Stewardship of a legacy

An oasis of help in a desert of need

God’s hand was evident when, after seven moves in seven years, Baptist Temple found its permanent home. It was an idyllic location, former pastureland, in a prosperous suburb on the growing edge of a city on the move. In the right place at the right time for the Baby Boom, the church exploded in growth, with never ending building programs and property acquisitions.

In the life of most churches there comes a peak in growth followed by a slow decline. Attendance drops, donations decrease, and buildings age. As a result, many churches find themselves unable to afford building maintenance and are forced to close. Lifeway Research found that, in 2019, three thousand new churches opened and forty-five hundred closed.

These church closures often occur in areas of need where the people are too poor to support a building that was built by a more affluent congregation. Yet, the need is still there. These buildings, dedicated to God, built by the prayers, the dollars, the blood, sweat, and tears of past generations are being lost to the Kingdom. At the same time, new church starting efforts often focus on growing parts of the city. I understand that is where the people (and the money) are, but this trend increases the growing disparity between the haves and the have nots.

Inner city churches usually provide critical services to under-resourced neighborhoods. Eighty percent or more of the people who are served are not church members. Church closures also mean shutting down food pantries, youth programs, addiction treatment support, and other vital ministries. In the inner city, the property is as much a ministry as the programs it hosts.

BT has beautiful, well-built facilities. We have nearly eight thousand square feet on three acres that are strategically located near an interstate exit that connects with three other highways and has access to public transportation. Once again, God’s hand is evident in the longevity and continuing Kingdom value of this mission station that has repeatedly adapted its ministry to the changing needs of its community, maximizing the resources provided by God through faithful people. It is a significant legacy of the faithfulness of past church members, who had a vision of establishing a lighthouse, shining God’s love on Highland Park.

While we have done a commendable job of sharing our space in a way that divides our expenses and significantly multiplies our ministries, there is not a lot of money available from the small churches and nonprofit organizations with whom we share our facility. Because of this, we have had to subsidize these groups, offering space at below fair market value. We have placed ministry over money, relying on God to fill on the gaps. And He has.

Donations from mission minded individuals beyond our church membership have helped sustain our efforts at demonstrating God’s love in practical ways to our neighbors. Now, perhaps more than ever, Baptist Temple is THE church for our community. The need has never been greater.

Click here to donate now to support our fight against generational poverty.

In praise of the smaller church

Small churches are the future and are needed today than ever. They are essential in a world that has grown too big, too impatient, too complex, and too impersonal. By contrast, the small church tends to be unhurried, intimate, modest, and rooted in the faith of our fathers. In a world of superstores and on-line shopping, the small church is the mom-and-pop shop that offers personal service in a low stress environment.

Churches with fewer than one hundred in worship attendance represent fifty-nine percent of all churches in America and forty-one percent of total attendance. At the other end of the range, churches with one thousand or more in worship attendance represent two percent of all churches in America and twelve percent of total attendance. Nevertheless, they garner the lion’s share of media attention. This may be why some small churches have an inferiority complex.

However, that does not need to be the case. God champions the small. He chose the timid Gideon and a small portion of his army to rout the much larger Midianite forces. The city of Sodom would have been spared destruction if ten righteous people were found. It was the young David who defeated the giant Goliath. God chooses the things that the world considers foolish, weak, and insignificant that all glory may go to Him.

Although small churches lack the glitz and glamour of the megachurch, they do have some advantages. They are the right size for forming and maintaining strong communal ties. One another ministry is a vital function of the church. In the parable of the lost sheep Jesus teaches us to minister to the level of one percent. That means everyone. This is easier to do in a small church.

Worship is more participatory in a small church. Performance skills are not as important and, since the worship leader comes from the congregation, people are more forgiving of the occasional error. It is likely that they will be enthusiastically supportive.

Organizations of one hundred or less are easier to manage than larger ones and require fewer resources. They maximize the use of church members’ skills and often have a significant presence in the community. People from diverse generations work together in all aspects of church life, creating natural opportunities for mentoring.

The key to success for the small church is to embrace who you are and whose you are. In the New Testament letters of Paul, we find great support for the small church. The focus is on faithfulness to God and the church community rather than to growth. Growth for the sake of is self-serving and the strategy of cancer cells.

Faithfulness will attract people seeking Jesus. You will attract the hurting. You will attract people seeking community. You will be able to receive the ones God sends.

Click here to donate now to support our fight against generational poverty.

Baptist Temple’s Early Learning Center receives top rating

Often praised as among the best childcare centers in San Antonio, Baptist Temple Early Learning Center’s (ELC) has raised their level of care. They recently received a Four-Star Texas Rising Star program rating (the highest) from the Texas Workforce Commission. This means that they have been recognized as being above and beyond the strict minimal standards for licensed childcare facilities. “We are aiming for best practices,” said Baptist Temple Executive Pastor Jonathan Clark. “These include additional training for teachers and staff, optimizing the environment for children, and a focus on teacher/child interactions.”
 

Director Corchelle Mabry and her staff performed well as they prepared for the evaluation. “It’s a step in the right direction,” Mabry said. “It's only the beginning. Now we have to maintain it. I know we can do it. I have the right staff. They're willing to get the training that they need, and we'll keep it going.”

Pat Mejia, who has been working at the ELC since 1999, expressed excitement over receiving the highest grade. “We all worked very hard,” she said.

Mabry has only been director for a little over a year, but she brought a clear vision of building on past successes to improve the ELC image as more learning center than daycare. Her thirty-six years of experience in the childhood education field have prepared her well for this task.

“This is a learning center”, said Mejia. “Lessons begin at four months.”

It begins with classroom decoration. “The wall decorations need to reflect the curriculum and change with the lessons,” Mabry said.

The appeal of our facility is immediately noticeable. “It looks and smells clean,” said Cindy Mendez, who has been employed at the ELC since 2008. “It is a pleasant place to work.”

Parent Eric Estrada (not the actor) is particularly pleased by the almost daily pictures he receives of his child while at the ELC. He was initially impressed by the quality of facilities, the longevity of the staff, and the noticeable way the teachers cared about the children.

“Our original plan was to keep the baby at home with a family member. When that didn't work out, we found the ELC. Here, it feels like she's with adults who care about her as much as we do. We should have done this from the start!” said Estrada.

Loving children goes beyond just liking to be with children. “I'd rather have people here that love to do the job because anybody can come in the door and say I love children,” said Mabry. “If you love kids, you're paying attention to them.”

That’s the reason why generations have been served by the Early Learning Center. It is not unusual for someone who received care from us to return with their own children and find their teachers still here.

Faith lessons are also part of our teaching, with age-appropriate lessons that focus on God as Father, creator, and Lord of all. There is a chapel service every Wednesday in each classroom.

The ELC was established in 1970 to meet the growing need for childcare in our community as moms were entering the workforce in increasing numbers. Over the years improvements continued to be made. The building that houses the ELC was gutted and remodeled in 1989, updating the 1930s era classrooms to contemporary standards.

In 2012, the ELC began accepting vouchers from Child Care Services (CCS). These scholarships are available to help working parents who make less than a living wage and those who are searching for work or attending school. This allowed the ELC to increase the level of service to our community. Furthermore, they started accepting infants and offering after-school care, in response to community needs.

The ELC continually expands its scope to fill unmet needs. Grants from the Charity Ball Association, the Baptist Mission Foundation, Baptist Health Foundation, HEB Tournament of Champions, fundraisers, local businesses and individual donors helped them build an accessible playground where children with disabilities and typical abilities can play together. It was the first of its kind in the Southside.

Perhaps the biggest challenge came during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ELC retooled and retrained and remained open to serve the needs of parents who were essential workers. In the aftermath of COVID, many childcare centers failed to reopen, and it became difficult to find childcare workers. Grants from the Small Business Administration, the United Way, and others helped them to stay open and fill the gap that was creating a crisis across the nation.

Mabry says our next growth step is NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) certification. The goal of NAEYC is for the early childhood profession to exemplify excellence and be recognized as performing a vital role in society.