Deer Valley Light & Life Church





		About Us Our Mission Our Beliefs The History Our Staff			Welcome to Deer Valley Light & Life Church! We are a Bible teaching, Christ believing church. Our heart is to let our neighborhood and friends know about all Christ has to offer. All of our programs are designed to share the proper view of Christ in a loving and non-threatening way. Deer Valley is a member of the Free Methodist Church of North America. Our Mission The Deer Valley Mission is to "Make disciples for Jesus Christ by winning the seeker, equipping the believer, and sending the laborer that we may present everyone complete in Christ." "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 Our Beliefs Worship Worship is an expression of our hearts toward God as shown through song and praise. As we worship Him, we are drawn into His presence and experience His touch in our lives. The Bible We believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. It is absolutely reliable for all matters pertaining to life, and contains the tools necessary to deal with any situation. Training We want to not only “know” the Word of God, but also to “do” His Word, as James 1:22 says, "And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself." Small Groups Fellowship with other Christians is vital to our relationship with God. We have small groups (Life Groups) which meet throughout the week. You can sign up for a small group through your communication card on Sunday mornings or simply choose one you like and join it. Ministry Jesus commanded us to do the very works He did (John 14:12). We do that by reaching out to those in need. The “ministry” is not meant just for the paid staff, but for every Christian. Reaching the Un-churched Our call is to share Christ with the world. We are committed to telling our friends and family about Jesus and inviting them into a relationship with Him. All of our programs are design to be open and sensitive to first time visitors. back to top The History In December of 1969, the Free Methodist Church ordered a survey of the Phoenix area for possible land acquisition. After a thorough study, three acres were purchased next to the then future Ironwood Elementary School on Acoma Drive. Deer Valley Church was formally organized on May 30th 1970. The church began to grow under the leadership of Pastor Jim DeSpain. Through a number of miracles, the Lord provided the parsonage, as well as additional land. Leadership passed to Pastor Floyd Noble in 1981. The torch continued as it passed to Richard Baxter in 1984, then to John Wommer in 1986. Pastor Joel McLaughlin and his family came to Deer Valley in 1990. He took a survey of the 25 or so people left in the church and immediately went to work. With God's blessing, and many years later, Deer Valley church was a thriving congregation that saw consistent growth every year. Over the years, the church leadership was called upon to make many difficult decisions. No decision, however, was bolder than the choice to sell the old Deer Valley property with a dream to build a new facility on Greenway Road.God blessed the motion and the people of Deer Valley responded. The church moved from Acoma in 2002 and began meeting at Greenway High School for a temporary amount of time. Through many challenges, the new church facility was finally completed after a course of three years. The new God-given facility officially opened to the church congregation on November 20th of 2005. And so, the Deer Valley Story continues as the church continues to follow God's leading, while looking to the future. back to top Our Staff Pastor Joel McLaughlin Senior Pastor Email Pastor Joel Pastor Joel (pictured with his wife, Gretchen, and fourth child, Connor) is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky where he received a Master's of Divinity degree. Soon after, along with his wife Gretchen, he pastored in a town ironically named McLaughlin, South Dakota. There the first three of his four kids were born, Heather, Cameron, and Colin. God called the McLaughlin family to Arizona though for five years it was not a pastoring position. Then in 1990 Pastor Joel was offered his pick of several struggling churches. He chose Deer Valley and God was in his decision. Pastor Eric Jackson Youth Pastor Email Pastor Eric Jared Edwards Director of Music Email Jared Jared Edwards has been leading worship in churches of various sizes and denominations since 1998. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in music education from Arizona State University. Jared has also been a part of Spiritual Connection, a praise and worship group that has opened for artists like Fred Hammond, Cece Winans, Anointed and Juanita Bynam. In 2003, he sang back-up for Dorinda Clark-Cole and since then has appeared several times on the Phoenix local affiliate for TBN with Spiritual Connection. Jared has a passion for Jesus, a heart for worship, a burden for people and a drive for excellence. “God has called me to minister to Christians and to pre-Christians, inviting them into God’s Holy presence,” he says. More specifically, Jared has a burning desire to see the church experience revival. “My passion is to see a move of the Holy Spirit that would thrust individuals and congregations into the bridal paradigm of gazing into the face of the Bridegroom Jesus,” he says. “We need our hearts set ablaze by His indescribable beauty and unconditional love.” "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." Psalm 27:4 Gretchen McLaughlin Director of Women's Ministries Email Gretchen Lizzy Jones Director of Children's Ministries Email Lizzy Jones Pastor Jim Rauschkolb Business Administrator Email Pastor Jim Marie Stoltz Office Administrator Email Marie back to top