Ada Bible Church

God’s beginning vision

In early 1978, we are eleven Christ followers crowded in a small house. Each of us sharing God’s vision of spreading Christ’s message in southeast Grand Rapids. Pastor Joe Smith leads this growing group in 1980 as we build and meet at Alta Dale Drive. Pastor Jeff Manion, with new bride Chris, agrees to serve as the interim Senior Pastor in 1983.

God has gifted Pastor Jeff with a unique preaching style to teach the Bible in an approachable way. Through this, God grows our little church to over 100 people. We outgrow the meeting house on Alta Dale Drive. Believing that God is at work, in a leap of faith, our Elders sell the first location and buy a three-acre parcel on Ada Drive. God continues to bring more people while we meet at a local high school and build for over a year.

 

God’s leading

Our church becomes known for dynamic children’s ministry, foundational small groups and transformational teaching. Sunday mornings grow to three services including one meeting off-site at a nearby high school. Church attendance is around 900 men, women and children in 1998. And God faithfully pushes and provides. With little extra room, God leads our Elders to sell the Ada Drive building and, once again, we move into temporary space at a local high school. We purchase 61 acres on the corner of Cascade Road and Quiggle Avenue and build what is now called Cascade Campus.

 

God’s continued blessings

Over 1500 men, women and children are regularly attending three services when the new building opens in 2000. But God has bigger plans for us. Numbers spike and expansion is again a necessity. We add children’s classrooms, office space and more video venues upstairs.

We find growth is a mixed blessing. Weekend services are packed. Children’s programs are at capacity. People find it hard to invite friends. But God provides a solution. Several in fact.

• 2008. We launch our first off-site campus called North Campus. This group temporarily meets at Cornerstone University for over three years. More than 1000 people attend the North Campus on the first day. The North Campus moves into its newly constructed location in 2012. Renamed the Knapp Street Campus, this campus currently serves over 2000 people each weekend.
• 2010. We purchase another church’s building in Caledonia and launch the Kentwood Campus. This campus currently serves over 1500 men, women and children.
• 2015. We purchase and build on 29 acres on East Paris Ave SE. Named the East Paris Campus, this fourth congregation moved into their new building in January of 2018.

God’s future provisions

We said this is a story about faith. God consistently grows our church in size but he also provides the means to do so. Thanks to faithful giving, each new location is paid off in miraculous time. God grows and provides for our now-not-so-little church time and again. May we continue to see God’s faithfulness in the past, present, and future. May we continue being faithful to God in all that he entrusts us to do.