A Tacoma Church with a Vision of Hope
At 2041 South 66th Street in Tacoma, CenterPoint Christian Fellowship is known for its multi-ethnic, multi-generational community and its vision to be a relevant source of hope. Its mission is to live out the love of Jesus Christ and share his life-changing message to Tacoma, the community and the world. CenterPoint believes Jesus is alive and that God is still working in the world through the Holy Spirit, his Word and the church. Its regular life includes a Sunday gathering, weekly small groups, youth teaching, baptism by immersion, prayer teams, volunteer service and generous giving.
Finding CenterPoint at 66th and Tacoma Mall Boulevard
CenterPoint meets at 2041 South 66th Street, Tacoma, WA 98409, at 66th Street and Tacoma Mall Boulevard, behind the storefront near the La-Z-Boy outlet. From I-5, travelers take exit 129 toward 74th Street, turn right on Tacoma Mall Boulevard and then turn left on 66th Street after the outlet. Sunday worship runs from 10:00 to 11:20 a.m. Visitors are welcome to come in casual clothes, and childcare is available. The service is also livestreamed through the church's Facebook livestream.
A Sunday Service Built for Participation
The Sunday service has a simple, welcoming rhythm. A band plays four or five songs. Someone comes forward to say hello and pray. Another person talks about something that matters to life. The congregation then pauses to meditate and reflect on individual next steps. Connection cards and offerings are placed in buckets before the gathering ends after about 80 minutes. For someone attending for the first time, that outline describes the service's substance: music, prayer, a practical message, a quiet personal response and a chance to connect with the church.
Growth Groups of 8 to 14 People
CenterPoint Growth Groups are the church's regular small gatherings and a central way it stays connected. A typical group includes 8 to 14 individuals who meet weekly, either online or in person. They pray together, learn together and support each other while seeking to follow Jesus. Group signups are available through Church Center, and the Church Center app for Android and iOS helps people keep up with group news. CenterPoint describes the point of a group as an authentic community, with the emphasis on shared life, mutual support and growing in faith.
Saturday Coffee and Men's Brotherhood
The CenterPoint Men's Group meets for coffee from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays. Its purpose is to give men a supportive environment in which they can openly discuss personal issues, build meaningful relationships, develop personal-growth strategies and learn about God. It is casual and judgment-free, with no detailed class outline and no pressure. Men can drop in every week or once a month, whichever fits their lives. The group is centered on God, brotherhood and supporting one another where they are in life.
Wednesday Nights for Youth
CenterPoint Youth meets on Wednesday nights at 6:15 p.m. from September through May, onsite at the church. Young people can hang out, play games, worship God through music and experience practical teaching. The ministry's stated goals are to introduce youth to the gospel, help them begin a relationship with Christ, develop them into mature disciples and release them into lives of service and ministry. Wednesday evenings therefore combine fellowship, worship and instruction with an emphasis on moving from faith toward service.
Baptism as a Public Statement of Faith
CenterPoint teaches that baptism follows belief in Christ and does not save a person; salvation is by grace through faith. The church practices baptism by full immersion and describes it as a public symbol of burial and resurrection with Christ and of the new life of a believer. Its reasoning is grounded in Jesus' own immersion and the New Testament examples, with the word baptize understood as dipping under or submerging. Children are not baptized until they are old enough to understand and believe. Families can be baptized together when each member understands the meaning and has personally trusted Christ for salvation, but baptism remains a personal statement of faith rather than a family tradition. The act itself serves as the public statement, so no words are required. Anyone baptized as an infant is encouraged to be baptized again if they have not been baptized by immersion since becoming a believer.
Risk Taking, Generosity and Integrity as CenterPoint's DNA
CenterPoint describes eight commitments as essential to its local expression of the church:
- Be faith-filled, go-for-broke, big-thinking risk takers rather than settling for safe living or small thinking.
- Trust in the Capital-C Church, described as the hope of the world and more powerful when people work together.
- Give up things they love for things they love even more, making room for God's purposes.
- Do anything short of sin to reach people who do not know Christ, including approaches no one else is doing.
- Lead the way with irrational generosity, grounded in Jesus' words that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
- Always bring their best, because excellence glorifies God and inspires people.
- Be spiritual contributors rather than consumers, recognizing that the church exists for the world.
- Honor Christ and his church by living with integrity.
These commitments explain the tone of a church that describes itself as active, sacrificial and outward-facing. Its mission names Tacoma, the community and the world.
Prayer, Volunteers and Connection
Prayer teams meet throughout the week. CenterPoint organizes volunteering through an online service-interest form so people can say where they would like to plug into ministry. A separate connection form helps newcomers introduce themselves and become part of the church's life. Pastor Bill defines Christianity in one word, serve, and says that love means serving one another and the community. He and his wife, Erin, describe the people at CenterPoint as a community whose love for Jesus is transforming Tacoma.
Giving That Supports a Church Home in Tacoma
CenterPoint describes financial support as a way to plant seeds that will enable the church to grow in its community and provide a church home for many people. The church accepts donations through a secure online giving portal, by mail at 2041 S. 66th St, Tacoma, WA 98409, and through text-to-give at 84321. Giving reflects the same outward-looking commitments: people are contributors, the church exists for the world and generosity is a defining commitment. CenterPoint's life together is ultimately centered on faith-filled community, mature discipleship, service and the promise of being a relevant source of hope in Tacoma.