We are passionate about the local Church because we believe the Church is the hope for our world—the world will be transformed when people are transformed through the gospel of Jesus Christ, which the Church is called to steward and share.
We believe the hope for the is not only to re-discover the historic Christian faith but also express that faith differently for a new generation and a new time.
The Church is not the way it was twenty years ago—even ten years ago. Things have shifted because our culture has shifted, which is why we believe we need new expressions of the Church in order help people in our city explore and find new life in Jesus Christ.
This is why we are committed to resourcing and funding new expressions of the Church in our area, and why 10% of every book, short film, or event sold will help fund new expression of the Body of Christ through church planting, beginning with Grand Rapids.
The first church plant THEOKLESIA will help fund is a church planted in 2009, called Take Hold Church. It is located in the heart of Grand Rapids on South Division Street and doing powerful things for the Kingdom by reaching ignored people and sub-cultures with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here is how the church talks about its mission: “What we see today is not the Take Hold finished product. We are currently inviting Christians of like mind and heart to come and gather in the name of Jesus Christ. We are praying for a group of Christians who are interested in growing spiritually by loving God and other people. This will be the first layer of what Take Hold will become. Once this community is established we will seek ways to reach the lost, make disciples, baptize believers, teach Scripture, and become a local community of faith (Matt. 28:19-20). We aspire to become a church gathering of redeemed people made up of the outcast, downcast, punk, drunk, freak, geek, un-churched, de-churched, churched, rich, poor, searcher, and seeker, tax collector, and fisherman (basically anyone). We want to create a safe space of refuge, sanctuary, and love for people to comfortably explore real faith and spirituality. We believe that Jesus Christ died, was buried, resurrected, ascended, and will return for his Church.”