A Church on South Highway 76 in Newcastle
Woodland Hills Baptist Church sits along South Highway 76 in Newcastle, Oklahoma, just south of the Oklahoma City metro. It is a cooperating member of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Baptist Convention of Oklahoma, and the Union Baptist Association in Norman. From its location, the church reaches families in Newcastle, Blanchard, Tuttle, Bridge Creek, and the surrounding rural communities of McClain County.
The congregation identifies its mission simply: to demonstrate the love of God to everyone they come into contact with by spreading the word of eternal life through Jesus Christ, by loving, serving, and sharing in the lives of neighbors and community, and by striving to live a life that brings glory and honor to God. Pastor Bruce Christian, who has served the church since August 1992, often tells newcomers that Oklahoma's best quality is its people, and he has seen that grace in the families of Woodland Hills.
Sunday Mornings at Woodland Hills
Two Sunday morning worship services are held each week at 9:30 and 11:00 AM. The 11:00 AM service is interpreted in American Sign Language, and parking lot greeters from the Hospitality Team help guests find their way from the car to a Bible study class and then to the Worship Center. Children from birth through sixth grade can join their parents for the first service or attend age-appropriate classes at the same hour.
Sunday School and Bible study classes meet during the 9:30 AM hour. Children's classes are arranged by age from nursery through sixth grade, with separate rooms for two-year-olds, three-year-olds, preschool, and each elementary grade. Students in seventh through twelfth grade gather by gender and grade, while adults have several classes to choose from, including a College and Career class in room 121 designed for singles ages 18 to 30. At 11:00 AM, WHBC Kids Church meets for children from birth through sixth grade.
Wednesday Nights for Kids, Students, and Adults
Wednesday evenings at Woodland Hills begin at 6:30 PM and offer something for every member of the family. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade attend WHBC Wednesdays, a one-hour program that builds Bible skills and scripture memory through Bible stories, games, and activities.
Students in seventh through twelfth grade gather in the Student Center for student-led worship, a teaching time, and small group discussion. The current teaching series works through the book of Mark, examining who Jesus is, what each listener's decision about Him will be, and how to imitate His life. Adult classes and activities also begin at 6:30, and Wednesday Night Meals are served during the evening for those who want to stay on campus.
Children's Ministry from Birth to Sixth Grade
WHBC Kids exists to help children grow spiritually, worship genuinely, and learn to love God's Word. Sunday School at 9:30 AM, Kid's Church at 11:00 AM, and WHBC Wednesdays at 6:30 PM give children three weekly touchpoints with Bible teaching and caring adult leaders. Children's Director Trina Baker has been involved in children's ministry for about 25 years and has served at Woodland Hills with her husband Scott since 2008. She holds a degree in Christian Ministries from Mid America Christian University.
All adult volunteers who work with children submit to a background check. Parents who would like to know more can reach Trina by email. Each fall, the ministry hosts a fifth and sixth grade lock-in, and Vacation Bible School is part of the summer calendar.
Student Ministry in Junior and Senior High
Camden Andrews leads the student ministry as Youth Pastor. He joined Woodland Hills in December 2022 after earning bachelor's degrees in Biblical Studies, Theology, and Spanish Language from Oklahoma Baptist University and is now pursuing a master of divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Sunday mornings offer Christ-centered Bible study for seventh and eighth graders and for high schoolers, separated by gender so that students can build close relationships. Wednesday nights gather seventh through twelfth graders for a single combined service that moves from worship through teaching into small groups. Beyond the weekly calendar, the ministry plans a girls' retreat to Falls Creek each fall and a boys' camping trip to Ninnekah, Oklahoma, with fishing, hiking, survival skill challenges, and firearm instruction led by an NRA-certified instructor. Medical release and liability waiver forms are required for every student event, and a notary is available in the church office most weekdays and during Wednesday night services.
Worship Through Music
Worship Pastor Mike Shelton has led music ministry at Woodland Hills since the fall of 1993, when he became the church's full-time Minister of Music after serving as an interim bi-vocational director. A graduate of Oklahoma City University in Vocal Music Education, Mike had been a member of WHBC for a year when the church invited him into the role. The music ministry welcomes singers, instrumentalists, and sound and media volunteers of any age or skill level, with no auditions or prerequisites.
The Tri City Hope Center
The Tri City Hope Center is Woodland Hills' main community outreach. Located at 201 S. Main in Newcastle, the Hope Center is open every Thursday from 9:00 to 11:30 AM and 1:00 to 5:00 PM to distribute free food, clothing, hygiene items, and household goods to families in need throughout Newcastle, Blanchard, Tuttle, Bridge Creek, and surrounding rural areas. A utility bill is required as proof of residence.
The center is supported by volunteers who sort donations on Monday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00 AM and serve guests on Thursdays. Donations of non-perishable food, clothing, shoes, toys, household items, small plastic bags, and furniture are accepted on Mondays from 9:00 to 2:00 and Thursdays from 9:00 to 5:00, and an after-hours drop building stands beside the Hope Center for gifts that arrive outside those windows.
Recovery and Pastoral Care Ministries
Celebrate Recovery meets every Thursday at 6:30 PM in the Student Center and is open to anyone 18 and older. The Christ-centered program uses trained leaders and confidential small groups to help people find healing from hurts, habits, and hang-ups such as anger, depression, chemical dependency, codependency, eating disorders, gambling, sexual addiction, and the effects of abuse.
Hosanna Prison Ministry carries the gospel to incarcerated women at Mabel Bassett Prison, where weekday Beth Moore Bible studies run on Monday afternoons and a Mommy and Me tape ministry lets incarcerated mothers record themselves reading books to their children. Mission of Hope surrounds cancer patients and caregivers with cards, calls, and visits. GriefShare offers a structured season of grief support, and Helping Hands sends volunteers to help widows, single parents, the elderly, and other families with light home repairs, yard work, and travel to medical appointments.
What Woodland Hills Believes
The church's statement of faith affirms that the Bible is written by men inspired by God and is therefore inerrant and without fault. Members believe in a holy God who created and loves humanity, that every person has chosen disobedience and stands without hope of eternal life apart from Jesus, and that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, rose in bodily form on the third day, and reigns with God the Father today. The Holy Spirit lives in every person who by faith trusts God for salvation, convicts and guides believers as they submit their will to God's, and only those who put their trust in Jesus will reside in heaven. The church holds the responsibility to tell others of God's love and to grow together in relationship with Him. Woodland Hills points to the Baptist Faith and Message, the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention, as a fuller summary of its teachings.
Getting Connected
Baptism is taught as the public next step after salvation, and those interested can fill out a baptism form online. Church membership is described as becoming a partner with a local body of believers, and newcomers can complete a Join WHBC form to begin that conversation. Service opportunities range from Building Care and the Hospitality Team to Children's, Preschool, and Student Ministry (each requiring a background check), along with the Technology Ministry that handles sound, lighting, computers, and cameras, the Emergency Medical Team, and the Helping Hands practical service ministry.
Tithes and offerings can be given online, by text to 405-696-7568, in the offering boxes located in the foyer and just inside the Worship Center doors, or by mail. Sunday morning services are archived online with notes, and a weekly bulletin is published for each Sunday.