Over the last 17 years, Life Center Foursquare Church has planted seven churches in Spokane and Spokane Valley. Sunday marks the first gathering of their eighth church plant, this one in Coeur d’Alene.
Although not all of Life Center’s church plants bear the church’s name — City Church, Eastpoint and LifeRoads are among them — lead pastor of Life Center Coeur d’Alene, Sean McCartin, said he chose to keep the name because of his love for Life Center and its mission and vision.
“It’s a core value for Life Center to plant churches first and foremost and I think [Coeur d’Alene] is an area they have a heart for and have targeted,” McCartin said.
McCartin, his wife Tan and their three sons moved to Coeur d’Alene in June from Eugene, Ore. and McCartin has been working at Life Center in Spokane while preparing for the Coeur d’Alene launch.
In Eugene, McCartin spent 10 years in youth ministry, starting up outreach ministries on campuses that had none.
“It kind of gave me a taste of starting something from nothing,” McCartin said.
Then, McCartin and his wife planted Eastside Faith Center in Eugene and pastored there for 15 years. While participating in a national church planting coaching team, McCartin met pastor of Life Center Joe Wittwer. They developed a friendship and Wittwer asked him to join the Life Center staff. It wasn’t until after McCartin transitioned out of pastoring and began working at a Christian college that Wittwer mentioned the Coeur d’Alene plant and McCartin decided to make the move.
“It’s an adventure for sure, a privilege,” McCartin said. “Just seeing how God has kind of gone before us. We’ve met some wonderful people. We’ve assembled a neat team. But you’re still in way over your head. It’s a faith adventure for sure. Some days it feels highly fragile. There are other days you feel more secure in what’s going on.”
To start off, Life Center Coeur d’Alene is meeting at Woodland Middle School until they see how the church develops and can decide what kind of space will work best to meet in, said McCartin. They’re looking towards the long term and finding their role — building something strong and deep that complements the community and other ministries already there, he said.
“We want to do two things really well: We want to reach out and then build, both evangelizing and discipleship,” McCartin said. “Our heart is to help people to find and follow Jesus.”
The first service Sunday, Feb. 9 starts at 10 a.m at Woodland Middle School.
“Then off we go, hundreds to follow,” McCartin said.
And we’ll see if the vibe that’s offered at this new church plant is one of commodity rather than witness to a radical Alternative… Very often, Life Center plants bequeath the ethos of “McGospel” rather than the an authentic engagement with the individualism of the age!