On February 18, 1979, COK was born when the entire leadership and a majority of the congregation left the United Methodist denomination and formed an independent, nondenominational, Biblically conservative local church.
Our first Sunday Morning meeting was held on March 4, 1979, at Colleyville Elementary School. After two and one half months at the school, we increased in numbers by one third. On Sunday, May 13, 1979, we moved to the former Memorial Baptist Church building in east Grapevine.
We set three simple priorities in regard to budget:
- Help the pastor buy a home.
- Buy land for a building.
- Build a building.
In February of 1981, the funds were raised to help the pastor buy a home in Keller.
Our numbers increased, and we began to need more space for worship. It was at this location that continued growth forced us to begin two Sunday morning worship services. The building owners wanted to convert the building to secular use. So, after two years and three months, on August 9, 1981, we moved to a vacant church building once owned by the First Assembly of God Church at 310 Pebblebrook at its intersection with West Wall Street in Grapevine.
We nicknamed ourselves “Christ Our King – The First Nomadic Church of Grapevine.” In October of 1981, we purchased three acres of land in Southlake at Southlake Boulevard and South Kimball Road. We did not plan to be “nomads” forever!
The worship space at the Pebblebrook site was larger than the Memorial auditorium, but the configuration of this fairly new facility was wholly inadequate for almost all other church activities. When our numbers continued to increase, we were again forced to provide two Sunday morning worship services. When the owner of the building wanted to increase our rent beyond what we could pay, we looked for another church facility. We stayed in the Pebblebrook building for a total of two years and six months.
During our stay at the Pebblebrook, on October 9, 1983, we broke ground on the land we had previously purchased in Southlake.
No church building was available, so we began to look for other venues. The old Palace Theater on Main Street in downtown Grapevine had been converted into a live performance show hall called the ” Grapevine Opry,” but the Opry company was not using the building at the time. Our first Sunday in the Opry was February 5, 1984. Attendance increased quickly. New management rented the building and began to produce shows on Saturday nights. The Opry fans seemed to love the idea that the show house was also being used as a church on Sundays.
We stayed only four months on Main Street, but many curious visitors came to services, and some met the Lord there. When the building changed hands, we were forced out. Our self-designated name as the “First Nomadic Church” grew with the move. We ended up for the next two years driving north across the Grapevine Lake dam to the Grapevine Concourse located adjacent to the Grapevine Golf Course Pro Shop.
Our first Sunday at the Concourse was on May 27, 1984. At the same time we rented office space in an office building on Bank Street in Southlake, just one mile from our planned building site.
After several months of construction, we met for the first time in our own new building on Sunday, March 2, 1986.
Our formal dedication was on Sunday, March 23, 1986.
We moved into a new building surrounded by a rural, pastoral scene. The developments you see today were nowhere to be seen on the entire length of Southlake Blvd!
In the ten years between 1986 and 1996 we grew to an average attendance of over 250. Change, however, was on the way.
We began to experience the impact of cultural, social and physical changes occurring all around us. People from all parts of the nation and the world began to move into our area. Personal evangelism began to be very difficult because, unlike the Southern tradition of expecting a visit from the church one had just visited, visitors were surprised and often offended when we visited. New churches started up. Across the nation the whole evangelical church began to address social change in our culture by becoming more “seeker friendly.” The most practical problem we faced was a physical one.
Commercial and residential growth in the city and surrounding cities began to explode! The intersection of 1709 and S. Kimball which had been desirable locations for a church, became the most dangerous intersection in the city! Over a period of years the State widened 1709 three times, and they widened Kimball to five lanes. These changes necessitated a drastic change in ingress, egress and parking at our church. Visitors found it very difficult to get into the church property. If a visitor made it in, he then had to negotiate a very complicated parking lot. When leaving he would find it hard to exit safely. We knew that we were going to move to a new location at some time. But when and where?
Recent History
We began to seek God for new direction. He led us to ask ourselves, “Why are we here in this specific church?” The answer became clear. We were here because “here” felt like “home!” Over and over again we hear phrases like, “I feel like I belong” or “I feel like this church is family.”
Because we were small, we could know each other in a personal way. True New Testament discipleship is intended to be developed on a one-to-one basis. This new insight led to a new direction to fulfill our vision.
Long established studies show that a large church in America is about 300 persons. We do not want to become “large.” We are committed to staying “small” and personal in order to keep a close community. The average church in the U. S. is about 50 adults.
How Do We Maintain “Small”?
When we begin to average near 300, we will divide into two or three churches. Every member will already be connected to a home fellowship group. It is out of these “house churches” that the new churches will form.
We will continue our commitment to New Testament discipleship by:
- Extensive missions action to include training, sending and support of missionaries from our church
- Strong, Bible-based training for all ages
- Strong small group ministry with a high percentage of participation in order to support a strong church family bond
- Regular seminars on subjects relevant to the felt needs of the surrounding community
- Strong children, youth, family, single and senior ministries with relevant community outreach
- Well-organized social education/action ministry relating the Gospel to the social needs and political issues of our time
- Excellent, relevant worship services for both believers and non‑believers with relevant music and messages
Our New Building
Here are pictures of our new building. This building is a dear gift from God that we have been praying for and about for quite some time. Thank you Lord for blessing us with it!
