When Nate and Michaela Gay felt called to plant a church, one thing was clear: it needed to be in a major urban center. After a season of prayer and fasting, they couldn’t shake the pull toward Denver. A city where, within its limits, over 90% of the population doesn’t identify as church-going Christians. A city full of people far from God—but deeply loved by Him.
In February 2024, they launched DEVO Church right in the heart of Denver—and God has already been writing incredible stories.
One of those stories started on launch Sunday. A person who had been part of a local gang walked into service, encountered the presence of God, and gave their life to Jesus. Soon after, they made the decision to be baptized and walk away from that life for good.
“We didn’t tell the story publicly at the time to protect this person’s privacy,” Nate and Michaela explain, “but we knew what God had done. And it was one of the most powerful moments we’ve seen.”
Nate and Michaela’s journey with ARC has come full circle. They were both saved and baptized in an ARC church, served on staff at an ARC church, and when it came time to plant? “The first question we asked was, ‘When do we call ARC?’”
Through coaching, relationship, and a proven launch model, ARC helped DEVO Church go from vision to reality—with the tools and encouragement to build a life-giving church for a city in need.
“We weren’t trying to be the greatest thing,” Nate says. “Just the latest thing God could use.”
