Purpose--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Woodlawn Baptist Church exists to connect people to a lifelong commitment to God. Basically this means that we are in the buisness of helping people transform their lives. So whether in our worship service, in Bible Study, or just gathering at someone's home for fellowship or coffee, we seek to make oppurtunities for life transformation.
The function of the church is described in Acts 2:42, and it includes: Worship, Fellowship, Diciplechip, Ministry, and Evangelism. Our church seeks to live out these activities through everything we do at Woodlawn. Whether working with children at Manchaca Village (a local apartment compex ministry), helping out at local retirement homes, assisted living environments, or handing out bottles of water to people in our community, Woodlawn has an outward focus on reaching people to share the love of God.
Beliefs----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While we have no formal document that you must sign or agree to in order to join our church, we do have a basic set of beliefs. A good expression of our beliefs could be found in the Baptist Faith and Message (1963 version). However, while we are a Baptist church, we believe that there is no “creed” but the Bible.
We believe in the priesthood of the believer. This is means that as a Christian you don’t need anyone to be your mediator between you and God—we are Christians first, and then Baptists. As Baptists, we do believe in being immersed in water before you can become an official member. However, we do not believe that baptism is essential for salvation. Rather, baptism is an act of obedience (Matthew 28:19-20).
We also believe that human beings are sinful and need a savior. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and we all need someone to save us. The good news is that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins and forgive us of all our past wrong doings. This is good news, indeed!
Personality----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our church is a warm fellowship of believers. There is a long of tradition of a strong moderate Baptist presence in South Austin which makes our church a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds.
We are a multi-ethnic church which seeks to blend cultures, worship styles, and life experiences together forming a beautiful tapestry of God’s people.
We have a casual feel on Sunday morning (most people do not wear suits—some even wear shorts). Our worship at 8:30 is more traditional, while our worship at 11:00 is much more contemporary with screens, band, choir, and Powerpoint presentations. We hope you will come and enjoy our friendly and welcoming atmosphere.