Westridge Church in West Richland, Wash., is a new mission start and a part of multi-site ministry along with Southridge Church in Kennewick, Wash. We have begun to call this multisite ministry “The Ridge.”
About a year ago, a new mom named Kylia walked through the doors of our Southridge site. She, along with her extended family, were carrying a heavy burden. Broken by the painful loss of two family members only months apart, she found comfort from the gospel during the memorial services. In a dark season, our Southridge community surrounded her with love, prayer, and a safe place to grieve.
However, God was already at work in Kylia’s story, and our multi-site church model was uniquely positioned to help it unfold.
As long as she could remember, Kylia had many questions. She had recently been turning to the Bible and finding that God was speaking to her. She found truth. Connecting to our ministry, she also found a guide on her faith journey. As our Westridge site found a home in West Richland, Kylia now finds herself worshiping weekly, trading time between our two sites as her life dictates. Our complementary schedule provides the type of flexibility that many young parents need.
Because we operate as one church in multiple locations, the transition is seamless. The Westridge team reached out and connected with Kylia. This is the true beauty of being a multi-site church. We do not just build buildings; we extend our reach so that no one falls through the cracks when life changes. Westridge has become a familiar harbor for Kylia, offering the same DNA, the same doctrine, and the same love she first experienced at Southridge.
With a consistent Christian community supporting her, Kylia’s life began transforming into a powerful testimony of hope and renewal. This transformation culminated in a beautiful, unforgettable celebration just weeks ago. Surrounded by friends, family, and me, the pastor at Westridge, Kylia stepped into the waters of the Columbia River in Richland. As she was baptized, God publicly declared her old life gone and her new life in Christ alive.
The same woman who came to us a year ago broken by death was now rising from the waters filled with eternal life. Many of the same family members that we had first met at a memorial service dinner now gathered at a local diner to revel in the joy of God’s love.
Kylia’s story is a beautiful reminder of why we launch new sites/churches. We expand our reach because every neighborhood needs hope, and every soul needs Jesus. Kylia shares, “He’s always been there, even when I did not know it. An alarm went off in my heart that every thing in this life can be taken away. But there is one constant, and that is Jesus.”
Written by Timothy Wilkens, pastor at Westridge Church in West Richland, Washington.
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