By: Anne DeVries
Launching an expanding presence in the community, Austin Ridge Bible Church held its first service at its newest satellite location at Westlake High School in January. The new location will be the church's 6th campus in the Austin area, as it strives to increase attendance capacity and serve its growing membership.
Austin Ridge was initially founded as Westlake Bible Church in 1980. Since its inception, it has grown to include a membership of nearly 7,000. The church's main campus at 9300 Bee Caves Road expanded in 2022 to include a 2,500-seat worship center.
They opened their first satellite campus, the Southwest campus, on W Hwy 71 in 2006. In response to growth in the surrounding Austin area, a Dripping Springs location was opened in 2010 at Dripping Springs Middle School, 111 Tiger Lane, Dripping Springs. A permanent new facility is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2027.
Services were launched for their 4th location in 2023 at Marble Falls Middle School, 1511 Pony Dr, Marble Falls, to serve the growing Highland Lakes community. Land and design plans have been secured to build a permanent facility.
In 2024, Austin Ridge purchased Great Hills Baptist Church at 10500 Jollyville Rd. The 5th Austin Ridge location, the North Hills Campus, will be under renovation shortly and is scheduled for completion in 2027.
Lead pastor Brad Thomas recently shared with Austin Ridge attendees the mission to establish yet another campus at Westlake High School, stating, “We start more campuses because we have 2.2 million people in Austin who need to encounter the living God. We start more campuses because if everyone in Austin showed up at a local church in Austin, there aren’t nearly enough seats and parking to hold all of the people in Austin who need to hear the good news.”
Their newest location at Westlake High School began holding services in January at 9:00 and 11:00 am. The campus provides live streaming from the Bee Caves Campus and will also host Thomas and his team of pastors for live services throughout the year. Volunteers will be on hand to greet attendees, and the live music will be a part of the experience each week at Westlake High School. Guests should note that childcare will not be available at the new location initially. It is provided weekly at the Bee Caves, Southwest, Dripping Springs, and Highland Lakes during Sunday services.
Austin Ridge's ministry extends far beyond Sunday worship services. The church offers a wide range of opportunities, including Bible studies tailored for men and women, life groups that foster community, Bible-based children's programming during Sunday services, dedicated groups for singles, college students, and young adults, a special-needs ministry, and more.
The church's global outreach is coordinated through "Ridge Missions,” which includes nine distinct international programs and many local and domestic partnerships. Various learning summits are held throughout the year at the main campus, along with Christian music performances by well-known artists.
Volunteer opportunities at the Westlake High School campus are available for those who want to support the new Austin Ridge campus. Visit austinridge.org/serve for more information.
