Southside City Church 2013
February 2, 2008, a small group of people met together at the College Ave. Baptist Church building in the “near” Southside district of Fort Worth to cast a vision for starting a church for people living in the surrounding community. A focus was placed on sharing the message of Christ through consistent, compassionate care and community.
Southside City Church, supported by other believers from various churches and ministries launched into ministry to men and women living with HIV/AIDS. We met in a local park from February until November, where we met many neighbors, both young and old. When the weather turned cold we held our first worship gathering in the fellowship hall of College Ave. Baptist Church at 1400 College Ave.
Since that first meeting we have continually held worship gatherings each Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. with a meal following most Sundays. Ministries have grown from our small beginning including a very present support for the HIV/AIDS community, benevolence for those in need of food, clothing, resources, counseling, rent and utility assistance. We’ve been able to work with landlords in the community to provide housing for multiple families and have launched a housing ministry called True Faith Community. We are excited to share the great news of Traffick911 which has grown significantly beyond the local church in an effort to rescue children from prostitution and sex trafficking.
We’ve baptized 35 individuals in 5 years and shared in the ministry of helping them grow in their walk with Jesus. Celebrate Recovery was a vital ministry at SCC for two full years and in 2010/2011 we provided home school education to 15 children at no cost to the families.
Moving forward from here, we anticipate a simple approach to ministry founded upon the principles we find in Acts 2.
I. Devotion to Biblical principle and godly character through the ongoing study of God’s Word.
II. Choosing community over isolation by eating together often and enjoying fellowship
III. Prayer – for one another, families, community and the nations
IV. Expectancy that God will provide all that is needed
V. Sharing all we have and serving the poor
VI. Worshipping together in our homes and with the congregation
VII. Communion with a grateful heart
VIII. Expressing openly to others the Hope we have found in Christ
SCC members are making a commitment to a deeper walk with Christ and one another as we press into the future. This lifestyle is accomplished through small groups of believers joining together in one another’s homes and in local area businesses and schools to accomplish the True Faith Community. We encourage you and your family to come join us.
Likewise SCC members are moving forward together in three significant local ministries.
I. HIV/AIDS: A greater impact on the lives of men and women in our community.
II. True Faith community: Homes people can afford where they live out the ACTS 2 model.
III. Hispanic Church: Evangelism and Discipleship for Spanish speaking families.
Internationally, SCC has an ongoing and powerful partnership with believers in Burkina Faso, West Africa. A new direction has come our way that leads us to focus on evangelism and church planting in step with a group of young men and women who are passionate about leading their nation and beyond to Christ. Albert Sama, evangelist from Burkina Faso leads this team of mighty men and women.
We purposefully have no paid ministers on staff as to steward the resources God has blessed SCC with in serving our community and the world.
If you find yourself looking for a place where you will be challenged to live out your faith in community, give us a call or email, or stop by some Sunday evening.
Blessings,
Darrel Auvenshine
