Indiana Avenue Baptist Church, at 9507 Indiana Ave in Lubbock, is known for three Sunday worship gatherings and a ministry map that stretches from infants to adults in their 60s and beyond. Modern worship leads at 8:30 and 11:00, while the 9:45 gathering blends worship songs and hymns. Around that Sunday rhythm are all-age Bible classes, college and young-adult groups, children's ministry, men's and women's communities, a weekday preschool, missions, and benevolence. The church defines its work through three aims: glorifying God, growing believers, and reaching people.
Three Sunday Services, Modern and Blended
- 8:30 a.m. - Modern Worship
- 9:45 a.m. - Blended Worship, combining worship songs and hymns
- 11:00 a.m. - Modern Worship
Each Sunday service can be joined through the church's livestream. The two Modern Worship services frame the morning, while the middle service offers a musical bridge between current worship songs and hymns.
Sunday formation also happens alongside worship:
- At 8:30, adults meet in Sunday classes and children from infants through pre-K attend Wee Worship. Gradeschool children attend worship with their parents.
- At 9:45, classes are offered for all ages, from infants through senior adults, with separate Wee Worship for infants through pre-K.
- At 11:00, adults meet in classes while younger children attend Wee Worship.
The Connection Center in the Commons is open Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. First-time guests can identify themselves through the New Here form. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday during the same morning hours as the Connection Center.
Where College, Young Adults, and Youth Gather
Young Adults
The young-adult ministry serves ages 22 to 30. Sunday groups gather at 9:45 a.m. in Annex 2 after doors open at 9:30, with small groups beginning at 10:00. Groups are organized for men, women, and married or engaged couples. Tuesday evenings include dinner at 7:00 p.m. followed by discussion at 7:30. Tucker Thompson leads this ministry.
The Way College Ministry
The Way leads college-age students into Sunday worship at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Free meals are served before those gatherings at 5:15 and 7:15. Ethan Senne leads the college team, with Hannah Hall, Emma Roberts, Emily Ramage, and Brenden Simmons serving alongside him.
Youth
Students in grades 6 through 12 gather for small groups at 9:45 on Sunday in the Student Building, finishing in time for the 11:00 worship service. On Wednesday, a free meal is served at 5:30 in the Student Building, followed by Youth Worship at 6:15 in the Worship Center. Trevor Gentry leads the youth team. During the Wednesday gathering, volunteers drive a golf cart in the parking lot for safety beginning at 5:15.
Wee Worship, Bible Lessons, and Kids Midweek
Children's Ministry describes its work as helping kids follow Jesus. Wee Worship serves infants through pre-K at 8:30 and 11:00, and the 9:45 Sunday gathering includes Wee Worship alongside weekly Bible lessons for every age. The Sunday program also gives parents and children shared opportunities to grow together.
Kids Midweek meets Wednesdays from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. in the Children's Building. Children from infants through fifth grade are divided into classes by age or grade. The program includes Bible memory and skill work for preschool and grade-school children, along with a recurring missionary focus connected to the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board.
The church's New Christian Class is designed for children who have made a decision for Christ. It provides instruction about testimony, prayer, baptism, and the Lord's Supper, while helping parents give their children additional support. The class is a prerequisite for baptism by children. More than 100 volunteers help provide Sunday School, Wee Worship, and Kids Midweek, with clear background checks and safety training required.
A Shared Meal Before Wednesday Ministry
A family meal begins the Wednesday evening pattern in the Commons from 5:30 to 6:10 p.m. At 6:15, people of different ages move into the church's main teaching and worship options.
- Adults meet for discipleship classes in several classrooms. Pastor Steve McMeans also leads Wednesday Night Seminary in the Commons.
- Children from infants through grade 5 meet in the Children's Building for Kids Midweek.
- Youth in grades 6 through 12 gather in the Worship Center after the free Student Building meal.
The meal, classes, and worship are designed as one shared evening, with adults, children, and students moving through separate age-based ministries while participating in the same Wednesday rhythm.
Sunday Classes for Work, Family, and Empty Nesters
IABC's Sunday classes meet throughout the year except for Spring Break, Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The schedule is organized around different seasons of life rather than a single adult classroom.
- The 8:30 classes are primarily for adults age 50 and older. Their studies range from Bible-centered discussion to applying God's Word to daily life and current events.
- The 9:45 classes include singles, college-age adults, young adults, young married couples, families with preschool or grade-school children, parents of older students, multigenerational groups, and adults at varied life stages.
- The 11:00 classes are mainly for adults 50 and older, including parents of college-age students, empty nesters, and a class open to women of all ages.
One 8:30 class sings old hymns while studying the Bible, providing a traditional Sunday School setting. Other classes emphasize close study of biblical characters and passages, current events, prayer, relationships, parenting, and practical Christian life. The number of adults served in a single class is not the organizing principle; instead, the classes are built around shared stages and needs.
Men's Study, Women's Support, and the 55+ Community
Men's Bible Study and Prayer
Men can meet for a 45-minute Bible study on Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. or noon in the Conference Room. Tommy Martin and Tucker Thompson lead the study, and participants may bring a meal. Thursday at 7:00 a.m., men gather in the same room for the Men's Prayer Group, asking God to meet the needs of the church family.
Women's Ministry
Women's Ministry describes itself as connecting with God together. Mom to Mom gathers mothers of different ages and stages once each school-year month from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for breakfast, coffee, speakers, and meaningful conversation. Childcare registration is available. Beauty From Pain is a ministry for widows that centers comfort, connection, hope, and discovering what God brings through pain.
DivorceCare meets Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. for women who want support through separation or divorce. Its groups guide participants toward hope, healing, and recovery. The women's prayer team also emphasizes carrying one another's burdens in the spirit of Galatians 6:2.
Through the Bridges Boutique and Banquet, IABC partners with Parkridge Pregnancy Center to encourage young women who have completed parenting classes and maintained regular checkups. Donated nursery items help equip their homes. Women's teams also support mothers and families connected with Buckner Family Pathways as they work toward educational goals.
Renewed Ministry
The 55+ ministry, Renewed, encourages older adults to reflect on God's faithfulness and support one another in following him. Grandmothers meet monthly to pray for their grandchildren, families, and friends.
Weekday Preschool and PDO
IABC Preschool/PDO operates Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Its stated goal is to educate children academically while building strong Christian beliefs and values. The program seeks to help each child feel loved, valued, accepted, and successful.
The PDO begins at six months and serves age groups known as Ones and Twos. The preschool portion serves three- and four-year-old children, with a requirement that preschool students be potty trained. Half-day and full-day schedules are available on different weekly combinations. Carrie Bailey directs the program, which prepares younger children for the Bible lessons and church life they continue through the church's other children's ministries.
Biblical Teaching, Worship Arts, and Media
IABC describes God's Word as able to transform lives. Its teaching reaches through Sunday classes, adult discipleship, Wednesday Night Seminary, children's lessons, and recordings of biblical messages. Curriculum and teaching themes address the Trinity, the unity of Christ in two natures, Old and New Testament teachings, the Lord's Supper, prayer, and applying faith to everyday life.
The Christian Arts Ministry helps lead worship through singing, guitar, drums, percussion, and other music. Musicians audition before joining the worship team. A separate production and media team works with lights, video, and sound during services, supported by the AVL and creative media staff.
For additional study, IABC provides Right Now Media at no cost to participants. Its video library includes devotionals, Bible studies, and children's material. The church also has an IABC app for church information and ministry communication, plus occasional text updates through the IABC shortcode. Past teaching and sermon recordings extend the same Bible-centered material beyond the regular gatherings.
Missions That Extend Into the Community
IABC calls missions an integral part of sharing the Good News in its community, across the nation, and around the world. Its recurring mission emphasis includes the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, I AmTexas Missions, New Life Children's Home, Mission Dignity, Operation Christmas Child, Global Hunger Relief, and other mission causes. The Missions Committee also considers requests for help with mission-trip expenses.
Community support is visible in the church's benevolence and monthly drives. The Benevolence Committee helps provide food and hygiene for people in need. Collection rhythms include baby bath products, canned food, diapers, laundry and hygiene supplies, school supplies, and items connected with Operation Christmas Child and the Angel Tree. Bridges supports mothers through Parkridge, while Buckner Family Pathways receives donations that help families pursue education.
The church also offers one-on-one financial coaching and maintains a benevolence process for people seeking financial assistance. Alongside these practical forms of care, the free meals shared by college students, youth, and families make room for people to gather together around the church's teaching and worship life.
Shared Stewardship and Use of the Buildings
IABC defines giving as a body of believers funding the mission of God. Members can contribute with cash or checks, through online giving by card, debit card, or checking account, and through appreciated stocks. The church also accepts IRA transfers and works with the Southern Baptist of Texas Foundation for real estate, business interests, mineral interests, and other assets.
Giving supports the church's goals of glorifying God, growing believers, and reaching people. Designated areas include missions, building needs, benevolence, the Great Investment, and educational assistance for qualified church employees. The annual budget is developed with ministry areas, reviewed by the Finance Committee, presented to church members, and approved by a member vote, while the Finance Committee provides continuing financial oversight.
The church's buildings are also used for weddings and approved events. Worship spaces include the Worship Center, Commons, and Student Building, where qualified technology support can provide sound. The building-use and wedding policies establish the expectations for those gatherings, and the same facilities support worship, discipleship, meals, youth gatherings, preschools, benevolence, and community relationships. At Indiana Avenue Baptist Church, the shared meal, classrooms, worship rooms, mission emphasis, and giving plan all serve the church's three stated goals.