A Replant on Main Street
Living Hope Baptist Church meets at 122 West Main Street in Elm Mott, a small community in McLennan County just east of Waco. The name is recent. After years of declining membership, the longtime First Baptist Church of Elm Mott began a replant in partnership with Texas Baptists, the Waco Regional Baptist Association, and a circle of partner churches. The congregation held its first service under the new name, Living Hope Baptist Church, on August 16, 2026.
Pastor Jeb Barr, who was called to First Baptist Church Elm Mott in 2017, leads the replanted congregation alongside Music Minister Niall McCright and Interim Youth Minister Joy Clark. The leadership team also includes deacons Bob Davis and Betty Mack and church secretary Katherine Becker.
Why Living Hope
The new name comes from 1 Peter 1:3: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Living Hope maintains the same theology as First Baptist Elm Mott while reaching for new ministry strategies. The church's three-part message - Hope in Christ, Hope in Community, Hope in Action - is the reason for the replant.
The stated vision is to become a multi-generational, multi-ethnic church that effectively brings the hope of Christ to its neighbors through word, action, and example. A central part of the replant is becoming more welcoming to Hispanic families, with the eventual goal of holding services in both English and Spanish. As the church puts it, the trend is for big churches to grow and small ones to shrink, leaving lower-resourced communities without healthy churches. Living Hope is working to reverse that trend in its own backyard.
Sundays in the Sanctuary
Sunday School meets at 9:30 AM, and the corporate worship service runs from 10:30 to 11:45 AM. Visitors can expect to be greeted warmly: members introduce themselves before, during, and after the service, and by the end of the morning most newcomers have met most of the room.
The music is blended, with roughly half hymns and half contemporary worship songs, often layering piano, guitar, organ, and the occasional percussion. The order of service rotates through Scripture readings, responsive readings, extended times of prayer, communion, and testimonies, and the full service is typically an hour and fifteen minutes long.
The dress code is relaxed. Dress pants, jeans, dresses, t-shirts, and dress shirts all show up in the pews, and the church is explicit that no one is going to judge. The service is recorded and posted to the church's YouTube channel later in the week for anyone who can't attend in person.
Music as a Progression Toward God
Under Music Minister Niall McCright, who composes much of what the church sings, Living Hope's music follows a structured liturgy rooted in scripture. The progression builds on the throne-room vision of Isaiah 6, where the seraphim call to one another and Isaiah confesses his unclean lips before being cleansed.
Each Sunday moves through five steps. A Call to Worship gathers hearts toward God. A Song of Reflection lets the congregation name the love already at work in the week. A Song of the Gospel celebrates the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. A Song of Declaration rejoices in belonging to God's kingdom. A Song of Encouragement opens a moment to pray and to speak with a pastor or deacon about spiritual, emotional, or practical needs. A "Living Hope Worship Playlist" on Spotify gathers many of the songs used.
Wednesday Nights at the Church
At 6:00 PM on Wednesday evenings, three ministries start at the same time: children's, youth, and adult. Children's ministry activities run until 7:15 PM, and the church van is available for families who need a ride - arrangements go through the church office.
Adults gather for a Bible study that works through Nijay Gupta's "15 New Testament Words of Life: A New Testament Theology for Real Life." College students meet separately on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 PM in the community room at the Village Oaks Apartments on the TSTC campus, with dinner included.
Children in the Sanctuary
Even with children's Sunday School on hold, children are welcome in the service. The Prayground, a space in the back of the sanctuary, is for parents who want to rock a restless infant or quiet a wiggly toddler while still hearing the sermon. All children in the Prayground must be accompanied by an adult, and the partition can be drawn shut for nursing moms or particularly loud moments.
Just inside the foyer, a small tree holds worship bags designed to help kids engage with the service rather than simply tune it out. The nursery is being updated and is not currently available.
Adult Discipleship
Adults at Living Hope can lean into Sunday School at 9:30 AM.
Beliefs and the Family of Churches
Living Hope affirms the Baptist Faith and Message 1963, a confession shared across the broader Baptist world. The church is an active member of the Waco Regional Baptist Association and Texas Baptists (formerly BGCT), and supports Tri-Cities Ministries, a local non-profit coalition of churches from many denominations that work together to bridge gaps for neighbors through case management, emergency assistance, and shared community engagement.
Pastor Jeb Barr serves on the board of directors for both Tri-Cities Ministries and the Waco Regional Baptist Association, giving Living Hope a steady line into the wider network of churches serving central Texas.
Going Outside the Walls
Hope in Action shows up most visibly in the volunteer calendar. The church collects canned meat, vegetables, and hygiene items year-round for the Tri-Cities Food Pantry, with a drop bin in the church hallway. Members deliver hot meals through Meals on Wheels on Thursdays at 10:30 AM, with most volunteers serving about once a month. Tri-Cities Ministries itself is recruiting greeters on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and training new caseworkers to walk alongside neighbors seeking assistance.
On its own property, Living Hope hosts community gatherings that have included Fall Festival, National Night Out, the Elm Mott Community Clean-Up Day, and the Community Thanksgiving Meal. Free ESL classes are offered as a ministry for adults wanting to learn English.
The Activity Center on the Grounds
For families and neighbors needing more space, the church rents out its Activity Center for birthdays, baby showers, family reunions, quinceañeras, and other gatherings. The building holds one large room about 60 by 40 feet, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a large paved parking area. Tables and chairs for around 75 people are provided, with an upper capacity of about 150.
The fee is $200 per day plus a $200 refundable deposit. Cash and checks are accepted. Alcohol is not allowed on the premises, and any evidence of use means forfeiting the deposit. Reservations are taken during the secretary's office hours on Wednesday and Friday from 2:00 to 5:00 PM, or by leaving a completed rental form and deposit in the metal drop box by the office door.
Joining the Story
Membership at Living Hope is framed under four headings: submitting to the Head of the Church, belonging to the People of the Church, advancing the Mission of the Church, and living in the Hope of Christ from 1 Peter 1:1-6. Members are asked to pitch in according to their interests, giftings, and abilities, and a long list of volunteer roles - from worship team and audio/visual to ushering, landscaping, and van driving - is waiting to be filled.
A Place to Belong in a Small Town
Living Hope calls itself a church "intentionally planted in a community that we love," and its leaders are quick to acknowledge that the facilities are modest. What the church offers, in their telling, is something harder to manufacture: people who love God, love their neighbors, and love this small corner of McLennan County well. From the brick building on Main Street, the Living Hope name is meant for the whole town that gathers around it.