Every Sunday, The Church Under the Bridge can be seen by onlookers, gathering, worshipping and coming together for community What began as a simple invitation by a few homeless men to start a Bible study under the bridge has now become a well-known Waco ministry and nonprofit.
With a large emphasis on serving Waco’s homeless community, the church maintains its services outdoors to remain accessible for everyone, no matter what their story or situation. But, with
Texas weather being notoriously unpredictable, one question looms: how do the changing seasons affect the Sunday services?
Pastor Jimmy Dorrell has led the congregation since its beginning. He said the answer has remained the same over the years, no matter the weather the church will still have service.
“We have not missed a Sunday in 32 years,” Dorrell said, “Weather is not an issue, and we’ll be here no matter what.”
The ministry serves the community much further than just a service on Sundays, with additional activities and hot meals provided by local businesses, the ministry has formed a community of devoted attendees.
One churchgoer, Frank Q., said that he is there every Sunday, whatever the weather forecast holds.
“Rain, shine, or sleet, it don’t make a difference. We will be here. It can be as cold as you want it to be, we’ll still be here,” he said.
Holding the service outdoors serves as a reminder for the ministry of the community they serve and what some of the attendees go through in their everyday lives,
Dorrell said that while the weather doesn’t impact their services it does affect their “reminder of what people live like.”
After realizing the impact, they have had on those in the Waco community, they choose to have the service no matter what the weatherman predicts the conditions will be.
This story was produced by Baylor Student Abby Roper and is part of the Baylor University Student Journalism Collaboration with KWBU.