From a Community Chapel to a Sixteen-Acre Campus
In the spring of 1968, several couples in the small town of Simonton, Texas gathered because they wanted a place where their families and neighbors could worship together. They cleaned an abandoned chapel on what is now the church property, painted, re-carpeted, repaired the roof, and installed a bell. On Sunday, June 6, 1968, Simonton Community Church opened its doors for the first worship service, although for the first few weeks the congregation met in the Community Center next door while finishing the building. The first service in the refurbished sanctuary was held July 15, 1968. The constitution that still shapes the church was adopted on January 19, 1969.
Willard Anders, a retired Lutheran minister, became the first pastor in 1969, with Baptist pastor Harry Drennan serving as his co-pastor. Within a couple of years the church had dedicated its first Sunday School building and launched a Vacation Bible School that drew thirty children. On September 15, 1983, Gerald Riddell, a retired Baptist missionary, became the pastor. He led the church through the 1986 expansion of the sanctuary and made missions a defining priority. Tom Golden followed in 1991 and oversaw the dedication of the Family Life Center on June 7, 1992. In the mid-1990s the congregation began looking for more land, and after several years purchased the sixteen acres behind the property. The new sanctuary opened in October 2002, ten months after Steve Littlefield became Senior Pastor, and the church added a cemetery, a youth room, and an education wing that was dedicated on April 27, 2008.
Two Sunday Mornings, One Worship
Worship services are held at 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in the main sanctuary. Both services are identical, both are livestreamed, and both are Christ-centered with practical teaching from the Word of God. Music is an exciting blend of contemporary and traditional, led by the Praise Team and band. The welcome is simple: come as you are. The church puts it this way: "We are a community of people who are in process. We have imperfect messy lives, but we are pursuing and experiencing a transforming relationship with Jesus and with each other. Everybody is welcome here whatever your story, your questions, doubts or struggles."
L.I.F.E. Studies at 9:45
Between the two services, from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., the church runs L.I.F.E. Studies, a name that stands for Learn, Impact, Fellowship, Equip. The hour is meant to make a large church feel smaller, and classes are offered for every age. Children's classes meet in rooms C201 through C206 for PreK-3 through sixth grade, with nursery care for infants through age two. Students in seventh through twelfth grade gather in the Youth Room next to the Family Life Center Gym for a ministry called The Well. Adults can choose from several classes currently in rotation: Colossians with Jeff Cannon in the Great Room, Ephesians with Flint Little in Room G100, Psalms with Chris Chaddrick in the Chapel, and Living the Sermon with Brady Whitley in the Choir Room. Two long-running classes round out the adult lineup: Man Church: The Standard with David Maniscalco and Glen Mikeska, and the women's class Beloved with Melinda Mikeska and Kristy Maniscalco.
Wednesday Nights: Dinner, Devotion, and Bible Study
Wednesday is a busy night at Simonton. A light dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Family Life Center, with adults paying $7 and children $3 (half-portion for children eight and younger), and reservations required by 5:00 p.m. each Monday. From 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. the church offers Bible studies for adults, children, and youth during the spring and fall semesters.
Adults can pick from three Wednesday options. Women study The Faith of Abraham with Kelly McCurry. Men study Acts: What Now? with Pastor Kenny Johnson. A coed class, Unveiling the Veiled Portraits of Christ in the Old Testament, is taught by Zane Crawford. Children are sorted by age into First Steps for PreK three- and four-year-olds, Kidz Jam for kindergarten through fourth grade (a mix of music, theater, Bible study, and scripture memorization), and Flyte Crew for fifth and sixth graders. The Well, the youth ministry, meets continuously through the year with games in the gym and worship and teaching in the Youth Room.
Children's Ministry from PreK Through Sixth Grade
The Children's Ministry exists to build a strong spiritual foundation by guiding children and parents into a personal relationship with Christ, partnering with parents to lay that foundation from the earliest years. The mission and vision are stated plainly: kids who know God, love God, and share Him with others.
Sunday morning offerings include nursery for infants through age two, L.I.F.E. Studies for PreK-3 through sixth grade, and Children's Church. Children in kindergarten and above join adults in worship for the first part of the service; before the sermon, kindergarten through fourth graders are dismissed to Children's Church for a kid-focused message and special music.
Child safety is taken seriously. Every adult working with children or youth must complete the church's Safe and Secure program, which includes a background check. For check-in and check-out, Simonton uses KidCheck, a secure children's check-in system that ensures no one picks up a child without the parent's consent. Visitors can register their child through KidCheck in advance.
The Well: Youth Ministry for Seventh Through Twelfth Grade
The youth ministry, called The Well, gathers students in the Family Life Center/Gym and the adjacent Youth Room. The mission is straightforward: students who are saved, growing, sharing, belonging, and serving. The five core values are Salvation, Discipleship, Evangelism, Community, and Service. On Sunday mornings students join one of the adult worship services at 8:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m., then head to the Youth Room for L.I.F.E. Studies at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday nights run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with games in the gym, worship led by a student worship band, and a Bible study. Mid-semester breaks do not interrupt the youth calendar.
The youth also gather for off-campus outings throughout the year, and parents are invited to sign up to bring breakfast on Sunday mornings during L.I.F.E. Studies.
Men's Ministry: Six in the Morning, Basketball at Night
Men at Simonton have several touch points through the week. On Sunday at 9:45 a.m. the Man Church class, The Standard, meets in Room G102 with David Maniscalco and Glen Mikeska. Wednesday mornings at 6:00 a.m. the men gather in Room G100 for prayer. Friday mornings at 6:00 a.m. they return to Room G100 for the Iron on Iron Bible Study, working through Charles Swindoll's Day by Day with Tony Alvarado. On Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m., men eighteen and older are invited to the Family Life Center/Gym for a time of Bible devotion followed by basketball, coordinated by Tim Dones. Wednesday evening Bible studies during the spring and fall semesters offer another men's option. Periodic breakfasts bring men and their children together in the Family Life Center/Gym.
Women's Ministry: Mornings, Evenings, Quilting, and Prayer
Women's ministry at Simonton aims to help women discover that they are called, chosen, and set apart for a purpose no one else can fulfill, and to be challenged by the Word and by one another. Two weekly Bible studies run during the spring and fall semesters. On Wednesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., women gather for Before His Throne, a study in Malachi by Kathy Howard, taught by Julie Burnett. An optional prayer time precedes the study at 9:00 a.m. in Room G100, with childcare opening at 9:15 a.m. On Wednesday evenings from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., women study The Faith of Abraham with Kelly McCurry. A Sunday morning L.I.F.E. Studies class called Beloved is taught by Melinda Mikeska and Kristy Maniscalco in Room G101.
First Thursdays at 6:00 p.m., women gather in the SCC Chapel to lift one another, their families, the community, and the nation in prayer. A long-standing quilting group meets every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Room G100 and welcomes quilters of every skill.
55+Alive, MOPS, and the Wider Community
55+Alive is the church's fellowship group for older adults, with periodic potluck-style gatherings hosted at members' homes in the Weston Lakes area, complete with shared dishes, board games (dominoes, 42), and football on television for those who want it. MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meets one Friday a month from September through May, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with speakers, mom-to-mom small groups, crafts, food, and fellowship. Quality childcare is provided for children birth through age five in a Christ-centered setting through MOPS Kids; the children's leaders are Safe and Secure certified. The fee is $50 per semester or $95 for the full year, and registration is limited.
HomePointe: A Library of Family Resources
HomePointe is the church's family-equipping library. The goal is to help families become intentional about building a God-honoring home one step at a time, working through a simple three-step process every 120 days: assess, identify the family's current season, and create a HomePoint plan.
The library divides its content into three streams. "Pointers" give a biblical perspective on common family seasons, with topics ranging from Preparing for Baby, Considering Children, and Intentional Parenting, to Preparing for Adolescence, Difficult Teen, and Launching Young Adults, and on through Single Adult, Single Parent, Grieving, The Empty Nest, Facing Infertility, Aging Loved One, Special Needs, Blending Families, Difficult Marriage, Sexual Intimacy, Hope to Marry, Engaged, and more. Recipe cards offer one practical idea each week for date night or faith-at-home activities like family night, movie night, mealtime moments, and bedtime blessings. Audio podcasts round out the resource, with separate tracks on parenting and marriage that include titles like Intentional Dads, Intentional Moms, Next Gen Faith, Heroic at Home, Art of Marriage, Love and Respect, Marriage Masterpiece, and Theology of the Body.
The 2535 Clinic: A Church-Run Medical Office
The 2535 Clinic is a charity medical clinic operated by Simonton Community Church to provide medical assistance to community members in need. Services include sick visits, chronic disease management, school physicals, and more. The clinic survives on donations, with a $20 donation suggested but not required. Walk-ins are welcome, and appointments can also be scheduled. Spanish-speaking bilingual volunteers are available. The clinic phone number is 281-391-0190. On the first Tuesday of each month, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the clinic hosts free wellness screenings and classes with no appointment necessary.
Music Ministry
Music is woven throughout the life of the church. The Worship Team, which includes a Stage Team and a Tech Team, leads music at both Sunday services and supports the livestream. The team is open to high school students and adults who want to lead through voice, instrument, or worship technology. A Seasonal Choir welcomes anyone high school age and older for occasional performances, with periodic one-day choir rehearsals that include a potluck lunch. The Bell Choir performs throughout the year and is also open to high school students and adults.
Missions: Twenty-Eight Percent of Every Dollar
Missions is a thread that runs from the days of Pastor Riddell into the present. The church writes, "We begin at our local area and extend, literally to the ends of the earth." Twenty-eight percent of all tithes and offerings go to missions. The model is covenant partnership: Simonton provides both financial support and hands-on involvement, and the partner organizations in turn invest in the church's ministry. Local and regional partners include Family Hope in Fulshear-Simonton, the Heart of Texas Foundation, and Still Creek Ranch. Ministry partners further afield include Rio Grande Bible Ministries in Edinburg, Texas, along with OMF International, Cru, World Venture, and Greater Europe Mission. Trips are organized throughout the year to serve alongside these partners.
What the Church Believes
Simonton Community Church describes itself as a non-denominational church that centers on the Word of God while equipping Christians to impact their world. The statement of faith, last revised in 2017, sets out seventeen doctrinal sections. The Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God and the supreme authority for faith and practice. There is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Humanity, created in God's image, fell in Adam and is unchangeably depraved apart from divine grace. The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice, was physically raised from the dead, and now serves as Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate at the right hand of God.
Salvation is the gift of God, received by grace through personal faith in Christ. All who truly receive Christ are kept by the power of God secure forever. The Holy Spirit convicts, regenerates, baptizes, fills, and bestows spiritual gifts. The Church, which began at Pentecost, is the Body and Bride of Christ. Simonton practices two ordinances: water baptism and the Lord's Supper, observed as acts of obedience rather than means of salvation. The statement affirms the personality of Satan, the blessed hope of Christ's return, the resurrection of the dead, and life everlasting. On marriage, the statement is explicit: marriage is the covenant union of one biological man and one biological woman, and the church's pastors, staff, and facilities will participate only in such weddings. The sanctity of human life is affirmed from conception through natural death. Final interpretive authority on the Bible's meaning and application rests with the Senior Pastor.
Leadership and Governance
The Senior Pastor is Steve Littlefield, who joined the staff in 1996 as Youth Minister and became Senior Pastor in 2002. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Austin College and a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Kenny Johnson, who joined the staff in June 2013, serves in a youth-related role and holds degrees from East Texas Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Chris Chaddrick joined the staff in April 2009 as youth minister and in 2012 transitioned to Serve Pastor, overseeing missions, community outreach, ministry to widows, and facilities operations. Jeremy Wilson joined in April 2023, coming from roles as Youth and Worship Pastor, College and Young Adults Pastor, and elementary school music teacher. Drew Brenek joined in July 2026, coming from a Discipleship Residency in Houston and pursuing a Master of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary while serving in youth ministry. Melissa Little leads the Children's Ministry after twenty-four years in public and private school education.
Day-to-day governance rests with a Board of Trustees of seven members elected for three-year terms by the congregation. The Board of Trustees appoints the Senior Pastor, with subsequent confirmation by the congregation at a specially called meeting, and is the ruling body of the church and the interpreter of its Constitution and By-Laws. The Board also oversees a Cemetery Committee responsible for the church and community cemetery on the property, with plots sold and managed under the Committee's care.
The church office is located at 9703 FM 1489, Simonton, Texas 77476 (mailing address P.O. Box 121), with office hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and a phone line at 281-346-1221. Simonton Community Church stands about nine miles south of Brookshire and four miles west of Fulshear, rooted in the conviction that its life and ministry come from what God has done in and through His people.