What has been one of the most defining ministry moments in your life?
I see God’s faithfulness throughout our whole journey. From calling my wife and me back to our hometown, to supernaturally assembling a launch team and providing all the funds needed to launch in just 3.5 months, to birthing another life-giving church where people can come to know Jesus personally and live for Him passionately – only God! Seeing God move in the lives of so many in our community is a blessing. Families who never went to church are now plugged in and growing in their faith. Disengaged husbands are getting saved and now living for and serving the Lord. Kids can’t wait for church and come running through the doors to learn more about Jesus. The word of God is coming alive in so many peoples’ hearts for the first time. We count it an absolute blessing and privilege to have front-row seats to Jesus building His church!
What is your church known for in your community?
In the short few years Alive Family Church has been around, I think we have become best known in our community for providing family-friendly and welcoming environments. We have provided experiences and events that have engaged the whole family and helped them associate fun with God. Every 4th of July, we pass out free red, white, and blue balloons to all the kids lining the downtown parade route. We have set up multiple times in the popular downtown family area to pass out free popsicles, provide games for the kids to play, and give away gift cards. For our first two Christmases, we put on a full kid-friendly production that many families loved and found a relationship with Jesus through. God is helping us fulfill the name Alive “FAMILY” Church in our community.
Choose one word to describe the story of your life or your church. Why?
Faithfulness. For God to make it very clear through His Word that He was calling my wife and I plant and pastor Alive Family Church, and in only eight short months bring it to pass as we opened our doors to our community, is a testament to God’s amazing faithfulness. The whole church planting journey has been a beautiful story of God’s faithfulness to our family personally as well as to our community. What an incredible story to be caught in the middle of.
Is there anything else you want to share with us about your journey in ministry or where your church is today?
We are so thankful for ARC.
Before launching Alive Family Church, my wife and I had been on staff in ministry at our previous church for eight years. We gained a lot of great experience and knew how to do ministry pretty well, but we had no clue how to plant and pastor a church. When we began to sense the call to plant a church, we felt so excited and overwhelmed at the same time. One night, my wife Googled: “How do you plant a church?” One of the first links we clicked was ARC’s website. We watched the videos and immediately felt the Holy Spirit pull us into this amazing family. The ARC Intensive, our coach, and the wealth of resources and wisdom provided by ARC allowed Alive Family Church to go from a dream in our hearts to an actual life-giving church. We are so thankful to be part of such a powerful family. Thanks for staying committed to the mission; we are truly better together!
Join us for ARC Conference this October, as we celebrate the stories that have made the past 20 years of ARC so special, and look forward to the many more yet to be told. Visit arcconference.com to register.
Your story is our story. We want to hear from you! Visit www.arcchurches.com/shareyourstory to share what God has done in you and your local church.
