Our Story
Story Church started gathering in homes in March 2022 with a small group of people. That group of people felt that God was calling them to come together to start a new gathering of individuals who wanted to welcome people, serve others, build real and meaningful relationships and grow together.
That group has continued to meet together, and has added more people. We have weekly Life Groups to learn and to continue to be a part of each others' lives. We serve our community and Schnepf Elementary School, where we gather on Sundays. We are doing what we each can do individually to help make a difference together.
Story Church began gathering on Sunday mornings at Schnepf Elementary in March of 2023!
Our Pastor
Pastor Reed and his wife Audrey met in Mesa, Arizona in the Fall of 2006. Their first date was to Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek! They only dated eight weeks before Reed asked Audrey to spend the rest of her life with him.
They ended up getting married in Spring 2007, but were only able to continue living in Arizona another year beyond that. The Lord led them to ministries in Ohio and Oregon, and blessed them with four incredible children along the way, but a love for the people and location of Arizona's East Valley was always in their hearts. In 2021, the Lord began a journey of bringing them back here to start Story Church!
In January of that year they felt God telling them to be prepared for the next step. They began praying and less than a month later they connected with Broadway Christian Church in Mesa, AZ. That church had set out several years before to help start new churches, and had already partnered in starting two others. They were looking for the next family to work alongside to begin another church family.
The talks continued and after much prayer and discussion the Adams realized that, yes, God did want them back down in the area where their journey together had started! They were pulled to Queen Creek, back where their life together had taken its first steps, as the place where their new church would take its first steps. Reed is the Lead Pastor and while Audrey isn't on staff, she is heavily involved in the vision and leadership of Story Church.
The Adams' desire is for this church to be a place that shows Christ's love to all people - no matter where their journey is in their faith. As a young family, they have a special care for other young families as they know what they are going through. They also desire for Story Church to be a place that helps the less fortunate, and their plan is to work specifically to provide help with the foster community in our area. They want all people to know that their story matters to God!
Our Kids Pastor
Our Partners
Story Church isn't about just one family or group of believers. It is the result of many people and multiple organizations that have come together to help bring the truth of Jesus in this endeavor. We are thankful for everyone who has helped us along the way.
Some of our main partners:
Shelby Gonzales is the Kids Pastor at Story Church. Her passions Include Jesus, Kids and Families. She was born and raised in a Christian home and at the age of 10 made the decision to follow Jesus and was baptized. In high school she felt God's call to kids ministry. She worked a few years at Broadway Christian Church alongside the Kids Ministry Director and Youth pastor doing social media, newsletter videos and helping out on Sundays as a teacher all while working a second job at an elementary school.
On February, 11th 2022 she married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life Garrett Gonzales. They both grew up in the East Valley area and attended Broadway Christian Church. They moved into their first home in San Tan right after the wedding. Soon after, while in service at BCC, there was an announcement about a new church they planned to plant in Queen Creek. They realized that God had moved them down to that area to have them join this new church.
Shelby loves teaching kids about Jesus and how He can help make their lives better. She has a fun and exciting personality, along with a huge heart.