A Church at Work in Killeen
The Killeen Church of Christ stands on North W S Young Drive, just off one of the main arteries that run through the city of Killeen, Texas. The congregation's motto, displayed on its welcome page, is simple and direct: "Welcome to the Family of Christ." Underneath that greeting sits a one-sentence description of purpose: "In our community…salvation and abundant life." That mission - to share the good news of Jesus Christ with neighbors for the sake of their souls' salvation - shapes everything else the church does, from its Sunday schedule to its Wednesday classes to the sermons that fill its pulpit week after week.
The church belongs to the broader fellowship of congregations known simply as the church of Christ, a tradition that identifies itself by following the Bible alone in matters of faith and practice. Locally, that conviction shows up in five regular elements of worship, an all-ages Bible school, and a steady stream of verse-by-verse and topical preaching from Phil McIntosh, the church's pulpit minister.
Worship in Spirit and in Truth
Visitors walking into the building on a Sunday morning will encounter a worship service built around five elements that the congregation treats as scriptural mandates rather than traditions of convenience. The church's own statement of belief, drawn from John 4:24, says the goal is to "worship God in spirit and in truth" - with the right heart and in agreement with what Scripture instructs.
Singing is a cappella. The congregation sings without any musical instruments, a practice the church ties to Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, and 1 Corinthians 14:15. The song service is treated as a time to teach and admonish one another as voices blend.
Prayer is offered in the assemblies, with members lifting up thanksgiving, requests for mercy and forgiveness, and the needs of those around them. The church points to Acts 2:42, where the early disciples in Jerusalem "continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."
The Lord's Supper is observed every Sunday. Citing Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, Acts 2:42, and Acts 20:7, the congregation holds to a first-day pattern rather than monthly or quarterly observance.
Giving takes the form of a free-will contribution each Sunday, grounded in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-12. Visitors are not asked to contribute.
Preaching rounds out the assembly. Each Sunday the church provides multiple Bible lessons, with the goal of illuminating the pathway to salvation, encouraging those who have wandered, and keeping the faithful on a steady course.
Sunday Around the Word
The Sunday rhythm begins at 9:30 AM with Bible classes for all ages. Adults gather for focused study and practical discussion, teens meet in age-appropriate lessons, and children gather in their own Bible-centered classrooms. The classes are designed as a more informal setting than the worship hour, where questions are welcome and the pace can slow enough for real learning.
At 10:30 AM the morning worship service begins, followed by an evening service at 5:00 PM. The whole schedule - Bible classes in the morning, two worship hours around the Lord's Supper, and a closing day service - is structured to keep Scripture in front of the congregation from start to finish.
Visitors are explicitly welcomed to come as they are. "You are not expected to dress in a certain way or participate in any part of the worship service as our visitor," the church explains on its Plan Your Visit page. "We would be happy to meet you and get to know something about you."
Wednesday Night Bible Classes
Midweek, the building comes alive again at 6:30 PM for Bible classes. The format mirrors the Sunday morning classes: children, teenagers, and adults sit in their own groups to study through books of the Bible and apply what they read. The Wednesday hour functions as the church's primary midweek gathering, a chance to revisit a passage, ask follow-up questions, and stay connected between Sundays.
A Pulpit Anchored in Scripture
The pulpit belongs primarily to Phil McIntosh, the church's pulpit minister, who has delivered sixty-four of the recent sermons archived on the church's sermon page. McIntosh walks the congregation through extended series rather than isolated messages. The longest-running is "Overview of God's Word," with eighteen sermons moving book by book through the New Testament epistles: Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus have all been covered in the recent run.
A second series, simply titled "Marriage," gathers five sermons on the subject - what to do before marriage, what to do in marriage, and what to do if a marriage is broken. Other recurring series include "Bible Questions" (two parts), "Who Is?" (four sermons), and short studies on the Ark as a type and the importance of the Lord's Supper.
Guest preachers fill the pulpit on rotation. Quenton Watson has preached on topics such as "What Must I Give Attendance To?" and "Training Our Children to Stand Firm." Andre Pettaway preached "What Faithful Christians Stand For," and Will Smith preached "The Cost of Discipleship." David Hamrick delivered a mission update from World Bible Institute, and Al Washington is listed among recent speakers as well. Recent one-off sermons include "Righteous Singing," "Stick With God!," "Focused Determination," "Father Abraham," "The Land of the Free," "The Progression of Unfaithfulness," and "God's Plan for Women."
Bulletins are posted weekly as PDF downloads, and services are livestreamed on Facebook, so members who travel or are homebound can follow along.
Teaching the Next Generation
The Kids Ministry meets alongside the adults on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM and again on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM, with classes structured by age so that children progress through the Bible at their own level. The Student Ministry gathers every second Sunday at 6:30 PM for young people and the "young at heart," giving the church's teens a regular space of their own.
Two annual programs stand out in the youth calendar. Vacation Bible School runs as a single evening session on a Sunday in late summer, designed as an outreach to children in the surrounding neighborhood. LADS2LEADERS - an acronym for the well-known church of Christ Bible-learning program - meets on Sunday afternoons in January and teaches students to do "Bible Things in Bible Ways" through group recitation and study.
Outreach and the Wider Community
The Outreach Ministry coordinates the church's efforts to reach beyond its own walls. Its focus, in the church's own words, is "reaching out to our brothers and sisters." Specific efforts are arranged through the church office, and details are shared with members as they develop. Twice a year the church hosts a Gospel Meeting, a Sunday-through-Wednesday series with guest preaching that is open to the community, and an annual Ladies Day gathers women from area congregations for a Saturday of teaching and fellowship.
Leadership and Membership
The Killeen Church of Christ is shepherded by a pair of elders, Lee Fisher and Zack Petties. Three deacons - Roger Deem, Paul Portley, and Gaylen Williams - assist in the work of ministry. Phil McIntosh serves as the pulpit minister, the primary voice in the assembly and the lead teacher for the Bible class hour.
Membership is structured around the broader church of Christ understanding of salvation and the local church. Those who have heard the gospel, believed, repented, confessed Christ as the Son of God, and been baptized by immersion are welcomed into fellowship. Members of other local congregations who wish to make Killeen their home church are encouraged to meet with the elders and formally place their membership so the shepherds can carry out the responsibility described in 1 Peter 5:2-3 and Hebrews 13:17.
Visiting the Family on N W S Young Drive
The church sits at 400 N W S Young Drive, Killeen, Texas 76543, with the phone line answered at (254) 634-7373 and email routed through kcofc@hotmail.com. Doors open for Bible class at 9:30 AM on Sunday mornings, the worship hour begins at 10:30 AM, and the evening service convenes at 5:00 PM. Wednesday evening Bible classes start at 6:30 PM. Visitors are not expected to give, dress a certain way, or participate in any part of the service - the building is open, the songbooks are out, and the invitation is simply to come and listen. Services are livestreamed on Facebook for those who want to follow along before or instead of attending in person.