A Baptist church on Penicks Mill Road in Thaxton
Thaxton Baptist Church sits along Penicks Mill Road in the small Bedford County community of Thaxton, Virginia, where it serves as both a place of worship and a hub of community life. The congregation describes itself with a single line that frames everything else: For the Praise of His Glory. Members believe they were created to live as image bearers of God's character, and that the good news of His kingdom, fulfilled through Jesus Christ, is meant to be lived out as well as preached.
On Sundays, the church opens its doors for worship, children's classes, and a full slate of adult Sunday school classes at 9:30 AM. Midweek, the same rooms fill again for Wednesday night studies, and through the week the men's, women's, and senior adult ministries hold their own gatherings. The church also manages the rental of the neighboring Thaxton Community Center, making the campus a gathering point for the wider area.
The gospel at the center of everything
The church's teaching begins with a careful statement of the gospel. God's kingdom has come to earth through His Son, Jesus, who lived a righteous life, died in the place of sinners, and rose again as the risen King. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has conquered evil and death, and those who believe are forgiven and welcomed to live under His rule. The church teaches that Jesus will return to judge all people, and that those who have received Him will reign with Him forever.
From that foundation flows the church's self-understanding: a local church is not just a gathering of believers but the active body of Christ, called to live out the commandments of His kingdom in every sphere of life. Members preach the gospel in everything they do - counseling with it, celebrating it through song, remembering it through communion and fellowship, and learning to live it out in daily relationships. The phrase For the Praise of His Glory is treated as both a motto and a mission statement, a reminder that every activity of the church is meant to display the beauty of God's goodness and love.
Worship that spans the generations
Music at Thaxton Baptist is intentionally broad. The music ministry describes a Sunday morning where classic hymns sit alongside familiar choruses from recent decades and contemporary worship favorites. A visitor can expect to hear all three in a given service. The goal, the church says, is for the music to reflect the multiple generations that worship together, to complement the preaching of the Word, and to bring glory to Christ no matter what is being sung.
A music page shares the songs the congregation will be singing in the weeks ahead, so visitors and longtime members can familiarize themselves with the music and the truths being confessed together. The blended style is one of the clearest things a first-time guest will notice: the room is meant to feel comfortable for someone who grew up on hymnals and for someone who grew up on worship bands.
Adult Sunday school at 9:30
Every Sunday morning at 9:30, adults gather for a variety of Sunday school classes designed for different interests and stages of life. Pastor Ethan Strickler and Micah Pick co-teach a class on the Fruits of the Spirit and what they look like in the modern world. Jimmy Robertson leads a study of Revelation by Dr. David Jeremiah. Randy Krantz and Alan Hullette co-teach a co-ed class on spiritual warfare that works through the Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis alongside Scripture. Chuck Wheeler and Cliff Overstreet lead a study on how believers can be prepared for everything in life through their defense, faith, and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Classes meet every Sunday morning before the worship service, giving adults a regular rhythm of study and discussion in addition to the sermon they will hear later in the morning.
Wednesday nights around the Word
On Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM, adults return for midweek studies. Alan Hullette leads a group that focuses on making and shaping disciples, working through the practical outworking of the gospel in everyday life. The Wednesday night gatherings are intentionally conversational and application-focused, giving adults a second touchpoint in the week to dig into Scripture with one another.
Together, the Sunday morning and Wednesday evening studies form the backbone of the church's adult discipleship ministry, with multiple entry points depending on the kind of study a visitor is looking for.
Children's ministry from nursery through fifth grade
Thaxton Baptist takes seriously the call to teach the next generation. A staffed nursery is available for children from 1 to 18 months and from 18 months to 4 years for all regularly scheduled services, so parents of infants and toddlers can worship without distraction. On Sundays, children ages 3 through 5 (preschool), 6 through 8 (K through second grade), and 9 through 11 (third through fifth grade) gather in age-appropriate classrooms.
The Sunday curriculum is The Gospel Project for Kids by Lifeway, a chronological Bible study that walks children through the whole story of Scripture and shows how every part of the Bible points to Jesus. On Wednesdays, the children gather again, this time to read the Bible and trace God's goodness through history and how it connects with the gospel. Two downloadable resources shape how the ministry operates: a Youth and Children's Ministries Volunteer Packet and a Child Protection Policy , both of which are available on the church's downloads page.
The mission of the children's ministry is rooted in eight commitments that include maintaining a safe and secure environment, supporting parents as the primary teachers of biblical truth in the home, teaching the whole counsel of Scripture with a special emphasis on the gospel, praying for the children, modeling Christian faithfulness before them, teaching them to serve rather than to be served, holding volunteers to the highest ethical standards, and preparing children to walk with God as adults who one day join the public services as fully participating members.
Youth ministry built on the Bible
The youth ministry at Thaxton Baptist exists to glorify God by helping students become established in God's Word and live as exemplary followers of Jesus Christ. Students study the Bible through expositional teaching and inductive Bible study, learn to view the world biblically, make disciples intentionally, and serve the church faithfully in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The youth follow a three-step approach to Bible study: observation (what does the text say?), interpretation (what does the text mean in context?), and application (how does the meaning of the text apply to life?). Small groups, training events, and retreats give students the long-term accountability and encouragement to keep going deeper in their study of Scripture. The youth ministry also runs its own Facebook and Instagram presence, where families and students can stay connected to the schedule and activities.
Men's, women's, and Young at Heart gatherings
Beyond the regular teaching schedule, the church hosts three distinct adult communities. The men of Thaxton Baptist meet the first Sunday of every month at 8:00 AM for breakfast and prayer, a casual start to the month that pairs a shared meal with focused intercession. The women's ministry meets monthly for coffee, muffins, and conversation, a relaxed setting where the women of the church can share life together. Specific monthly dates for the women's group are listed on the church calendar.
For older adults, the Young at Heart ministry hosts a potluck luncheon on the second Thursday of every month at noon. Members bring a covered dish to share and enjoy a midday meal together. It is one of the longest-standing rhythms of the congregation and a place where many of the church's most faithful members stay connected week to week.
Core values that shape the congregation
Several gospel-centered values hold the ministry together. The church declares Jesus as ruler of heaven and earth and makes disciples by baptizing them into the family of God and teaching them to keep the commandments of Jesus Christ. The Christian Bible is the authority for what the church knows about God and how to live. Human beings were created in God's image and likeness to display His glory, and the church exists to show that glory in all it does.
The church holds to a Trinitarian confession: God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons perfectly unified in goodness and love. The Father sent His eternal Son, Jesus, to live a perfect human life, pay the price for human sin through His death on the cross, and rise again as the rightful ruler and judge of all creation. The Father sends the Spirit to unite all who believe that Jesus is the Savior and Ruler of all creation, elevate Christ in the hearts and minds of believers, and align believers with God's will. Unity with God leads to unity with all others who are also aligned with Him.
God's plan, the church teaches, is to fully restore His image and likeness in human beings through Christlike unity with Him, and to create a humanity that is as good and loving as He is. Jesus commands His followers to make disciples by preaching the good news of His kingdom, by teaching believers to obey His commandments, and by equipping believers for His ministry. The church is designed to have multiple spiritual leaders who disciple, teach, and equip believers for the work Jesus has for them, guarding the church against following anything other than Jesus as the Savior and the Christ.
The church office and the Thaxton Community Center
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM and on Friday from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The office can be reached at 540-586-8348 or by email, and handles both church matters and the rental of the Thaxton Community Center, a neighboring facility that the church manages on behalf of the community. Reservations for the Community Center go through the same office line, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
A church calendar is kept on Google Calendar and is linked from the church's upcoming events page, so anyone can check the latest schedule of services, classes, and special events. Weekly bulletins and monthly newsletters are archived online, and giving is available through the church's online giving platform. For the praise of His glory, the church gathers, teaches, and serves - in the small Bedford County community of Thaxton and beyond.