Kristin here. I have known of Anthem from its beginnings. My dad was one of the first sales people to work out on the edges of the valley and invite families to buy a new home in the master planned community. I remember driving through the area before any houses were built. I remember my dad dreaming up street names and providing input on design.
Since those early days of Anthem, my family has maintained a connection there. My grandfather spent his last years living there. My sister and her family purchased their first home there. Brandon’s parents spent a few years living there as well. All this time we enjoyed our visits and commented on the beauty of the layout of the community.
While serving as an Associate Pastor at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church in North Scottsdale (at Pima and Happy Valley Rd), Anthem was the untouched frontier. We had families who would make the 30-45 minute drive to church every Sunday because there weren’t other options closer. Often they weren’t able to get fully emerged in the life of the church though. Committing 90 minutes on Sundays was challenging enough, to also attempt to be involved in midweek programming or stepping into leadership commitments was beyond their ability. It was then that the apparent void of church community became apparent, especially a Presbyterian expression.
Yet honestly, when Brandon and I began to explore the idea of starting a new worshiping community in the Phoenix Metro area, Anthem did not immediately come to mind. We started with who we felt we were called to reach. After prayer and reflection, we knew that God had been preparing us to minister to our peers– young professionals and families. We are in a unique position as a young(ish) married couple with a growing family to speak directly into the lives of our peers. We feel called to a suburban context, where people have intentionally left the urban “chaos” dreaming of something more, but often find a new chaos to replace it– long commutes, volunteer commitments, and juggling kids’ schedules. In the midst of that it can be hard hear God’s voice.
This is a demographic that is largely missing from our local congregations. It is a demographic that often feels self sufficient and not in need of anyone else’s help— even God’s. It can be a lonely existence. We also know that our peers are capable of so much good and if empowered they are world movers and changers. We are a part of this demographic and understand their motivations and desires. We don’t think the absence of our peers in worship is due to them being a “faithless generation.” Studies show that there is a deep spiritual yearning in this age bracket and a deep commitment to service and giving. But for many the present model of congregational life and worship is inaccessible.
So once we were committed to ministering to this demographic, we started researching where in the valley to find them. Anthem and Queen Creek then quickly found themselves on our radar. Both communities have a large population of families (over 50% of their households). We explored both options and felt our hearts being tugged towards Anthem. It is a natural fit. Anthem, though a suburb, has created a small town community feel that will likely be maintained for years to come. Its geographic location prevents it from become part of the urban sprawl, where one community melds into another. This characteristic appeals to our recent adventures in small town Montana. While there are challenges in small communities, there are also blessings abounding. Anthem appears to have many of the small town blessings along with the suburban feel.
As we have continued in our exploration our calling to Anthem has just been further validated. It is a community of over 30,000 people yet there are under a dozen churches serving the area and very few of them from a Reformed tradition. We feel strongly that God is going to use all of our talents, resources, and imagination to doing something truly amazing in this community. We look forward to who God will have join us in ministry and how we may help others see what God is already doing in our midst.
Leave a Reply