Antioch Church

Besides reading and planning and praying during my sabbatical, I also visited a few other churches with healthy college ministries.

The first church I went to was Antioch Community Church in Waco. It is a relatively new church plant, only about nine years old. It sprang from a large Baptist church in Waco, and now averages around 2500-3000 attenders in weekend services. Most people are familiar with Antioch through the story of Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry, two missionaries in Afghanistan who were arrested in 2001 for preaching the Gospel.

I met with the college pastor and his staff over the course of two days, and also had the opportunity to attend a church staff meeting. My main purpose in these meetings was to hear how another church-based college ministry operated and see if I could gain some fresh perspectives and ideas.

I was immediately impressed with the energy and enthusiasm of this church for the Great Commission. From the senior pastor on down the line, every staff member was excited to participate in overseas missions and to mobilize others to do so as well. A great deal of time in the college staff meeting and the church staff meeting was devoted to highlighting missionaries and discussing missions strategy. It was very clear that overseas missions is an integral part of the church's mission, not just in theory but in practice.

In addition, I was convicted and encouraged by the direct on-campus involvement of the college pastor and his staff. They are constantly on campus, interacting with students and spending time sharing the Gospel. It was a challenge to me to find new ways to get our staff and interns on campus more often than we have been in the past. I am optimistic that through this "ministry of presence," our church can have a greater impact on the campus of Texas A&M in the future.

Overall, it was a great church visit and a valuable time for me. Stay tuned for updates on the other two churches I visited!