The Best Little Church in Lomax
First Baptist Church of Lomax sits on the east side of La Porte, Texas, in the small community of Lomax. From its longtime home at 11303 North H Street (also addressed as North Avenue H), the congregation has earned a simple reputation: "The Best Little Church in Lomax." Members describe themselves as "A Family of Friends that Care" and "A Family that Really Cares," and the welcome is direct: "Come as you are." Inside, the church keeps a steady rhythm of Bible study, prayer, worship, and table fellowship, with the Bible, the gospel, and one another at the center.
The identity of FBCL is plain and unforced. There is no glossy program list, no corporate branding. Just a small congregation that has settled into the rhythms of Bible study, prayer, worship, and a shared table. Members talk about the church the way longtime neighbors talk about a familiar kitchen: with warmth, easy repetition, and the steady assurance that the door is always open. The two main spaces on the property, the Auditorium and the Fellowship-Education Building, are used in rotation, and almost everything on the calendar points back to one of three places: the Bible, the worship gathering, or the table.
A Sunday in Lomax
Sunday at FBCL follows a steady pattern that begins before most of the surrounding community has finished breakfast.
Fellowship and prayer open the day at 9:15 a.m. Members gather in the Fellowship-Education Building while a prayer time is held in the Auditorium. The hour is meant to be unhurried, a chance to greet one another and bring the day to the Lord before study and worship begin.
At 9:30 a.m. (also 9:45 a.m.), Morning Bible Study for all ages opens in the Education Building. Children, youth, and adults each have their own class, but all meet on the same campus. The all-ages format is set up so no one has to choose between age group and family: children meet in their own class, youth have their own room, and adults gather separately, all within the same hour and on the same grounds. The arrangement keeps the morning simple for parents while still giving every age group a class of its own.
At 11:00 a.m. the Morning Worship Celebration fills the Auditorium. The invitation on the calendar reads, "Please come worship our Lord and Saviour. All are welcome here." Worship is followed by an Evening Service at 6:00 p.m. in the Education Building, giving members a second gathering to close out the day. The one exception is the fourth Sunday of the month, when the evening service is set aside in favor of the birthday and anniversary potluck.
Wednesday Bible Study and the Men's & Women's Ministry
Midweek at FBCL carries the same approachable feel. Wednesday evening is set aside for Bible study at 6:00 p.m. In parallel with that study time, the Men's & Women's Ministry meets at the same hour, offering a small-group setting where men and women can grow in the Lord together. Both happen on the church campus, and both repeat every Wednesday. For members who cannot attend on Sunday morning or evening, Wednesday gives them another way to stay rooted in Scripture.
What FBCL Believes
The church holds to three core statements of faith, set out in plain terms.
The Trinity. FBCL believes in one God who exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who came to earth as the Savior of the world.
Salvation. Members believe Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins, that salvation is found by placing faith in what Jesus did on the cross, and that Jesus rose from the dead and is coming again.
The Bible. The entire Bible is believed to be inspired by God, without error, and to be the authority on which faith, conduct, and doctrine are based.
These three statements anchor the church's teaching and the way members talk about what the church is for. The same conviction shows up in the church's standing welcomes: "Please come worship our Lord and Saviour."
The People Who Lead and Care
Pastor Jerry and his wife Terri lead the church. They are joined by Rob Fulks, the Music Minister, who leads the congregation in song during both the morning and evening services, and Terri Agnew, the Children's Director, who works with parents to keep the youngest members of the church engaged in age-appropriate teaching. A nursery team of Stella Gurrola and Stephanie Crittenden cares for babies and toddlers from birth through age three during church activities, so parents can attend Bible study and worship with full attention.
The church also maintains a presence beyond the La Porte campus through its Lomax Baptist Mission. James Johnson leads a weekly worship service at Cedar Bayou Rehabilitation in Baytown at 6:15 p.m., and the church supports the wider work of Dr. Mark Redd Ministries, which focuses on training church leaders and helping people study and understand God's Word.
Ministries Reaching Out from Lomax
Several named ministries shape the life and outreach of the church.
Nursery. Care for babies and toddlers from birth through age three is provided during Sunday morning services and Bible study so that parents can worship and learn without worry.
Bible Ministry. The church furnishes Bibles to those who request one at the mission, an outreach effort that puts Scripture into hands that might otherwise go without.
Lomax Baptist Mission at Cedar Bayou. A weekly worship service is conducted at Cedar Bayou Rehabilitation in Baytown by James Johnson at 6:15 p.m. The mission extends the church's worship beyond its own walls and into a setting where many who attend may have few other church connections. Members of FBCL support the work through giving and prayer, and the church treats the mission as a primary way of living out its faith beyond the Lomax campus.
Dr. Mark Redd Ministries. The mission's broader focus is training church leaders and helping people study God's Word more carefully. This connects the Lomax congregation to a wider network of teaching and discipleship that stretches beyond La Porte.
Care Ministry. A monthly gathering on the 24th at 9:00 a.m. brings together those who want to discuss how the church ministers to members, visitors, and the wider community. The meeting is open to anyone who would like to attend.
Monthly Rhythms: Birthdays, Anniversaries, and a Table Together
Twice a month the church slows down to share a table. On the fourth Sunday, after the morning service, members gather in the Education Building at 12:15 p.m. for a potluck that celebrates the month's birthdays and anniversaries. There is no evening service that Sunday. The tradition is one of the clearest expressions of the church's "Family of Friends" identity, a regular meal, an unhurried afternoon, and a chance to mark the milestones of the people sitting nearby.
A second monthly meal follows the Care Ministry Meeting on the 24th at 12:00 p.m., keeping food and fellowship at the center of how the church keeps its rhythms. The combined pattern of meeting, eating, and being known is what the church means when it calls itself "A place where people really care."
The Lord's Supper
FBCL observes the Lord's Supper quarterly, on the last Sunday of every third month: May, August, November, and February. The Lord's Supper takes the place of the regular Sunday Evening Worship at 6:00 p.m. in the Education Building. The invitation on the calendar reads, "Please join us Believers and observe The Lord's Supper." Quarterly observance keeps the Supper a meaningful marker in the church year, repeated often enough to stay familiar but spaced enough to mark it as a distinct moment of remembrance.
Staying Connected Through the Week
FBCL keeps its members updated through several channels. An email list provides prayer updates and event reminders, and prayer requests can be left at 281-471-1612 or sent through the church's email at lomaxbaptist@gmail.com. Visitors and members alike can reach the pastor through Messenger on the church's Facebook.
A weekly bulletin and a prayer list are available for download, keeping members aware of who to be praying for and what is coming up. The bulletin carries the church's announcements and prayer concerns; the prayer list names those in need of ongoing prayer. Both are refreshed regularly and shared through the church's email list. The church also has a YouTube channel with sermons posted for those who want to catch up or who are not able to attend in person.
A Simple Invitation
For those thinking about taking a next step, the church offers a guide titled "How Can I Become a Christian?" with information on beginning a walk with Christ. The same simple message threads through the rest of the church's materials: come as you are, study the Bible, worship the Lord, sit at the table, and stay connected.
First Baptist Church of Lomax keeps a simple rhythm: Bible study, worship, prayer, a table together, and a Lord who is welcomed back at the Supper. The doors are open, the welcome still reads the same way it always has, and the congregation continues to call itself what it has called itself for years: The Best Little Church in Lomax.