HISTORY

Our Beginnings

 

   March 1995

Pastor Edward E. Cantu felt the need to create a worship environment that was Spirit-sensitive, where families would be welcomed,

weary believers could be renewed, folks could be encouraged, and lost sheep could find their way.  From this burden, Family

Worship Center was born in the Cantu home.

 

   1st Facility: Presbyterian Community Church

While driving around during his lunch hour in the Black Forest/Monument area, Pastor Cantu asked the Lord to provide a place to

worship at no charge.  After stopping at several places, he was made aware of the Monument Presbyterian Community Church,

which usually opened their facility to other groups.  This proved true, and we were given use of their church building on Sunday

afternoons for $50 per month.  Believing the amount was "close to nothing," Pastor Cantu expressed thanksgiving for this great

blessing.  The Holy Ghost spoke to him and said, "But you asked for nothing."  Proving His promise to be true, the Lord provided

nine donations of $50 each, which completely covered the nine months we used the Church.

 

   February 1996

                                                       Family Worship Center relocated across I-25 to the Woodmoor Center (Lake Woodmoor Dr.). 

                                                       It was in this small rented space of 525 square feet that we started winning folks to the Lord.  We

                                                       baptized some of our first converts in Woodmoor Lake.

 

                                                       After a year, we relocated to another unit in the same building.  This now gave us four times the space.  The remodeled grocery store

                                                       could now sit 65 people, with two classrooms and a fellowship hall.  This was home to Family for the next two and a half years.  We

                                                       continued to see lives changed and people filled with God's Spirit.  The attendance averaged about 25

 

                                                       After losing our lease in the fall of 2000, we relocated the congregation to Colorado Springs, and started meeting at the Apostolic Assembly church building (3701 E. San Miguel St.) Sunday and Thursday evenings.  The church grew in attendance to about 45 people.

 

   March 2003

A new facility was leased at 6060 Hollow Tree Crt.  After remodeling the unit, transforming a warehouse into an

auditorium, we began holding services.  One month later, on Easter Sunday, we broke our attendance record

with 62 people present. 

 

In 2004, Rev. Joshua and Andrea Wise joined the staff; he became the associate pastor.  Two years later, after

having filled the auditorium to near capacity, with an averaging attendance of 80, we rented the adjacent unit,

removing the wall between the two units, and expanded the church facility to 8,000 square feet.  This permitted

us to have a larger auditorium that would seat 145, and added a fellowship hall, three executive offices, a nursery

and three more classrooms.

 

   August 2006

In response to God's timing and to a growing church, Pastor Cantu stepped away from his employment at

Focus on the Family and became a full time pastor.  The congregation continued to grow and the proclaimed

prophetic word of God was fulfilled.  This period in the church's history became of time of vision renewal and

ministry growth.

 

   September 2009

Also fulfilling a long held vision to educate our children in the ways of the Lord, Family Christian Academy reopened its doors by offering kindergarten and first grade.  A daycare was added with Jayme Cantu as the director.

 

                                                                 January 2010

                                                             The fifteenth year of the church's existence brought great blessings.  Family Worship Center became home to fifty-five 

                                                             families, with thirty individuals being water baptized and twenty-five people being spirit-filled.  We continued to see spiritual

                                                             and numerical growth to the degree that the Sunday morning service was filled to capacity on most weekends.  In the fall,

                                                             Family Christian Academy expanded it's educational experience to children by offering K - 3rd grade. 

 

                                                                 February 2012

                                                             The story of Family continued with excitement and a powerful move of God's Spirit.  2012 included the acquisition of a new

                                                             worship and educational facility.  The beautiful new building was located on 5.8 acres, had parking for about 100 cars, included a

                                                             commercial-style kitchen, and housed a growing Family Christian Academy and Family Child Care Center.

 

   December 2015

Eleven new families were added to the membership roll, causing the Sunday morning format to be changed, allowing for more adult and teen seating in the auditorium.

What the new year will bring has yet to be seen.  It is exciting to be a part of God's church!