What we value
Hi, my name is Ryan Bradley
I have been a pastor for 16 years now, and there is one thing that I have grown to desire above all else in life – encounter with the Kingdom of God! After watching my son battle leukemia three times over, and contracting a severe form of meningitis during one of those battles, the Kingdom of God is no longer something I just wait for when I cross from death to life. It’s now something I crave to give me life here and now!
What we envision
We have a simple vision that we are really passionate about. To encounter as much of the mystery of the Kingdom of God, the empowering presence of the Spirit of God, and oneness with Jesus as we possibly can in this life, until it is perfected in life to come.
Where we are going
OUR MISSION
In spring of 2018, my father (also a pastor for 40+ years) and I talked about doing ministry together again. I shared my desire to see our spiritual life and the living word of God come alive in us…to see people be changed more and more into the image of Christ. Let’s move beyond consumer Christianity and experience the Spirit of God in worship so dynamically that it leaves people saying, “surely God is among them!”
For this reason, we felt called as a father and son to launch Encountering Ministries. We don’t claim to have all the answers to this experience, nor will we manufacture it for effect…but we are people who believe it is available, who have experienced it in our lives, and who want to encounter it together with others. Our ministry on Sunday at 4pm is open to anyone, churched or unchurched, believers and seekers alike. Just come with an open mind and believe that you can leave changed in some way. That’s our approach as pastors...we look forward to being changed from encounter too!
What our structure is
Our ministry structure is simple. Part of what we do involves worship and hearing a message of faith from the scriptures on Sunday, but the heart of what we call "church" is in our network of home groups. It is where people learn to pray and care for each other, study scripture together...and of course eat! Some people come to worship and home groups, others come to one or the other, and still others come from another local church as a way to continue worship and get to know new people. We have no membership rolls, but it is our belief and hope that over time this venture will produce something that looks very much like church...just a more ancient version of it. One less defined by programs and buildings, and more of a movement of people who have begun to join together because they feel a common bond in the Spirit of God. Most importantly, it will produce new life in us…and we are hungry for it!
If you would like to touch base with us, contact us and let us know what resonates with you. We absolutely love hearing stories of divine encounter and the many ways you experience God. Thanks for checking out our ministry, and be sure to watch the opening series on the first 5 visionary sermons below!
We hope you are blessed by it,
Pastor Ryan