Crestview Church of Christ on Delhi Road in Waco is known for forming disciples through Bible-centered education, intergenerational worship and sustained service to families and neighbors. Founded in 1954, the congregation pairs a 9:00 a.m. Sunday class hour with 10:00 a.m. worship and has developed ministries for children, students, college students and young professionals, adults, older adults, people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and families facing material need.
Sunday Begins with Study, Then Worship
Crestview's Sunday pattern is straightforward: Bible classes gather at 9:00 a.m., followed by worship at 10:00 a.m. Classes are open to all ages. Youth classes are segmented by age, while adult classes welcome people of any age. The curriculum ranges from studies of particular biblical books to topics addressing contemporary themes. Reality Fellowship is a separate Sunday class that emphasizes fellowship and prayer alongside reflection on Scripture.
At 10:00 a.m., the congregation sings hymns of praise in a cappella style led by a worship team. The service includes prayer with and for one another, a message from Scripture and communion. All are welcome to participate in worship and communion.
Finding the Church and Taking Part
Crestview's address is 7129 Delhi Road, Waco, Texas 76712. Several visitor parking spaces are available in two locations: across from the entrance to the church offices near the door facing Delhi Road, and in the large lot near the Worship Center door. To reach the latter lot, drivers enter from Delhi Road and go around the left side of the main building.
- ASL: The 10:00 a.m. service is translated for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Hearing assistance: Listening devices are available for people who have difficulty hearing.
- Guest help: A staffed Information Center just outside the Worship Center assists visitors during Sunday mornings.
- Childcare: A staffed nursery is available during worship.
From 75 People to a Delhi Road Congregation
Crestview officially began in November 1954 when 75 people met at the Nurses' Home at Hillcrest Hospital. In February 1956, 110 members gathered in the first section of a new facility at 816 New Road. Additional classrooms were added that August, and membership reached 190. Growth continued, reaching 390 members by 1965. Overcrowding in the mid-1970s led to plans for another facility, and 650 members began meeting at the Delhi Road location when it opened in 1981.
As the congregation grew, its work increasingly combined worship and discipleship with care for children, families and neighbors. That emphasis shaped both the Liddicoat Family Food Pantry and the 25,000-square-foot Community Center, which opened in 2004.
A Mission of Discipleship and Reconciliation
Crestview's mission is to make disciples by calling everyone to be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do as Jesus did through the power of the Holy Spirit. It grounds that mission in loving God with every aspect of life and loving other people as oneself. Its vision describes the congregation as a grace-filled, Spirit-led New Creation community reconciled to God through Jesus and partnering with God for reconciling ministry in Waco, surrounding communities and throughout the world.
What Crestview Believes
Crestview affirms one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and describes Jesus as God's sinless Son who died, was buried, raised triumphantly, lives today and will return. It teaches that salvation depends on God's grace through Jesus' death, burial and resurrection and cannot be earned by human action. Trust in God, a changed life, confession of faith and baptism by immersion are central to that response. The Bible is described as real, relevant and reliable. The church is defined as a baptized community rather than a building, and heaven is presented as the eternal home of those who follow Jesus.
Children, Students and Parents
Crestview's children's ministry partners with parents to teach children to know, love and follow Jesus. It seeks to build strong relationships among children in a safe and loving environment and to help them develop a spirit of service toward one another and the community.
- Sunday Bible class: Classes begin at 9:00 a.m. Children from three months through kindergarten meet on the lower level of the main building, while first-grade through fifth-grade classes meet upstairs.
- Children's Worship: During Sunday worship, children ages three through kindergarten remain with their families until just before the message, when they are invited to participate in their own worship time.
- Sunday evenings: Children meet with their parents' Life Group.
- Wednesday evenings: Children's Bible classes meet at 7:00 p.m.
The Student Ministry serves students in sixth through twelfth grade and treats the teenage years as an important time for faith development. It seeks to assist families in discipleship by helping students be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do as Jesus did. A monthly Parent Book Club shares a meal, offers encouragement and considers a book about God-centered parenting. Dinner and childcare are provided. Junior high retreats are also part of the student ministry.
Parents Day Out extends Crestview's emphasis on children and families through a school-year care and education ministry. It provides developmentally appropriate activities and guidance while seeking the spiritual, mental, physical, emotional and social development of each child. The ministry also extends its care to families through support and outreach. Women and men serve as children's ministry volunteers, and every volunteer is required to have a background check.
Life Groups and Adult Education
Life Groups are a defining part of life at Crestview rather than simply an addition to congregational activities. Groups range from a support gathering for parents of foster children to fellowship for older adults. Some meet in the church building, while others gather in homes, restaurants and coffee shops. Each group seeks to encourage prayer, Scripture study, fellowship and ministry, and every member has a place in a Life Group.
Women's Bible Study and Service
Crestview's Women's Ministry provides Bible studies, fellowship and service opportunities for women. During fall and spring, a Friday morning study meets from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Main Building, Room 106, with free babysitting. A second group studies a thematic subject on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Center. EmpowHER events extend that ministry throughout the year.
Service activities include:
- Baby and wedding showers
- Care Net Baby Baskets
- Friendship Ministry
- Prayer Quilt Ministry
College and Young Professionals
Ministering to university students is a priority for Crestview, with participation from students at Baylor, MCC and TSTC. The college and young professionals group meets for a Sunday morning Bible class at 9:00 a.m. in Main Building, Room 201. On Sunday nights, supper at 6:00 p.m. is followed by worship, usually concluding at 7:30 p.m. During much of the school year, Wednesday evenings begin with a 6:00 p.m. meal in the Community Center before students meet with an adult class. The group also takes an annual retreat for fellowship, rest and refocusing.
Adult education includes conversation-based classes in the Community Center and main building, with one Main Building class livestreamed each week to Crestview's YouTube channel. Classes range from biblical books to subjects addressing contemporary life.
Access for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Guests
Crestview provides interpreters for deaf and hard of hearing people of all ages at its 10:00 a.m. service. Captioned videos and videos with ASL interpreters of sermons and devotionals are regularly shared through the Crestview Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry's Facebook presence. Interpreters can also be provided for other meetings when given sufficient notice, typically 12 to 24 hours beforehand.
Special Needs Ministry Through Night to Shine
Crestview's special-needs ministry includes Night to Shine, a complimentary prom-style experience centered on God's love for people with special needs and disabilities who are 14 and older. Guests receive a red-carpet welcome and royal treatment that includes hair and makeup stations, shoe shining, limousine rides, corsages or boutonnieres, a karaoke room, dinner, prom favors and dancing. Every guest receives a crown or tiara. A separate Respite Room gives parents and caretakers space during the celebration.
A Food Pantry Built for Regular Neighborly Service
Crestview has long directed much of its outreach toward people who are poor or marginalized, seeking to address both physical and spiritual needs. The church routinely partners with local agencies and churches to provide clothing, food, money and other needed items.
The Liddicoat Family Food Pantry grew from an outreach begun by the Liddicoat family. A 2015 renovation doubled its space, and volunteer teams staff it twice each week to serve families throughout the community.
A Community Center Open to the Public
Crestview's elders challenged the congregation to build a Community Center, which opened in 2004 to provide facilities, events, programs and services for the surrounding community. The 25,000-square-foot center is available free of charge to groups, churches, nonprofit agencies and individuals. Its indoor walking track and recreation room are open to the public, and the Crestview gym is available by reservation.
The center also gives Crestview additional classroom space for adult education and Student Ministries. In that way, rooms used for community programming and spiritual formation support one another within the same congregation.
Ways to Support the Work
Giving is available through online giving, by texting give to (833) 680-9842, and in person during a service. Crestview describes online giving as safe and easy.
Taken together, Crestview's Sunday class hour, a cappella worship, multigenerational discipleship and practical service form the ongoing expression of its mission to grow in Jesus, serve Jesus and share Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.