December 9, 2002
Rural Texas church baptizes
44 people in a six-week period this fall
___By George Henson
___Staff Writer
___KEMP--"If you build it, they will come" is not just a line from a movie; it's become reality at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Kemp.
___The truth of the matter, however, is that many already were coming to the rural church; the church just didn't have room for everyone. Last year, the church baptized 61 people--a healthy number for a church serving a community of 1,500 people.
___However, the church recently baptized 44 people in a six-week period beginning the first Sunday in October, and more are waiting to be baptized. One week, Pastor Jim Addison baptized 20 on Sunday morning and 10 more the following Wednesday night. Of the 30 people baptized during those two services, more than a dozen were adults.
___"It's a real Jesus thing," Addison said. "We've been blessed of the Lord to see a lot of people come to know the Lord."
___The church has not undertaken any special emphases or programs to drive the growth of the last two years, he said. "We've just continued to do the same things we've always done--love people and serve them in any way God leads us."
"We've just continued to do the same things we've always done--love people and serve them in any way God leads us."
___ --Pastor Jim Addison
___That includes a Tuesday morning prayer meeting for the schools and community and taking water and other small gifts to the teachers and school administrators.
___The church had been steadily growing, Addison said, but saw immediate growth in October when a new 14,000-square-foot addition opened. That project expanded the sanctuary and added educational space. Construction was done primarily with volunteer labor of church members.
___"Every time something came up we thought we needed, somebody joined the church with that ability," Addison said.
___For example, during the construction, two master electricians joined the congregation. As the time approached to put in plumbing, a plumber joined. The same thing happened with the air conditioning, as an air conditioning salesman and an air conditioning contractor joined at just the right time.
___Construction began in July, and the addition was ready to use for high-attendance day in October. Prior to that Sunday, the church had been consistently running an average attendance of 250 people in Sunday morning worship. High attendance day and the opening of the building brought 350 to church, and that number held throughout November.
___"It's been an exciting thing for the congregation, but it's been hard on them too--to build the building so quickly. But they are thrilled to see God bless," Addison said.
___Team Impact, a ministry group employing feats of strength to illustrate the power of God, was in the church for a series of meetings the first part of November, with close to 500 in attendance each evening. About 200 people made decisions for Christ during those meetings, but not all those were Hillcrest members or prospects, and many were referred to other churches for follow-up.
___Addison, who has been pastor of the church for two years, served as volunteer music director six years before that. If there has been any special ingredient in the recipe for growth, it has simply been to let God work, he said.
___"I spend a lot of time in prayer and try not to do topical sermons at all, but draw straight from Scripture and let it speak for itself," he said. "We're just trying to follow God's leadership and firmly believe that he wants to work."
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