Our [Brief] History

Listed below are just some of the various milestones in the brief life of The Church at Trace Crossing.

January 2006: Nine people and their children begin meeting together in each other’s homes for the purpose of Bible study, prayer, and mutual encouragement.

February 2006-March 2006: The group visits various churches including Colonial Hills Church in Southaven, MS, where they are encouraged by the staff and small group ministry of the church.

April 2006: After much prayer and soul searching, the group nine collectively determines that God is leading them to plant a new church in the Tupelo community.

May 7, 2006: The “no name church” visits with the founding members of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL to discover how God led them to plant that church.

June 2006: The church begins meeting in four small rooms at the Tupelo Furniture Market (Mississippi Building) each Sunday and Wednesday and grows to almost 20 people.

August 4, 2006: The church invites Kevin Wood from The Church at Brook Hills to become their first pastor.

August 20, 2006: Kevin Wood accepts the invitation from the “no name church” to become their first pastor. The church adopts the name “The Church at Trace Crossing” and begins preparing for life as a functioning faith family.

August 31, 2006: The Church at Trace Crossing is incorporated at halftime of a Mississippi State football game. Fortunately, the next 4 months went better for Trace Crossing than MSU.

September 24, 2006: The Church at Trace Crossing gathers for the first time in the Hancock Leadership Center on the Itawamba Community College campus. They spend the day praying together and eating together, asking God to bless the work ahead.

October 1, 2006: The Church at Trace Crossing meets officially for their first worship gathering with Kevin Williams leading worship and Kevin Wood preaching. 45 people attend.

October 21-22, 27-28, 2006: Five members of the church attend the Mississippi Baptist Convention’s Basic Training for church planters in Booneville, MS.

January 2007: The church signs a lease on a store front in the West Main Shopping Center, giving them 10,000 square feet for worshipping together, children’s ministry, and student ministry. 

January 3, 2007 – March 4, 2007: The church begins SixtyDays in the Dust, a 60-day journey of working together and walking together as they prepare their new facility.

March 25, 2007: The first two baptisms in the life of the Trace Crossing faith family, Susan Self and Buffi Gray, a mother and daughter.

August 5, 2007: Trace Crossing hosts the Back-2-School Bash for the kids of Ida Street. Over 300 bags of school supplies are handed out and several hundred people enjoy the day together on rides, games, and other events. VIEW PICTURES FROM THE BACK-2-SCHOOL BASH HERE.


September 30, 2007: The Trace Crossing faith family gathers at Elvis Presley Lake for a baptism and barbecue as the church celebrates its first birthday. 5 people are baptized in the lake as a sign of their commitment to Christ.

March 15, 2008: Trace Crossing gives an Easter Egg Hunt to the kids of Ida Street. They hide over 5,000 eggs in the park and 100-plus kids of all ages have a blast. There is music, testimonies, and the gospel is shared with the kids.
VIEW PICTURES FROM THE EASTER OUTREACH HERE.