Located in between north Phoenix and Cave Creek, Arizona, we are a nondenominational, Bible-teaching church with a casual feel, and contemporary worship. We believe that God is FOR you, which means we are FOR you, and together we can be FOR the community.
Why are we called Mission Grove?
No single tree makes a grove, but a grove can start from just one tree. In living out the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31) and Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), we desire to be a church that plants churches that plant churches.
Our Vision
We desire to help every man, woman, and child experience Jesus.
This is our why. It will always be our end goal.
Our Mission
We will accomplish our vision through planting the gospel,
growing through community, and multiplying through service.
This is our what. This is our strategy to accomplish our vision: Plant. Grow. Multiply.
Our Values
Who you are determines what you do. What you do demonstrates who you are. Through living out our values listed below, we desire to glorify God in our relationships and responsibilities.
Relationship Values – Love & Honor.
We show love through choosing people over process. We show honor by going above and beyond to bless others.
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. – Romans 12:10
Responsibility Values – Excellence & Creativity.
We worship through giving our best. We focus on opportunities, not obstacles.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10
Our Beliefs
In essential beliefs we have unity (Ephesians 4:5-6). In non-essential beliefs we have liberty (Romans 14:1,4,12,22). In all our beliefs we show love (John 13:34-35; 1 Corinthians 13:1-7).
God
We believe that there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all things therein, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His sovereign power He continues to sustain His creation. By His providence He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.
(Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the eternal second person of the Trinity through whose work and person God has achieved His redemptive purpose of reconciling all creation with Himself. Jesus was born of a virgin and is both fully God and fully man. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute. Thus, Jesus satisfied divine justice and accomplished salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
(Matthew 1:20; Luke 2:52; John 1:1-4, 14; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-3; John 1:29; 10:1-18, Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; 1 Peter 3:18; Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-53; John 21:20-25; 1 Corinthians 15:12-34; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 1:7)
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the eternal third person of the Trinity. The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Jesus Christ. Believers are called to be both Spirit-filled and Spirit-led.
(John 14:16-18, 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17, 5:17; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:24)
The Bible
The Scriptures are true, from God, authoritative, inerrant, and sufficient. The Bible is composed of 66 books of the Old and New Testament. The Bible simultaneously speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors.
(Psalm 12:6, 19:7-11, 119:105, 160; 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
Salvation
The central purpose of God’s revelation in the Bible is to call all people into fellowship with Himself. Originally created to have fellowship with God, humanity defied God, choosing to go his independent way, and thus was alienated from God and suffered the corruption of nature, rendering him unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and are thus in need of the saving grace of God. The deserved penalty for sin is death, both physical and spiritual. The salvation of humanity is wholly a work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part of human works or goodness and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He gives assurance in His Word that He will continue performing it until the day Jesus returns. Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. A person receives salvation when he or she believes that Jesus is Lord and that His death, burial, and resurrection is the only means through which one can be eternally saved. If one has been genuinely saved, he or she cannot lose it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-13; John 3:16, 14:6, 20:31; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 3:26; Philippians 1:6; Titus 3:5; Isaiah 59:1-2)
Baptism & Communion
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a confessing believer into water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ to regularly consider His saving-death on the cross and its implications for our lives. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 22:19-22, 1 Corinthians 11:22-32, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:1-6, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 4:4-6, Matthew 3:16, Colossians 2:12-13)
People
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character and purpose. We are designed then to be His representatives, pointing the rest of creation back to God. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, we are marred by a sinful attitude that separates people from God and causes many problems in life. However, through the grace and power of God’s salvation and the Holy Spirit, the believer has the opportunity to live a full and meaningful life as God’s workmanship. Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God into condemnation. God’s judgment will reveal His justice by consigning them to perpetuate in eternal retribution their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into eternal communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life.
(Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6, 59:1-2; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:10; John 3:16, 5:11-13, 10:10, 29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10,14; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Revelation 20:15)
Our Current Elders
Under the leadership of Jesus Christ, Mission Grove Church is overseen by a dedicated group of Elders who generously offer their time and extend their support to the church’s pastoral team and staff. Their foremost duty is to discern God’s vision for our congregation, uphold the highest standards of financial and policy integrity, and offer prayerful support to the members of our church community. The Board is blessed with diverse spiritual gifts, enabling them to carry out their responsibilities with competence and unwavering integrity. They operate within a framework of accountability and make decisions through a collective process that prioritizes consensus and wise judgment. If you need to contact our Elders, please feel free to email them at elders@missiongrovechurch.com.
Jon Kragel
Jared Evenson
Jeff Sounart
Our team
Jon Kragel
Lead Pastor jkragel@missiongrovechurch.com
Simply put… I LOVE JESUS! God has changed my life, and I plan on spending the rest of my time here on earth helping others connect to Him.
My passion in ministry is for preaching, vision casting, and developing leaders. I am so humbled and grateful to be married to my best friend, Samantha, and together we have three crazy and creative children: Jackson, Carter, and Chloe. I’ve had the privilege to serve in ministry for 15 years, and my favorite part is seeing people’s lives change through connecting with Jesus. I graduated from Cedarville University, earned a Masters of Divinity from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, and my Doctorate of Ministry from Phoenix Seminary. I love family time, sports, movies, and trips to California. Our family is truly excited to see how God is going to work in and through Mission Grove Church to reach the Phoenix Valley for Christ, and our prayer is that you’ll join our movement to make a difference in our community.
Brandon Jackson
Worship Director bjackson@missiongrovechurch.com
My name is Brandon and I love the Lord and have experienced His grace in my life in a way that has forever changed me.
I’m so glad you took some time to get to know our team. My name is Brandon and I love the Lord and have experienced His grace in my life in a way that has forever changed me. I have my struggles and I get tired, but I have tasted a glimpse of the Lord’s goodness – and there’s no turning back from that. I studied worship and music at Arizona Christian University for my undergrad because I became excited about Jesus and music when it was time for me to “leave the nest”. What I didn’t know was how much more deeply I would learn about the tangible fruit of God’s character in my own personal life through both study and experience. I learned how to live a life with God, which is a life of worship. They’re one in the same, and I would love for the fruit of my life with Jesus to be very present in every aspect of the work I do at Mission Grove. My goal is to show people that there is a real life to be had with our Savior, not just words on a page or a service on our calendar. Please come talk to me!! While I do love good music, walking through life with God’s church is where I find my love for where God has me. Music is one of God’s greatest gifts to allow us to express what we couldn’t with normal words. So let’s learn more about God together and respond in a meaningful way that recognizes the weight of His glory!
Curt Weber
Associate Pastor
cweber@missiongrovechurch.com
Jill and I have been married since 1992 and are blessed with three wonderful children: Ashley, Harrison, and Katie.
We owned and operated a residential construction company for twenty years. However, in 2012, I began my calling into vocational ministry. Together, we’ve had the blessing of serving in various areas of ministry, including children’s, discipleship, evangelism, family, and hospitality. Additionally, I’ve served in men’s, marriage, parenting, and group ministries, serving both as a lay leader and a pastor. I received a Masters of Divinity in Biblical Communication from Phoenix Seminary. God has called me to shepherd and teach His people to know Him and to follow Him. I love helping the saints grow into Christlikeness and equipping them to do the work of the ministry. I am profoundly grateful to be part of what the Lord is doing at Mission Grove and beyond. I eagerly anticipate witnessing His transformative grace in and through our church community for His glory.
Holly Holmes
Children’s Director hholmes@missiongrovechurch.com
“Raising Our Kids In Christ Together”. I feel like our Mission Grove Kids tagline speaks well to my heart.
I truly believe it takes a village to raise these short people. My husband, Lance, and I have been married since 2010, and we have the absolute joy of raising two really cool kiddos; Corinne and Elijah, who are also learning what it means to serve The Lord. I couldn’t be prouder of them. It is a blast to watch them grow and learn as individuals.
My goal is to raise not only my children with the truth of Jesus but to be a light to all the children God places in my path. I know that He is the strongest foundation they will ever need because He is the strongest foundation I have always needed. I worked as a Project Manager in commercial construction for almost sixteen years. I couldn’t see myself having any other career, but when God was nudging me to Homeschool my children and then to lead the children’s ministry of Grove Kids, I now can’t see myself doing anything else. My cup truly overflows. My prayer for our families is that they may “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, that they may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God, because He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen!” (Ephesians 3)
Wendi McKay
Greeter, Hospitality & Grove Gals Coordinator
wmckay@missiongrovechurch.com
My husband, Greg, and I have been married for over 20 years, and not a day goes by that we aren’t blessed, humbled, and honored to get to raise our four active and creative children – Grace, Ally, Justin, and Rachel.
They keep us busy, laughing, and loving. I have had the pleasure of serving in various roles within women’s ministry over the past seven year, and most recently, was a volunteer CarePortal coordinator that helped facilitate churches meeting children’s and family needs through the AZ foster care system. Prior to that, I had a 15 year career as a Phoenix Fire Firefighter and Paramedic. I love to get to know people well, serve others, and see people and lives transformed by their understanding of who they are through the love of Jesus.
We love our church family! Come discover a place that truly loves and supports people, serves the community, and exists to know, make known, and glorify Jesus – because He first loved us. Welcome to Mission Grove Church!
Edwina Starke
Administrative & Creative Director
estarke@missiongrovechurch.com
Originally, when setting out to pursue the dream of becoming an architect, I found myself on an unexpected path when I was introduced to the Lord by a college sweetheart.
This encounter led to a marriage blessed with three wonderful children. Sadly our paths diverged, but three years later, I found love and companionship anew when I met Mike, whom I married in 2007. Together, we continue to navigate life’s joys and challenges, grounded in our shared faith and commitment to the Lord.
On this unexpected detour, I discovered that God’s hand was guiding me all along, using my design skills in ways I never anticipated. Now, as Administrative and Creative Director at Mission Grove Church, I find myself utilizing those same creative talents to serve a higher purpose. From managing day-to-day operations to infusing our communication with visually engaging artwork, I am humbled by the opportunity to contribute to our community in ways that transcend the blueprint of my original dreams.
