A Church Born From a Dallas Association Dream
Prestonwood Baptist Church began on February 6, 1977, as a mission of Northway Baptist Church and a dream of the Dallas Baptist Association, which saw the need for a church in North Dallas. Led by Pastor Bill Weber, the young church held its first services at a community center for two years before moving in 1979 to a home at Arapaho and Hillcrest Roads in North Dallas. As the congregation grew, the church became landlocked, and Senior Pastor Jack Graham and church leaders prayed about the next step. God led the church to 140 acres in Plano, where Prestonwood held its first service at 6801 W. Park Blvd. in May 1999.
Senior Pastor Jack Graham's call in 1989 marked the most defining moment in the church's history. Since then, members have witnessed changed lives, strengthened families and a greater reach in the community, the nation and the world with the love of Christ. Today, more than 60,000 members gather at Prestonwood's Plano and North campuses, and a third, Prestonwood en Español, reaches Spanish-speaking communities across North Texas.
Plano Campus, North Campus, and en Español
The Plano Campus sits on 140 acres at 6801 W. Park Blvd. in Plano, Texas. The North Campus opened in October 2008 on 127 acres on Prosper Trail, just east of the Dallas North Tollway. More than 5,500 people call the North Campus home, and a 2012 expansion doubled the original space to keep up with growth.
Both campuses meet for English-language worship on Sundays at 9:15 and 11:00 a.m. Plano rebroadcasts its services at 5:00, 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. for those who want to worship at home. Spanish-language worship, Prestonwood en Español, meets on Sundays at 2:00 p.m. at both the Plano and North campuses, with a rebroadcast of the Plano service at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. The shared phone line for both campuses is (972) 820-5000.
Worship, Music and the Prestonwood Sound
Visitors are greeted with warm smiles, vibrant, worshipful music and powerful teaching from God's Word. The Music and Worship Ministry prepares hearts for worship through an adult choir, student choirs, an orchestra and a Kids Worship program for ages 3 through grade 6. Prestonwood Worship Choir rehearsals take place each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Choir Rehearsal Hall, and the choir and orchestra have produced more than twenty albums, from Hymns of Prestonwood to contemporary recordings like Songs of the People, Breath and Clay, In This Room and Holy Night: Songs from the Gift of Christmas. Prestonwood Students have also released their own worship album, Power of Your Love. Albums are sold in the Prestonwood Bookstore and on iTunes.
The church's Music and Worship team serves on Wednesdays as part of Midweek at Prestonwood, when families return for Kids Worship, adult choir rehearsal, student worship and Bible studies for every age.
Prestonwood KIDZ and Students
Prestonwood KIDZ is built to help children know, love and follow Christ with all their hearts. The ministry partners with parents around four values: Love God, Love People, Do Your Best and Have Fun. Children are grouped from Infants and Toddlers through Preschool, Elementary (grades 1 through 3) and Preteens (grades 4 through 6). Interactive Bible studies, an indoor playground, a Christian Learning Center, age-appropriate Kids Worship videos and a Wednesday Night program called MDWK all build on a single mission: to make every Sunday morning a high-energy, safe, enriching environment.
The Children's Ministry staff includes Diana Pendley and Adam Cox, Ministers to Children at the Plano and North campuses, with Matt Rucker and Jamal Rodgers serving as Elementary Ministers and Rhonda Brittain and Lauren Young serving as Preschool Ministers at the two campuses.
Prestonwood Students is the place to be for students in grades 7 through 12 in North Texas, with separate ministries for junior high and high school. Sunday morning offers LifeGroup Bible studies, midweek JHigh MDWK brings junior highers together for Bible memory and discipleship, and HS MDWK places high school students in small groups meeting in homes across North Texas. Year-round activities include mission trips, summer camp, devotional studies and Student Worship Choirs. A six-week Starting Point Discipleship journey helps students wrestle with foundational questions about faith and the Bible.
LifeGroups for Every Stage of Adulthood
Through Prestonwood's LifeGroup Bible Study ministry, every adult who attends Prestonwood is given an opportunity to build key relationships that can last a lifetime. LifeGroups are organized around life stage. Young Singles, ages 18 to 34, meet on Sundays at both campuses and gather on Thursday evenings for The Gathering in the Plano Campus Student Ministry Building. College students can join DOXA, Harvest, the International Group at UTD, or The Collective on Monday nights.
Singles 35 and older find their own age-specific LifeGroups, with classes such as Aspire (30s), Driven (30s and 40s), Legacy (60+), Abundant Life (50s and 60s) and Uplifted (50s and 60s). Married adults are divided into Married Adult 1 (18 to 34, including seriously dating and engaged couples), Married Adult 2 (35 to 45), Married Adult 3 (46 to 60), Married Adult 4 (61 to 72), Adult 5 (73+) and Open Division, with a wide array of named LifeGroups for each. HomeBuilders, a multi-generational marriage class on Wednesday nights at the Plano Campus, welcomes engaged, newly married and seasoned couples alike.
Men's and Women's Ministry
The Men's Ministry develops men in Christian living to make an eternal impact through Bible study, discipleship, evangelism training, leadership development, accountability groups, mentoring, retreats and the annual Prestonwood Men's Conference. A Friday Morning Men's Bible Study meets at 6:30 a.m. at both campuses, with coffee and doughnuts, and is livestreamed on the Men's Ministry YouTube Channel. The Plano Campus ministry is led by Associate Discipleship Pastor Tim Matthews, and the North Campus ministry by Director of Ministry Operations Tony Lewandowski. Trail Life USA, a Christian outdoor adventure program for boys in kindergarten through 12th grade, is also part of the men's outreach.
The Women's Ministry is built around the idea that Bible study is not a class you take but a rhythm you keep as a believer. Three community seasons of Bible study each year (spring, summer and fall) anchor the rhythm, with classes at multiple times of day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at both campuses, plus international women's classes for English-as-a-second-language students taught by Bobette Boyd and Dina Purba. Tasha Calvert hosts the Digging In podcast, available on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Spreaker. The Women's Ministry team includes Tasha Calvert as Women's Minister at the North Campus, Jonee Rawlings as Women's Ministry Coordinator, Paula Reynolds as Women's Ministry Associate at the North Campus and Becca Chambless as Director of Women's Ministry at the Plano Campus.
Marriage, Family and the Next Step Class
The Marriage and Family ministry walks alongside couples through every season. Before You Say, "I Do" is a marriage prep course offered several times a year at both campuses. Mentors4Couples pairs couples seeking to enrich or restore their marriage with a trained mentor couple for a designated curriculum. Decision Encouragers, the Prayer Ministry, and Foster Care and Adoption support all sit within the Care and Support umbrella.
For anyone curious about becoming part of the church, the Next Step Class serves as the centerpiece for helping new members and those considering Prestonwood plug into the life and ministries of the church.
Special Friends, Deaf Ministry and Pregnancy Center
Special Friends ministers to children, students and adults with special needs, focusing on each individual's unique strengths for spiritual growth so they may come to know Jesus Christ. The Deaf Ministry reaches across North Texas to hearing-impaired neighbors, while the ESL Ministry teaches English to those who do not speak it as their primary language. The Prestonwood Pregnancy Center provides free and confidential guidance, pregnancy tests, early pregnancy sonograms, educational classes and post-abortion support groups, with three locations and a Sonogram Mobile Unit funded entirely through donor support.
Life Recovery and Care
The Life Recovery Ministry helps people recover from emotional, physical, relational and spiritual wounds through the power of Christ. Plano and North campuses each host their own weekly cycle of support groups, including Grief Share, DivorceCare, Xchanged Life, Substance Abuse, Living Free, Women Living Free and The Prodigal. The Plano Campus also offers Hope Renewed on the fourth Monday of each month for women navigating miscarriage, child loss and infertility, and Stronghold Cancer Support gathers those affected by cancer. Crisis Care, Healing Prayer, First Responders, Personal Ministry appointments and seasonal Workshops round out the offering.
The Foundation: Legacy, Career and Financial Stewardship
Prestonwood Foundation is a servant ministry that, through gracious direct gifts and legacy estate gifts, provides perpetual funding to the ministries of Prestonwood Baptist Church. Executive Director Ron Kelley leads a twofold effort in Planned Giving (endowments, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder and lead trusts, legacy gifts, direct cash, stocks, real estate and the Family Legacy Fund) and Servant Ministry (Will Drive, biblical financial teaching, the Career Transitions Ministry, Widows Guide and Assistance, Benevolence and the Culture Impact Team).
The Career Transitions Ministry helps those in job transitions through free seminars, the Job Flash e-mail notification system, Resume Connection, the Marketplace Ministry's Business Study Groups and a quarterly Prestonwood Business Breakfast. Project Debt Elimination walks individuals and families through a process of eliminating harmful debt. The Family Legacy Fund allows donors to direct perpetual giving to specific ministries, from the PowerPoint Ministries Endowment to the Sondra Saunders Children's Ministry Endowment, the Graham Family Endowment, the Neal Jeffrey Endowment, the Steph Williford Student Scholarship Endowment, the Prestonwood Sports Organization Endowment, the Prestonwood Pregnancy Center Endowment, the Global and Local Missions Endowment, the Veterans Endowment and the Benevolence Endowment. Foundation assets are invested with GuideStone (the financial entity of the Southern Baptist Convention) and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Foundation.
Marketplace Ministry and Culture Impact Team
The Marketplace Ministry equips and encourages Christians to live out their faith in the workplace. Business Study Groups meet weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and evenings, all led by area business leaders. The Follower of One platform helps businesspeople take a two-week Marketplace Mission Trip to their own workplace. The quarterly Prestonwood Business Breakfast brings the broader Christian business community together for fellowship and a speaker.
The Culture Impact Team helps Prestonwood members fulfill their responsibility as citizens of the nation through prayer for officials, engagement on moral and social issues, voting and biblical citizenship courses. The team's mission is to instill in the community a persuasive influence aligned with biblical principles, protecting the right to life, strengthening marriage and family and protecting religious freedom.
Volunteer Opportunities Across the Church
From greeters and parking attendants to media volunteers, choir members, shuttle drivers, exterior grounds helpers and LifeGroup leaders, Prestonwood offers volunteer roles for every gift. The KIDZ Welcome Team includes greeters, walkers, check-in helpers and Creative Arts hosts and media volunteers for Sunday services and Wednesday MDWK. The InTouch Ministry visits those in retirement communities, rehab and care facilities, and homebound neighbors, while Mentors4Couples, Before You Say "I Do" coaches and Prayer Ministry teams serve adults. Mission-focused volunteer teams include Prestonwood Cares, the Deaf Ministry, ESL Ministry, Prison Ministries and BridgeBuilders in inner-city neighborhoods.
Beyond North Texas: Missions and PowerPoint Ministries
Throughout the year, Prestonwood members minister in San Antonio, Boston, New Orleans, the Amazon, Romania and East Africa, and through PowerPoint Ministries, the broadcast ministry of Prestonwood Baptist Church, the Gospel reaches more than 78 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Iraq and Israel via television, radio and the Internet. PowerPoint Today is a free Monday through Friday devotional email from Dr. Jack Graham. The annual World Missions Offering helps fund ministry partners locally and globally.
Prestonwood Christian Academy
Celebrating its 25th year, Prestonwood Christian Academy is a Kingdom Education school system with five schools across North Texas. The vision is that every student, regardless of a family's socioeconomic situation, should have access to a Christian education. About one-third of all students receive tuition assistance grants totaling more than $4 million annually, with the average grant approaching $7,688 per student and the average cost per student at $18,500.
Sports, Scouting and the PSO
Prestonwood Sports Organization offers children's and adult sports programs and leagues. The Sports and Fitness Center at the Plano Campus is equipped with cardiovascular and weight training equipment and an indoor walking and jogging track. Trail Life USA and American Heritage Girls give boys and girls structured outdoor adventure and character development from kindergarten through fifth grade.
The Bookstore, the Bookstore Cafe and the Bookstore Hours
The Prestonwood Bookstore, located at the Plano Campus, is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Curbside pickup is offered Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and personal shopping services are available. The Bookstore carries choir and orchestra albums, women's Bible study journals and DivorceCare workbooks, and is also the home base for the church's worship recordings.
Sunday Nights at Prestonwood
Sunday Nights at Prestonwood, a service designed especially for young adults, meets at 5:00 p.m. in the Student Ministry Building at the Plano Campus. Teaching Pastor David Marvin leads the series, with worship by Prestonwood Worship. Childcare is provided for children ages 4 and under with registration, and Guest Registration is open for first-timers. The series draws young adults from across North Texas for teaching, worship and free food.
What to Expect as a First-Time Guest
From the moment visitors drive onto the parking lot, they find reserved parking spaces near the front entrance for first-time guests. Inside the doors, friendly greeters offer handshakes and smiles. Guest Central, located in the Atrium at both campuses, is staffed before and after services to help first-time guests learn about ministries, small groups and volunteer opportunities, and first-time guests receive a special gift. Childcare is offered so that families can worship and attend LifeGroups knowing their little ones are in safe hands with age-appropriate Bible lessons and activities.
Livestream, Apps and Podcasts
Plano Campus services are streamed live at 9:15 and 11:00 a.m., rebroadcast at 5:00, 7:00 and 9:00 p.m., with the en Español service at 2:00 p.m. and rebroadcast at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. North Campus services are streamed at 9:15 and 11:00 a.m. Streaming is available on the church's online platform, on Facebook Live and on YouTube Live. The Prestonwood App is available for iOS, Android and Roku, with the PowerPoint Ministries app and the Friends of PPC app also available. The Hold the Pattern podcast features conversations between Dr. Jack Graham and Dr. Jeremiah Johnston, and Bible in a Year with Jack Graham, a 244-episode partnership with pray.com, walks listeners through the entire Bible.
Giving and the Foundation
Online giving is available on the church's app, online and by text message. Members and guests can give a single gift or schedule recurring giving through checking, debit or credit. Giving kiosks are also available in the Atrium. The Foundation supports planned giving through endowments, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder and lead trusts, direct cash gifts, stocks and real estate, the Family Legacy Fund, will and estate planning, Project Debt Elimination and the Widows Guide. Volunteer opportunities for those who want to give of their time include media, ushering, parking, greeting, choir, Kids Worship, shuttle driving, housekeeping, exterior grounds and room setup.
Six Core Values and the Mission
Prestonwood unapologetically values six core areas in the life of the church. Together, these shared values identify who Prestonwood is, rally the congregation toward all they desire to accomplish and unite members in fellowship. The mission is to glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to as many people as possible and to develop them in Christian living using the most effective means to impact the world, making an eternal difference in this generation and generations to come.
A Family of Faith Across Two Campuses
Prestonwood is a dynamic congregation with people from all over the North Texas region who have come together for a common purpose: to study God's Word, to worship Him, to do His work and to reach the world with the Gospel message. From the indoor playground for the littlest worshippers to the largest global broadcast of PowerPoint Ministries, from a pregnancy test in the Prestonwood Pregnancy Center to a financial freedom class in the Foundation, from a Friday morning men's Bible study with coffee and doughnuts to a Tuesday morning women's Bible study with friends, Prestonwood is built around the conviction that every person who walks through the doors can find a place to belong and serve.