The birthing of Springs Of Life Fellowship began in germination form in 1994, as a number of believers from Homestead Heights Baptist Church in Durham began earnestly praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that would lead to revival in our churches and spiritual awakening in our city.  As the prayer movement grew, there was a sense that God was about to do something new.  Our hearts' desire was that this "something new" would be in our own church, but if not, we were willing to make adjustments to join Him elsewhere.  The small group Bible study, "Experiencing God", had a tremendous impact on all of us who had been meeting for prayer on Saturday mornings at the Ridgecrest Baptist Church Prayer Chapel.  We knew God was about to do something and wanted us to join Him, but we didn’t know clearly what it was or the timing He had in mind.  So we continued Saturday after Saturday for many months seeking God’s face and listening to what He was saying.

Finally, in God’s timing, January 1996, it started to become clear that He wanted us to join Him in birthing a new church fellowship that would follow the pattern of Acts 2.  A church whose standard for faith and practice would be the Scriptures alone.  A church that would be driven by prayer instead of programs.  A church where God’s Word would be communicated truthfully and practically and without compromise.  A church where people would gather informally in small groups for accountability, support, and spiritual growth.  A church where every member would have a place of ministry, using their time, talents and treasures for the building up of the whole body.  A church that would be used of the Lord to break down the walls of racism, classism, and denominationalism.  A place to be "real" to be yourself and not have to pretend to be somebody you are not, playing the "church game."  A church not led by majority or dictator rule, but by the New Testament pattern of Elders and Deacons; men full of the Holy Spirit devoted to prayer and the ministry of the Word, not lording it over the flock but who shepherd the flock with tender loving care.  A church where there was so much love and integrity that good rumors would begin to circulate among the lost, and when unchurched people would come to see what was going on, they would find Christ.  A church where there would be a sense of the miraculous, where what was happening could not be explained in human terms.

Ten couples formed the initial leadership team God would use to begin building the foundation of this new work.  We asked God to give us His vision and mission which would determine our direction and future.  We asked Him to give us the name for His new fellowship.  "We waited patiently upon the Lord, and he answered our prayer." Psalm 40:1 . The answer came from Isaiah 43:18-21: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise."  From this verse came Springs Of Life Fellowship.  We didn’t dream about how to be a big church.  We dreamed about Acts 2.  We dreamed about what it would feel like to be part of a biblically functioning community. We dreamed about how to be the church.  And we believed that the dream was straight from the heart of Jesus.  To say we caught the vision is inaccurate.  The real truth is that the vision caught us.   It captured us, excited us, overwhelmed us.  Suddenly, it was the only vision that made sense, the only vision that seemed worth committing our lives to.  Within a matter of months, a new church was born on Easter Sunday, April 7, 1996.  To God be the glory!

Wanting to convey to others from Durham and around the world our deep commitment to the Bible and the local church we changed our name to Springs of Life Bible Church in 2000.  The Bible is truly the spring from which we drink of God’s infallible Word as we grow to be the church He wants us to be.  May our thirst for God and His Word ever grow!