Journey
From Casting to Mini Church Home Network
In January 2018, a core group of eight people set out to discover what God could do with hearts devoted to worship and service. By September 2018, they had launched Casting Christian Church with corporate gatherings in a middle school. God blessed their efforts, with attendance growing to 75-90 people each Sunday in their first year. Nine individuals were baptized, committing their lives to Christ.
Operating on a bi-vocational ministry model, the church didn’t pay staff—everyone, including the pastor, volunteered. This approach allowed them the financial freedom to serve the Farmington, Arkansas community in practical ways.
When COVID hit in 2020, the church pivoted to virtual gatherings for 12 weeks. Though attendance dropped to 40 during that time, they built back to an average of 60 by year’s end. The pandemic also provided opportunities to serve the community, including paying bills for those in need. As they served, they began to question the true meaning of "church." Church, they realized, couldn’t just be a weekly event—it had to be more.
In 2021, after prayer and reflection, they felt God urging them to reset the vision and mission of Casting Christian Church. They embraced a new understanding: church wasn’t an event, but a body of believers living out their faith in everyday life. They envisioned a community where prayer, fellowship, and engagement with God's Word were central. They wanted to teach believers to engage with others outside the church, sharing Jesus’ love through everyday interactions and stories. The mission field would be their neighborhoods, and the church would be the people, living out their faith in grace and truth.
In October 2021, the decision was made to transition from a central worship building to home-based gatherings. Smaller, more intimate community groups would focus on four key elements: (1) fellowship, (2) prayer, (3) engaging with God’s Word, and (4) breaking bread together. The decision wasn’t popular, but they counted the cost and committed to the change.
The transition wasn’t easy. By the end of the first month in February 2022, attendance dropped from 80 to 20, and by the second month, it had fallen to just 12. Of the original core group from 2018, only two remained. But God was moving, and lives began to change in ways that redefined what it meant to be the church.
Since February 2022, they have continued meeting in home networks, living out their faith both individually and together. What began as a small discovery group evolved into corporate worship and now exists as intimate community gatherings. They continue to launch new groups, serve their communities, and build God’s kingdom, living as the Church wherever they are.
Want to learn more? Connect with us about joining or starting your own discovery community group. Discover what God has in store for you!