In August of 2004, Denny and Bridget Henderson moved to Austin and began a one-year preparation process for planting a Hill Country Bible Church at The University of Texas. During Winter/Spring 2005, vision and prayer meetings were held to inform people of the opportunity to be a part of the new church plant. Many individuals and families stepped forward to reach the campus and community at UT. On May 14, 2005, the first membership seminar for Hill Country UT was held. By August 27, 2005 the founding members chartered the church and experienced the first public service at Concordia University on September 11th. By January 2006, Hill Country UT was allowed to start meeting on campus in the Texas Union Theater and was later moved to its current facility at 405 West 22nd Street where it grew in attendance and programs.
Yet, in Spring 2007, holy unrest seized the elders of the church and they were brought back to the root of the church's purpose: knowing Christ and making Him known. The church was growing in size and "knowing Christ", but they were not significantly affecting the surrounding culture or "making Him known." They needed to mobilize the church to actually practice a missional lifestyle. For Hill Country UT, this meant spending less time gathering students into the church building and more time training up current students and sending them out to love the campus and live life with their friends while intentionally sharing truth.
Hill Country Bible Church NW
Hill Country Bible Church began on October 23, 1985, when seventeen people met together in a home to discuss the possibility of starting a new church in Northwest Austin. Most of those present were attending a church in the area but sensed a need for a more balanced ministry. Out of that need came the vision for what became the first Hill Country Bible Church.
Attendees of the first vision meeting were intent upon establishing a church that would effectively minister to every part of the family of God. The consensus of the group was that the church use the best of both traditional and innovative approaches to ministry and outreach. This initial meeting was concluded with a study of scriptures relating to the New Testament Church, a moving time of prayer, and stronger relationships. The group voted to move forward with the plans for the new church. God tells us if we will be obedient and faithful to Him, He will bless us and draw near. That is exactly what has happened with Hill Country Bible Church. Since that early meeting, God has worked in miraculous ways to move His ministry forward. We give Him all the glory.
And so it began.
God provided Spicewood Elementary School as HCBC's first facility and the first worship service was held with 75 people in attendance. J. David Drummond was the first pastor, serving until 1988.
In 1992, the HCBC elders were confronted with the realization that God was calling the church to reach the city of Austin with the life-changing reality of Jesus Christ. Consequently, they began to formulate a plan to strategically accomplish this God-sized vision. It was unanimously decided that church planting was the most effective way to do this. Hence, the Association of Hill Country Churches was born. Since that time, God has been raising up families and individuals to plant churches. With an ever-growing number of "daughter" churches, the original Hill Country Bible Church claimed the designation of HCBC Northwest to distinguish it from the other churches in the Association.
Since the church-planting vision was established, the Association had maintained hope for a church plant on or near the UT campus. In 2004, Denny Henderson entered the mix of church-planters in Austin, Texas, specifically with the intent to plant a church on the UT campus.