What a year!
2022 at Irving Bible Church was full of growth, connection, and story after story of God's goodness. Keep scrolling for a peek back at all we experienced together over the past year.
KIDS
With the help of an amazing team of volunteers, our Kids ministry has grown to serve 250 children on average each Sunday. There were plenty of opportunities for fun and engagement last year, including a Palm Sunday processional, new class-specific Bible studies, volunteer socials, and even a holiday gingerbread party. Our IBC family celebrated the baptism of 23 kids last year, and saw many more grow deeper in understanding the gospel and God’s love for them. In addition, we served 400 kids through Vacation Bible School—nearly half of whom were new to IBC.
YOUTH
After a rough couple of years marked by the isolation of the COVID pandemic, 2022 was a time when IBC youth came together and grew together. From the community built during Fall Retreat to the missional impact made during For Our City weekend, our middle school and high school students showed their passion for Jesus, each other, and the world. We celebrated the baptism of 18 youth and welcomed more than 70 new students throughout the year. And all of this was only possible with the dedicated and sacrificial help of our adult volunteers.
YOUNG ADULTS
Last year was one of both rapid growth and deep community for young adults here at IBC. Centered around weekly Thursday night discussion groups, our Young Adults ministry grew from about 20 attendees to more than 80! The fall series focused on how to wrestle with complex topics, which our young adults did with love and grace. There were also plenty of other ways to engage, whether through Sunday lunches, a game of capture the flag, summer potlucks, or a joint ice cream social with Arise.
ARISE
Anyone who walks into our Arise space here at IBC knows what it feels like to be truly welcomed. Each Sunday our volunteers serve (and are blessed by!) an average of 15 children with special needs. The ministry continues beyond Sundays with monthly Respite, a weekly adult Bible Study, sensory-friendly spaces at church-wide celebrations, and special events like our annual Talent Show. Because of outreach efforts, eight new Arise families began attending worship regularly in 2022. Arise continues to grow and our church body is so much richer as a result.
BIBLE COMMUNITIES
In 2022, our Bible Communities continued to be an amazing source of community and Biblical teaching. An invaluable long-time ministry at IBC, these mid-sized groups offered welcoming and accessible spaces for IBCers to dig into scripture together each week. More than 200 people met across six different Bible communities last year, representing a variety of ages and stages. Many Bible Community members also gathered to celebrate and serve outside of their weekly meeting times, further deepening relationships.
MARRIAGE
Led by a team of dedicated volunteers, IBC’s Marriage ministry saw continued growth this year. We doubled the number of mentors in our pre-marriage program, enabling us to reach even more engaged couples. Throughout the year, hundreds of IBC couples were challenged and encouraged through date nights, single-day workshops, and multi-week classes like Connecting Through Conflict. Each event weaved together Biblical teaching, theological truths, and practical application to help couples connect with Jesus and each other.
WOMEN
This past year, more than 400 women participated in Women at IBC's weekly Bible study—more than a quarter of whom were first-time attendees. And for the first time in over a decade, staff and volunteers collaborated together to write their own study on the parables of Jesus, set to launch in early 2023. During Advent, 300 women of all ages and stages gathered together at Rejoice, the women's annual Christmas dinner, to share a meal, connect in friendship, and worship together. God is moving in the lives of women at IBC!
MEN
Last year, more than 100 men met regularly across IBC to experience gospel transformation alongside others in community. Whether it was on Friday mornings at First Watch or through additional bi-weekly small groups, men chose to ground their identities in Jesus—making a big impact on their families, their work, and their lives. Mission was a big theme of 2022, as our men continued to support the Emprende ministry in Honduras, plus a new ministry in Mexico that reached hundreds of prison inmates with the gospel each week.
FORMATION
Formation is the crux of our discipleship ministry here at IBC. Each week, small groups met on campus and at homes all across the metroplex, connecting in community and growing in Christ. More than 100 people participated in five Formation launches over the course of 2022, bringing the total number of active Formation groups to 32—the most since the ministry's inception in 2016. In addition to meeting regularly, many of these groups also served together to support IBC's local partners.
MISSIONS
Missions has always been at the heart of IBC, and 2022 was no exception. More than 200 IBCers were mobilized to serve local partners, while additional teams travelled across the globe to Honduras and Spain. A new partnership was launched with Academy 4, offering monthly mentorship to local fourth graders. And, like they always do, our IBC family stepped up by meeting the tangible needs of our neighbors, including providing 530 backpacks full of school supplies and more than 400 Thanksgiving bags.
WORSHIP
2022 was marked by many meaningful moments of worship here at IBC. We celebrated God's goodness to us on Easter Sunday, His 60 years of faithfulness to IBC on Family Weekend, and even His nearness as we worshipped intimately and "unplugged" after an unexpected power outage. We extended the celebration into Town Square through events like our annual Thanks for the Nations meal and our amazing hospitality team welcomed more than 1,000 brand new visitors in 2022. We worship an awesome God, and what a blessing that we get to do it together!
CARE MINISTRIES
Life is hard, and all of us need help navigating it from time to time. In 2022, six Hope & Healing groups gave support to more than 100 people walking through difficult seasons of grief, divorce, abuse, and more. Volunteer leaders dedicated more than 300 hours to ensure participants were heard and cared for. In our weekly Recovery ministry, God brought new faces to the group seeking the freedom and transformation that only God can bring. We also continued our work to de-stigmatize Recovery by hosting a workshop highlighting the Gospel in the Twelve Steps.
ALPHA
Alpha was a newly launched ministry in 2022, designed as a safe space for people to ask questions about life, faith, and Jesus. Our inaugural year saw three cohorts meet with a total of nearly 40 participants. Each week, attendees shared a meal, explored a topic, and connected over honest conversation. With the help of IBCers in 2023, we hope to grow this unique ministry, increasing our outreach to our neighbors and others who don't yet know the transforming love of Jesus.
CELEBRATING 60 YEARS
In 2022, we celebrated 60 years of Irving Bible Church. All the way back to 1962, God has been using this church body to bless our neighbors across the street and around the world. Since those first meetings in Harvey's BBQ we've grown, moved, and adopted a new vision—but our heart for God and His people still remains the same.
Click below to hear a few stories of God's work through IBC over the decades.
ANNUAL MEETING
Our IBC family gathered together on January 29, 2023 for our Annual Meeting. Missed it? You can view the recording below, or click here to take a look at the presentation.
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