Middle-class families, leather-clad
bikers, senior citizens and a throng of teen-agers lift their hands
and voices in worship. Moments later, the blended congregation claps
to the rhythm of a saxophone solo. During a fellowship time, white-haired
grandmas and bikers exchange hugs and teen-agers slap high fives with
adults. The family atmosphere is obvious at Vision Fellowship Assembly
of God in Thornton, Colo., a Denver suburb of 82,000 residents.
The church has grown
from 60 worshipers to more than 350.
It’s been like this since 1997
when Lewis Bell, senior pastor, agreed to consider a merger of his startup
church with a dwindling congregation. Bell agreed to a three-week trial
run. The boards from both churches then voted to merge. "We were
a young and progressive congregation," Bell says. "Their congregation
was traditional, and [at first] I didn’t think our ministries would
mesh well. But I knew the Holy Spirit was doing something in all of
our hearts when both boards voted unanimously to merge."
Since then, the church has grown
from 60 worshipers to more than 350 due to an aggressive and unique
evangelism strategy. "As long as the gospel is not being watered
down, we’ll use any means to reach the lost," says Bell, who
is known for using live animals during sermon illustrations. "But
our progressive nature does not take away from the moving of the Spirit."
Clifford Mussey, 70, formerly a
member of the traditional congregation, agrees and says the number of
people being saved is evidence that God is at work in and through the
eclectic congregation. "The love is so deep here," he says.
"A congregation has to reach out to its community and we have to
have an open mind to do that."
That approach has reaped benefits.
When 39-year-old John Wingo and
some of his biker buddies entered the church two and a half years ago,
they anticipated they would be rejected. Instead, they found acceptance.
"The first time we came here
little old ladies were hugging on us," says Wingo. "People
at this church have never looked at the outside. They looked at our
hearts first; that’s not something you find everywhere."
Wingo now volunteers as associate
pastor to the motorcycle group and echoes Bell’s philosophy on
reaching non-Christians. "We don’t try to change them; we
let the Holy Spirit do that," he says. "The vision of this
church is to reach everyone — the good and the bad."
Chandra Marcucci, 25, single with
four children under age 10, had an experience similar to Wingo’s
when she visited the church. "In today’s society being a single
mom with four kids at 25 doesn’t sit very well," she says.
"People make you feel like an outcast. But this congregation opened
its arms to me and never questioned my past. This is the church where
I found Christ and have a spiritual family."
Marcucci says because of her relationship
with Christ, she has hope. "I used to look for fulfillment in bad
relationships, but now Christ fills every spot," she says. "Some
days I’m taking the same walk my children are — we’re
learning about family, morals and values."
Today, the sanctuary is overflowing
with worshipers. To ease congestion and ensure room for future growth,
the church purchased a strip-mall in November. Eventually, Bell says,
the church will replace the supermarket that currently serves as the
anchor store for the mall. Until then, the church will meet in two smaller
sections.
"By moving the church from
the neighborhood to a commercial center we can reach more people with
the gospel," Bell says. "They won’t be able to make the
excuse that they can’t go to church because it’s right where
they shop."
Wingo says the location will also
appeal to bikers. "The traditional church building is scary for
bikers," he says. "The store doesn’t look ‘churchy’
so we’ll be able to reach more bikers and they’ll see that
church and Christ are good."
One teen, with green-spiked hair,
says the church’s unconventional style appealed to her and now
she is serving Christ because of it. "This church is so different
than regular church. I saw how happy my saved friends were," she
says. "Now my unsaved friends think I am stupid because I listen
to Christian music and go to church all the time. They think God doesn’t
exist and that bothers me because they don’t even give Him a chance."
Near the end of the service, 17
believers line up at the baptistery. The joy of seeing others proclaim
their faith causes people to cheer. One biker pumps his fists in victory,
as each person is immersed. "We do things not because they fit
into a tradition," Bell says, "but because they fit into God’s
vision for this church."
