from God.
Pastoral Team and Elders
Central's pastoral team is led by Senior Pastor Brett McDonald, a Texas A&M graduate and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary alumnus who has served the church alongside his wife Helen and their three children. Mark Westerfield is the Founding Pastor who planted and merged the two founding congregations, and who has now written a book about his forty years of pastoring called Staying Put and Standing Strong.
Chris Chalman serves as Executive Pastor and oversees much of the church's ministry infrastructure. Rodnei Williams leads the Worship Ministry. Jim Rowan, the Missions Pastor, has been married for over forty years and has planted gardens, traveled to places like Haiti and Nepal, and built the church's global missions portfolio. Allen Frans is the Youth and Family Pastor, and Jared Mitzelfelt leads the Young Adults ministry.
The Preschool and Kids Directors, Jinny Foshee and Samantha Mitzelfelt, oversee Central Sprouts, Kids Ministry, and AWANA. Adrian Ream serves as Girls Youth Associate. The Operations Director, Rene Mitzelfelt, keeps the campus and ministries running, while the Financial Administrator, Office Manager, Hospitality Associate, Creative Specialist, Assistant to the Senior Pastor, and Facilities and Outreach Coordinator round out the staff.
A group of Elders - Brett McDonald, Daniel Weatherman, Ben George, Karl Lamb, Dale Ream, and Shawn Hood - provide spiritual oversight and shepherding for the congregation, meeting with prospective members, praying for the church, and guiding its direction.
Getting Connected at Central
For newcomers, the church runs an Intro to Central Lunch once a quarter after the late service in the Youth Building. The lunch is a casual time to meet the pastors and staff, learn the history and core values of Central, and ask any questions. It also serves as the first step toward church membership, followed by a one-hour Membership Class, a membership form, and a conversation with an elder or pastor.
Family Commitment Sundays give parents the opportunity to come before the congregation and commit to raising their children in a Christ-centered home, with the church pledging to partner with them along the way. Baptism Classes are offered regularly for anyone interested in taking that next step of obedience, and the church provides child-friendly booklets to help families discuss salvation and baptism with their kids at home.
Visitors can fill out a Plan A Visit form online at least 48 hours before their first Sunday, and a host will meet them at the Welcome Center to walk the campus and answer questions. Giving is available online through the church's secure portal, and prayer requests can be submitted at any time to be prayed over by staff, the prayer chain, and the prayer meetings.