It wasn't the main building at Northpark Baptist Church that was broken into, but rather two storage containers in the back. Between $10,000 and $15,000 in equipment used for an outreach ministry was stolen.
At Wednesday night Bible study, there was an illustrated message of redemption. While outside, there was a lesson in trust.
"It's disappointing," Pastor John Gross said.
Pastor Gross says on Tuesday morning, the grounds crew made a troubling discovery. Both storage containers usually full of field maintenance and baseball equipment had been broken into and thousands of dollars worth of stuff was gone.
"It's unbelievable that somebody would steal from a church," Gross said.
And not just the church. They also stole from the community.
"We have three fields actually," Gross said.
Every Saturday, 400 kids ages 4 to 13, both members and non-members play on the fields in the church's baseball league.
"It serves the community and it's just a tremendous opportunity for us as an outreach," Gross said.
They've been doing it for 10 years. Sometime between last Saturday and Tuesday, someone believed to be familiar with what they had took advantage.
"We're just assuming that they came in and cut the bolt and the lock, dragged the equipment and took it back here to the back," Gross said.
Still, there will be baseball this Saturday.
"Do what we have to do to make ready," he said.
Pastor Gross is confident his congregation will step up and if given the chance. There could also be a lesson in forgiveness.
"We would forgive them. We would certainly want some repentance, but yeah, we would do our part to help them," Gross said.
The crooks took four-wheelers, lawn equipment, and everything else down to baseballs.
The church has reported to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
The church also has security cameras on the grounds but now plan to put more out back.
