OUR MISSION

Called to partner with God in His Story by healing hearts
and restoring lives back to His original purpose.

OUR VISION

“To walk 200 fully committed members through a pathway of discipleship in Christ by 2030.”

OUR Discipleship Pathway

STORY
The narrative of who we are, why we are here, and what we are to do.

WOUND
The distorted or broken image of God’s original design for you.

HEALING
God’s process of restoring His original purpose in you and you choose to remain in Him.

CALL
To embrace God’s call is to take up His cause as your own, in union with Him.

OUR beliefs

1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, only, infallible, inerrant, authoritative Word of God.

2. We believe in the One True God, the Sovereign, eternal Creator of all that exists, both seen and unseen. God is eternally existent in three persons, yet one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

4. We believe God created mankind in His image. Adam and Eve, the first human beings, chose to rebel against God and go their own way. As a result, all of mankind became separated from God; the image of God in man was distorted; mankind became subject to the power of the devil; and the sinful nature was passed on to all their progeny. Because of original sin, unregenerate human beings are incapable of pleasing or commending themselves to God. The only remedy for mankind's pitiful predicament is redemption through faith in Jesus Christ.

5. We believe that when a person exercises saving faith in Christ he passes, immediately, out of spiritual death into spiritual life and from the old creation into the new, a new nature and a new heart imparted; being justified freely by grace, he is accepted before the Father as Christ, His Son, is accepted and loved as Christ is loved, having his place and portion linked to Christ and one with Christ—forever.

6. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

7. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost—they who are saved unto the resurrection of life and they who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

8. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

To learn more about our in-depth beliefs regarding marriage, gender, sexuality, and culture,
please click on our denomination link HERE.

We are affiliated with the Wesleyan Church and are located within the Great Lakes Region. To learn more about our denomination, including its mission, beliefs, and ministries, visit wesleyan.org.

encounter community church values

> Honest Conversation over Misleading Talk

> Relational Accountability over Self-Righteousness

> Intentional Positivity over Natural Negativity

> Biblical Truth over Personal Preference

> Restorative GRace over Distorted Shame

> Sacrificial Generosity over Individual Consumption

OUR leadership Structure

Encounter Community Church is ultimately under the authority and direction of Jesus Christ. Through His lordship, we are governed by three levels of leadership. These levels strive to work together with one unified goal: to fulfill our God-given mission for this church. Meet our leadership team here.

OUR PASTORS & STAFF

Charged with casting and maintaining the vision by developing strategic planning that will help Encounter reach its full Kingdom potential. The Lead Pastor and staff serves as the executive leadership for the operations and function of Encounter as well as volunteer staff and leadership.

CHURCH BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION

Encounter Community Church’s Board of Administration (CBA) exists to help keep the Lead Pastor accountable for the leadership of the Church. The CBA also exists to govern the church and to help the leadership fulfill its vision, mission, and direction with support & encouragement for each ministry leader and team.

MINISTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Ministry Leadership Team (MLT) is comprised of all the ministry team leaders (paid and lay staff). They are responsible for creating, organizing and implementing all ministry team activities in coordination with the Lead Pastor and the mission and vision of Encounter.

The mission Multiplied

Since 2011, Encounter has joyfully commissioned and released leaders to plant and launch new churches and ministries locally and globally. What began with our own story as a church plant has continued as we invest in others to carry the mission forward.

Jim & Rachel Bowen — June 2011
Our founding pastor, Jim, and his wife Rachel were commissioned from Encounter in 2011 to help plant churches across the Detroit metro area, expanding the reach of the gospel in Southeast Michigan.

Pete & Claire McNaught — May 2019
After joining Encounter in 2017, Pete and Claire were commissioned to plant Refuge Church in the Greenville, MI area, launching a new missional community focused on discipleship and local impact.

Nate & Nikki Smith — June 2020
What began as a campus inside Bellamy Creek Prison in Ionia grew into a thriving expression of church. In 2020, it was released as Straight Street Church, a fully autonomous church serving over 100 men weekly.

Austin & Mehgan Gay — July 2026
Commissioned to Choma, Zambia, Austin and Mehgan joined the work of Poetice, discipling youth and helping plant churches as part of a global expression of Encounter’s mission.

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