Our Heritage
On the afternoon of June 10, 1974 a meeting was held at the fire station on Calella Road to consider forming a Church of Christ in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. A small group of people, including some from Hot Springs congregations was brought together by Weston Tucker, Vice President of Cooper Communities, whose responsibility was the development of the Village. At that time only the families of Floyd and Helen Turnage, John and Helen Lewis and Weston Tucker (and later Weston's wife, Mary Lou) were the only Villagers known to be members of the Church of Christ. After much discussion and prayer, it was decided to start a congregation.
The first worship service was held at 2:00 p.m., June 16, 1974 at the fire station in the Village. Brother McCourt preached the first sermon. There were 25 people in attendance, including Cecil and Jo Goings, the Tuckers, Turnages and the Lewis's. Others in attendance were from the Richard Street and Hazel Street congregations in Hot Springs.
As the congregation grew, the church family realized that to be more effective in reaching out to others, they needed to have their own building. Cooper Communities donated the property to the church, but funds to build with were out of reach. In the meantime, Brother Leon DeLoach, a realtor, had moved out of a double-wide trailer which had been converted into a business on Highway 7, three miles south of the front gate. Having met resistance from outsiders willing to come into the Village, it was decided to buy the building. An auditorium was added and the first service was held in June of 1975. Classrooms were added in 1976.
The church began to flourish and became active in benevolence, missions and evangelism. God blessed their work and their vision with growth and prosperity. By 1984, the population of Hot Springs Village had increased significantly. They could "See The Possibilities" of opportunity within the Village. The church stepped out on faith. We are currently located at 403 Barcelona Road on property that was acquired from Cooper Communities and the first phase of construction was completed. Services were first held in the new building in October of 1985. As the church grew and attracted more young families, the need for classrooms, offices, and an activities center was evident. In 1995, the new addition was completed.
Now, in 2009 the Village Church is challenged once again. The Shepherds vision is to build anew, relocating to the center of the Village on Balboa Road and Letrista. There we, like those before us, with courage and God's blessing, will "See The Possibilities" to take Jesus to the world now and through generations to come.
We urge each of you to visit us when you are in Arkansas. Imagine a place where you can bring friends and neighbors who will be treated with love and respect regardless of who and what they are. Hot Springs Village is an oasis just waiting for you. We can be reached by telephone at 501-922-2827 or by e-mail at vcoc@suddenlinkmail.com. Come join us, we look forward to meeting you!
