Kensington Woods Church of Christ meets at 415 S 40th Ave in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and is known for worship that is sung without instruments, teaching drawn from the New Testament, and a wide range of service to children, students, and the surrounding community. The church sums up its hope in a few words: "Our hope is found in Christ alone." A Sunday Bible class at 9:00 AM leads into worship at 10:00 AM, an evening assembly follows at 5:00 PM, and a Wednesday Bible class gathers at 6:30 PM. Around that weekly rhythm, the congregation runs the Southern Christian Student Center at the University of Southern Mississippi, offers free vocational training through NexTech Academy, operates a benevolence program with a food pantry and clothing closet, and supports mission work in the Philippines, Tanzania, and Honduras.
Where We Meet and When We Gather
The church building stands at 415 S 40th Ave in Hattiesburg, MS 39402, and the weekly pattern is simple to remember: Sunday Bible class at 9:00 AM, Sunday worship at 10:00 AM, and Sunday evening assembly at 5:00 PM, with Wednesday Bible class at 6:30 PM. The church office answers at (601) 264-2945 and at office@kwchurch.email.
Transportation to Sunday morning services and assembly is provided for those who need it. Riders can call the church number and press the option for transportation, or request a ride through the contact form. The church also offers a one-on-one tour of the building, and the visit form includes an option for people who need special assistance, such as a wheelchair, when they attend.
Those planning a first visit can use the Plan a visit form. People who are new to the area and looking for a church home are welcome to say so, as are those who want a Bible study, a building tour, or a chance to meet with a shepherd or an evangelist.
A Cappella Singing and the Lord's Supper Every Week
Visitors often notice what happens in worship at Kensington Woods. The service follows the pattern laid out in the New Testament: teaching and preaching, prayer, giving, singing, and the Lord's Supper.
- Teaching and preaching, grounded in Acts 2:42 and 20:7.
- Praying, including petitions, thanksgivings, and supplication.
- Giving, done cheerfully, though visitors are never expected to give.
- Singing, without mechanical instruments. A cappella singing is one of the things people most frequently notice.
- The Lord's Supper, observed every first day of the week, following the example of the disciples gathering to break bread in Acts 20:7.
That weekly rhythm shapes the life of the church. The congregation sings songs, hymns, and spiritual songs with no instruments at all, remembers the death of the Lord through the supper meal as often as the church assembles, and gives back financially to support the work of the kingdom locally and around the world.
"Simply Christians" and the New Testament Church
The church uses the phrase "Simply Christians" as its answer to people who are confused by the many religious teachings in circulation. The Bible is the only source of its teaching, and the aim is to follow the New Testament in everything done in worship.
On God, the church teaches that God is the source of all being and the only true God, and that honoring Him means serving the needs of others with the same diligence He shows. On Jesus, it affirms that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, born of a virgin, sinless in life, crucified for all mankind, raised on the third day, and returning in power and glory. On salvation, it holds that the Bible is inspired by God, that people come to know and trust God by hearing the word of Christ, that turning from sin and confessing Christ's name are required, and that baptism by immersion in water washes away the guilt of past sins through the blood of Christ.
Their description of the church itself is equally pointed: "As to doctrine, we have no creed but Christ." The congregation is not connected to any earthly religious body or headquarters and submits only to the rule of heaven, seeking to live, worship, and function as the first-century church did when it was established by Christ and His apostles. That pattern shows in the structure of the congregation, which is pastored by a group of men called elders, where ministers do not take confession and church members address one another simply as brother or sister. Guests are described as welcome at any service and as joining a warm, friendly, loving congregation.
Children from Six Months Through Fifth Grade
Children's Ministry at Kensington Woods covers children from six months old through fifth grade, with classes on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening in addition to activities planned throughout the year. Monthly activities and devotionals are designed as a fun and energetic space for children to grow in their knowledge of the Lord and in their relationships with one another. Families who want help starting a Bible time at home can ask for resources and mentors who help them get started. Curriculum includes a 36-lesson Joshua Generation set and a collection of legacy lessons.
The Three E's: Education, Edification, Evangelism
Youth and Family Ministry serves sixth through twelfth grades, and its driving idea is simple: elevate Jesus and each other. The goal is an environment where it is safe to be yourself when you arrive and more like Jesus when you leave. The three E's shape the program. Education means learning more. Edification means building one another up. Evangelism means spreading the good news about Jesus. The mix runs from large events and summer camps to living room gatherings and Bible class, and a permission form is available for youth activities.
NexTech Academy: Trade Skills and Bible Study Together
One of the church's most distinctive ministries is NexTech Academy, a free vocational training program offered to the community. The idea comes from the story of Dorcas in Acts 9, a woman known for good deeds whose garments for widows continued to matter even after her death. The church draws a moral from the story: normal people can do profoundly impactful things for their community, and a shortage of skilled tradespeople in the workforce is a problem the church can help solve.
The training covers precision machining, welding, principles of engineering, and robotics. Each class opens with a Bible study, so students learn the gospel and how to defend their faith in the place where they will need to do it, the workplace. Chris Donovant handles questions for the program, and giving toward this mission is supported online. The stated ambition is for the academy's reputation to grow in the community and in industry at the national level.
Benevolence for Spiritual and Practical Needs
Kensington Woods defines benevolence as showing goodwill toward others and acting in another person's best interest, and its program seeks to address spiritual as well as financial needs. Its primary focus, the church says, is helping people get to heaven.
- Spiritual guidance and growth
- Sharing God's guidance in financial planning
- Referral to other resources within the community
- Temporary lodging
- An accountability partnership
- A food pantry and clothing closet
- Transportation to Sunday morning assembly
- Assistance in searching for employment
- Funding
Requests are prioritized, first from brothers and sisters in Christ, since Galatians 6:10 calls for doing good to all people and especially to those who belong to the family of believers, and then from those who live near the church building, because nearby people are better able to visit and worship. The church says money alone is not always the most effective response, so people who request help are also offered help in developing a plan of action for getting through hard circumstances. A benevolent information packet outlines the process.
The Southern Christian Student Center at USM
Kensington Woods owns and operates the Southern Christian Student Center, located at 3500 Montague Boulevard on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, with oversight from the church's shepherds. The center serves students at USM, William Carey, Jones College, and PRCC, and reaches people aged 18 to 25 across South Mississippi. Its mission has three parts: fortify the faith of college students, edify one another, and evangelize the campus.
Fortifying the faith happens through Bible studies throughout the week. Edification comes through weekly activities, fellowship meals, weekend retreats, and small group Bible studies. Evangelizing is the central focus, with discipleship, evangelistic Bible studies, and mission trips used to equip students to proclaim the gospel wherever they go. The regular week includes Sunday at Kensington Woods Church of Christ, dinner and a devotional on Tuesday at 6:30 PM, a Bible study on the USM campus on Wednesday at 7:30 PM, and a Ladies Bible Study plus a Benevolence Bible study on Thursday at 7:00 PM. Ben Rickman serves as campus evangelist.
Missions in the Philippines, Tanzania, and Honduras
The Philippines: Training for Work and a Bible Study in Every Session
Ernest and Cora Vilchez live in the Philippines and describe a training course they established with a local church. The need grew out of the country's expanding call center industry, which is creating jobs but also making clear the shortage of workers with the skills those jobs require. The free course trains people for that work so they can provide for their families and improve their economic situation. Every training session starts with a Bible study, and students are required to attend the church assemblies, where they learn God's plan of salvation, the church, and the Bible as a whole. The Vilchezes support themselves with retirement funds, and because the work has outgrown their facilities, they invite others to help with the growth.
Tanzania: Decades of Trips and a School of Preaching
Kensington Woods involvement in Tanzania goes back several decades and includes establishing a school of preaching in the Arusha area. Small groups of members travel there several times each year to work with local preachers and missionaries, while Tanzanian church members serve as translators, guides, and drivers. All three shepherds have made multiple trips, and church members have relatives serving as missionaries in the city of Moshi. The church describes the people of Tanzania as friendly and God-loving, notes that the culture is open to discussions of God and the Bible, and says a trip can fit within the budget of most people.
Honduras: Medical Missions and Campaigns
In Honduras, the church has worked for a number of years, leading medical missions and campaigns to different congregations and providing doctors, medicine, and follow-up care free of charge. Each year a large group from Kensington Woods, joined by other Christians from across the United States, travels for concentrated service and evangelism. The goal extends beyond medicine, since the people they meet are encouraged to become disciples of Jesus and to make disciples in their own communities. Joe Brumfield handles questions about the work.
Free Bible Studies and Conversations That Point to Jesus
Anyone can sign up for a free Bible study and receive a personal study helper who answers questions and becomes a friend to learn about Jesus with. Studies can meet in the home or at the church building, and the request asks about the best time of day and any specific topic to study. The Unscripted Podcast is built for the same purpose in a different form. Its premise is that Jesus taught through conversations, from the woman at the well to the multitudes by the sea, and the podcast is designed to equip followers of Jesus with conversations that point to Jesus. Episodes are available on Spotify, YouTube, and Facebook.
Sermons, Giving, and Staying Connected
The sermon archive covers a wide biblical range, with messages grouped by topic and by book. Books include Genesis, Deuteronomy, Judges, Psalms, Proverbs, Matthew, Luke, Romans, Colossians, Mark, Philippians, Samuel, and Hosea. Topics run from Bible study, Christian living, faith, family, and spiritual growth to the church, the gospel, salvation, prayer, giving, repentance, obedience, and evangelism. Sermons can be watched on the church's YouTube channel, and giving is available online.
At 415 S 40th Ave, Kensington Woods Church of Christ holds to a straightforward center: Christ alone, His word, and a congregation that wants to connect people to both through worship, study, and service. Sunday Bible class at 9:00 AM, worship at 10:00 AM, and evening assembly at 5:00 PM, with Wednesday Bible class at 6:30 PM, set the weekly rhythm that everything else in the life of the church is built around.