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Spirit Church seeks to answer God's calling to "reach one more" in 2023 by expanding its facility at 2121 S. Madison Boulevard in Bartlesville.

Lead Pastor Jason Fullerton says they are looking intently at the details in this journey they are embarking on in order to stay true to their mission statement: "To share the love, joy and peace of Jesus Christ with the least, last and lost."

Pastor Fullerton says this project is bigger than a building. He says this is a vision of ministry for 2023 - and even 2024 - to reach one more.

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The Vision

Spirit Church feels very passionately that there are people in the communities they serve that need the help and hope that is only found in Jesus. Pastor Fullerton says this can be done through local ministry, equipping parents and married families in a way where they can thrive, and going on missions trips. He says this also looks like reaching the next generation of believers, which is where "the heartbeat of reaching one more" came from.

Pictured left is a rendering of the future youth space at Spirit Church.

The goal is to renovate the current worship facility at Spirit Church. Fullerton says they will transform one part of this space into a 200 seat auditorium for their youth and young adults. He says the remaining space will become a recreational area for basketball, board games, video games, and much more.

But first things first... Spirit Church will need to expand its facility to the south, adding a new, 25,000 square foot worship center with an expanded commons area, a cafe, and multi-purpose classrooms.

Fullerton says these are elements they desperately need, noting that they have no "classroom space" for groups to meet for smaller activities or events. He says they are outgrowing their current worship facility, too. Even expanding the foyer is expected to "help the flow" between services.

Below are renderings of one of the new worship centers, the cafe, and the commons.

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The Costs

Spirit Church is still in the early phases of determining the cost for the project. Pastor Fullerton says they are currently vision casting the idea to the Spirit Church family and others who may wish to invest in the new space. Fullerton says they will seek out commitments for the program in early-April. He says they will then meet with architects and search for construction managers after the church sees how much money they are anticipated to raise. This will help them understand how much money they will have versus what they will need to borrow.

Pictured right is a layout of Spirit Church with the new additions and changes labeled. 

Pastor Fullerton stresses a couple points to the Spirit Church family: There is no pressure to give and that this is not their tithe. Fullerton says they are not asking people to replace their tithe with a building commitment. He says this is what they call "over-and-above" giving, because it is an additional donation to their tithe.

Spirit Church asks people to pray, letting the Lord speak to them about how much He may direct them to give while responding in faith to that challenge from the Lord. Fullerton says this is God's vision for the church. He says Spirit Church is God's church, so they will follow His lead and direction for what's next for them and the Bartlesville community.

The south lawn where the future worship center may be built was marked out on Sunday, Feb. 19. This gave churchgoers the chance to pray over the grounds. Fullerton says roughly 833 people - including children - were in attendance that day. He says they wanted to involve kids in this experience because they may have a 5-year-old that prays with a family member today that may reflect on this moment when they're 85 to testify all the good God has done by building up from dirt a worship center for His glory.

Pictured left courtesy of Spirit Church: A man prays with his family on the grounds for the proposed "Home for the Next 100 Years" campaign. Approximately 833 people prayed over the land on Sunday, Feb. 19, following worship services at Spirit Church.

Those looking to commit any dollars to the project can do so on "Commitment Sunday," which will be held on Sunday, April 2.

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The Past

Spirit Church has a rich history. In the spring of 1921, Mrs. Adeline Godwin left her home in Bartlesville to visit her brother in Colorado. While in Colorado, Mrs. Godwin attended the local Assembly of God church and was "saved, healed and filled with the Holy Spirit." When she returned home she shared her experience with her family and friends.

Because of her burning testimony and a sincere desire to see a church started in Bartlesville, Mrs. Godwin started having prayer meetings in her home. These prayer meetings continued all that winter and through the next spring.

During the summer of 1922 the Harmon-Neville revival was held at Second and Osage in Bartlesville (in the vicinity of Pies & Such at 216 E. 2nd Street). Reverend Jack Neville followed this revival the next year with another revival meeting that lasted at least three weeks.

Articles from the Morning Examiner in 1923 (pictured right in the offices at Spirit Church) mention healings and testimonies from the revival. A June edition of the paper states that "more than 500" people from all over were in attendance. The gatherings eventually moved to the "old candy kitchen" on Park Street.

As their numbers increased, the congregation outgrew the candy kitchen and rented a larger facility on land now occupied by the Schlumberger Company at 509 W. Hensley Blvd. Under the leadership of Reverend James Kerr, they launched a building program in 1924. By the summer's end, they had purchased land, and a modest frame building was erected at 1025 W. 3rd Street. The First Assembly of God in Bartlesville became an official part of the Assemblies of God church organization on October 5, 1924. This was the culmination of Mrs. Godwin's dream for an Assembly of God church in her hometown.

In 1965 the church had grown tremendously and new facilities were needed, so in June of that year they acquired property at 900 South Dewey, which is now the home of Hope Presbyterian Church. That was the home of SpiritChurch - previously known as The First Assembly of God Church in Bartlesville - for many years until the land at 2121 S. Madison Blvd. was purchased in 2011. The current Spirit Church facility was dedicated on Mother's Day in 2018.

Pastor Fullerton says the things they are seeing God do are the result of people's prayers from years ago. He says they are building off of a strong foundation and reaping the benefit of past prayers by God's grace.

Spirit Church has grown substantially since its humble beginnings. For instance, an average of 225 people attended the church in 2002. By 2012, the average attendance jumped up to 400 persons. That number grew to 752 person ten years later in 2022. Growth had gone up 234-percent in just 20 years. This gives Spirit Church another reason to expand its facilities.

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The Future

“Home for the Next 100 Years” is the name of the campaign considering the rich, near century-long history of Spirit Church.

Pastor Fullerton says they pray that this will be the “launching pad” for their ministry to our community and the world. Fullerton says he is honored to say Spirit Church has had pastors and missionaries that have come out of Spirit Church, leaders such as Dr. Darryl Wootton, who served the church for 18 years before becoming a District Superintendent of Oklahoma for the Assemblies of God in 2021. He says they want to see more Darryl Wootton's that are raised up to make an impact in our city, in our state and in our world for the Kingdom of God. 

Pictured left: The Spirit Church staff enjoys a day in the office. Pictures of the church's past hang proudly on the wall behind them.

Spirit Church is honored to be a part of the Bartlesville community. They love the city and the region.

Fullerton says Bartlesville and the church has a great past and an even brighter future. He says they appreciate all community leaders and pastors that are working diligently in this city. And as Dr. Wootton always says, "The best is yet to come."

For more information on the project or to give, go to spirit.church/home.

A bird's-eye view showing the potential of the expansion can be seen below. The video shows the front of Spirit Church now before panning out to show a rendering of the desired space.

Here you can see a video of what the commons area outside the new worship center would look like: