Faith and freedom

A small crowd of adults and children gathered on the plot of cleared land just off Highway 54 near Athol. There was mud and stumps and fallen branches on this chunk of ground surrounded by tall trees.

On this cold and cloudy Sunday afternoon, they stood quietly in a broken circle and listened to Real Life Ministries North Campus Pastor Jim Blazin.

“This is once again another chapter in the history of Real Life and what God’s been doing and we get to be a part of it,” he said at the groundbreaking.

RLM, Kootenai County’s largest church - with its main campus in Post Falls and sites in Coeur d’Alene and one that meets on Sundays at Timberlake High School - is growing again.

In the next year, it plans to complete a 19,000-square-foot building on 10 acres gifted to the church, where this group stood shoulder to shoulder.

Future plans call for a second building, and RLM bought another 10 acres across the highway.

“So we have 20 right here, which is just a godsend,” Blazin said.

RLM has company when it comes to increasing congregations.

As more people move to North Idaho seeking normalcy and to escape urban chaos, they are also looking for places to worship God.

Several pastors contacted by The Press said the churches they lead, big and small, have seen rising attendance, in person and online, in recent months.

Most pastors agreed the growth is fueled by a few factors: More people moving in, more people weary of the mask issue and wanting freedom to worship, more people enjoying staying home while streaming services live, and more people seeking spiritual stability and guidance during uncertain times.

“People just need something that is solid they can hold on to,” said Kevin Schultz, pastor of The Vine Church in Hayden. “Sooner or later, they’re coming to the realization that a relationship with Jesus Christ is something that is solid.”

Schultz said pre-coronavirus, the church had about 30 people attending Sunday service. Lately, it’s been closer to 50. While that may not sound like a lot, it is for what Schultz described as a “small mission church.”

Some of the new attendees are locals, while many are coming from California, Portland and Seattle — areas with COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.

Schultz said he thought more people would stay home and watch services online, which they are, but they are also venturing out. They are finding comfort in sacred sanctuaries.

Some, he said, are fearful of the future, of government, of their country's division.

“People coming from those locations were just not happy,” Schultz said. “They were afraid of what was going to happen where they were living. They’re feeling security in North Idaho.”

Pastor Steve Massey of Hayden Bible Church said they, too, have seen significant growth, from about 300 attending two Sunday morning services to about 550.

He believes there are two main reasons more people are filling church seats.

One is population growth, Massey said. Another is that people are hungry for the word of God.

“This has been a very difficult season for people,” Massey said.

He sees this has a “wonderful opportunity for churches to reconnect to the simplicity of our purposes, to proclaim Christ and make him known out in the community.”

Hayden Bible Church does not require masks. Massey could not say that is why it is drawing more people.

“It could explain some of the growth, but I really don’t know,” he said.

Mark Mitchell, administrative pastor with Lake City Community Church, said their numbers have grown about 15% in person and online, to about 650 for two Sunday morning services, and the children’s ministry has welcomed many new kids.

“It’s been a good season for us,” Mitchell said.

About 60% of weekly attendance is people streaming online service from home.

The church encourages attendees to wear masks and closes every other seating row so people can maintain social distance.

“We’ve taken a little bit more cautious approach to the coronavirus,” he said. “We’re taking practical steps to help protect people.”

Rev. Dr. David T. Gortner with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Coeur d’Alene said they have seen a slight growth in both online and in-person services.

The church generally has about 125 people on Sundays “when it’s not pandemic time.” It has seen about 10 more in the pews lately.

Gortner said he believes the growth is a result of people moving to the area and “looking for where they are going to land for worship.”

“Some of those people landed with us for more than just one visit,” he said.

St. Luke’s requires people to wear masks, per the Panhandle Health District mandate, and seating is distanced.

“That’s a matter of our showing care for one another and the people around us,” he said.

“Showing discipline for the sake of others is a form of discipleship,” Gortner added.

Gortner said while church members aren’t meeting in large groups, they are serving their community by praying for and checking up on neighbors and each other.

“There are other ways to be faithful than showing up Sunday mornings,” he said.

Pastor Paul Van Noy of Candlelight Christian Fellowship in Coeur d'Alene said they added a third Sunday morning service to keep up with growth and avoid overcrowding.

The church at U.S. 95 and Pioneer Drive has gone from about 1,000 attending services to about 1,600.

He agrees the growth at many churches is due to the area’s rising population, that people want to hear “the truth uncompromised,” and they are uncertain, even fearful, of the unknown.

“I think that people are in desperate need of hope,” said Van Noy, who contracted the coronavirus himself last year and was hospitalized before recovering. “They love the fact we are bold in proclamation of the truth.”

Candlelight does not require church goers to wear masks and most do not.

North Idaho is an area where freedom is valued, Van Noy said, and Candlelight gives people that freedom to decide whether to wear masks.

He believes that is a reason Candlelight has attracted more people through its doors.

“We allow people to think for themselves,” he said.

Jim Putman, senior pastor of Real Life Ministries, said weekly church attendance at its three campuses, in person and online, is up about 2,000 from the same time last year, from about 5,000 to 7,000.

Its 9:45 a.m. Sunday service in Post Falls became so crowded that Putman asked people to either attend the earlier or later morning services.

The church has greeted people from throughout the U.S. moving to North Idaho in recent months. Some haven’t attended a church in years. Others wanted to try RLM. Some growth could be connected to the restrictions at Washington state churches, while Idaho’s have long been open.

RLM is another church that does not require people to wear masks — few there do — nor are people seated with social distancing in mind. About 500 or more fill floor seats and the stands. Between services, many chat in the foyer. A recent prayer night attracted hundreds.

Putman said people may want to attend a church that is “more in line with how they see the pandemic.”

With turmoil and heated arguments seemingly everywhere over politics, masks and vaccines, many are asking, “Hey, what’s going on here?” Putman said.

Putman said those questioning what they believe are looking for answers. That has started them on a spiritual journey in North Idaho.

And that, Putman said, is good.

“I’m hoping this crazy world is shaking people up,” said Putman, who spoke briefly at the groundbreaking of RLM’s north campus.

“While the rest of the world goes crazy, this is the time for the kingdom to advance. This is the time to take ground," he said. "We really believe as the world gets shaky, people go to their knees.”