OUR STORY
Three Stands launched with just four people the first week. But that isn’t really where the story starts. It’s almost crazy to think of starting a new church in a county that is already packed with churches. But that’s exactly what we ended up doing.
The year before we started 3SC, three of us started to pray for God to show us how we could make the greatest impact for His glory. We didn’t know at the time if that would mean planting a new church, teaming up with an existing church, or possibly even moving to a different area. As we began feeling a burden from God to start a new church in McCreary County, the question that had to be answered was, “Does McCreary County really need another church?”
In a county of approximately 18,000 people and about 100 churches, why would you even consider planting a church? As the three of us continued praying for some clear direction from God, we became heavily burdened for the 85% of McCreary County that wasn’t going to church anywhere. We all began to feel as if God wanted us to start a different kind of church: A place where people far from God were free to experience the real truth and grace of Jesus Christ.
That idea became the core of our mission statement and the focus of everything we do as a church. We set out to create an environment that is free from man-made obligations and consumed with God-centered truth and grace. We want people to know that they are not alone and that all of us are equally “messed up” and in need of help from Jesus. Even our church name, “Three Strands,” reflects this idea from God’s Word.
“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a cord of three strands is not easily broken.”
~ Ecclesiastes 4:12
When we began meeting at the McCreary County Park building, we didn’t know exactly what God had in store for Three Strands. But God has been busy creating a culture of redemption in McCreary County. He’s using Three Strands as a safe place for people to come and be surrounded with amazing grace and to hear relevant truth.
We’ve watched as Jesus has been setting people free from habits, addictions and struggles. We’ve also seen people who were far from God for years, cast their shame, isolation, and guilt onto the cross of Jesus Christ and begin living a new life of freedom! And what excites us most, is that this is only the beginning at Three Strands Church! God is still writing His story and we can’t wait to find out what great things He has in store for us and for you!