Our History

From meeting needs, to walking the path of Life together.

Life Church’s start was rather non-traditional. We didn’t begin because people had a plan to start a church. But we began because of a process that started in a bar. While it is true that most churches don’t start in a bar, we believe that God can work in very interesting ways.

The story begins with a family… Chris and Lori Waltman had been domestic missionaries who have been involved in reaching out into the community for over 25 years when Life Church began. Chris came from a background of sports and was a Dallas Cowboy. After pro-football, he and Lori became part of a ministry to pro-athletes and their wives, and in 1991 they started a community outreach ministry called Discovery Leadership.

As a ministry family, Chris and Lori’s three sons, Nathan, Stephen, and Jason had grown up in an environment of seeing and participating in touching people’s lives. When Life Church emerged, they were working together in a part of the ministry that involves sports, and more specifically… softball.

A local bar owner wanted to participate in a softball league, but they were short of the funds necessary. Chris told him that as a non-profit organization they help people all the time, and on what seemed to be a whim, he asked for a favor. “Would you consider inviting your friends to come to your bar on a Sunday morning to talk about: problems they had with churches, why they may be mad at Christians, and questions they had about who God really is?”

Surprisingly, he agreed. Even more surprising was that many people showed up (probably to see who this strange family was). Not only did they want to get together again, but more people came the next week… and they wanted to continue to meet. As a result of meeting needs in the group, they wanted to help meet needs of others in the community. One of the first things that they did together was to provide free dinners and lunches in the community.

This group went from gathering together in a bar, to an apartment lobby, to a health club and are now currently meeting at Monroe High School. In 2013 this group of friends took the name Life Church.

The intent wasn’t to start a church, but it became obvious that it was Gods intent to do so.

What has risen up is a different kind of church that isn’t about going to a place… but coming along on a path. So our success isn’t around big budgets, buildings, or programs. Our goals are around a mission… of people helping people onto Gods path of relationship and walking together with them. So together, we are bringing “Life” into living!