Welcome to The Encounter! In the year 2000 the Lord started us on a journey. We began to visit several churches in the area with the desire to find the place where we belonged. We wanted to find a family; somewhere we could grow in relationship with God and with other believers. During that time, God was preparing our hearts for a leap of faith in founding a ministry. We began as three families and a blank canvas.
Shedding the concept of church as we had experienced it, we sought God for truths on how to grow, how to overcome oppression, and how to love each other with the values of truth, honesty, and authenticity. As we grew spiritually and healed emotionally, the structure of the church began to appear. In 2004, we connected with Christian International through a divine appointment. We found that the values of CI were similar to ours and, as we embraced the relationship, we were challenged to grow in the area of prophetic ministry.
We realize that each church is called for a unique purpose, yet all of us are one body. You will find our church to be unique and our services to differ week to week. It is our hope that you will experience the love of God and the power of being among a prophetic people. As a prophetic people, we believe that God still speaks today – loud and clear, and it is our desire is to be a channel of His love and His voice.
We embrace our uniqueness. You will find that we love and value diversity. Just as each one of us has a unique set of fingerprints, that diversity operating in unity can minister to different people at different times.
We hope that you feel a difference and we pray that you were able to sense the Encounter of God.
In His love and for His purpose,
Pastors Jim and Arlene Cook
ENCOUNTER GOD
Our service:
No two weeks are alike because we adhere to where the Holy Spirit is leading. We provide a place for Him to dwell and that allows us to encounter His presence and His work in our lives. Our service includes dynamic worship, life-changing teaching, and prophetic prayer ministry as the Holy Spirit leads.
ENCOUNTER LOVE
Jesus is the foundation of our ministry. His words from Matthew 22:37-39 speak of our call and purpose; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (NIV). We are a community of believers who seek to walk in the Love of God. “In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples – when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34-35 (MSG)
ENCOUNTER TRANSFORMATION
Community:
We are a family of believers who would love for you to become a part of us. We believe it is the powerful love of God combined with the love of this community of believers that brings about the transformation of hearts. We want you to receive God’s personal touch and walk away renewed and refreshed by His love.
Training and Equipping:
We are a training and equipping center. Our goal is to provide resources that bring healing and maturity both emotionally and spiritually to every willing believer. It is our desire to lead people into a life that helps them cultivate their personal relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.