An Independent Church on La Salle Road
Emerald Bay Community Church sits at 160 La Salle Road, inside the gated Emerald Bay residential community just outside Bullard in East Texas. It is an independent, self-governing congregation that has been gathering on that site since the late 1970s and now numbers more than 325 members, drawn both from inside the gates and from the surrounding towns of Bullard, Flint, Tyler, and beyond.
The church's by-laws describe its character plainly: it is non-denominational, though members often speak of it as "independent multi-denominational" because worshipers from many backgrounds - Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, and non-denominational - sit together in the same pews. Its original building was dedicated in 1978, and over the decades the campus has been expanded to add a new sanctuary, church offices, and additional land adjoining the church property.
Sunday at Emerald Bay: Traditional, Fellowship, Bible Study, Contemporary
The Sunday schedule is built around two distinct worship services and a substantial hour of Bible study in between, so the building is busy from just before nine in the morning until shortly after noon.
The 9:00 a.m. traditional service opens the day. Members receive a printed bulletin with the order of service at the door, and hymnals and Bibles are already in the pews. Worship includes congregational singing, prayers, scripture reading, and a sermon. Communion, also called the Lord's Supper, is offered the first Sunday of each month. All baptized Christians are welcome to partake; the ushers bring trays of bread and small cups of grape juice to each pew, and the custom is for everyone to wait until all have been served before eating and drinking together.
Between the two services, the whole congregation is invited into Fellowship Hall for coffee, juice, donut holes, cookies, and conversation. "Sunday Fellowship" is run by a rotating crew of volunteers who buy or prepare extra treats, particularly when they are marking a birthday or anniversary, but the staples are always on hand. Newcomers are drawn quickly into the swirl of conversation that fills the hall.
At 10:15 a.m., Bible study classes begin for every age. Adults meet in Fellowship Hall; youth gather in the classroom by the office; children join graded groups. Then at 11:15 a.m. the contemporary service begins in the sanctuary for those who prefer a more modern style of worship.
What to Expect as a First-Time Visitor
Ushers greet everyone at the door, and the church has prepared answers to the questions first-time visitors most often ask.
Services last about an hour. There are times to stand and sing and times to sit and listen and pray. The early service tends toward classic hymns supported by organ and piano, while the later service leans on a more contemporary band-and-vocals style.
Clothing is "anything you'd wear to a relaxed Sunday at church." Members turn up in slacks and collared shirts, polo shirts and khakis, dresses, skirts, and on some Sundays full suits. Nothing in the building reads as formal; the ushers, greeters, and pastor wear what everyone else wears.
For those driving in from outside the Emerald Bay community, the front gate will issue a vehicle sticker on Sunday morning; arriving about ten minutes early makes the entry smoother. Ushers inside are happy to help with seating and directions. There is no cost to attend and no expectation that visitors will give anything in the offering plate.
Members and guests alike are invited to pull up a chair at the refreshment table after the 9:00 a.m. service, stay for the 10:15 a.m. Bible study hour, and remain for the 11:15 a.m. contemporary service if they would like to experience both styles of worship in a single visit.
Children and Youth
The church takes the placement of children seriously and runs two parallel programs that line up with the two Sunday services.
During the 9:00 a.m. traditional service, a single combined class serves children from birth through fifth grade. The "Children's Combo Class" gives every child the same Bible lesson and a caring adult while their parents and grandparents worship nearby.
During the 11:15 a.m. contemporary service, the children are split by age into two rooms: a Nursery Class for the youngest babies and toddlers, and a separate K through 5th-grade class for the older kids. Teachers and helpers are recruited from the congregation and trained to make sure every child feels both loved and pointed toward God.
The annual Vacation Bible School is one of the church's biggest community outreach undertakings of the year. Open to children from the wider area - not just Emerald Bay families - it draws on a different curriculum each summer and combines worship, Bible teaching, games, crafts, missions, and STEM activities across a long week in mid-June. The preschool through fifth-grade program runs in the morning; a separate evening track serves sixth through twelfth graders.
On Wednesday evenings throughout the school year, "Midweek Kingdom Kids" meets at 6:00 p.m. for children, and "RIF" - the youth Bible study - gathers at the same hour in Fellowship Hall, drawing middle and high schoolers together around scripture, fellowship, and the kind of conversation that often spills into the parking lot.
Wednesday and the Midweek Rhythm
Wednesday is the busiest weekday at the church. A fellowship meal in Fellowship Hall at 5:30 p.m. opens the evening, and most adult Bible studies begin at 6:00 p.m.
The Ladies' AM Bible Study meets in Fellowship Hall on Monday mornings at 10:00 a.m. The Wednesday evening studies include an Adult Bible Study in the Choir Room, the Ladies' PM Bible Study in the classroom near the office, and a Wednesday Women's Home Group that meets at a member's home at 105 Holly Hill Lane in Bullard. The Men's Bible Study gathers in Fellowship Hall on Thursday mornings at 8:00 a.m. from September through early December. All of these groups are open to anyone in the community who wants to come, regardless of church membership.
Beyond scheduled Bible study, the church runs a robust Helping Hands ministry with more than thirty volunteers ready to assist members and neighbors with everyday needs. Sixteen of those volunteers are drivers, willing to provide a ride to a doctor's appointment or to church - forty-eight hours' notice is preferred but not required. Others help with minor household repairs, grocery runs, basic medical needs such as a bandage change or an injection, pet care, sewing and mending, houseplant care, and basic computer troubleshooting. Volunteers with construction backgrounds have even helped members plan major renovation projects by walking them through the process of choosing a contractor and supervising the work.
The Meal Ministry team prepares food for funerals and memorial services held at the church or at the family home, sets out cookies, coffee, and lemonade for receptions in Fellowship Hall, and hosts three potluck suppers a year, typically in October, January, and May.
The Choir
The choir is the church's primary musical ensemble and provides leadership in worship every Sunday morning. With more than thirty members, most of whom have prior experience in choral singing, the choir rehearses once a week from September through June, plus a brief warm-up before each Sunday service. Additional rehearsals are scheduled before major services like the reflective Good Friday service and the joyful Christmas Cantata in early December.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the choir occasionally sings at weddings and funerals held in the church. Anyone interested in joining is encouraged to contact the pastor or the church office. The Music Committee oversees a Music Director, organist, and pianist, and the sanctuary organ and pianos are tuned on a regular schedule each year.
Memorial Services, Funerals, and Weddings
Memorial and funeral services are a regular part of the church's life, and members have developed a written Service Planning document with samples of scripture readings, music, video tributes, and meal arrangements for bereaved families. The church provides a meal at the church or at the family home following the service, prepared by the Meal Ministry team. On Memorial Day weekend each year the Sunday service includes the reading of names of members and friends who have died over the previous twelve months - a tradition that stretches back many years.
Weddings are accommodated through a detailed wedding policy, with reservations handled by a church Wedding Coordinator. Members (and their children and grandchildren) have first call on dates; non-members may reserve the sanctuary up to ninety days in advance. Music for weddings must be approved by the Minister of Music, only EBCC sound technicians operate the sound system, and an honorarium for the organist and pianist is expected. The sanctuary organ and pianos are tuned regularly each year, and stained glass windows and other worship symbols cannot be covered or moved for floral arrangements. Receptions can be held in Fellowship Hall afterward.
The church facility is also made available to other faith traditions and to community groups such as exercise classes, clogging classes, seminars, and luncheons, with the approval of the pastor and the Board of Trustees. A reservation form is filled out through the church office, and groups are asked to leave the space in good order.
Missions: At Home, Across the Country, and Overseas
Approximately ten to twenty percent of the church's annual budget goes to support missions, and many members also give directly to missionaries they have come to know personally. The Missions Committee reviews every partnership and communicates regularly with field workers.
Foreign mission partners include the Beer-sheba Project (Aaron and Sara Toombs) in Senegal, Avant Ministries (Chalo Sandoval) in Puebla, Mexico, the Central America Theological Seminary (SETECA) in Guatemala, a Turkey-based ministry whose workers' names are kept private for security, Hope Church in Chile (Ricky and Tracy Olivares family), Mission East Africa (Olan and Lynn Burrow) in Tanzania and Kenya, New Day Orphanage in Zambia, Rincon del Tigre in Bolivia (Samuel and Panfi Jansen), SEND North in Alaska (Nate and Teressa Sobie), and YWAM in Budapest, Hungary (Steve and Barbara Johnson family, and Misha Mihaylova).
Domestic mission partners include Campus Crusade in Kansas (David and Anita Stuckenschmidt), Rahab's Retreat and Ranch in Kilgore, Texas, and Wycliffe Bible Translators in Arlington, Texas (Greg and Meg Trius).
Local partners, supported through the Benevolence Committee, include Bethesda Health Clinic in Tyler, Breckenridge Village in Tyler, the Bullard Mission House and Mission Clinic in Bullard, Calvary Commission Mission Center in Lindale, the Community Food Pantry in Noonday, Living Alternatives of Tyler, Meals on Wheels of Tyler, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church Food and Prison Ministries in Tyler, New Baptist Evangelistic Church in Tyler, and Word of Life Lake Area Church in Frankston.
Other practical local work is done by a small team that refurbishes donated computers for small East Texas churches on tight budgets, and by the medical-equipment ministry, which lends crutches, wheelchairs, and similar items on a short-term basis to members and Emerald Bay residents.
What the Church Believes
The church holds to "those articles and concepts of Christian faith ordinarily held by any Christian church," as spelled out in its by-laws. The summary statement affirms belief in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth; in Jesus Christ, his only Son and our Lord - conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, and buried, who rose on the third day, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead; and in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. The Holy Bible is accepted as the Word of God and the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
The stated purpose of the church is "as revealed in the New Testament": joining together for divine worship, study of the scriptures, and Christian fellowship; winning people to faith in Jesus Christ and committing them actively to the church; helping them grow in grace and knowledge of Christ; and working for the unity of all Christians and the building of the kingdom of God.
Baptism is by immersion and is encouraged for those making a first profession of faith. Members may also join by transfer of letter from another Christian church. Membership in the church is separate from membership in the Emerald Bay Club.
Governance and Leadership
A nine-member Board of Trustees, elected by the congregation for three-year terms, governs the church. Trustees must have been active members for at least two years and must conduct their lives in a way that supports the teachings of Scripture. Robert's Rules of Order governs meetings where the by-laws are silent, with a quorum defined simply as "those members present at a congregational meeting."
The pastor is the spiritual leader of the church and provides day-to-day oversight of staff and ministry direction, working with the Board on policy, budget, and long-range planning. The current pastor, Rev. Danny Cullins, came to Emerald Bay from Discovery Bay Community Church in Hong Kong, where he served for nearly five years. A graduate of Howard Payne University (B.S. in Mathematics, summa cum laude) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages), he and his wife Laura have a family and have previously served in worship, youth, campus, administrative, and senior pastor roles.
The church also employs a Music Director, organist, pianist, and administrative staff. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon.
Visiting, Giving, and Getting Connected
Visitors are welcome to drop by the office during weekday hours to meet the pastor or ask any questions. Sunday services are livestreamed on Facebook, so anyone who cannot attend in person can join the congregation online.
Giving is simple. There is no formal stewardship campaign or pledge drive at the church; members are simply encouraged to give as they are able. The offering plate is passed during services, there is an offering box for the second service, gifts may be mailed to the church office, and online giving is available through the Church Center platform. Memorial contributions can be designated to benevolence, missions, music, or the church pond fund.
The Church Center app keeps members and visitors in the loop with everything going on at the church, and RightNow Media access is provided free of charge to anyone who signs up, giving users thousands of Bible-study and Christian-growth videos, including a deep library for children. A prayer chain runs through the office for members and neighbors in need, and the Helping Hands volunteers are a phone call away at (903) 825-3642 for anyone in the wider community who needs a ride, a meal after a hospital stay, or simply a friend to come sit with them for a while.
Emerald Bay Community Church is, in short, a single congregation with many doors: traditional and contemporary worship, weekday Bible studies for men and women, a children's program with its own Vacation Bible School, a thirty-voice choir, a fleet of volunteer drivers, two Sunday morning welcomes, and friends on the mission field from Senegal to Hungary and right around the corner in Bullard.