(Editor’s note: This is part three of a three part series.)

By Tammee Greer

The Orange Leader

 

When moving into a new home, people change different aspects of the home. They hang different curtains and have different furniture than the previous family who occupied the home.

Likewise, God has been changing the atmosphere at Community Church through the leadership of Pastors Chris and Jessica Lewis.

The mission statement at Community Church has changed.

“It’s to empower people to live out their faith and to engage their community,” Chris said. “Jesus said the devil came to steal, kill and destroy. The second part of that verse is He (“Jesus”, emphasis added) came to give life and life more abundantly. Yes, he’ll do that in heaven. What about here on earth?”

Chris said of Satan, “He came to steal our life. Our joy. To kill us spiritually. To kill us physically. What I want to see is Community Church to see every person reach their full potential in every area. We are a community of believers. I want to be a diverse community…a different way of preaching, a different way of doing things.”

He said he wants Community Church to be in a place where they can help.

“I believe God has called us to do things differently from everybody else,” Chris said. “Just because you talk about him doesn’t mean you know him. I want our church to be a light to this area. To be a beacon of hope. I want all of us to be hope dealers. I want all of us to be hope pushers. You can push hope by filling the needs of people right now. As the need arises, we want to help those needs.”

God has specifically spoken to him about being a church to reach those who’ve been forgotten, to be a church to reach out to the special needs children and their families. He wants Community Church to have programs like a “Champion’s Club”, based out of Joel Osteen’s church in Houston, and “Night to Shine” by partnering with the Tim Tebow Foundation.

“Champion’s Club” will have a special sensory area within the church where parents of special needs children can drop their kids off during service. Their children will be able to play with trained people who can handle each of their specific needs while their parents attend church, pray and get spiritually fed and strengthened.

The “Night to Shine” program is a special needs prom for children from age fourteen to ninety-nine, which will include the suit, limo, etc.

Chris and his wife have families and marriages on their hearts.

Chris said, “My wife and I know we have a calling on our lives for families and for marriages. God brought you together. He’s going to restore marriages.”

He said regarding his wife, “She’s the best mom and wife that I know. She has an uncanny gift to reach out to young couples and young women. She has a gift to talk to people who have kids older than our kids. Her knowledge is amazing, because of her relationship with God. She has a lot of common sense in family matters. She’s got a heart for moms to help them be better.”

 

Chris holds single mothers very dear to his heart, because his mom was a single mother when he was born. His father left her while she was still pregnant.

“It’s become the largest demographic,” Chris said. “I’d like to invest in them in the future.”

Chris’ desire is to reach the entire city of Orange.

“If we just reach the people that belong here, we completely miss it,” Chris said. “We miss it as believers. We miss it as a ministry. We completely miss it as a church. We’re not here to make mega-millions. We’re here so that we can reach people. We are the hope of the world, which is Jesus Christ.”

Chris invites everyone to visit on Sundays.

“Come check us out,” Chris said. “We’re a place that will challenge you to take your spiritual walk to the next level. We aren’t your grandma’s church.”

Easter Service times on Sunday are at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Community Church is located at 3400 Martin Luther King Jr Drive in Orange. Community Church can be reached at is (409) 883-4498 or ccorange.org.

Regular Sunday service times are 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. with full childcare. Sunday Spanish service is held at 2 p.m.

First part of series Here

Second part of series Here