Celebrating Six Years of First Love Church

Today we celebrate six incredible years of First Love Church!

Our story began back in 2019, when we officially launched the ministry on September 22. Before that, we had been meeting for over a year in our home every Wednesday night, after stepping away from the ministry where Carol, Carlos, and I had served for nearly a decade as music leaders and associate pastors.

During that season of waiting on the Lord, God began moving powerfully in our small home gatherings. Our living room would be packed — people filled the stairs, and the basement overflowed with children. Eventually, it became clear that God was birthing something new.

At that time, Pastor Gary Taylor, former pastor of Community Baptist Church where I had served, joined us in this vision to start a new ministry.

When it came time to name the church, there were several ideas, but one theme kept coming back to our hearts — our first love. We wanted a ministry that would never lose the passion, purity, and devotion we had at the beginning — a church that would keep the first love burning strong for Jesus and for people.

This name and vision were inspired by Jesus’ words in Revelation 2:4:

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

We never wanted that to be said of us. Instead, we wanted to hold on to our first love — to love God and to love people. As 1 John 4:19 reminds us:

“We love because He first loved us.”

That is the foundation of our ministry — love. It sums up the commandments of Jesus:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)

From the very beginning, our mission has been clear: to be part of the mission of Jesus — to love humanity and help restore people to God’s original purpose — to live in relationship with Him and bring glory to His name.

At First Love Church, we are a relational church. We believe in walking together, in discipleship, in genuine fellowship, and in growing as a family of believers. Our desire is that, as we continue to grow, we never lose that closeness — that we continue to raise up leaders, make disciples, and fulfill the Great Commission:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:18–20)

Our church is also built upon the four pillars of Acts 2:42:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.”

If we can do nothing else, we will remain faithful to these four — teaching the Word, praying together, sharing in fellowship, and breaking bread as one family in Christ.

Over these six years, we have witnessed God’s incredible faithfulness — lives transformed, souls saved, baptisms, marriages, and new families beginning. We have seen growth, unity, and the deep love of God reflected in our community.

Carol and I are so thankful and humbled to lead such a loving, dedicated, and passionate church family. We are excited for what God has done, grateful for what He is doing, and filled with expectation for what is yet to come.

To God be all the glory!
Happy 6th Anniversary, First Love Church!