Church Profile
Service Times
We gather each Sunday for our time of corporate worship, beginning with Sunday School, followed by the corporate time of singing, proclamation of the Word, and preaching of the Scripture.
Following the service, we celebrate a potluck meal with one another, and then meet once more for a time of Sermon Q&A, giving each individual opportunity to ask questions for better understanding and application.
On the last Sunday of each month, we celebrate the Lord's Supper, and we dismiss the body without the regular meal and afternoon fellowship.
Sunday Mornings
Sunday School — 9:45
Corporate Worship — 11:00
(Potluck fellowship meal following the service)
Sermon Q&A — 1:00 PM
Wednesday Evenings
Prayer Meeting — 6:15
Bible Study — 7:00
Men's Bible Study
Every other Friday at 6:30 PM
(573) 336-5698
Pastor / Elder Joel Hunt
Our Mission
Endeavoring to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded us in His Word.
We, the Believers in Christ at Briarwood Baptist Church, proclaim this to be our vision and purpose:
To acknowledge, love, submit to, and worship the LORD with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength…
To awaken in the hearts of all people the truth of the Gospel as proclaimed by the whole counsel of God’s Word…
To encourage and edify the Believers to walk in spirit and in truth…
To disciple individuals and families in the faith…
To minister to the needs of our church and community as we are able…
To share at every opportunity the truth of the Gospel with the whole world.
We endeavor to do this in the following ways:
By prayerful preaching and teaching of sound doctrine as laid forth in the entirety of God’s inspired Scripture.
By fostering a sense of reverence, in ourselves and our children, of the absolute Holiness of God.
By encouraging one another to be devoted to the Word and to prayer, and to living lives of holiness.
By submitting our hearts to the Bride of Christ - His Church, and seeking to dwell in unity and mutual submission to each other.
By diligent study of the Scriptures, and purposing to obey its commandments as they are revealed to us.
By raising up godly offspring, raising them in the fear and admonition of the LORD, and by supporting the other parents of our fellowship in this endeavor.
By fellowshipping regularly with one another, within the confines of our building, and without.
By training and discipling men in our congregation to assume the mantle of spiritual leadership in their homes and in the Church.
By giving cheerfully of our time, talent and resources as God enables us.
By directly supporting those called to the ministry and foreign missions.
By participating in cooperative giving with like-minded churches to advance the spread of the Gospel to all the world.
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About Briarwood Baptist Church
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in Briarwood!
We focus on growing, discipling, and strengthening families. We are a reformed Baptist (solid reform teachings) Concessional, Creedal and Covenantal church.
Briarwood Baptist Church is a family-integrated Reformed Baptist congregation, located just minutes from the North Gate of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri – on Hwy 28 towards Dixon.
It is the place where individuals and families can come together each week, in one heart, soul, mind, and strength, for the purpose of glorifying God with our worship and our lives.
Our primary focus is learning more about the Supreme character and Holy nature of the Triune God, revealed in the truth of His inspired Word, and to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Briarwood places a very high view on God, believing that He is the center of all things, rather than mankind, and that all things that have been have been created by Him, through Him, and for Him.
Every Sunday – or Lord’s Day – we gather together for corporate (communal) worship, for the singing of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, and the reading, teaching, and preaching of God’s Word. We have a Sunday School in the hour preceding the Worship Service, and following the time of Worship, we share in a potluck-style fellowship meal. After the meal, as we are eating dessert, we have an afternoon time of study, Sermon Q&A, or just relaxed fellowship. On the last Sunday of the month, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and dismiss without the fellowship meal or afternoon study time.
As an elder-led body, we follow the Biblical model for local congregations being led by a plurality of co-equal elders (or pastors) for teaching and direction, where no single man is the head of the church, but the head of the church is Christ. This means that we have not one single pastor, but three – each of whom shares the burden of preaching, teaching, and shepherding the church. On a given Sunday, any or all of the three elders will lead the congregation in the public reading, teaching, and preaching of the Word.
Believing that children learn and grow best in the care and nurture of their own parents, Briarwood integrates families together as much as possible when we come together for our regular worship times. Rather than separating into different worship settings, we encourage families to join together for the purpose of teaching every member of our body – from the oldest to the very youngest – that worshiping God is something we delight to do together! We do have Sunday School available for those who are old enough to read, but children are welcome and encouraged to attend class with their parents if you wish.
We are Reformed in our theology, adhering to the same precious truths of Scripture that led godly men to lead the church in the Protestant Reformation over 500 years ago. We believe in the doctrines of God’s Sovereign grace, which teach us that God alone is the Supreme Creator and Ruler of all the universe, known and unknown, and that He alone is to be praised, worshiped, and adored. We believe that all men, women, and children are by nature sinners, and in need of salvation from that sin. We believe that salvation from our sinfulness comes only by God’s sovereign grace though faith in Jesus Christ, and the work that was fully accomplished on the cross of Calvary. Without salvation, upon death, the soul will be punished in Hell, separated for eternity from the Love of God, but for those whom are saved, their souls will be united with God in glory forever. We believe that water baptism is a sign and seal of the inward grace and working of the Holy Spirit, and that it binds us to the body of Christ until that day when He shall return again in glory.
Denomination / Affiliation:
Southern Baptist Convention
Service and Sermon Style:
Verse-by-Verse Teaching
Dress Style:
casual
Average Age of Attendees:
all-ages
Community Projects:
0-12
Primary Language:
English
MINISTRIES AND GROUPS
Church Ministries
Men’s
Women’s
Sunday School
Adult
Teaching Ministry
Briarwood is a church which loves to be in God’s Word! The Adult Sunday School Class and Wednesday Evening Bible lessons are filled with doctrinal and applicational truths and draw people in as they create a hunger for a more serious grasp of who God is, and what He is teaching us in His revealed Word. Traveling systematically through the Bible, one book, and one verse at a time, we learn to dig far deeper into the Scripture than we otherwise might have on our own and come away with the true fruit of hearts changed by the Holy Spirit as a result.
Sunday School is at 9:45 AM, and Wednesday Study Time is at 7:00 PM.
Men’s Ministry
The heart of our men's ministry is built upon the idea that the head of the church is Jesus Christ, and the biblical head of each family in the church is the husband and father. Recognizing that the family unit is one of the biggest areas that is under spiritual attack in this age, we seek to strengthen our men through sound biblical teaching and equip them to lead their families into an ever greater understanding of the Gospel.
Our men's Bible Study meets every other Friday evening at the church building, from 6:30 - 8:30, and is currently studying through Sam Waldron’s book, "The Regulative Principle of the Church.”
Contact Lin Bishop at 573-578-2405 for details.
Women’s Ministry
Our women's ministry centers on building each woman in our Church up in their faith, strengthening them to use their unique gifts in their lives. By encouraging our ladies to build strong friendships, a sense of community, faithful study habits, and a love for the Lord and His Word, our families and congregation are continually blessed.
Our Ladies Bible Study is held in various ladies' homes, every other Tuesday evening, at 6:30 PM. We are currently journeying through the Book of James.
Contact Candice Hunt at 573-937-9402 for details.
Children’s Ministry
Briarwood is a family-integrated church, where children are loved and desired, and encouraged to come and grow in Christ along with their parents. We have Sunday School for children who are able to read, with teachers who have a true passion for exploring the depths of God’s Word with young people, and all other children (reading or not) are welcome in the Adult Sunday School class. We have an outdoor playground and toddler room in the lower level of the building, as well as a semi-private play area for young children inside the adult Sunday School classroom, which allows parents to watch their children while still participating in the lesson being taught. During the corporate time of Public Worship at 11:00 AM, all children are welcome, and encouraged to sit as a family with their parents in the service. There is a cry room available for infants and toddlers, and many helping hands in and out of the sanctuary who are always willing to aid families with lots of small children!
Family Life Ministry and Events
Briarwood encourages family ministry (activities which engage the entire family) wherever possible, and various families host events for the church throughout the year. Hymn Sings, Ice Cream Socials, Wally-Ball Tournaments, Bonfires, Roller Skating, Hayrides, Fishing Parties, and Picnics are some of the things we’ve enjoyed doing as a church over the years.
Personal Ministry
One of the most foundational and rewarding experiences in the life of a believer is the personal way in which they feel called by God through His Word to minister for His Kingdom. Briarwood is a church which strongly encourages the individual believer to look for ways to minister to others around them, both inside the church body, and outside as well. One of our core beliefs is that a life transformed by the Gospel and edified by daily interaction with God through the Word and prayer produces a heart that desires to carry out the Great Commission and to reach people, in season and out, with a heart that yearns to be as Christ to them. Each person in our body has a unique ability to reach those within their sphere of influence, and no two people’s ministry endeavors looks exactly the same. It is in these personal life experiences that we often find the strongest elements of growth in our church, as people forge connections in an intimate way that the church at large may not and gives us each the opportunity to serve others by caring and sharing of the wonderful joys and blessing that we each possess as believers in Christ.
Cooperative Ministry
As a member of the Pulaski County Baptist Association, Missouri Baptist Association, and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), Briarwood cooperates through giving and prayer with other like-minded churches for the purpose of local, national, and global outreach. This covers everything from supplying local food pantries in our county, supporting the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home for foster children, Disaster Relief efforts, local and global church plants, and supporting over 4,000 international missionaries around the world.
We serve a potluck fellowship meal following the service every Sunday except the last Sunday of the month.
BELIEFS
We are Reformed
We are Reformed in our theology, adhering to the same precious truths of Scripture that led godly men to lead the church in the Protestant Reformation over 500 years ago. We believe in the doctrines of God’s Sovereign Grace, which teach us that God alone is the Supreme Creator and Ruler of all the universe, known and unknown and that He alone is to be praised, worshiped, and adored.
We believe that all men, women, and children are by nature sinners, and in need of salvation from that sin. We believe that salvation from our sinfulness comes only by God’s sovereign grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the work that was fully accomplished on the cross of Calvary. Without salvation, upon death, the soul will suffer punishment in Hell, separated for eternity from the Love of God, but for those who are saved, their souls will be united with God in glory forever. We believe that water baptism is a sign and seal of the inward grace and working of the Holy Spirit and that it binds us to the body of Christ until that day when He shall return again in glory.
The Five Solas (Latin for “Alone”) of the Reformation summarize our understanding of how this faith is revealed:
Sola Gratia – In Grace Alone
Sola Fide – Through Faith Alone
Sola Christus – In Christ Alone
Sola Scriptura – According to Scripture Alone
Soli Deo Gloria – For God’s Glory Alone
We are Creedal
We believe that the Church, both local and global, functions best when Christians can affirm belief in common understandings of Scripture. This both protects the individual from straying from orthodoxy and binds us in unity with believers throughout the ages, as we join with them in affirming the historic creeds of the Church since it was established by Christ through the Apostles in the Book of Acts. For more information on the various creeds of the Reformed Church, look under the Reformed Creeds and Confessions tab.
We are Confessional
As a confessional body, we confess certain truths that are detailed in a lengthier creedal statement called a “Confession.” Like a statement of faith, a confession details the more intimate beliefs of any particular body of believers and gives anyone new to the body a solid understanding of the basic doctrinal tenets of the church. Our church confesses the First London Baptist Confession of Faith, written in 1644, and can be found in the Reformed Creeds and Confessions tab.
We are Covenantal
Covenant Theology is a framework for understanding the overarching storyline of the Bible, which emphasizes that God's redemptive plan and his dealings with mankind are without exception worked out in accordance with the covenants that he has sovereignly established.
Basically, Covenant Theology organizes biblical revelation around three unified but distinct covenants: the Covenant of Redemption, between the persons of the Trinity in eternity past, in which the Father promises to give a people to the Son as his inheritance, and the Son undertakes to redeem them; the Covenant of Works, which God enjoined upon Adam in the Garden, solemnly promising him eternal life if he passed the probationary test in the Garden of Eden; and finally, the Covenant of Grace, which God first entered into with Adam immediately after the Fall, when he promised to send a Seed of the woman, who would defeat the tempting serpent (Gen. 3:15). In the Covenant of Grace, God promises a champion to fulfill the broken Covenant of Works as a federal representative of his people, and so to earn its blessings in their behalf. All the later covenants of the Bible, such as those which God confirmed to Noah, Abraham, David, and the New Covenant which promises to fulfill these prior covenants in the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, are all organically connected, essentially being different administrations of the one eternal Covenant of Grace, which build upon each other and are all brought to completion in the New Covenant which Christ inaugurated with his shed blood.
Covenants are typically characterized by a visible sign and seal, which serves to “remind” God of his promises to those whom he has entered into covenant with. Some examples of these covenant signs are the rainbow, given to Noah; circumcision, given to Abraham; and baptism and the Lord's Supper, given to believers after the coming of Christ.
We are Calvinistic
Briarwood is Calvinistic in our soteriology (“The doctrine of Salvation”), which means that we understand that God is Sovereign over all things, including those whom he has chosen and elected unto Salvation. Calvinism is a broad term, and has many implications, but is generally defined by the five points of the acrostic, TULIP, whereby John Calvin’s teachings were summarized against the teachings of Jacobus Arminius at the Synod of Dordt in 1618-1619. These five points are:
T - Total Depravity
U - Unconditional Election
L - Limited Atonement
I - Irresistible Grace
P - Perseverance of the Saints
(https://www.monergism.com/topics/doctrines-grace/five-points-calvinism)
Simply put, we understand that God has chosen to elect – before the foundations of the earth – a particular people unto Himself, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and that He has sovereignly predestined and ordained all the affairs of men, both the elect and the reprobate, and will keep those fast whom He alone has chosen and called (and which mankind can nowise determine) until that day of redemption when all His own will be made known.
We are Credobaptistic
Credo literally means “belief,” and Credobaptists literally are those who baptize believers, or those who have themselves professed faith in Christ’s salvific work on the Cross. Many Reformed believers adhere to Paedobaptism, where the infants and children of Christian parents have the sign of baptism applied to indicate a trust in God’s promise of salvation for children in Acts 2:38, while many others, including Briarwood, believe that Scripture most accurately teaches that the sign of baptism under the New Covenant revealed in Christ, is to be administered only to those whom have professed faith by their own confession of sin, and desire for repentance and salvation.
We are Cooperative
As a member of the Pulaski County Baptist Association, Missouri Baptist Association, and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), Briarwood cooperates through giving and prayer with other like-minded churches for the purpose of local, national, and global outreach. This covers everything from supplying local food pantries in our county, supporting the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home for foster children, Disaster Relief efforts, local and global church plants, and supporting over 4,000 international missionaries around the world.
We are Congregational
Briarwood is congregationally-governed, meaning that the entire membership is jointly responsible for the final decisions of the congregation. While the Elders are responsible for the spiritual watch-care and direction of the church, all other decision-making is congregational in nature.
We are Elder-Led
As an elder-led body, we follow the Biblical model for local congregations being led by a plurality of co-equal elders (or pastors) for teaching and direction, where no single man is the head of the church, but the head of the church is Christ. This means that we have not one single pastor, but three – each of whom shares the burden of preaching, teaching, and shepherding the church. On a given Sunday, any or all of the three elders will lead the congregation in the public reading, teaching, and preaching of the Word.
We are Family-Integrated
Believing that children learn and grow best in the care and nurture of their own parents, Briarwood integrates families together as much as possible when we come together for our regular worship times. Rather than separating into different worship settings, we encourage families to join together for the purpose of teaching every member of our body – from the oldest to the very youngest – that worshiping God is something we delight to do together! We do have Sunday School available for those who are old enough to read, but children are welcome and encouraged to attend class with their parents if you wish.
We are Missional
One of the most foundational and rewarding experiences in the life of a believer is the personal way in which they feel called by God through His Word to minister for His Kingdom. Briarwood is a church which strongly encourages the individual believer to look for ways to minister to others around them, both inside the church body, and outside as well. One of our core beliefs is that a life transformed by the Gospel and edified by daily interaction with God through the Word and prayer produces a heart that desires to carry out the Great Commission and to reach people, in season and out, with a heart that yearns to be as Christ to them. Each person in our body has a unique ability to reach those within their sphere of influence, and no two people’s ministry endeavors look exactly the same. It is in these personal life experiences that we often find the strongest elements of growth in our church, as people forge connections in an intimate way that the church at large may not and gives us each the opportunity to serve others by caring and sharing of the wonderful joys and blessing that we each possess as believers in Christ.
Primary Bible Version Used:
English Standard Version
Communion Frequency:
Monthly
Eternal Security:
No, Can't Lose
Healing and Charismatic Gifts:
Ceased
Regularly Practice:
Congregational Readings
MAP
Briarwood Baptist Church is a Reformed Church located in Zip Code 65459.
Church Profile Manager: Joel Hunt