How it all started...
We received the call to go to Breckenridge in the late 90s, while we were serving in Youth Ministry at Crossroads Church of Denver. During our time at Crossroads, we took frequent trips to Breckenridge to go snowboarding and for different church events. Every time we came to the town with our two young boys, we felt peace and a sense of belonging. During one of our trips to Breckenridge, we received a definitive call from God to move up here, step out in faith and plant a church. This call was followed by three years of faithful prayer for guidance, provision and a heart for the community. Both of us kept hearing Genesis 12 during that time, where God calls Abram to go to a place he is yet to know, a call to trust His provision and guidance.
Those years at Crossroads came to an end in 2002, when we made the decision to move to the mountains. Our first steps in our new home, however, were not to post flyers in the community and invite people to a Sunday service. It was important for us to first get to know the people and to learn the pulse of the community. Our first five years in Breckenridge, we were immersing ourselves into the community. We worked normal jobs, Sabrina as a substitute teacher at Breckenridge Elementary School and me, as a bellman at a hotel.
Those years at Crossroads came to an end in 2002, when we made the decision to move to the mountains. Our first steps in our new home, however, were not to post flyers in the community and invite people to a Sunday service. It was important for us to first get to know the people and to learn the pulse of the community. Our first five years in Breckenridge, we were immersing ourselves into the community. We worked normal jobs, Sabrina as a substitute teacher at Breckenridge Elementary School and me, as a bellman at a hotel.
Church service at Abbey Hall, Main Street, Breckenridge.
The first years of Great Divide Calvary Chapel...
As mentioned, during our first five years here, we made it our goal to become a part of the community. The transition period of balancing full time jobs and starting a church was hard on us individually and on our marriage. We stayed faithful to our call during those hard first years, even though they were mentally and financially challenging. We knew that God would provide, that Breckenridge was where we were supposed to be, and we were doing what we were supposed to.
We continued loving and serving the community, however not being “all in” became more and more difficult. We started Wednesday night services out of our basement in Blue River and after a couple of years, we moved to Sunday morning services. There came a point when something had to change, and together with the Calvary Chapel Board, the decision was made for me to do ministry full-time.
Back then, just like now, we did not have a church building. Instead of waiting for the people to come to us, we went to the people. Over the years, we have held our Sunday morning services in Carter Park, Breckenridge Elementary School, a pizza restaurant, a building on Main Street called Abbey Hall and finally, for the past 12 years, at Colorado Mountain College. Church has never been about a building for us, but about the people.
We continued loving and serving the community, however not being “all in” became more and more difficult. We started Wednesday night services out of our basement in Blue River and after a couple of years, we moved to Sunday morning services. There came a point when something had to change, and together with the Calvary Chapel Board, the decision was made for me to do ministry full-time.
Back then, just like now, we did not have a church building. Instead of waiting for the people to come to us, we went to the people. Over the years, we have held our Sunday morning services in Carter Park, Breckenridge Elementary School, a pizza restaurant, a building on Main Street called Abbey Hall and finally, for the past 12 years, at Colorado Mountain College. Church has never been about a building for us, but about the people.
Memorable moments from the last 23 years...
The first thing that comes to mind is the church rallying together through Covid. It was a really tough time during which we lost a lot of members. When we were allowed to meet again, we basically had to start back at zero, and we were being made brand new. We came close to quitting back then and at that point God brought us to Cerritos. In need of healing and respite, we travelled to the little surf town an hour north of Cabo and there we received not only what we came for, but also a new ministry and new vision. We are excited about Gods plans for Cerritos and honored to be part of what He is doing there.
Something else that really stands out is the prayer God answered after Covid for a faithful staff. A staff that is not only qualified but above all, loves and cares for the community as much as we do. Having a team of people that we can trust, lean on and that will support us has been a big, big blessing in the past couple of years. We are incredibly grateful to have Jordyn and Michelle supporting us.
Another special moment was the church community (even people from outside the church) rallying around us when Jimmy had his snowboarding accident back in 2015. Experiencing being loved on like that was truly amazing and humbling.
Overall, however, what stands out to us is just Gods constant provision. The fact that we are still here after 23 years is a testament to Gods faithfulness. The fact that, when you’re called, it does not matter whether you have a paycheck or not. God will provide and your job is to stay faithful to your calling, not matter what you face.
Something else that really stands out is the prayer God answered after Covid for a faithful staff. A staff that is not only qualified but above all, loves and cares for the community as much as we do. Having a team of people that we can trust, lean on and that will support us has been a big, big blessing in the past couple of years. We are incredibly grateful to have Jordyn and Michelle supporting us.
Another special moment was the church community (even people from outside the church) rallying around us when Jimmy had his snowboarding accident back in 2015. Experiencing being loved on like that was truly amazing and humbling.
Overall, however, what stands out to us is just Gods constant provision. The fact that we are still here after 23 years is a testament to Gods faithfulness. The fact that, when you’re called, it does not matter whether you have a paycheck or not. God will provide and your job is to stay faithful to your calling, not matter what you face.
Vision for the future of Great Divide Calvary Chapel...
We do not have a five-year plan because we want to stay present and flexible; to be able to go wherever God is leading us.
Our vision has always been to have the best loved, best fed community where people are hungry and thirsty for the Word of God. Now that we are in our latter years, this is the legacy we want to leave behind: love for the Word, love for God, love for the people, all while being marked by sincerity. Our guiding scripture for this is Proverbs 27:23: “Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds”. We want to be a rock for the people who live here, and a constant in this transient, ever-changing community.
Our vision has always been to have the best loved, best fed community where people are hungry and thirsty for the Word of God. Now that we are in our latter years, this is the legacy we want to leave behind: love for the Word, love for God, love for the people, all while being marked by sincerity. Our guiding scripture for this is Proverbs 27:23: “Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds”. We want to be a rock for the people who live here, and a constant in this transient, ever-changing community.
Thank you to Rebecca Frieden for taking the time to interview us and write our church's story.