Who We Are
We strive corporately to instill and display three characteristics: Grow, Serve, & Go.
- GROW: Spiritual growth is the natural development of a Christian over a lifetime. As those who live in submission to Jesus we are being made into his likeness. This process has both an internal and external application. Internally God is changing our desires and conforming our hearts to be a reflection of his heart. Externally God uses our spiritual growth in the lives of those we encounter. At Ridgecrest we want to be a gathering of people who are both growing in our own faith and working to help those around us grow in their faith. God, through our study of the Bible, is making us to be his disciples. As we learn more about following him, he uses what we have learned to grow those around us and we turn from being to discipled to discipling others.
- SERVE: Our reading of Scripture shows us repeatedly God has saved us to serve. In a culture which readily delights in being served, the Christian message of service is truly counter-cultural. In salvation God gives to the Christian certain spiritual gifts to be used for God’s glory, and the benefit of those around us. Each of us have not only those spiritual gifts given to us by God, but also we have certain inborn and learned talents. God uses the people of his church to accomplish his mission and this is through our service. Service costs us something and requires us to sacrifice. It is God’s desire for each of us to use our time, talents, finances, and energy to be about the business of serving.
- GO: The Gospel is written with an outward focus. God has saved you and made you a herald, a person who declares, the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been forgiven our transgressions of God’s perfection through the sacrifice of Jesus. Our humble reception of God’s gracious extension affords us the privilege of telling those we encounter of God’s scandalous love for us and them. We want to be a church filled with people who live out the Gospel mandate in displaying God’s love. We also want to be a church found faithful in the constant extension of the Gospel through our continual and gracious proclamation of the same.
History:
- Ridgecrest Baptist Church began to worship together in March of 1965. We experienced tremendous spiritual growth throughout those first years and planted Iglesia Bautista Hispana Ridgecrest in August 1981. In the summer of 2017 we kickstarted a large local mission opportunity, For the City, which strives to work together with fellow brothers and sisters in the faith to transform our community and the people living within it. We have worshiped, sent and supported missionaries, and served our community together for over five decades now!
- Ridgecrest has been served by six pastors: William Pratt (1965-67), James McGinlay (1968-1975), Dr. Bob Hamilton (1976-1990), Dr. David Stubblefield (1991-2001), Dr. Sam Douglass (2002-2005), Kevin Herbert (2006-2010), and Dr. Matthew Beasley (2012-2022).
- Ridgecrest is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.