In John 4:35 Jesus told his disciples, “Open your eyes and look at the fields!
They are ripe for harvest.” (NIV)

In 1871 a small group of Christian farmers and ranchers looked at the new
community of Azle growing up around them and saw a field of people who
were ripe for harvest into God’s Kingdom. They invested themselves and their
resources to start Ash Creek Baptist Church. In 1891 they sowed seeds of
investment again in order to build a permanent building because they knew
their investment would reap people for the Kingdom for years to come. They
probably never dreamed God would use their investment to reap a harvest 120
years later, but we still use that first building today. Although the town has
changed since those early days, the need to harvest people for God’s Kingdom
has not changed. Every generation of Ash Creek members has invested and
reinvested in the work of this church through the years. People have given
of themselves and their resources because there is always another harvest to
reap. Each time we have invested in building facilities new people have been
harvested for the Kingdom of God.

The mission of Ash Creek Baptist Church is “to Glorify God through Service,
Obedience, and Worship.” One of the ways we have fulfilled this mission is by
our common commitment to do whatever it takes to reach people for the Lord.
We have established many new ministries in recent years. We have become
involved in direct missions in Peru and South Texas, started a Hispanic church,
participated in the Azle Good Neighbors program, built and paid for a new
education building, provided a full time staff, expanded our Sunday School,
started a contemporary worship service, and greatly expanded our youth
program. These are just some of the ways we have stayed true to our common
commitment to do whatever is necessary for the growth of God’s Kingdom. It
is a commitment we share with those farmers and ranchers that came together
back in 1871.

Now, God is calling us to reap the next harvest. When we look at the field God
has given us we can see thousands of people who are ripe for the next harvest.
One of the most fertile fields before us is the field of students who are in Azle.
God has blessed us with a dynamic youth ministry that attracts young people,
but our ministry is limited because we lack appropriate facilities for this age
group. With expanded and appropriate building facilities we will have the
opportunity to harvest the next generation of faithful followers of Christ. There
are approximately 2600 students in grades 7-12 in the Azle School District.
Informal estimates based on attendance at other churches in town indicate that
only about 500 students are touched by any church during a month. That means
about 2100 students in Azle have no regular relationship with any church in
Azle, not to mention a relationship with Jesus. The field is indeed ripe for the
next harvest!

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