Our Mission: That all may know Jesus Christ and become His empowered disciples, we share His love, with Joy, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Our Priorities: Loving God, Building Community & Changing the World.

At its core, our belief is that Jesus Christ is the Savior, and that through His death our relationship with God is reconciled. This belief about Jesus steers our actions as a church. We also believe that empowered followers of Jesus continually seek to enhance their relationship with Him. Followers of Jesus share five characteristics of a vital faith:

• Regular participation in worship.
• Daily devotion and personal prayer.
• Personal growth through Bible study and group learning opportunities.
• Financially supporting the Kingdom of God by tithing.
• Sharing God's love in mission and service to others.

Community Church of Joy is affiliated with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC).

Statement of Faith

We believe in the Triune God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We acknowledge one God in these three persons.

We believe that God the Father created the universe. He is loving, compassionate, just and kind. His deepest desire is to live in an intimate relationship with all people.

We believe that, because of His desire to live in a relationship with us, God became a human being. Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, is fully God and fully man. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for all people to live in a relationship with God. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Through Him and Him alone can people enter into a relationship with God.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the presence of Jesus Christ among us. Through Him God loves us, empowers us and lives in us. The Spirit gives gifts to all believers. We believe in all the gifts of the Spirit and encourage their use.

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Through it, God reveals Himself to us. The entire Bible is God-breathed and God-inspired. The Old and New Testaments are the norm and guide upon which we base our faith.

We believe that the church, be it a local congregation or the worldwide fellowship of believers, is the body of Christ. As His Body, we are called to worship Him, serve Him and be the vehicle through which the Good News in its fullness is shared with the world.

We affirm and identify with the confessions of the Christian Church. We affirm the centrality of grace alone, faith alone, and Word alone.

We believe in and practice the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. We believe that through the waters of Baptism, God comes to us to adopt us as His children. Through Baptism, God gives the gift of new life. We affirm the baptism of infants.

We believe that through the Lord's Supper, God comes to love us and forgive us. It is a meal of renewal. Jesus is really present in the meal.

We believe in the worth and value of the human being. Created in God's image, humans have dignity. Their worth is dependent not on accomplishments, but on God's love. Because God sees humanity as worth dying for, we affirm and acknowledge the dignity of humans.

At the same time we acknowledge that humanity is separated from God because of sin. We joyfully proclaim the Good News that because of Jesus Christ, forgiveness is a possibility. It is that forgiveness that restores fallen humanity's worth.

We believe in and anticipate the return of Jesus Christ. Though we don't know the day or hour, we joyfully proclaim His soon return to inspire all people to make the most of life today.

Gospel
We are passionately committed to the message that God has acted on our behalf in Jesus and that through Jesus we can experience a life-transforming relationship with God. A Christian understanding of this Good News with a commitment to Word alone, Faith alone, and Grace alone undergirds and shapes our ministry.

Mission
We are passionately committed to sharing the love of Christ in relevant and engaging ways with those not yet connected to Christ or the church, and to training, equipping and empowering transformed people of all faith levels to live out a Christ-centered life. Because lost people matter to God, we will make them the priority of our mission. We will continually seek to create an inviting climate of warmth and hospitality that welcomes all to come and hear about Jesus at their own pace.

Innovative Excellence
We are passionately committed to doing whatever it takes within the context of the Gospel to build a community of faith that reaches new people and helps them grow in their relationship with Christ. Risk, relevance, change, flexibility, excellence and the freedom to fail grow out of the desire to connect the Gospel to the community.

Healthy Relationships
We are passionately committed to affirming and upholding the God-given worth of each individual. We want to help people discover the God-given potential through a relationship with Jesus and to encourage them as they use their gifts to serve Christ and the community. We are committed to helping people foster, build, and experience dynamic, vital relationships with others.

Integrity
We are passionately committed to honesty, openness, fairness, and grace in dealing with others and in managing the mission of Community Church of Joy.

Dr. Walt Kallestad
Senior Pastor—Assigned to a tiny Lutheran congregation in Glendale, Arizona in 1978, Walt Kallestad quickly learned humility and value of strong communications: Within the first few months, the congregation had dropped by 50 percent, and the young idealist was faced with the challenge of rebuilding constituency or finding a new profession. The challenge has obviously been met. Today, under Walt's direction, Community Church of Joy supports thousands of participants. Walt is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and Luther-Northwestern Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and received his doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He spends his leisure time with Mary, his wife and best friend, their grown children and grandchildren, pursuing interests in writing, music and golf. walt.kallestad@joyonline.org

Derik Hines
Teaching Pastor—Pastor Derik Hines is the Teaching Pastor at Community Church of Joy where he directs the Missions Ministry and oversees various other ministries. Derik has been married to his bride Deborah for almost 28 years. They have been blessed with five daughters, three sons-in-law and two grandsons. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, taking walks with God, working out, reading, frequenting coffee bars and looking for ways to share God's love. His passion is to "Live like Jesus, Love like Jesus and to Leave what Jesus left behind." As a teacher, his passion is to help others do the same. derik.hines@joyonline.org

David Tomb
Administrative Pastor—Dave and his wife Barb make their home in Surprise. Their three married children have provided them with seven beautiful grandchildren. Dave earned a Bachelor's degree in Music Education and Master's of Arts Degree in Leadership and Ministry from Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois and received ordination in 2003. Dave has been in worship leadership for over 30 years, serving churches in Iowa, Illinois and Arizona. david.tomb@joyonline.org

We believe true, heartfelt worship should lead to an encounter with God. Worship is not a consumer event, but something for everybody in the community to participate in.

Our Traditional service at 8:15 features worship led by our Celebration Choir and many of the traditional hymns you might have grown up with are sung. Our Modern services at 10:00 & 11:30 feature dynamic music led by Joy's worship team. Typically, we engage God in worship during a three- or four-song set, during which an offering is taken, followed by a message (approx. 30 minutes), a response song, and an open invitation for prayer. Services usually run from an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes in length.

We serve Communion the first Sunday of each month. All who believe that Jesus is their personal Savior are welcome to participate—regardless of whether you are a member or regular attender of Joy. Children who have not yet received communion instruction may come forward for a blessing.

We love kids here at Joy! We have an abundance of Children's programs running throughout the year designed just for them. Kids in Children's Ministry programs learn about God's love for them every week in a vibrant way.

Parents may park near the Kid Kountry building for easier access. You do not need to pre-register your children. Helpful staff will be available in Kid Kountry to assist you.

We offer a wide range of children's programming from infants to sixth grade. A Children's Worship Service is offered during the Sunday 10:00 AM worship services. A traditional Sunday School is offered during the 11:30 AM service. Children may be dropped off in their respective areas before each service. Please see below for where your child's age group meets:

• 6 weeks - 2 year olds: Kid Kountry Nursery
• 3 year olds: Kid Kountry Room 213
• 4 year olds: Kid Kountry Room 212
• Going into Kindergarten or 1st Grade: Kid Kountry
• Going into 2nd - 6th Grade: The Bridge

Children are always welcome in the Worship Center. Should children become restless or noisy, we have a quiet room available on Northwest side of the Worship Center equipped with sound so you can continue to enjoy the worship experience.

We offer several exciting opportunities for students to engage with one another and with God here on campus; primarily, The Bridge for all students on Wednesday nights. In addition, we offer many off-campus events, service opportunities and turn-around trips throughout the year. To find out more, visit our Students page.

We have a passion for prayer at Joy. There's ministry time offered during each of the weekend services with a member of our prayer team. They are also available to pray with you before and after every service in the Prayer Room on the side NE side of the Worship Center. Look for anyone wearing a Prayer Ministry badge. You can also submit your prayer requests online.

When we obey God and give, He blesses our storehouse and the work of our hands...

God has given us a wonderful opportunity to give back to Him through our tithes and offerings. His Word includes promise after promise of the blessings He will pour down on us as we are faithful with our time, talents, and finances.

We encourage anyone who considers Joy their church home to follow the Biblical practice of tithing, or giving 10% of your income back to God. If you're visiting, we want you to be blessed by the worship gathering and to give as God inspires you.

You can give to Joy in the Sunday offering or by making a one-time or automatic online payment.

Stewardship
Stewardship is defined as "using God-given abilities to manage God-owned properties to attain God-ordained results."

The Lord owns all of our possessions—as stewards, we simply manage and administer things on His behalf. He entrusts possessions to us and then holds us accountable for their use. The recognition that God owns it all is crucial in allowing Jesus Christ to become the Lord of our money and possessions.

To assist you in attaining your stewardship goals, please contact the church office at 623-561-0500.

At Community Church of Joy we celebrate adult and child baptisms on the third Sunday of every month. In order to help you prepare for baptism, you will be invited to schedule a time with one of our pastors who will walk you through the process and explain what baptism means. If the baptism is for a child, both parents are asked to attend.

In order for the church to welcome people that are being baptized into the church community, the pastors request that all baptisms be held during the worship services at 8:15, 10:00 or 11:30 AM, and no longer after the services.

You will be asked to provide the following information for your baptism certificate:

• First, middle and last name of person being baptized
• Date of birth
• City and State of birth
• Address and phone number
• If this is a child baptism, parent's names, address and phone number
• Sponsor names (if applicable)

Upcoming Baptism Sundays:
November 18, December 16, January 20

On the day of baptism, we suggest you and any guests arrive 10 minutes before the service to allow enough seating for your entire party. During the worship service you will be called forward, along with sponsors, for the baptism. Sponsors are people who promise to help the baptized person to grow in their faith (some churches call them godparents).

As we spend time together in the days ahead, please know that we want to help you in every way possible to have a treasured and meaningful experience. If you have any questions or want to register for orientation, please email Linda.Swanson@joyonline.org or call 623-561-0500.

If you are new to Joy, we'd like to welcome you with a great parking space. First-time visitor parking is available on the East side of the Worship Center. We also have shuttles running regularly throughout the parking lots during weekend worship gatherings to give you a lift if you'd like one. Handicapped parking is also available. Please check the map below for designated Handicapped parking areas.

• Before the service, check out the worship bulletin to see what's going on at Joy.
  
• Enjoy a cup of fresh ground coffee and treats in the Lobby while making new friends before and after the service.
  
• Make sure to fill out a Connection Card which can be found in your bulletin. This will help us get to know you, allow us to answer any questions you may have, and let you know what's happening at Joy.
  
• Be sure to stop by the Welcome Center after the service to receive a special gift and have any questions that may have come up during your visit answered. The friendly volunteers can also direct you as to how you can get connected at Joy.
• Meet one of Joy's pastors at the Welcome Guests banner in the Lobby.
• Spend some time walking around our campus. You'll get to meet some great people, and get a feel for what's going on at Joy.
  
• Feel free to ask as many questions as you can think of. We're here to bless you and to help you feel at home.

Volunteers at the Welcome Center will be happy to assist you with this during your weekend visit, but you can also research the following list to give you an idea of how to get connected at Joy.

• Meet with God in worship.
• Check out our Resource Wall in the Worship Center Lobby, filled with cards about Joy's ministry and small group offerings.
• Join us for C-Life (Community Life) on Wednesday evenings. Come for the delicious catered meal and get to know some fabulous people, and stay for a class afterward, if you like.
• Participate in various ministry opportunities
• Check out upcoming events.
• Serve at Joy or with a missions team.
• Attend a Discover Joy class to learn how to become a member of Joy (offered several times per year).