In the summer of 2012, a small group of Jesus followers landed in Olympia with a vision to plant a church that would embody authentic faith, community, and the gospel of Jesus. We didn't know what lay ahead, we just knew God had called us here.

The Early Days: Planting Seeds (2012-2016)

Our first City Group launched just a few months after we arrived. This CityGroup was designed to be an intentional, missional community where we could share life and grow together in faith. One by one we planted more, and by October 2015, we had launched five CityGroups. In December 2013, we gathered for our first corporate Worship Gathering in the downtown Olympia Community Center. It was a pivotal moment for us as it was the first time our two CityGroups (at that time) had come together to worship Jesus as one church family.

The early years were beautiful. We watched God bring families, deepen relationships, and expand our vision. By the middle of 2016, we had grown to 90+ people across five CityGroups. It felt like God was blessing our faithfulness. We were planting seeds, and He was bringing the increase.

When the Wind Blew Hard (2017-2018)

Then came a season we didn't expect. Beginning in mid-2017, military families began receiving PCS (permanent change of station) orders to military bases in other states and countries. Over the next year, nearly 40% of our church departed for this reason. Most were core families, faithful leaders in our church, and people we had built deep friendships with. It felt like watching our congregation scatter, and the pain was real.

By August 2018, one of our three Under-Shepherds also departed our church and left us wondering what would come next. Attendance had dropped and financial support from our partner churches fell away. On paper, our story looked like it might be ending before it really began.

But God had other plans.

Relaunch: Returning to the Foundation (2018-2020)

In November 2018, we made a decision that would define us. Rather than shrink back, we intentionally relaunched. We went back to the core vision God had given us, the values we had been called to live out, and the mission of reaching people with the good news of Jesus. We consolidated down to two City Groups. We refocused. We rebuilt. We prayed.

We also learned from others. In 2019, our two Under-Shepherds spent a week visiting We Are Church in San Francisco, returning with belief that we were on the right track, and fresh perspectives on ministry. By late that year, though our attendance had decreased to around 50 people in our CityGroups, we had something more important than size: we had clarity and renewed commitment.

Then, in February 2020, we launched a new vision for Olympia City Church, a vision centered on discipleship, and seeing a community where all people could Belong, could come to Believe in Jesus, and could Become like Jesus.

The Unexpected Storm: COVID-19 (2020)

Just one month later, the world changed. In March 2020, COVID-19 shut everything down as churches everywhere were left scrambling. We lost the ability to use our homes as the front door to our church, and also lost our worship gathering location for Sundays. Everything we had planned for felt impossible.

But our people didn't disappear. On Easter 2020, 45 of us gathered online for a Zoom Easter Gathering. During this season, we worshiped in our homes, had weekly prayer zooms, and our CityGroups met both outdoors and virtually. Our Fight Clubs adapted and persevered. From May through November 2020, we learned that the church isn't a building, it's the people of Jesus, gathered and scattered, united by our faith.

By Christmas 2020, we began meeting in person again at our sponsoring church in SE Olympia, Sunbreak Baptist Church, gathering twice a month on Sunday afternoons. It wasn't much as we averaged around 20 people at these gatherings, but it was something as it gave a sense of community again and of hope for the next season.

God Provides: A New Chapter Begins (2021)

As we entered 2021, we began praying earnestly for a permanent church space. In June, we moved outdoors to a local school for summer gatherings while we prayed and believed God for something more permanent.

Then in July, just one month later, God provided. Through some Jesus-following friends, we were offered a potential church space in a West Olympia business park. On August 1, we signed the lease, and just few weeks later we held our first worship gathering in our new permanent home.

It was another relaunch moment, and a tangible reminder that God sees us, provides for us, and hasn't abandoned His vision for our church.

From 2021 to Today: Continued Growth and Gospel Expansion (2021-Present)

Since Sunday, August 29, 2021, God's faithfulness has continued to unfold in beautiful ways. We've watched our church grow as new families have discovered the community and caught the vision of what God is doing through our church. Young families, couples of all ages, singles, and seekers have all found a home at Olympia City Church.

We consolidated our CityGroups to one group, and also changed our vision from smaller home groups to larger groups of 50-70 people in each CityGroup. We've seen people transformed by the gospel, follow Jesus into baptism, and sent out into our community as Jesus’ witnesses. We've watched as individuals have embraced spiritual disciplines and begun practicing the ways of Jesus in their everyday lives at work, at home, and in their neighborhoods.

God hasn't just restored what was lost; He's been building something new and vibrant. We've expanded our reach, deepened our theology, and watched Him draw new families into His kingdom. Every month, we see new faces in our gatherings. Every week, our CityGroup welcomes people hungry to know Jesus and be part of authentic community.

Looking Forward: The Best Is Yet to Come

As we reflect on these last thirteen years, we're overwhelmed by God's faithfulness. We've learned that following Jesus isn't always a straight line of growth. It includes valleys and peaks. It includes loss and provision. It includes waiting and sudden breakthrough.

But through it all, God has remained faithful to His vision for our church: to be a growing community of Jesus people, gathered and scattered in our city, living out the ways of Jesus for the sake of Olympia and beyond.

If you're reading this and you're looking for a church home, a place where you can belong, believe in Jesus, and become like Him, we invite you to join us. Whether you've been a Jesus-follower for decades or you're taking your first steps toward faith, there's a place for you at Olympia City Church.

God's story of faithfulness continues to unfold. And we believe the best chapters are still ahead.