June 8, 2006
The following is an interview with Pastor Kirk Romberg of Grace Community Church (C&MA) in Bellevue, Washington.
Q. How did Grace Community Church begin?
A. In the early fall of 2001, a handful of people stepped out in faith to start a new church in Bellevue. With a heart for the Word of God and a vision for lost people (and with help from the C&MA), they began to meet regularly to pray, dream and plan. By the spring of 2002, Grace Community Church was born. Since then, God has been growing the congregation, building Christians up in their faith and reaching out to the surrounding communities with the hope of the gospel.
Q. What is your vision for the church?
A. Early on our “launch team” recognized that “Unless the Lord builds the house, its laborers labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Our vision was to see the Lord develop a community of grace and truth that would draw many into a growing and vital relationship with Jesus Christ. To that end, our purpose is to help lost people become fully developed followers of Jesus Christ who connect, grow, serve, evangelize and worship in the context of a biblically functioning community of faith.
Q. Tell me about the community of Bellevue.
A. With a population of 115,000, Bellevue is a prime focus area for church planting. The city has grown by 20 percent over the last 10 years, making it the fifth largest city in Washington. Its central location lends itself to extended involvement in a countywide movement of church planting. Located on the crossroads of three major freeways, Bellevue is considered the urban center of the eastside. The church is in a key position to serve as a partner for church plants in the greater Seattle area. The spiritual climate here is ready for the type of evangelism a new church can bring. This is an affluent, upper-middle class, progressive city. Singles and marrieds alike struggle for professional/relational balance in their hectic lives. Family therapists and cardiologists are inundated with stressed-out thirty-somethings.
Q. How has this church been able to impact the community and maybe vice versa?
A. We have attempted many avenues through which to reach out into the community. So far, our most successful efforts have been an outreach at the city’s Fourth of July Family Fun Celebration (where we had the chance to share the gospel with more than 500 people) and a summer Vacation Bible School where more than 70 children participated. Both efforts have brought new families to the church and into the family of God. Our small groups ministry has a significant role in this effort.
Q. Tell me about what kind of growth you’re seeing?
A. Shortly after the launch we were averaging about 90 people per Sunday. We are currently averaging about 120.
Q. How does church planting come into play?
A. Before we began, our prayer was that we would not simply plant a church, but rather that we would plant a church-planting church. We are already getting involved in another C&MA church-planting project in the area that is scheduled to launch this year. Our faith goal is to plant our first daughter church within five years of the launch.
Q. What makes this church special?
A. I believe our church is special because of our strong focus on the Word of God, local evangelism and church planting. Our children’s ministry is very well organized and a fun place to be. Our worship ministry is also a special aspect of the church. We have an uncommonly large music team for such a young, small church. Our worship leader, my wife Cindy, is writing much of our own music and preparing to put out a worship CD within the next year or two.
Q. What is your story? Where did you come from? What called you here?
A. I was born and raised in southern California. I accepted Christ at the age of 18. In 1990, I graduated from Pacific Christian College with a double major in preaching and Bible. It was there where Cindy and I met. From there I studied at Fuller Theological Seminary and am now nearing completion of a master’s degree at Northwest Graduate School of the Ministry. Both Cindy and I have been involved in ministry here in the Seattle area for the last 13 years. All throughout this time, God has been developing within me a heart for church planting. Cindy and I have been married for 14 years. We have three children: Kyle, 11, Brittany, 9, and Cody, 7. We also have a bassett hound named Daisy.
Q. What do you see for the next five years at Grace Community?
A. Within five years we pray that we will see about 500 people attending weekend worship services, 300 people placed as members, 250 people involved in small groups, 250 people involved in a weekly ministry within the church or community, and 150 people trained in personal evangelism. We also pray that we will have established strong inroads of service to the community to be a witness to Christ in tangible ways. In addition to this, we pray we will be somewhere in the process of planting our first church.