Woodland Heights Baptist Church sits on Central Drive in Bedford, Texas, in the heart of Tarrant County. The church's motto, "Equipping Generations in community and on mission," captures what Pastor Mike Cosgrove and the congregation have set out to do. Members seek to grow in three vital areas of the Christian life: worship, discipleship, and service, and the Sunday gatherings, midweek programs, and community groups are built around that single aim. Visitors are welcomed at the Guest Center doors, where a large welcome flag and a team of greeters help them find their way.
Worship with a Blended Sound
Music at Woodland Heights is intentionally blended. Worship leader Kenady Humphrey leads a Praise Team that includes instrumentalists and soloists, and a choir joins the congregation every Sunday. Humphrey hopes to create an environment where all generations and cultures can worship, drawing on meaningful songs of both the past and the present. The Praise Team rehearses at 8 a.m. each Sunday morning, and the choir meets on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. for a weekly rehearsal. The music ministry has also nurtured a children's choir, a handbell ensemble called The Bell System, and a drama team called LifeStage Players. Behind the scenes, a tech team runs slides, sound, and the livestream each week.
Sundays at 9 and 10
Visitors who arrive at 9 a.m. find a full slate of community groups. The Worship Service begins at 10 a.m. and lasts about 60 minutes, including live music and teaching. Several community groups meet in Sunday School classrooms during the 9 a.m. hour, with a focus on Bible study and fellowship:
- R-Fam Community Group, led by Sally Cosgrove, for young people with or without spouses and children
- Life Enrichment Community Group, a co-ed group of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers
- Fellowship of Friends Community Group, a multigenerational group that enjoys fellowship and Bible study together
- Truth Seekers Community Group, for women age 40 and above, led by Peggy Moss
Children from birth through sixth grade also meet in the WHBC Kids Ministry Building at 9 a.m., and students in grades 7 through 12 gather in the WHBC Student Center, which opens at 8:45 a.m.
Verse by Verse in the Sanctuary
Pastor Mike Cosgrove preaches a message each Sunday that is biblically based, gospel-centered, and mission-focused. He works through Scripture verse by verse and chapter by chapter, a steady expository rhythm that anchors the congregation. Cosgrove began his ministry at Woodland Heights in March 2020. He holds a Doctorate from Beeson Divinity School at Samford University, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University. Before coming to Woodland Heights, he and his wife Sally spent 29 years serving churches in Texas, Missouri, Kansas, Florida, and New Hampshire. His background also includes production management and service as a Field Artillery Officer in the United States Army. Mike and Sally have four children and five grandchildren. Sally leads the R-Fam Community Group.
WHBC Kids
Children's ministry takes up a full wing of the building, and the safety of every child is taken seriously. Every WHBC volunteer must complete and participate in ongoing MinistrySafe training, which includes a background check before serving in any children's area. Cameras run in every classroom, and no child is ever left alone with an adult volunteer. Children from birth through 4 years old are cared for during the 10 a.m. worship service, while children in kindergarten through sixth grade attend worship with their families. On Wednesday nights, the Level 252 program gathers kids in the WHBC Kids Ministry Building from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. The church sees parents as the primary disciplers of their children and partners with them through a small library of parenting resources, including gospel-centered guides on family warmth and father-daughter connection.
WHBC Youth
Students in grades 7 through 12 have their own space at Woodland Heights. The WHBC Student Center opens at 8:45 a.m. on Sundays for a time of fellowship and Bible study that begins at 9 a.m., after which students are encouraged to attend worship with their families. On Wednesday evenings, the youth gather at 5:45 p.m. for student worship, including music led by Kenady and Cody Humphrey, in-depth biblical teaching, food, hangout time, and the occasional game. The Wednesday night program runs throughout the school year.
Men, Women, and Senior Adults
A range of adult ministries runs alongside the Sunday schedule. Women's Ministry includes the IF:Table, a gathering held on the second Monday of each month built around two hours, four questions, and six women, and Stitchin' Sisters, a quilting ministry that meets every other Thursday at 10 a.m. The quilts they make are sent to shelters, missionaries, and graduating seniors and have been used for many other activities. The Men's Ministry meets for breakfast at 8 a.m. on the second Saturday of every other month. Senior adults have their own dedicated ministry, and young adults are part of the broader life of the church.
Embrace Grace
Among the church's outreach ministries, Embrace Grace stands out. It is a 12-week program that provides emotional, practical, and spiritual support for single young women facing an unexpected pregnancy. The goal is to make the church a safe, nonjudgmental place for these women to turn to when they learn they are pregnant. The group teaches about God's love and grace, and at the end of the program the church hosts a baby shower to honor each woman for choosing life and to help provide for her baby's needs.
What We Believe
Woodland Heights affirms a classic Baptist confession of faith. The Bible is God's Word given by divine inspiration, trustworthy, sufficient, and without error, the supreme authority and guide for all doctrine and conduct. God exists eternally in three coequal persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - who act together in creation, providence, and redemption. Jesus Christ, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, is fully God and fully man; He revealed God through His sinless life, miracles, and teaching, and provided salvation through His atoning death and bodily resurrection. He now reigns over all creation, intercedes for believers, and dwells in them as their ever-present Lord.
Salvation is the redemption by Christ of the whole person from sin and death, offered as a free gift to all and received personally through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures, convicts individuals of their sinfulness, draws them to the Savior, indwells and seals all believers, and empowers them for ministry and Christlike growth. The church is the body of which Christ is the head and all who believe in Him are members; Christians are commanded to be baptized upon profession of faith and to unite with a local church. The ordinances of the church are baptism, by immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the Lord's Supper, a continuing memorial of Christ's broken body and shed blood until He returns. The family is affirmed as the basic unit of society, and the church looks forward to the certain hope of Christ's return, the resurrection of the dead, final judgment, and the new heaven and new earth.
4Generations2Come
A capital campaign called 4Generations2Come is underway at the church. The project centers on renovating the auditorium to incorporate side wings into usable space, increasing seating capacity and adding a wider stage, new multimedia, a green room, a choir room, a welcome center, and gathering and hospitality areas. The church has built the program around three principles drawn from Paul's instruction to the early church: steadfastly in prayer, being watchful, and with thanksgiving. Members are encouraged to pray for unity, right attitudes, and God's provision, and to give above their regular tithe toward the work.
Praying Together and Giving
A church prayer team meets every Wednesday to lift up needs of the congregation and community, and a prayer list is sent out to members each week. The church's giving program is built around four movements of generosity, from "Nothing to Something" up through tithing and into sacrificial giving. Gifts can be made online, by texting WHBCBEDFORD to 73256, by mail to the church address, in the Sunday offering, or through other arrangements with the accounting office. Services are also livestreamed each Sunday at 10 a.m. on YouTube and Facebook for those who cannot attend in person, and a sermon archive is available to watch anytime.
Plan a Visit
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Visitors driving to 3712 Central Drive will see a large welcome flag leading them to the Guest Center doors, where greeters will help them find their way. The Sunday attire is just as varied as the congregation itself: jeans, dresses, business casual, and Sunday best all show up on any given Sunday morning. The church cares about worshipping God and getting to know each visitor, not about how anyone is dressed.