Real Life comes to Coeur d'Alene

One of the largest churches in Kootenai County is establishing a campus in Coeur d'Alene.

Real Life Ministries, which has around 7,000 attending weekend services at its Post Falls site, will hold its first official service in the Lake City on Easter Sunday.

"This is a community where we don't feel like we've had a lot of influence in the past, especially in the downtown area," said Craig Miles, lead pastor for the Coeur d'Alene campus. "We want to help reach this area a little better."

Real Life's home will be at 610 N. Fourth, in a decades-old brick church building that was most recently used by First Christian Church.

First Christian had struggled to attract younger families, and its attendance had been declining. It closed early this year and put the church on the market.

Real Life, a nondenominational church, had considered renting space on Sundays from the Coeur d'Alene School District, but instead, signed a one-year lease with First Christian.

"This building, as opposed to a school, means we get to do ministry seven days a week," Miles said.

The location, in a mix of residential neighborhoods and businesses in the heart of midtown, works well.

There are numerous denominations in the area, including Baptist, Presbyterians, Lutheran, Catholic and Episcopalian.

A Coeur d'Alene site gives residents here the opportunity to stay close to home and attend an RLM service. For some, the cost of gas and time to drive to Post Falls was a deterrent.

Miles said Real Life plans to be involved in Coeur d'Alene and work with its neighbors.

"We want to be a blessing to the community," he said.

"We want people to know that from this campus we really have a desire to be in the community, to be a part of the community."

Real Life has wrapped up renovations that included removing the old church pews and replacing them with cushioned chairs. It also painted, put in new carpet and made other changes.

He admits to being a little nervous there might not be enough space to accommodate everyone on Easter.

The sanctuary can hold close to 200.

An unofficial service last Sunday attracted 130.

"That was without telling anyone," Miles said.

Father and son

The 46-year-old Craig Miles is the son of Bruce Miles, the founding pastor of New Life Community Church in Hayden before dying of cancer in November 1999.

"My dad was one of my heroes," Craig said. "He was just a great man."

Bruce Miles was a strong leader at New Life, which at one point was among the largest church in Kootenai County, with more than 3,000 attending weekly services.

Many knew, loved and respected Bruce Miles.

"What he represented on Sunday from the pulpit is the same man he was all week," Craig said. "He was just a man who loved God, and loved people, a man of honor and integrity.

"I would love to be more like him as I mature."

Growing up, Craig had no plans to be a pastor, but wanted to be a fireman or policeman.

But he became involved with church as a volunteer and accepted positions of greater influence over the years.

"I've learned a lot along the way," he said.

Craig Miles worked at New Life with his father for seven years and has been in full time ministry for 20 years, working with children, students and young adults. He's been at RLM 11 years.

His wife Sherri will remain on the staff at the Post Falls campus, and help with weekend services in Coeur d'Alene.

Craig chuckles when asked if he graduated from a seminary or Bible college.

He said he does not have a degree in doctrine or theology.

Rather, it's in business.

Being the lead pastor is "a new adventure."

"So this stretches me, causes me to have to rely a lot on other people and their giftedness," he said. "That's a good place. Leading a team obviously requires me to rely on God a lot, as well."

Real growth

Real Life's growth and expansions has resulted in other churches throughout the nation turning to RLM for training and advice.

They want to know the key to making ministry work so well.

No secret, Miles said.

"We kind of laugh because everything that we've talked about is straight out of the Bible. The two greatest commandments in the Bible are love God, love others. A lot of times it seems like the church is focused on loving God, but not necessarily on loving others."

So RLM focuses on relationships.

"That's contagious. People want that. People have a desire to be in loving relationships. That's the single greatest thing. We definitely know what we believe and stick to those things."

"Our goal is to create an environment where people can first off connect with God, then connect with others," he added.

RLM's services are considered informal, with casual dress. It is known for its core of home groups and its many ministries that reach into the community. It aims to create leaders who step up and in turn create more leaders who guide others on the road to accepting Jesus Christ as their savior.

"We're not just a church that comes together on weekends," he said. "We actually like to do life together."

Did you know?

Real Life Ministries held its first church service in the River City Cinema in Post Falls on Oct. 19, 1998.

Since, it has steadily grown and expanded, and today, around 7,000 attend Sunday services at its Post Falls site on Cecil Road.

It has also planted several churches, including:

• Valley Real Life, Spokane Valley, September 2003; current attendance, 1,360.

• Real Life Ministries Newport, November 2005, current attendance, 110

• Real Life On-the-Palouse, Moscow, October 2007, current attendance, 1,000

• Real Life Ministries Silver Valley, Pinehurst, October 2008, current attendance, 130

• Real Life Spokane, Spokane, Wash., October 2010, current attendance, 400.

• Real Life establishes first local campus church in Coeur d'Alene, April 2012.