A Gospel Community on Mission
Jackson Way Baptist Church sits on Andrew Jackson Way NE in Huntsville, Alabama, just east of downtown. The whole identity of the congregation can be summarized in a single phrase that runs through the church's publications: "A Gospel Community On Mission." Three short ideas carry that phrase. The Gospel is the center. The Christian life is meant to be lived in community with other believers. And out of that community comes mission, in the neighborhoods of Huntsville and around the world.
The church describes itself this way: at Jackson Way, everything revolves around the Gospel, that God has come to rescue people from their sins through the work of Christ on the cross. From there, members are encouraged to walk alongside one another in real relationships that point back to Christ, and to join in what God is already doing in their city, homes, careers, and the wider world. That three-part rhythm shapes how the church organizes its Sunday services, its Wednesday night programs, its children's and student ministries, and its outreach.
What Sundays Look Like
The Sunday rhythm opens at 9:15 am with Sunday School for every age. The nursery (birth through PreK) and graded JWBC Kids classes (kindergarten through sixth grade) meet for an hour, and adults gather in their own classes around the church.
At 10:30 am the whole church gathers for the worship service. A rotation of nursery workers continues to care for the youngest children, and JWBC Kids continues for kindergarten through third grade with an interactive hour of games, Scripture, and the three questions the ministry asks at the end of every lesson: "What did this lesson teach us about God? What does this teach us about us? Who can I share this with this week?" Those questions are intended to keep the focus in the right order: first who God is, then who we are in relation to Him, and finally who needs to hear the good news this week.
Worship at Jackson Way blends newer songs with classic hymns. A recent Sunday bulletin listed "House of the Lord," "Great Are You Lord," "How Great Thou Art," and "It Was Finished Upon that Cross," showing the range. The Lord's Supper is observed on a regular schedule, baptism is by immersion for those who have placed their faith in Christ, and a written Church Covenant outlines the commitments members make to one another.
Wednesdays on the Campus
Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm are the second main gathering of the week, and the building fills with three groups running side by side. JWBC Kids (birth through sixth grade) meets in its own space, JWBC Youth (seventh through twelfth grade) gathers for its own service, and adults join MidWeek Groups for Bible study and community. The bulletin also points newcomers to a separate sign-up if they are looking for a small group to join.
The youth schedule shows the shape of a typical Wednesday for students. Doors open at 6:00 pm for fellowship and games. From 6:30 to 6:45 pm the students sing together, and a message runs from 6:45 to 7:30 pm. Students are dismissed at 7:45 pm. Adults in MidWeek Groups study the Bible and build relationships during the same window, while younger kids learn additional lessons that reinforce what they heard on Sunday morning, often drawing on RightNow Media as a teaching tool.
JWBC Kids and the Nursery
Children's ministry at Jackson Way is led by Sarah Evans, Director of Preschool and Children. The team uses the same three-question framework on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, so the lessons carry from one gathering to the next. Wednesday night material draws on RightNow Media, family study guides are sent home so the conversation can continue around the kitchen table, and free RightNow Media accounts are available to church families on request.
The ministry is also outward-facing. JWBC Kids hosts block parties, pool parties, and other community events through the year, entering the neighborhoods where God has placed the church and inviting neighbors in. A dedicated JWBC Kids Facebook page keeps families posted on what is coming up, and the children's ministry is always looking for more adult volunteers to serve in the nursery and classrooms.
Students in Middle and High School
JWBC Youth is built around the conviction that Jesus is the only all-satisfying source of life for this world and the next, and that every teenager is in desperate need of Him. The ministry seeks to provide a space for middle and high school students in Huntsville to hear the message of Jesus, grow in the knowledge of Him, and live for His glory alongside peers and mentors.
On Sunday mornings students meet in the Warehouse at 9:15 am for a brief large group gathering, and adult volunteers lead Bible studies during the Sunday School hour so that students can engage with their teachers and ask questions. Wednesday night worship and teaching is the main gathering of the week, and the ministry depends on adults and college students who invest in the lives of students week after week. The vision is that students would worship the Lord, serve others, fellowship with one another, and go make disciples in their schools, homes, and around the world.
The CORE: Center of Recreation Evangelism
One of the most distinctive features of the campus is the C.O.R.E., the Center of Recreation Evangelism. The CORE is the church's recreation and outreach facility, and it is open to the community, not just to members. Regular hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. It is closed on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, though the schedule shifts when the church is hosting city-wide service projects like Mission Huntsville.
The CORE serves as both a neighborhood amenity and a ministry tool, giving the church a way to build relationships with people who might never walk through the front door on a Sunday morning. Dianna Stoner serves as the CORE Director.
Jackson Way Child Development Center
On the same campus the church operates the Jackson Way Child Development Center, a DHR-licensed weekday program for children six weeks through five years of age. The CDC runs year-round from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday, and uses the Pinnacle Faith-Based Curriculum to provide developmentally appropriate preschool education. The staff is well-trained and experienced, and the program is designed to develop each child to his or her greatest potential.
The CDC exists as an extension of the church's ministry to children and families. Tuition is offered at weekly, monthly, and a "Tuition Express" discounted monthly rate, with pricing that varies by age group from infants through the K4 class. Enrollment forms, a parent handbook, and a kindergarten readiness checklist are available for prospective families. Kim Peltack serves as the CDC Director.
What the Church Believes
Jackson Way holds to a detailed statement of faith that runs through the Bible, God, man, salvation, the church, the ordinances, and God's purpose of grace. The Bible is described as divinely inspired, totally true and trustworthy, and centered on Christ. God is one true God revealed in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, infinite in holiness and all other perfections. Man is created in God's image but has fallen into sin through the temptation of Satan, and is in need of the grace that only God can give.
Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace: repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God, and faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior. Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ.
The church is understood as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the two ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and governed by pastors and deacons. The pastoral office is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. The church also confesses the perseverance of the saints: those whom God has accepted in Christ and sanctified by His Spirit will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
Staff and Leadership
John Pond serves as Lead Pastor and Elder. Lenn Knight is the Associate Pastor over Administration and Missions. Graham Conner is the Worship Minister, and Zach Messer currently leads the student ministry as Interim Youth Minister. Sarah Evans directs preschool and children, Kim Peltack leads the Child Development Center, and Dianna Stoner directs the CORE. Four lay elders - Mark DePriest, Charles Kramer, Jeff Bobo, and John Spitzmiller - share governance with the pastors.
On Mission in Huntsville and Beyond
Mission is not a program at Jackson Way; it is one of the three words in the church's identity. The biggest local outreach of the year is Mission Huntsville, a day when the entire congregation scatters across the city to serve in practical ways, showing the love of Christ through acts of service. The church also participates in ministries like Operation Christmas Child, supports missions around the world, and offers RightNow Media as a free resource for families who want to grow in discipleship at home.
Messages from Sunday mornings are posted on the church's YouTube channel so anyone who misses a service can follow along, and giving is available online. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and the phone number is (256) 539-5729.