A Church on Kellogg Creek Road
Harvest Baptist Church meets on the western edge of Acworth, Georgia, just off Kellogg Creek Road in Cherokee County. Its two-line motto, Loving God Without Reservation, Loving People Without Hesitation, sets the tone for a congregation that runs three Sunday gatherings plus a full Wednesday night of Bible study. The church is pastored by Larry Wright and supported by a small staff of three.
What Harvest Believes
Harvest's statement of faith is detailed and unmistakably Baptist. The church affirms one God eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the full deity of Jesus Christ: virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, vicarious and atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and personal return in power and glory.
On Scripture, Harvest teaches that the Bible is the verbally and plenarily inspired Word of God, inerrant, infallible, and the sole authority for faith and practice. The church holds that the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and the Received Text (Textus Receptus) of the New Testament are the accepted original-language texts, and that the King James Version is the preserved Word of God for English-speaking people. The Bible is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice.
The Holy Spirit is described as a divine person, equal with the Father and Son, who convicts of sin, seals, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and empowers believers for soul-winning service. Present-day tongues speaking is explicitly rejected as not being a viable gift for the current age.
On humanity and salvation, Harvest teaches that men and women were created in God's image but inherit a sin nature through Adam, leaving them incapable of self-reformation. Salvation comes through repentance and faith in the atoning work of Christ, with regeneration by the Holy Spirit. There will be a resurrection of both the saved and the lost: the saved unto the resurrection of life, the lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
Harvest also teaches a practice of biblical separation, that the saved should live so as not to bring reproach on Christ, separating from religious apostasy and worldly pleasures, practices, and associations. The church holds a premillennial, pretribulational view of the second coming, expecting a rapture of believers before a seven-year tribulation and a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on earth.
A Full Day of Services on Sunday
Harvest's Sunday rhythm is built around three services plus Sunday School. The day begins with Sunday School at 10:00 AM, where adults gather in separate classes and children join Harvest Kids in their own rooms. The Morning Worship Service begins at 11:00 AM and is the main congregational gathering of the week. A second Evening Worship Service follows at 5:00 PM, and the Harvest Youth group for sixth through twelfth graders meets at the same hour in the Teen Room from 5:00 to 6:15 PM. Baptismal services are scheduled periodically for those ready to take that step of public faith.
Harvest Kids: From Nursery through Sixth Grade
Children are cared for in age-appropriate rooms from infancy through sixth grade. The Nursery is set aside for children ages 0 to 3 and is open during Sunday School at 10:00 AM, the Morning Service at 11:00 AM, the Evening Service at 5:00 PM, and the Wednesday Bible Study at 6:30 PM. The space is clean, organized, and well-staffed, allowing parents to leave their children with peace of mind.
Elementary children join Harvest Kids on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM for Sunday School and again at 11:00 AM for KidZone, a children's program during the morning worship service. On Wednesday nights, KidZone Overtime runs from 6:30 to 7:30 PM for children in K4 through sixth grade. The program is high-energy and VBS-style, with games, Bible lessons, and surprises each week. Overtime runs in two seasons, September through November and again March through May. Promotion Sunday each May marks the move-up for children into their next class.
Harvest Youth: Sundays at Five
The teen ministry centers on a Sunday evening gathering for students in sixth through twelfth grade. From 5:00 to 6:15 PM, teens meet in the Teen Room for games, conversation, and a practical, engaging message that connects God's Word to everyday life. Youth Pastor Jeff Thompson oversees the program and also serves as the church's Music Director. He and his wife Audra share a calling to student ministry, and Thompson has overseen both the student and kids ministries of the church since 2019.
Beyond Sunday nights, the youth calendar includes monthly activities, summer camp, all-nighters, and mission trips throughout the year. Whether a teen grew up in church or is exploring faith for the first time, the youth room is open and the invitation is to come as you are, bring a friend, and discover what it means to follow Christ together.
Adult Classes on Sunday Morning and Wednesday Night
Adult ministry is organized around four Bible study groups meeting in two weekly slots. At 10:00 AM on Sundays, three classes run in parallel: the Berean Class for senior adults, the Foundations Class for young adults and families, and Women of Faith, a ladies' Bible study. A fourth gathering, a broader Wednesday night Bible Study for teens through adults, begins at 6:30 PM, overlapping with KidZone Overtime so that families can study at the same hour as their children's program.
A separate Young Adults ministry has its own space on the church's site and an Instagram presence for connecting young adults in their stage of life.
Teaching Through Books of the Bible
Preaching at Harvest is built around sustained, verse-by-verse series through books of the Bible, with occasional topical studies. The morning service has walked through a long-running series on Active Faith, while the evening service has worked steadily through the book of Genesis week by week. Earlier series include a study of the Book of Esther, an I AM series on Christ's identity from John's Gospel, and a study of Acts called Be the Church. All services are livestreamed on YouTube, and recordings are archived by series so newcomers can pick up an entire study from the beginning.
Missions Beyond Acworth
Harvest supports a network of missionaries, displayed on an interactive Missionary Map that lets visitors hover over locations around the world. The church's commitment to missions is more than a sidebar. Assistant Pastor Ethan Granata joined the staff in 2024 specifically to serve as Missions and Outreach Pastor after completing an M.A. in Bible Exposition at Pensacola Theological Seminary. A Missions Month is on the calendar each year to highlight the church's global gospel partnerships.
Meet the Pastoral Team
Larry Wright serves as Head Pastor. His teaching frames the church's ministry around the idea that transformation, not just information, is the point of Scripture: that believers are shaped into the meaning of Christian through walking with one another.
Ethan Granata is Assistant Pastor, with a focus on missions and outreach. He grew up in Charleston, West Virginia, was saved as a young teenager, graduated from Pensacola Christian College in 2022 with a degree in Pastoral Ministries, and earned an M.A. in Bible Exposition from Pensacola Theological Seminary in 2024 before joining Harvest that same year.
Jeff Thompson is Youth Pastor and Music Director. A Pensacola Christian College graduate with a degree in Youth Ministries, he came on staff in June 2019 and oversees both the student and kids ministries of the church.
Planning a Visit
First-time guests at Harvest can expect a warm welcome. Many in the congregation wear their Sunday best, but visitors are encouraged to come in whatever feels appropriate and comfortable, dressed up or dressed down. The church is located at 3460 Kellogg Creek Road in Acworth, with a phone line at 770-974-9091 and email at info@hbcga.org. Office hours run Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
Children from birth through sixth grade are cared for during every service, so families can attend together. Giving is available online through the church's Realm giving page, and recent sermons can be watched live or on demand through the Harvest Baptist Church YouTube channel. Visitors who want to take a next step, whether joining a small group, becoming a member, or getting baptized, can find more information through the church's Next Steps resources.