We've been attending for a few months now. It's a very large church.. def considered a mega church…read more Coming from a small town and a small church, this was a big shock for me at first and honestly a bit uncomfortable. That said, sticking it out has been nice in many ways.
They don't have traditional Sunday school. Instead, they offer kids' classes during the main sermon, which is a bit of a bummer for us since we always loved Sunday school growing up. Our two-year-old attends the two-year-old class, and I'm not entirely sure how much Jesus-focused learning happens at that age. My son has gone in with him before and has said they didn't learn much about Jesus but I understand they are only two.
One concern I do want to mention is cleanliness. The first time we left our two-year-old there without us, he ended up with hand, foot, and mouth disease. We hadn't been anywhere else prior to that, so we are confident it came from there. I really hope they improve cleaning practices and thoroughly sanitize toys and tabletops after each service.
The church services (there are two--one around 9:00 and another at 11:00) are nice and they have a wonderful worship team. The pastor is very personable and they do have paid security and staff. At times, the church can feel more like a business, which I struggle with, as I don't believe church was meant to function that way. However, I did speak with one of the youth teachers who explained that the structure helps place people in areas where they excel. For example, they have a 13-year-old who runs the lighting system during services, which is pretty impressive.
They also have a side room available for families during the sermon, which is really helpful if you have a rowdy little one who doesn't want to attend the kids' classes or a baby who needs to be fed or is fussy. The room has a large TV so you can still watch the service without missing anything.
Youth group meets on Wednesdays since there isn't Sunday programming for middle schoolers and up. The Wednesday night youth program is really fun and well organized. When the kids arrive, they're given a snack, then there's a short worship time, followed by games with the youth pastor, a brief sermon and small-group discussions with teachers. The kids also receive devotionals. I've spoken with several of the youth teachers and the youth pastor, and they are all great... super friendly, down-to-earth, and very accommodating of my two very different kids. The youth program is def amazing, and it's encouraging to see how many kids attend.
They also offer adult groups throughout the week. I haven't attended one yet, but they're meant to help make such a large church feel smaller and more connected.
Overall, I'm excited to see my kids grow in their faith and fall in love with Jesus, and I hope others will give this church a try.
Oh and if you want to see what the service is like they do live service online! Which is great when you're feeling under the weather - https://youtube.com/@lifecenterspokane is there main YouTube page.