Help for Arizona From Distant Lands

More than a dozen FCA churches across the continent share credit for helping to launch a new congregation in the Phoenix suburb of Avondale.

“Six months ago, we started Coldwater Church,” says founding pastor Chris Wotherspoon. “Sunday morning attendance is now as high as 40, and we continue to be blessed by God’s overwhelming mercy and grace. We are thankful to all the churches, pastors and advisory boards that have expressed faith by partnering in a new work like ours.”

Leading the way with financial support, as well as sending a Launch Team, has been Moreno Christian Assembly in Southern California, where Wotherspoon previously served on staff. Meanwhile, Philadelphia Church (Seattle) sent a team in July to put on a three-night Kids Extravaganza that built to 67 children on the final night, more than half of whom were entirely new to the church. Two Rivers Church in nearby Gilbert, Ariz., donated a cargo trailer to help the new church transport its equipment back and forth to the school where it rents space. Other start-up funds came not only from California (Westminster Christian Assembly, Valley Christian Assembly, South Bay Christian Fellowship) and the Pacific Northwest (Park Ridge Chapel, Sonrise Chapel) but as far away as the Upper Midwest (Bethel-St. Paul, Duluth Gospel Tabernacle, Capitoland-Madison WI, Rock Church-IL) and even the New York area (Gracepoint, Smithtown, Bricktown).

Volunteers from near and far have been put to work in the Arizona heat, passing out free water bottles that promote Coldwater Church. The name carries overtones that are both geographical (the Agua Fria River—“cold water” in Spanish—runs nearby) and metaphorical. “We’ve taken Proverbs 25:25 as our theme verse,” says Pastor Wotherspoon. “It says, ‘Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.’ Some who have received these water bottles have come to visit our church and turned into regular, committed participants.”

The church is now beginning home fellowship groups. Two teenagers got to attend the FCA youth camp at Sa-Ha-Le this past summer. “God is good!” says Pastor Chris. “We continue to receive encouraging texts, emails, cards, notes and prayers from across the Fellowship as we push ahead in this new venture.” For more information, go to: http://www.coldwaterchurch.com