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Idaho Church Launches Its First Service

By October 26, 2015No Comments

NampaID2_inlineNAMPA, Idaho—Involve Church launched its first service after a two-year process of praying and planning. More than 125 people celebrated the church’s opening Sept. 13. “We had a great time of worship, prayer, and meeting new people in the area,” says Pastor Ryan Frank. “Since that day, a number of people have stopped by to see what Involve Church is all about. We are excited to report that many have come back!”

“Involve Church exists to involve people in an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ,” Frank says, explaining the meaning of the church’s name. “God does not want His children sitting on the sidelines. He wants them involved in the body of Christ. We have a saying that at Involve Church we are ‘involving Christ in the lives of people and involving people in the life of Christ.’”

Frank has been in ministry since 1996, having most recently planted Heritage Bible Church of Puget Island in Cathlamet, Washington. In the fall of 2013 he felt called to plant a church in the Treasure Valley (greater Boise) area of Idaho. Since Heritage Bible Church was part of the Baptist Network Northwest, he investigated the idea by first talking with Northwest Baptist Home Mission, a ministry of BNN that establishes, aids, and encourages churches in its fellowship. Its leadership said they were interested in starting a church in that area. So Frank next talked to pastors of nearby BNN churches. After meeting with them, he and his wife, Rebecca, decided they had the support to move their family of seven (they have three girls and two boys, ages 4 to 13) to the Treasure Valley to start a church.

In the spring of 2014, Luke Johnston became executive pastor. Johnston “shares some of the same passion to establish a Bible-based, evangelical church with an emphasis on involving people in ministry,” Frank says. Johnston and his wife, Rachael, quickly became an invaluable part of forming Involve Church.

The leadership team of Ryan Frank and Luke Johnston presented their plan to several local churches, and families from three BNN churches agreed to help start the church by forming a launch team. By April 2015, a launch team of about 50 adults and children began meeting to organize the church’s ministries. By September, Involve Church was ready to launch.

“It has been an exciting venture, and we are extremely grateful to God for this opportunity,” Frank says. “Every Sunday new faces from the area show up and worship with us. We have built some great relationships in a short time, and we have seen people grow in their relationship with God. We pray many will come to be involved in a relationship with Jesus and His church.”