A Three-Lane Mission in Northeast Louisville
Springdale Community Church sits on Springdale Road in northeast Louisville, and the congregation there talks about its life in three lanes: worship, community, and mission. The church's stated mission is to glorify God by making disciples through gospel-centered worship, community, and mission. Its vision reaches further: that every member would live all of life as worship, all of life in community, and all of life on mission.
That three-part shape comes from the way Springdale defines a disciple. A disciple is a follower of Jesus being conformed to the image of Christ in three transformational ways: a transformed heart, a transformed mind, and a transformed life. Disciple-making is the Christ-commanded, Spirit-empowered, and multiplicative duty of every believer to lead others to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord. Springdale's vision and prayer is that all members - those with the church today and all God will bring tomorrow - would be transformed by the power of the gospel to live fully surrendered to Jesus, living all of life as worship, in community, and on mission, and that they would help another do the same.
The same three rhythms show up across the church, from the pulpit to the children's wing to the Cafe on a Sunday morning. Worship centers on the gospel. Community is lived out in covenant membership with one another. Mission goes from the neighborhood to the ends of the earth.
From a Ramada Inn to Springdale Road
The church began on November 17, 1987, when Springdale Baptist Church held its first service under the leadership of Pastor David Butler. The new congregation was a mission of 9th and O Baptist Church and met at a Ramada Inn on Brownsboro Road. On June 26, 1988, Springdale held its constitutional service at Broadway Baptist Church.
In 1993, on Easter Sunday, April 11, the church held its first service on its new Springdale Road property. In 2004, Springdale Baptist Church changed its name to Springdale Community Church and adopted a plural-elder-led governance structure. The current building went up in the fall of 2005. After Pastor David moved on to a new ministry calling in Boston in 2009, the church experienced a decade of highs and lows. On April 10, 2022, Springdale called Daniel Slott to be its fourth Senior Pastor. On February 5, 2023, the congregation voted to accept its current mission statement.
Four senior pastors, several locations, and a continuing inaugural mission: to glorify God, share Christ, and be a home where all feel welcome.
A Sunday Morning at Springdale
Sunday begins early at Springdale. LifeGroups meet at 8:45 AM, and the LifeGroup hour is the front door of small-group life at the church. Everyone gathers first in the Cafe for a quick prayer before dispersing to their groups. Children's programming for infants, preschoolers, and elementary-age kids runs at the same time, so parents can attend a group while their children are cared for. Members of the Connect Team help visitors find a group that fits.
At 10:00 AM, the worship service begins, and the church keeps the service to about an hour. Members sing a few songs, pray together, and hear a message from one of the pastors. A typical message walks through a passage of the Bible verse by verse, explains the cultural context to bring the passage to life, and ends with practical application for everyday life. After the service, the Connection Center in the lobby is staffed by members of the Connect Team who are ready to talk, answer questions, and help with next steps.
When guests arrive on campus, they follow the signs to guest parking. The main entrance is under the portico on the west side of the building. The greeting team meets people there and walks them through kid check-in, coffee, and finding a seat. Just arrive, and the team takes it from there.
SpringdaleStudents, the middle and high school ministry, also meets on Sunday evenings for a time of worship and Bible study. Beyond the regular meetings, the student ministry plans retreats, summer camps, fall conferences, and mission projects around the city.
SpringdaleTots, SpringdaleKids, and the Adventure River Theatre
Family Ministry at Springdale is built around three age divisions, each with the same threefold mission of helping kids love God, love the church, and love their friends.
SpringdaleTots serves infants through Pre-K with programming during both the 8:45 AM LifeGroup hour and the 10 AM worship hour. The Tots area includes a nursery where moms can watch the sermon live, plus several age-specific rooms designed for the youngest children.
SpringdaleKids ministers to families with children from kindergarten through fifth grade. During the worship hour, kids learn and sing worship songs, hear live Bible teaching, and participate in table discussions in the Adventure River Theatre - a room decorated with a fun, Louisvillian, and adventurous theme. Co-Directors Andrew Powell and Sara Powell oversee the program.
SpringdaleStudents serves middle and high schoolers under the direction of Derek Culp, who also serves on the Worship Arts Team. Students meet twice a week: during the 8:45 AM LifeGroup hour for live teaching and dynamic discussions, and on Sunday evenings for worship and Bible study.
A check-in system prints name tags worn on the back of each child's shirt, plus a matching pickup slip for the parent. The slip's unique code matches the child's name tag, and that is how the Family Ministry Team keeps kids secure. If a child needs a parent during the service, the team texts or calls. Parents are welcome to pick kids up at any time.
LifeGroups: Small Groups on Sunday Morning
Springdale calls its small groups LifeGroups, and they are the engine of community at the church. Every Sunday at 8:45 AM, members gather in the Cafe for a quick prayer, then disperse to their groups. Each LifeGroup studies the Bible, prays for one another, encourages members in their walk with Christ, builds community, and equips everyone to be on mission. The groups take on the personalities of their members, but the shape is consistent: open Bibles, honest conversation, and mutual care. Visitors are matched with a group that fits them by the Connect Team.
The Four Steps to Membership
At Springdale, membership matters. The membership covenant is called "Life Together at Springdale" and captures the commitments members make to one another as they seek to glorify God and live out the gospel together. New members move through a four-step process designed to help them join the life and ministry of the church.
The first step is First Connection, an informal lunch held right after the worship service. Prospective members hear Springdale's vision, mission, and philosophy of ministry, meet elders and members, and ask anything in an open forum.
The second step is Meet Springdale, the first of two membership classes. It takes place at 8:45 AM on Sunday morning in the Community Center. Child ministry programming is provided for all ages. The class walks through the past, present, and future of Springdale and introduces the church's core beliefs.
The third step is Pastor Talk, a scheduled coffee with a pastor or elder. Both sides share salvation and baptism stories, and prospective members explore ways to serve. It is a good time to ask questions and share what one is looking for in a church.
The fourth step is Life Together, the second membership class, again at 8:45 AM in the Community Center. The class walks through the membership covenant, hears from the Connect Director about ministry needs, and helps members find a team where their gifts fit.
The Connect Director, Kristin Darrow, walks alongside prospective members through the entire process.
Believer's Baptism by Immersion
Springdale practices believer's baptism by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The church teaches that baptism is the first step of obedience a new believer takes after surrendering to Jesus - a picture of dying to the old life and being raised to new life in Christ. Salvation is by grace through faith; baptism is not a means of salvation but a public testimony to the world and to the church.
When a person is ready, three questions are asked: Do you know you are a sinner but God has forgiven you in His great love? Do you believe Jesus is God Himself, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for your sin, and rose from the grave on the third day? Do you confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord and commit to live your life for Him? After the profession of faith, the pastor immerses the new believer, saying, "Based on your profession of faith, I am excited to baptize you as my brother/sister in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in new life!" The whole church celebrates the moment.
For the baptism day, the church provides a free t-shirt. People wear their normal clothes to church and bring a t-shirt, a pair of shorts, and a towel. Private changing rooms are available backstage.
Springdale also teaches that infant baptism is a meaningful tradition for many families but is not the same as believer's baptism, which is a public declaration only the new believer can make. Many members were baptized as infants and later took the step of obedience to be baptized again as a public profession of their own faith.
SpringdaleMen and SpringdaleLadies
Springdale's men's and women's ministries run as parallel ministries with parallel rhythms. SpringdaleMen gathers men around Bible study, fellowship, and accountability, with regular book studies and a quarterly man breakfast. SpringdaleLadies, led by Taryn Slott, gathers women for Bible study, events, and connection. Recent studies have included an eight-week walk through the book of Habakkuk on Wednesday evenings, while the men's ministry works through chapters of The Christ-Centered Life on Thursday evenings.
Both ministries seek to challenge and equip members to live all of life as worship, in community, and on mission by providing carefully planned events on a routine basis.
An Elder-Led, Deacon-Served, Staff-Empowered Church
Springdale describes its governance with four phrases: elder-led, deacon-served, staff-empowered, and member-committed. Pastors and elders are interchangeable terms referring to the same office. The Elder Team, made up of staff pastors and lay elders, oversees ministries, shepherds spiritual health, and provides pastoral leadership. The current Lead Pastor is Daniel Slott, joined by lay elders Derek Culp, Joe Mannarelli, and Bob Melton. Daniel Slott grew up and came to faith in Oklahoma City, graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in International Business, and earned his M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Seminary in Louisville. After fourteen years as a missionary in East Asia, he joined Springdale as Lead Pastor in 2022.
Deacons serve as lead servants of the church and are organized into five ministry teams.
The Facilities Team manages the property, coordinates repairs, and administers service contracts.
The Prayer Team leads the congregation to pray, hosts prayer meetings, and develops the monthly prayer strategy.
The Care Team coordinates help, schedules visitations, and directs the benevolence ministry.
The Missions Team cares for missionaries, organizes mission projects and trips, and leads local, national, and global mission strategies.
The Finance Team monitors finances, helps develop the annual budget, and ensures financial policies and procedures are followed.
Staff and Ministry Directors
Beyond the Lead Pastor and lay elders, the staff includes Directors who lead key ministry areas. Derek Culp serves as SpringdaleStudents Director. Kristin Darrow serves as Connect Director, walking visitors and prospective members through next steps. Jeremy White serves as Membership Director. Leslie Poff serves as Media Strategies Director. Aaron Kinman serves as Production Director, managing sound, lights, video, and ProPresenter. Taryn Slott serves as SpringdaleLadies Director. Andrew Powell and Sara Powell serve as SpringdaleKids Co-Directors.
Beliefs: The Baptist Faith and Message 2000
Springdale subscribes to The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as a broader statement of faith and details its core beliefs in a Statement of Faith. The Bible, composed of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God and without error in the original writing. The Bible is the full and final authority on all matters of faith and practice; there are no other writings similarly inspired of God.
God is the creator and ruler of the universe, eternally existing in three coequal persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - one God, full of love and glory. God the Father reigns with providential care over His universe and the flow of human history. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully human and fully divine, who lived a sinless life, offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin by dying on a cross, was raised on the third day, ascended to heaven's glory, and will physically return to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit is coequal with the Father and the Son and permanently indwells every Christ-follower at the moment of salvation, becoming the source of assurance, strength, and wisdom, and uniquely endowing each believer with gifts for building up the body of Christ.
Salvation is a gift from God, available to all who accept Him. Mankind can never atone for sin by self-improvement or good works; the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, provides the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin. Salvation occurs when people repent of sin and place faith in Christ alone, whose death and resurrection is the only sufficient payment. Because God gives eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity, secured by the grace and power of God.
The church is the body of Christ, a community of baptized Christ-followers. Baptism and Communion are God's ordinances to be observed by believers but are not to be regarded as a means of salvation. With regard to the family, Springdale teaches that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. Christ-followers will be received into eternal communion with God.
The church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible. Members are asked to refrain from advocating doctrines outside the Statement of Faith in ways that would cause dissension.
"Why Am I Here? Why Is the World Broken? Why Do I Need God?"
Springdale teaches that every person is unique yet asks the same three questions: Why am I here? Why is the world broken? Why do I need God? The questions come because every person was created in the image of God. God knows each person, loves each person, and wants to do something incredible in each life.
But there is a problem. Every person tends to want to do things his or her own way, and the Bible calls that sin. Sin separates people from God. As a result, brokenness is everywhere - in family, friendships, and within: guilt, shame, fear, regret, emptiness, loneliness. The change people need does not come from within; it comes from outside of themselves, from God.
The good news is that God wants to heal the broken places. The gospel is the good news that God made a way to fix the sin problem and restore people into relationship with Himself through Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God and God Himself, lived a perfect life and died on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. God took the sins of the world and put them on Jesus. Christ paid the debt in full. He died the death deserved so that people can live the life He wants them to live. Jesus died, but God raised Him from the dead on the third day, proving His victory and His promises.
To repent means to change one's mind, which leads to a change of heart and a change of action. To repent is to turn from sin toward God and confess the need for forgiveness through Christ. Faith is accepting the truth about Jesus Christ, submitting to Him as Savior and Lord, and trusting Him alone for salvation. When a person repents and places faith in Jesus, Jesus comes into that life, God forgives sin, and the Holy Spirit begins to heal the broken places.
Serving, the Cafe, and the Mission Beyond Louisville
At Springdale, every member is encouraged to serve on one of the church's ministry teams.
- The Greeting Team opens doors, welcomes guests, and helps newcomers find their way.
- The Cafe Team arrives early to prepare coffee and pastries, welcomes guests and members, and answers questions about upcoming events.
- The Connect Team manages the Connection Center, introduces guests to pastors and staff, and welcomes those who submit Plan My Visit requests.
- The Usher Team greets everyone entering the worship center, helps guests find seats, and assists anyone in need.
- The Worship Arts Team leads the congregation to know, exalt, and follow God through music, Scripture reading, and prayer in corporate gatherings.
- The Production Team runs sound, lights, video, and ProPresenter.
- The Family Ministry Team cultivates an environment that helps kids and parents grow in their love for God, the church, and His mission, with needs for teachers, table facilitators, event volunteers, check-in specialists, musicians, and tech support.
The church gives to the mission locally, regionally, and globally. Springdale partners with missionaries and ministry partners as a stewardship and a responsibility, seeking to make disciples in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
The sermon archive stretches back through studies in 1 and 2 Samuel, Romans, John, Acts, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the Psalms, and more. Sermons are posted on the church's Vimeo channel. Five ways to give include placing a gift in the offering plate or Connect Box during worship, mailing a gift to the church, giving online, giving through the Church Center App, or texting an amount with a dollar sign to 84321.