‘A church where the table’s always set’

Swaying with their hands in the air and chanting bits of a chorus as they learn the words, about 90 people fill the cafeteria at Grant Ranch Elementary School, where the Bridge Church is holding its first service.

Matthew Jonas

Denise Kincaid raises her hand in singing prayer during the Bridge Church service Jan. 29 at Grant Ranch Elementary School. The church, which began holding services Jan. 15, has attracted up to 160 attendees.

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Matthew Jonas

A Bridge Church attendee sings along to services on Jan. 29 at Grant Ranch Elementary School.

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Matthew Jonas

Ryan Durfee sings during Bridge Church services Jan. 29 at Grant Ranch Elementary School.

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With a little more than half of the folding chairs filled on the Sunday morning, the faithful take in a morning of sermon and musical prayer. The church band, accented by magenta stage lights, leads the Mass in 15 minutes of song.

Being that it’s the first service for the evangelical congregation, inevitable kinks plague the sound system. A motivational video conveying the interconnections among strangers lacks dialogue, though music plays over the segment.

Pastor Chris Little, a burly man with a close-cropped goatee and a crisp, untucked dress shirt, picks up a microphone and provides context. Like those in the video, congregants of the newly formed house of worship have untold influences on lives around them, he said. And, likewise, the church should have an impact on the community.

“Traditionally the American churches acted like a country club. … You put your money in, and you joined,” Little said. “You get to know a few people, and you get the benefits of being in an exclusive club. … We’re not going to be a country club. … We want to be in the community and not be about exclusiveness.”

On Jan. 15 the church, an offshoot of the large congregation at Lakewood’s Bear Valley Church, was pleased with the turnout. Two weeks later, the number swelled to 125. By the fifth week, about 160 filled the seats.

If there is a theme at The Bridge, other than Jesus, it is growth.

A year ago a group from Bear Valley Church contemplated the absence of a church in Grant Ranch. Over a few months, the group decided the larger house could spare two pastors and up to 10 percent of its congregants.

“We scouted out different places. This is a centrally located place in South Jeffco,” Little said, noting in an interview, just as he does in sermons, that 90 percent of the state’s residents apparently don’t attend church. “In June of last year I said, ‘We’re going to be starting a new church.’ ”

The new location, though convenient for South Jeffco residents who formerly made the trip to Lakewood, has its encumbrances. The church rents the large cafeteria and several other rooms, such as a space for child care, for $1,200 a month. Before every service, volunteers spend hours erecting the stage lights and sound system, and others drive around Grant Ranch, intermittently planting direction signs into the grass.

But congregants say the new church is worth the effort, and many are calling it home.

“It’s really convenient, since I live right here, and it’s my daughter’s school,” said South Jeffco resident Danya Prado, who sings in the church band. “I like that it’s new, and people get a sense of something brewing, like a grassroots movement. When people join a new church, they feel like they have to step up and help.”

Conversely, former Bear Valley congregants, some of whom live closer to the well-established church, make the longer trip to Grant Ranch. The nature of the new church, which emphasizes community involvement, drew them in, they say.

“We agree with their vision for the church, being more out in the community,” said Lakewood resident Lori Walton, who attends services with her husband, Mike. “We just got married, and we wanted to find a church for both of us. We looked around at some other churches, but this one felt like home.”

That sentiment is clear to Little, who notes a distinction between the two churches’ services.

“Our worship’s a little more contemporary. My teaching’s a little bit different. We want to be more out in the community. So not having a building helps,” he said, noting that congregants can also expect a variety of music at the end of upcoming services. “You may hear Led Zeppelin or U2. We believe that all art is inspired — just because it’s a picture of Jesus doesn’t make it holy.”

And in spite of the makeshift home, talks of establishing yet more congregations have already begun. In a year, they plan to start another church, Little said. And he expects the current location to draw more worshipers.

“We want to be a church where the table’s always set,” he said. “The table will always continue to get bigger.”

Like virtually any church, The Bridge welcomes new faces, he said. But the atmosphere is especially casual.

“We’re a group of imperfect people creating a community of irresistible influence. Anyone’s welcome,” Little said. “Dress how you want to dress. Life is messy. You don’t have to clean up to come to church.”

Further, Little encourages attendees to linger after the service and sip coffee with neighbors and fellow faithful, a rite enjoyed by more than a few.

“There are really good people here,” said Prado, heading out of the school with her daughter about half an hour after the service ended. “It’s a great place to hang out.”

Contact Emile Hallez at emile@evergreenco.comor 303-933-2233, ext. 22.