The History of Christian Life Church
Where did Christian Life Church come from?
Why would we plant a new church in Cedar Rapids of all places?
In 2012 Pastor Christian and Amanda (who were living in Seattle, Washington, at the time) received a request from a large church in Singapore. The request: “Help us plant a church on the mission field”. That church, Victory Family Centre of Singapore, brought Pastor Christian and Amanda out to Singapore to live and train in church planting tactics for a year before sending them to plant a church in another nation. Much to Pastor Christian and Pastor Amanda’s surprise, that “other nation” was America (For Singapore, the United States is indeed an international mission field).The Shields were then sent to the state of Iowa with a team of Singaporean Missionaries. Victory Family Centre sends out three to six teams of missionaries every quarter to plant churches all over the world, and while their focus is mostly developing nations, they also desire to fulfill the call to “go out unto all the world”! America is definitely part of “all of the world”, therefore Christian Life Church literally started as a missions church plant from Singapore.
The work that God is doing through Christian Life Church would not have happened without the faithfulness of Victory Family Centre, and the added support from Christian and Amanda’s home church International Christian Center in Seattle. Through the first and hardest years of ministry both churches supported CLC (financially, spiritually, and practically) as they evangelized and made new disciples.
The first year of Christian Life Church took place through street evangelism, homeless ministry, and Sunday Services in the living room of The Shields’ home in Cedar Rapids.
After a year of hard work, the church grew out of the living room and into two classrooms in a local elementary school. At this point the Singaporean missionaries went home and the church was left in the hands of Pastors Christian and Amanda, along with the lay ministers who had been raised up to lead Christian Life Church.
Christian Life church remained in the elementary classrooms for two years, and then moved to a downtown office space for about a year. In 2019 CLC landed at the Downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library and remained there for about a year.
During the height of the pandemic, CLC left the library and met in small home groups while streaming services and started actively looking for a permanent place to call home. Christian Life then met at a building on Edgewood road for about a year in Spring of 2020, thinking it may be their permanent home… but the Lord had other plans!
In August 2021, Christian Life Church purchased their permanent home located on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids through miraculous provision. Formerly known as Hus Memorial Presbyterian Church, the Lord saw fit to move CLC into a building that was constructed as a church long ago. We now take up the torch to continue the work of the ministry here in Cedar Rapids.
SUPPORTING CLC FROM SINGAPORE
Victory Family Centre, Singapore
Victory Family Centre has been planting mission churches for decades and have nearly twenty-thousand mission churches all over the world. Christian Life Church is honored to be one of those church plants! Victory Family Centre is one of the two churches who trained and sent Pastor Christian and Amanda, as well as their team of missionaries (Reen and Rachel) to plant Christian Life Church in Cedar Rapids. They spent a good deal of time, money, and prayer making Christian Life Church a reality, and they continue to support CLC through prayer, advice, and ongoing training.
Check out Victory Family Centre at www.VFC.org
VFC Senior Pastor Jeremy Seaward with his wife Charissa and children.
Team Iowa, the Mission Team From Singapore
After training in what is known as CPT (Church Planter Training) for nearly a year in Singapore, Pastors Christian and Amanda were teamed up with Singaporean missionaries Reen and Rachel. Reen and Rachel gave up a year of their busy lives in Singapore to move to Iowa to plant Christian Life Church with Pastors Amanda and Christian. They spend months evangelizing, working with the community, preaching, leading worship, and doing the work of international missionaries, right here in our city. We continue to praise God for “Team Iowa”.
Missionaries Reen and Rachel with Pastor Christian’s niece Addison.
SUPPORTING CLC FROM WASHINGTON
International Christian Center, Renton, Washington
International Christian Center is one of two churches that came together to plant Christian Life church. ICC, and its founding Pastors Daniel and Connie Ong, helped raise up Pastor Amanda and Christian as leaders, and taught them how to minister together as a married couple. They send out and support missionaries all over the world as well, furthering the heart of missions in Pastor Christian and Amanda. They sent Amanda and Christian to Singapore with their blessing and continue to support them and Christian Life Church through prayer, guidance, and ministerial advice.
Check out International Christian Center’s website at www.ICCSeattle.org
ICC Senior Pastors Connie and Daniel Ong
Faith and Victory Church, Auburn, Washington
Faith and Victory Church, founded and led by Pastors Matt and Crystal Krachunis, is where Pastor Christian was saved and discipled. It is the place Pastor Christian found his calling to pastor, and it is through Pastor Matt and Faith and Victory that Pastor Christian and Amanda first met and were eventually married. Faith and Victory Church continues to support Christian Life Church through instruction, guidance, advice, and logistical support. We honestly would not be here without the love and support of Pastors Matt and Crystal Krachunis and the church they planted!
Check out Faith and Victory’s Website at www.FaithAndVictory.com
FVC’s Senior Pastors Matt and Crystal Krachunis