In Loving Memory

of our Founding Pastor, Sam Stone

Brushy Creek Cowboy Church Beginnings

The Story of Brushy Creek Cowboy Church

Brushy Creek Cowboy Church was founded in the spring of 2007 through the Texas Fellowship of Cowboy Churches, now known as the American Fellowship of Cowboy Churches. The organization approached Samuel Stone and asked if he would become the start-up pastor of a new church in a small community that had little more than a post office, a beer store, a gas station, and one other church. Sam accepted the challenge, trusting that God had a plan and believing it was his calling to fulfill that plan.

Why Brushy Creek?

As Sam studied the area and prayed for God to provide a name for the new church, he discovered Brushy Creek, a watershed that gathered water from many parts of Callahan County. To Sam, that was a beautiful picture of what he believed the church would become—a place that would gather people from all across the area, not just from Putnam. And so, Brushy Creek Cowboy Church was born.

From a Beer Store to a Church

The next challenge was finding a place for the new congregation to meet. There weren't many buildings available that were suitable

for church gatherings. But there was one building on Travis Street, just down from the Post Office, that showed promise. There was only one problem. The sign on the front said “Discount Beer.” Sam and his family went to work. They cleaned the building,

painted the walls, hung saddle blankets to help dampen the sound, found free used church pews for seating, purchased a sound system, accepted donations of songbooks, and even found a horse trough to use as a baptismal.

It wasn't fancy—but it was a beginning. Postcards were sent throughout the community announcing that the first Sunday service would be held on the first Sunday of May 2007. When that Sunday arrived, the building was full. Family, friends, and local residents came to see what this new church was all about. Sam and his family prepared a meal for everyone, and the celebration was a success.

Many of those who came that first Sunday returned the following week.

God's Air Conditioning

One of Pastor Sam's favorite stories from those early days was the story of how God provided air conditioning for the church. Summer arrived with a vengeance, and the old building was becoming unbearably hot. Sam had placed two large refrigerated units in the back of the building, but they simply couldn't cool the space enough for the congregation. Sam was stumped—and the congregation was just plain hot. Then one night, Sam was suddenly awakened from his sleep with a message he believed was from God:

The building already had a perfect air-conditioning system. Why wasn't he using it?

The answer was the old beer cooler box. Sam felt he was given clear instructions: cut a hole in the wall covering the face of the cooler, place a simple box fan in the opening, turn on the refrigeration unit, and crack open the door leading into the old beer cooler.

The following Sunday, the church was so cool that the women were looking for a wrap or light jacket. Sometimes God's answers come from places we never expected.

A New Home

God continued to bless Brushy Creek Cowboy Church, and the congregation grew. Within a year, property was purchased and construction began on what would become the church's present building. The first Easter service in the new building was held before

everything was finished. There were no lights yet, and everyone brought their own chair.

But none of that mattered. It was a wonderful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

By May 2008, the current building was completed, and the congregation moved into its new home. What began in a small building that once housed a beer store had become a growing church family—a church built on faith, obedience, hard work, and a willingness to follow wherever God led.

A Church Built on Faith

The story of Brushy Creek Cowboy Church is a reminder that God doesn't always begin His work with perfect buildings, abundant resources, or easy circumstances. Sometimes He starts with a calling. Sometimes He starts with a family willing to work. Sometimes He starts with a handful of people sitting in a borrowed or unlikely building. And sometimes, He even uses an old beer cooler to show the way.

From those humble beginnings in 2007, Brushy Creek Cowboy Church has continued to be a place where people from across the area can come together, worship Jesus Christ, fellowship with one another, and experience the love and grace of God.

This is our story.

This is how Brushy Creek Cowboy Church began.

And we believe God is still writing the story.

Come be part of the story.