Jessica Hanewinckel

We want a community, not just a church service.

Karen Smith credits much of that growth to how well the longtime members have welcomed new, younger members., Both groups have proven they're willing to compromise and adapt.

To follow Christ is to die to self. And when you’re suffering mentally, dying to self looks like choosing to live, which is ironic, but there it is. It’s choosing to embrace life and not to despair.

Ask yourself, "Who is in my neighborhood that’s not in my church, and what are the barriers keeping them from feeling welcome?"

The church has helped firefighters provide free smoke detectors to the community, built ramps to make buildings more accessible, provided meals to seniors, and spent “Serve Sundays” picking up trash around town.

The women involved in Loose Threads make pillows for kids being adopted, tote bags and clothing for children in foster care, and bibs for intellectually disabled people living in a local long-term care facility.

Because the church is big on families, many events are geared toward kids, including bull riding for teens; Little Wranglers, an event that lets kids ride a horse, milk a pretend cow, “brand” goats with flour and a mop, and barrel race with stick horses; and a special needs kids rodeo.

With all the racial tension in the last couple years, we decided this is an opportunity for us to take a stand and be clear about who we want to be as a church.