How it all started...
It’s impossible to tell the whole story and properly give honor to everyone involved in bringing the dream of All City to fruition, but this one detail is super important: it actually started through Lauren — Joe and Katrina’s daughter.
She’s had a lot of wild, vivid dreams in her life — making it hard to decipher if they truly meant anything. One night she would dream about fighting off the Joker in Gotham City and the next she encounters an angel. But this time was different. In the summer of 2018, she dreamt that her dad came to Portland and started a church. Just a few months earlier, God spoke loud and clear to Lauren telling her to move from Santa Cruz to Portland to pursue music. Stepping out in faith, even before the official acceptance into music school, she moved away. Naturally, the dream she had could easily be interpreted as simply her missing her family, but it wasn’t until she told her dad over a FaceTime date about her dream that it all clicked. She wasn’t the only one that had this dream — her dad did as well — the same one! And if that wasn’t enough, one of his best friends, Danny Bennett, also had a similar dream. Hope Church, where Joe was an Associate Pastor, fully supported this new endeavor. Months later, Joe and Katrina headed up the I-5 in a U-Haul to Portland to be reunited with Lauren and together they embarked on a journey into the unknown.
Upon moving to Portland, B4 Church, in Beaverton OR, adopted Joe and his family and their desire to start a new church. Their support was significant in so many ways. In the Fall of 2020 Joe met the local pastor of Trinity Fellowship in the South Tabor District of Southeast Portland, less than two miles from his home. After praying and seeking counsel, Trinity relinquished ownership and control of the building and property to All City. Such extreme generosity! We were blown away by God’s provision! We’re thankful that All City gets to be a part of the continuing story of how God is using the investment of generations of people in Southeast Portland.
In January 2021, we had our first launch team/interest meeting and 30 people showed up. Meeting every week, we grew as a community. Dreamin' and believin' together, we launched our first morning gathering on Easter Sunday, 2021. It was amazing!
With over a couple years in our rear view mirror, we are incredibly grateful for all God has done yet we know that we’ve just begun. Our best days are still ahead!
She’s had a lot of wild, vivid dreams in her life — making it hard to decipher if they truly meant anything. One night she would dream about fighting off the Joker in Gotham City and the next she encounters an angel. But this time was different. In the summer of 2018, she dreamt that her dad came to Portland and started a church. Just a few months earlier, God spoke loud and clear to Lauren telling her to move from Santa Cruz to Portland to pursue music. Stepping out in faith, even before the official acceptance into music school, she moved away. Naturally, the dream she had could easily be interpreted as simply her missing her family, but it wasn’t until she told her dad over a FaceTime date about her dream that it all clicked. She wasn’t the only one that had this dream — her dad did as well — the same one! And if that wasn’t enough, one of his best friends, Danny Bennett, also had a similar dream. Hope Church, where Joe was an Associate Pastor, fully supported this new endeavor. Months later, Joe and Katrina headed up the I-5 in a U-Haul to Portland to be reunited with Lauren and together they embarked on a journey into the unknown.
Upon moving to Portland, B4 Church, in Beaverton OR, adopted Joe and his family and their desire to start a new church. Their support was significant in so many ways. In the Fall of 2020 Joe met the local pastor of Trinity Fellowship in the South Tabor District of Southeast Portland, less than two miles from his home. After praying and seeking counsel, Trinity relinquished ownership and control of the building and property to All City. Such extreme generosity! We were blown away by God’s provision! We’re thankful that All City gets to be a part of the continuing story of how God is using the investment of generations of people in Southeast Portland.
In January 2021, we had our first launch team/interest meeting and 30 people showed up. Meeting every week, we grew as a community. Dreamin' and believin' together, we launched our first morning gathering on Easter Sunday, 2021. It was amazing!
With over a couple years in our rear view mirror, we are incredibly grateful for all God has done yet we know that we’ve just begun. Our best days are still ahead!