By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News
The leadership of Austin Baptist Church is in the beginning stages of a church expansion project to accommodate the explosion in growth the church has seen since relocating to Four Points two years ago.
Austin Baptist Church moved into their new Four Points facility in August 2012, relocating from their prior location in central Austin. Executive Pastor David Procter said he has been blown away by the response the church has seen from the community. He said the church has doubled in size since moving to Four Points and estimated the church’s membership is around 1,300.
Procter said the church is in the beginning stages of the expansion project, having just put together the committees that will oversee the project. The committees will oversee fundraising, architectural design and interior design, and will work on estimates for the projected building size and costs.
A preliminary rendering of the Austin Baptist Church expansion project from architect Jackson Galloway Associates.
“Part of the timing is driven by how much we raise,” Procter said. “But our hope would be this fall to communicate the message to the church.”
He said they could potentially break ground sometime in the spring.
“We have been immersed by a tidal wave of people,” Procter said. “We’ve had scores of young families join our church. We’ve had the time of our lives. I’ve been in ministry my entire life and I’ve never had a better time than these last two years.”
He said the church would like to add an additional building that would double the amount of classroom space for both the adult and children’s classes. Depending on how much money is raised, they would also like to add a classroom that would accommodate their largest class and hold up to 400 people. That building would be used as a foyer for a future worship center.
The church’s extensive children’s ministry has been a big draw for young families, Procter said. He said children’s minister Janna Boyd has done a wonderful job of organizing children’s programs such as “Tiny Tots and Tunes,” Vacation Bible School and a summer “JAM (Jesus and Music) Camp” for preschool and elementary-aged children. The church recently took 40 kids to a summer camp at Camp Tejas near Giddings.
The church’s minister to students Matt Gillum has also been working on expanding the church’s high school and college ministries. The church recently took a group of high school kids to a youth camp in Alabama and the college group now has about 40 college-aged students.
Procter said the church has been able to partner with the community by hosting community events such as band concerts for Vandegrift High School and Four Points Middle School.
“We’ve had a good relationship with the community,” he said. “We’re glad to do it. It’s a way to demonstrate we want to be partners.”
Austin Baptist Church is located at 7016 Ribelin Ranch Drive in Austin. For more information about the church, visitwww.austinbaptistchurch.com or call (512) 491-9600.
A preliminary rendering of the Austin Baptist Church expansion project from architect Jackson Galloway Associates.