Olive Baptist Church

When are your services?

On Sundays, we have three Worship Services throughout the day. The morning services are at 9:30am and 11:00am, and on Sunday afternoon we have another service at 6:00pm

Also on Sundays, we offer "Sunday School" classes which we call Connection Groups. These groups all meet before the Sunday morning services at either 8:00 am or 9:30 am. We've found that joining a Connection Group really helps one to grow, so find a Connection Group that fits you and come participate!

Olive seems like such a large church.
How can I connect with people like me?

Despite our large gatherings for worship services, we still have plenty to offer to help you connect with people just like you. We've found the key to meaningful relationships and spiritual growth is in small groups.

We do offer "Sunday School" classes which we call Connection Groups. These groups all meet before the Sunday morning services at either 8:00 am or 9:30 am. We've found that joining a Connection Group really helps one to grow, so find a Connection Group that fits you and come participate!

Where are you located?

Olive is located at the corner of Olive Road and Davis Highway just North of Interstate-10 at exit 13.

You can use the map below to help find us, or you can get directions.

View Larger Map & Get Directions

Where do I go the first time I visit Olive?

There are welcome stations in both the main foyer area of the Worship Center and in the Simmons Building (children's building). There will be people there who will be happy to help you find where you need to go.

Where should I park?

There is parking for first time guests in the small shaded parking lot on the north end of the complex between the Simmons Building and University Parkway. There will be a greeter there to help you find your way around the church.

Is there handicap parking?

Handicap parking is provided in two areas. There is handicap parking on the Davis Highway side in front of the ROC and on the Northwest side of the complex next to both the Simmons Building and the Worship Center.

Where is the main entrance?

There are actually 14 entrances through which to enter the complex, so the main entrance is really the one that is the most convenient for you to enter through. Most people enter through the ROC entrance, the Atrium entrance, or either of our two covered drop-off areas. For security reasons during weekday operations we keep only three entrances open which are monitored by video cameras. The entrances are the two covered drop off areas and the ROC entrance.

Where do I take my children or teenager on Sunday?

Children (birth through 5th grade) will be in the Simmons Building and there are two welcome centers in that building. Youth (6th through 12th grades) will most often be in the Passmore Hall area but it is best if you stop by one of the welcome centers so someone can make sure they get to the right class.

Will someone contact me if I come to church there?

If you are a guest at our church and fill out a guest registration card, then we feel obligated to contact you and let you know that we appreciated your visit and we would like to see if you have any questions that we could help you with. Most of our contact times will be on Monday evenings.

What does it mean to be a “member” of Olive?

By becoming a member of a church this says that you have identified with that church and will support that church through your service and giving. In Scripture we see where believers were identified with various churches – this meant they worked in and supported that church. If you are a believer then you are already part of the Church which is the overall body of Christ made up of all believers. However, it is essential for your personal growth as a believer that you join a local church. It is also essential to the growth of the church as a whole that you give of yourself and your resources to a local body of believers.

How do I become a member of Olive?

Once you have discerned that God is leading you to join our fellowship, you will be given an opportunity to join our church at the end of each Sunday service. After the pastor preaches he will ask you to respond by coming forward to express what God is leading you to do. You can come either to the pastor on the main floor or to one of the two pastoral staff members who are stationed at either side of the balcony. After you tell the pastor or one of the other ministers what God is leading you to do then they will introduce you to a person that we call an Encourager who will walk with you to a quiet room where they will talk to you about your decision.

There are basically four ways you can join Olive as a member:

1. By becoming a Christian.
   Many people join our church this way when they come to understand their need for Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Through this process they have come to understand that they are sinful and Jesus loves them, wants to forgive them, and wants to change them into a new person. Once they have believed on Christ for salvation then they must be baptized to become a member. (See: What is baptism and why or how does it apply to me?)
2. By baptism.
   This could apply to several groups of people. You may have been a believer for quite some time, but you have never been baptized. Or you may be coming from a church that either sprinkled you as a child or taught that baptism was essential for salvation. In any of these cases we ask that you be baptized either for the first time or again in some cases in order to become a member.
3. By letter.
   Whenever you join a Southern Baptist church, we keep a record of your membership. This record is called your “letter.”  So when you move your membership from one Southern Baptist church to another then you move or transfer your letter. When you come to join Olive you will need to tell us what Southern Baptist church you are coming from and then we will contact that church and let them know that you have joined our fellowship. After this they will then transfer your membership to us.
4. By statement. You may not be coming from another Southern Baptist church but, if you have been saved and baptized and you are coming from another evangelical church that believes similar to Olive in doctrine and practices baptism in the same manner, then you will be accepted as a member upon your statement of salvation and baptism. You will not be required to be baptized again.

What is baptism and why or how does it apply to me?

Baptism is a command that the Lord Jesus gave to His followers. In fact this was the first thing He did at the beginning of His ministry on Earth. We require this because we believe the Bible is very clear about baptism being for all believers. We see in Scripture where baptism is only for believers and not for children or infants who have yet to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Finally, we see baptism as being symbolic and not something that is essential for one's salvation. We do believe that if a believer has not been baptized then he or she will not experience God's full measure of blessings because they have yet to follow the very first command that Jesus gave us to follow.

Why does Olive baptize by placing someone completely under the water (immersion)?

There are several reasons why we do this:

• Every baptism in Scripture including Jesus' was by immersion.
• It best symbolizes Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.
• The Greek word for baptize means “to immerse or dip under water.”

We are in the military and will only be here for a short time – should we still join?

Yes. We have found that individuals or families who are here for only a few months and still join are much more involved than those who don't join. This also helps them to more easily find and get involved in a church at their next duty station or job assignment.

If I am not a member can I still attend?

Yes. You can participate in many aspects of the body life of the church, but you will not be allowed to be in leadership or to participate in the church business sessions. Incidentally, we have found that those who are not members are less likely to be fully involved in the church and tend to not grow as fast spiritually as those who become members.

How do I listen to the pastor's messages and what's available?

You will find several of Pastor's sermons online freely available for you to download and listen.

From which translation of Scripture does Dr. Traylor preach?

Dr. Traylor uses the New American Standard Bible (NASB). However, he uses many other translations to study and prepare his messages.