A Christ-Centered, Bible-Based Community in Hickory, NC

Sandy Ridge Baptist Church gathers at 3702 16th Street NE in Hickory, North Carolina, where a multi-generational congregation worships in the heart of Catawba County. The church's mission is straightforward: to share the gospel of Jesus and make a positive impact on the lives of those around it. Sandy Ridge is a warm and welcoming community of believers, and visitors are received whether they are new to the area, searching for a church home, or simply curious about Christianity.

The church summarizes its identity in four short phrases: Christ-Centered, Bible-Based, Gospel-Driven, and Savior-Sensitive. Everything the church teaches and does flows from those commitments, and weekly services are built around the preaching and teaching of God's Word, which "changes, strengthens, and matures believers." A worship team and choir support the services, and the church's theology is laid out in a detailed confession of faith that visitors can read in full.

Sunday and Wednesday Schedule

Sandy Ridge runs a full weekly rhythm anchored by three Sunday gatherings and a midweek prayer service:

• Sunday Small Groups - 9:15 AM
• Sunday Morning Service - 10:30 AM
• Sunday Evening Service - 6:00 PM
• Wednesday Prayer Service - 6:30 PM

Children and students have their own gatherings that run alongside the adult schedule. Ridge Kids (kindergarten through 4th grade) and Midway Kids (5th and 6th grade) meet in small groups at 9:15 AM on Sunday mornings, join their families in the main worship service at 10:30 AM, and gather again on Sunday evenings at 6:00 PM. The Bridge Student Ministries (7th through 12th grade) meets in small groups at 9:00 AM on Sunday mornings and in discipleship groups on Sunday nights at 6:00 PM.

Sunday morning services are also available online through the church's YouTube channel, so members who are traveling, sick, or homebound can stay connected. A daily devotional from the Senior Pastor is also available as a podcast on Spotify, and a written commentary on Job and a collection of poetry by the pastor are available.

Kids and Students

The children's ministry at Sandy Ridge aims to help parents lay a foundation of faith that will last a lifetime. The team aims to teach the whole counsel of God and to train children in Christian disciplines, recognizing parents as the primary spiritual leaders of their children and walking alongside them as a partner. Heather Hughes, the Nursery and Preschool Coordinator, oversees childcare and small-group ministry for the youngest children. She came to Sandy Ridge in 2009 and has served as a small-group leader for 2nd and 3rd graders before stepping into the coordinator role in 2017. She and her husband Stacey have six children.

Kenneth Fulford serves as Associate Pastor for Children. He holds a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Music Education and Bible and has spent several years in Christian education and local-church ministry. He and his wife Savannah have two daughters, Edythe and Charlotte, and they enjoy traveling, cooking, and working on projects at home. Kenneth considers it a privilege to help children see how the entire story of Scripture points to Jesus Christ.

The Bridge Student Ministries, led by Associate Pastor for Youth Jordan Finley, aims to come alongside students in their walk of faith and equip them to make an impact for Jesus Christ in their schools, among their friends, and at home. The ministry is built around four pursuits: fostering deepening relationships, inspiring growth in God's Word, creating discipleship opportunities, and developing lifelong faith. Jordan, a former United States Marine, surrendered his life to Christ in 2011 and later earned a bachelor's degree from Seattle Pacific University and a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Whitney have three daughters, and the family enjoys hiking, waterfalls, and national parks.

Each summer the church hosts a Vacation Bible School open to all children ages 4 through 6th grade. Recent themes have included "Illumination Station," a five-night program where children are taught the Bible, do crafts, play games, enjoy a short play put on by the youth group, and share dinner together each night from 6:00 to 8:30 PM.

Adult Small Groups

Sandy Ridge offers a wide network of small groups for adults, many of which meet during the Sunday morning 9:15 AM hour and throughout the week. The groups are organized by life stage, age, and shared interest:

• Women of SRBC - women ages 18 and up
• Men's Group - men ages 18 and up
• Lighthouse Group - ages 50 and up
• Greenhouse Group - ages 40 to 60
• Doing Life Together - ages 18 and up
• Seekers - ages 18 and up
• Shepherds Corner - ages 18 and up
• Under 30's - ages 18 to 30
• The Gate - ages 18 and up

Randy Swisher, Associate Pastor for Seniors and Missions, has taught a small-group class at Sandy Ridge for more than 20 years, working with both youth and adults. He has been a member since 1994 and a deacon since 1998, and he and his wife Jeri have been married for more than 45 years. His passion is teaching through the Bible in his small group and challenging people to dig deeper into what God's Word says.

Music and Worship

Angie Pearson serves as Director of Music. Raised in northern California in a musical family, she felt the call to music ministry as a high-school senior and has been leading worship ever since. She moved to North Carolina in 2005 and joined Sandy Ridge in 2007, serving in the worship ministry for most of her time at the church. She sings and plays guitar, and has led worship for the ladies' study group, children's worship on Sunday mornings, and Thursday night services. She is married to Darrin Pearson and has three children. Heather Hughes also sings in the choir, and the church's music ministry supports the morning worship, the children's programs, and the midweek services.

Pastors and Leadership

Bill Sturm serves as Senior Pastor. He previously served as Associate Pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC, after almost nine years on active duty in the United States Army. He completed his Th.M. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2014 and the Army's Command and General Staff College in 2021. He places his faith in the finished work of Christ alone, having come to that assurance in 1999, and he also serves as a Chaplain in the United States Army Reserve. Bill is married to Nikki, and they have three children, two children-in-law, and six grandchildren. He describes preaching Christ as his passion.

The pastoral team includes two non-staff pastors who serve alongside the paid staff. Andy Hubert grew up in a nominal Christian home and came to faith in high school through a group of young Christians who understood the gospel. He studied Computer Science, spent two years overseas as an evangelist, and later earned a Master of Biblical and Pastoral Studies from Bethlehem College and Seminary. He and his wife Sarah moved to Hickory from Israel in 2020 and began serving Sandy Ridge in 2025. Andy also manages biblearc.com, overseeing a small team of instructors in Bible-study methods.

Juan Treviño came to faith as a young boy in 1999 and grew up in doctrinally sound churches that placed greater emphasis on Christian behavior than on the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division before meeting his wife at Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC. He and his family moved to Hickory from Savannah in 2022 and have since served Sandy Ridge as members, deacons, and now pastors. He works for a heavy civil demolition company and enjoys spending time with his church family.

Tammy Davis has served as the church's Administrative Assistant since 2006, working behind the scenes to keep the church's ministry and day-to-day operations running.

What We Believe

Sandy Ridge holds to a detailed confession of faith that shapes how the congregation thinks, speaks, and loves one another. The church teaches that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself, totally true and trustworthy, with Christ as its focus. The full confession is available in four parts, beginning with "Booklet 1 - Salvation."

The church affirms one true God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature. It teaches that man was created in the image of God, that through the free choice of the first man sin entered the human race, and that only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship.

Salvation is described as the redemption of the whole man, offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification, and there is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ. The church practices two ordinances: baptism by immersion of believers in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the Lord's Supper, observed by church members as a memorial of the Redeemer's death and an anticipation of His second coming. Booklets on both baptism and church membership are available online.

The church believes the first day of the week is the Lord's Day, a Christian institution for regular observance that commemorates the resurrection of Christ. It also affirms that a New Testament church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, governed by the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes, with pastors and deacons as its scriptural officers. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

The confession also addresses the Kingdom of God, last things, education, stewardship, the Christian and the social order, religious liberty, marriage and the family, and the cooperation of churches in missionary and benevolent work. On last things, the church teaches that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory, that the dead will be raised, and that Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, and the righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

Missions and Outreach

Sandy Ridge partners with gospel-preaching, disciple-making, church-centered ministries in a variety of locations. Associate Pastor Randy Swisher has organized more than 19 mission trips over his years of service, leading teams to Alaska, Maine, New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Cuba. The church encourages every member to view sharing Christ as both a duty and a privilege, in keeping with its confession of faith on evangelism and missions.

The Willing Hands Ministry is a group of Sandy Ridge members who regularly meet to make items of comfort for those who are unable to shop for themselves. The church also hosts the Carolina Faith Riders, a ministry of the NC Baptist State Convention designed to connect with and reach people in the motorcycle community. The group uses a shared love of motorcycles and the Lord to spread the gospel through special events, rides, and local mission work, meeting on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall.

Throughout the year, the church calendar is filled with recurring events that bring the congregation together. Members gather for Young at Heart Luncheons, Church Family Game Nights, Ladies Retreats, Members' Business Meetings, the Holiday Blessings Bazaar, and special events for children and youth.

Resources, Building, and Getting Connected

The church has invested in a number of resources for its members and visitors. The SRBC Study Bible gives members a shared tool for personal study. Booklets on Salvation, Baptism, Membership, and Getting Plugged In walk newcomers through the basics of Christian faith and church life. A Nursery Policy and Building Use Policy govern the church's facilities, and a Funeral Checklist helps families plan services at the church.

The church's campus includes the sanctuary, a Fellowship Hall used for gatherings like the Carolina Faith Riders meetings, nursery and preschool spaces, and classrooms for children's and student ministry. Giving is available online through Pushpay, and sermons are posted to the church's YouTube channel.

The church office can be reached by phone at (828) 256-8812, by email at info@srbconline.net, or in person at 3702 16th Street NE, Hickory, NC 28601.