Hanging a line array at the New Palm Valley Church

No, I’m not talking about the Houck family coming home.  Sorry.  God still has us out on the road, and we love it.  My title today is for Palm Valley Church in Goodyear, AZ.  Planted nine and a half years ago by Pastor Greg Rohlinger and his wife, Palm Valley will finally “Come Home” to their first permanent facility since the church was started in the Pastor’s living room.  We attended their final service a week ago as they wrapped up at the venue that they have literally built within a high school for the past 6 years.  First they were just in the gym.  As they grew, they shifted to the auditorium.  Now, they have become one of the foremost “portable church” experts in the nation, as they set up and tear down church facilities for 2700 adults and 1000 children over 5 services… EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY!!!

That’s right.  Every week their amazing team of volunteers empties, assembles, uses, disassembles and reloads the contents of not one but NINE not trailers but SHIPPING CONTAINERS full of computers, big screens, staging, lighting, backdrops, nursery equipment, and more.  But the week after Memorial Day, the load ins will be no more.  That is when they will open their new 44,ooo square foot facility that they re-purposed from a furniture store!

We spent a day helping put some of the final touches into the building, including hanging the line array speakers for the new main sanctuary that will seat 1000 people in what will now be only 3 services.

The building, however, is not their focus.  Their community is.  That is WHY they have grown.  Not growth for growth, but growth as a result of effective and focused outreach through serving.  Based on how well this congregation has pulled together and reached out into their community in the past, I have a feeling that a 4th, and maybe even a 5th service won’t be far off in the future.  Way to go Palm Valley.  Thank you for teaching the value of serving, and doing it with excellence.  (see a few more pics on Flickr)