Our Ministries:

Our ministries facilitate the fulfillment of our mission, our vision and our unique opportunities as we experience together the fullness of life in Christ.

Worship

This ministry primarily focuses on the execution of the Sunday assemblies and adult Bible classes. It ensures that preachers, teachers, and servers are assigned and available for each assembly. It also periodically examines whether changes to the assemblies will benefit the congregation’s learning and participation. The overall goal is to ensure the spiritual growth and edification of the congregation while holding fast to biblical principles in our assemblies in which we strengthen, comfort and encourage each other.
Currently under the oversight John Cottle

Teen Ministry

The Teen Ministry is so much more than just a group of teens. Our teen group is all about serving the Church, the Community, and most importantly God. Both the young men and women are an integral part of our services and help lead various aspects within Sunday worship. Hempstead teens also plan and host periodic events for the congregation. Our goal is to prepare our teens for what the world may throw their way and how they can use scripture to handle those obstacles with their faith in Christ Jesus. We help them build a relationship with God that is their own and not their parents’ or grandparents’. Their participation is core to our congregation in experiencing together the fullness of life in Christ.
Currently under the oversight of Amber Vydrzal

Children’s Ministry

Children’s ministry is where we remember that the children are a part of our current church population, not just the future. We walk alongside parents to help them with resources to better equip them for raising children who know and love the Lord. We work with all other ministries to keep a focus on children who are in our building and community.
Currently under the oversight of Bethany Moore

Hospitality Ministry

We are the first face to greet a visitor. The greeters can be anyone who would like to volunteer to meet the visitor whether with another member or alone. Our responsibilities are:
  • Be present in the foyer to meet a visitor until after the announcements.
  • Hand a small gift bag with several packaged goodies, a visitor card, and a church contact information card to the visitor.
  • The following week, mail a “glad you came card” to the visitor and pass the visitor information to the minister or shepherds for follow up.
    • Currently under the oversight of Mary Alice Cure.

    Life Groups Ministry

    Our life groups meet twice a month during the months of September through May to study the Bible, pray with one another, build friendships, and practice hospitality. It is an intentional, face-to-face gathering with the common purpose of growing in Christ, encouraging one another, and building relationships within the body of Christ. These groups provide opportunities for the authentic expression of our faith. No one is called to stand-alone, rather we walk with Christ and share the journey. Our life groups support us individually and collectively as we experience life in a way that has been transformed through a living and growing faith in Christ.
    Currently under the oversight of Kris Moore.

    Men’s Ministry

    The Men’s Ministry works to assist a multitude of other ministries within the body. We meet every first Saturday of the month for breakfast. During this time of fellowship, we typically discuss a topic presented by one of our members. The Men’s Ministry also works to assist anyone in the congregation that might need assistance at their residence. The adult men strive in helping to shape the young men of our congregation into spiritually mature Christians. We are looking forward to hosting our first Men’s Conference this summer (more information to come).
    Currently under the oversight of Doug Vydrzal

    24 Hours of Prayer

    A monthly initiative in which members sign up for one or more 30-minute time slots to pray starting at 7PM the fourth Friday of the month and ending at 7pm on Saturday. Prayer requests are collected on the third Sunday of the month and distributed to everyone who has signed up to pray. This initiative recognizes the power of collective prayer to a heavenly Father who loves us and hears our prayers of praise and petition. It has turned out to be a powerful process for building and sustaining a heart of caring in the congregation, as we experience together the fullness of life in Christ.
    Currently under the oversight of Thadd Kelsey

    Facilities

    This ministry’s focus in on maintaining the congregation’s assembly and parsonage facilities to a standard that honors those who sacrificially provided the resources that made the facilities available. This includes maintaining proper functioning of HVAC, lighting and plumbing systems. It also includes keeping the facilities clean, inside and outside. The maintenance of the landscaping is included in the services provided by this ministry. It is our intent to always have a physical meeting place that supports the presentation of the fullness of life in Christ to members and visitors alike.
    Currently under the oversight of Larry Townsend

    Missions/Outreach

    Our focus is on sharing the good news with people who do not yet know Jesus so that they can also experience the fullness of life in Christ. We have both an international focus and a local focus. Our current international focus includes partnering with EEM (Eastern European Missions), World Bible School, India Missions and LST Connect. Our local focus includes FriendSpeak, individual Bible studies in both English and Spanish, a ministry to inmates (see Jail Ministry below) as well as periodic outreach initiatives such as Trunk or Treat, appreciation baskets to local first responders and participation in local parades. Our focus, as our core mission, is making disciples of Jesus Christ. We encourage generosity in giving our time, energy and financial resources in support of both international and local missions.
    Currently under the oversight of John Cottle.

    Jail Ministry

    Encourages the spiritual development of inmates in the Waller County Jail and with certain inmates in various State prisons. Contact with inmates is through mail and personal visits. Bibles are provided for inmates that request them. The ministry also involves some limited follow-up with folks after they are released from incarceration, to help them adjust to their new environment. It also involves interaction with friends and family members of inmates, particularly at hearings. The goal is to help incarcerated folks see their time of being incarcerated as a time for rehabilitation and for continually focusing their lives on living to honor God and blessing the lives of others, in preparation for the time they are released from incarceration – paving the way for them to experience the fullness of life in Christ.
    Currently under the oversight of Ed Hance

    Benevolence Ministry

    As we experience together the fullness of life in Christ, we seek to help others when they face financial challenges that they lack the resources to meet. The primary focus is on members of our congregation; but if we have the resources available, we also help folks in our community who are not members. In some cases, the financial help is accompanied with discussions and reviews of spending habits and the establishment of responsible stewardship training.
    Currently under the oversight of James Garfield and Doug Vydrzal

    Blessing Box Project

    This unique ministry provides specially designed pillows and shirts with internal pockets for ladies who have had surgery for breast cancer. The congregation has monthly “sew-ins”, typically on a Saturday morning, to prepare the shirts and pillows and box them up for delivery. This program is under the general direction of Dawn Compton of Bellville, Texas. The Hempstead Church of Christ provides its fellowship hall as a site for workers to meet to provide sewing, ironing, stuffing and packing services that typically provides over 100 blessing boxes ready for mailing. Participants, in addition to members of the Hempstead Church of Christ, in these “sew-ins” come from other congregations and other nearby communities. This ministry provides a service in which we experience together the fullness of life in Christ through this very special opportunity to bless the lives of others as we honor our Lord, living a life of love.
    Currently under the oversight of Judy Cates

    Digital Presence/Technology

    The digital ministry of the church is not just a necessity of modern times. We see the digital world as a huge tool for the spread of the gospel. Through the internet we can experience the fullness of life in Christ together with people we may never meet, just like Paul using his letters to reach us two thousand years removed from him. We maintain the church website, not only as a front door to the church for visitors, but as a tool for us to practice spiritual disciplines together. We maintain an active presence on Facebook, with plans to branch onto more platforms soon. We stream our worship online and keep all the technology in the building running smoothly.
    Currently under the oversight of Jason Clements and Brian Davis.

    Finance Ministry

    Oversees cash flow of congregation and communicates status through periodic reports containing details of expenses and a summary of contributions. Other duties include preparing annual contribution reports for individual members, preparing annual budget for submittal for approval, and ensuring accounting processes for maintaining the integrity of the congregation’s financial resources. This focus on monetary aspects of our fellowship is under the overall commitment to our collective experience of the fullness of life in Christ.
    Currently under the oversight of Ed Hance.