A House in the Neighborhood on Alma School Road
Compass Christian Church gathers on the south side of Chandler, Arizona, on a wide stretch of Alma School Road, with a second campus forty miles south in Casa Grande. The fellowship describes itself in three words: Love God, Love People, Share Jesus. The mission statement is short: "Leading people to find and follow Jesus." The vision is "Multiplying disciples in relational environments." Together, the two campuses serve a corridor of the Phoenix metropolitan area that stretches from suburban Chandler south through Pinal County, where Compass has planted roots among the cotton fields and citrus groves of Casa Grande.
What distinguishes Compass is the scale of its programming for a single congregation. Beyond weekend services, the church runs an in-house leadership residency, a recreation center with a rock climbing wall and skate park, a multi-generational care ministry, and a 12-step recovery program that has been meeting weekly for over two decades. Compass used to be called Chandler Christian Church and is rooted in the Restoration Movement tradition. The Statement of Faith identifies the church as a fellowship of believers with "no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, and no name but Christian," and describes membership as following the New Testament pattern where salvation makes a person a member of the local body.
Two Campuses, One Family
The Chandler campus sits at 1825 S. Alma School Rd. and operates as the main hub of the ministry. Worship takes place in the Worship Center, while much of the youth, recreation, and adult ministry activity happens at The Bridge, an attached facility at 824 W Germann Rd. that houses the gym, skate park, game room, and cafe.
The Casa Grande campus is located at 1510 N Casa Grande Ave. Kyle Welch serves as Campus Pastor for both locations, with Phil Castellanos leading kids and youth at Casa Grande. Cindy Gonzalez works as Campus Coordinator and James Stell handles facilities. The Casa Grande campus is also home to the church's long-running Celebrate Recovery program.
Weekend worship in Chandler happens on Thursdays at 6:15 p.m. and Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Casa Grande meets only on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Spanish interpretation is offered at the Chandler 11:00 a.m. service, and the Hispanic Ministry team extends that connection with discipleship resources in Spanish. All services are also livestreamed through the church's online platform.
What to Expect on a Sunday Morning
Compass works hard to make first-time guests feel at ease. "We've designed every part of our weekend experience with you as our guest in mind, from convenient parking for first-time visitors to a relaxed atmosphere in our Worship Center." Reserved parking spots are marked "NEW HERE, PARK HERE!" and the worship team leads a service designed to be comfortable for everyone, whether someone is exploring faith for the first time or has been in church their entire life.
People typically dress casually, often in shorts and a t-shirt. The music is contemporary, with a band playing guitars, drums, and keyboards and lyrics projected on screens so anyone can follow along. The order of service includes live music, prayer, practical teaching, a time for giving, communion, and announcements. Services usually run about an hour and fifteen minutes. Visitors are not asked to stand or identify themselves, are not pressured to give, and are invited afterward to stop by the Living Room just outside the Worship Center to learn more about the church and ask questions.
Bibles are not required. Many members bring a physical Bible or use a Bible app on their phone, and key verses from the message are projected on the screens during the sermon. Communion is observed weekly as part of the worship gathering, with the elements understood as a memorial instituted by Christ and delivered to the Apostles.
Compass Kids: From Nursery Through Sixth Grade
Compass Kids exists to partner with parents in leading the next generation to find and follow Jesus. The ministry's mission is built on the conviction that "parents are the primary influencers of their kids" and that no family should have to parent alone. Children are welcomed every Sunday in environments designed for their specific developmental stage.
The Nursery serves babies from eight weeks through twenty-four months. All workers are interviewed and background-checked, and a secure check-in process ensures every child receives a sticker each weekend. Parents must show their matching identification number to pick up their child. Early Childhood covers two-year-olds through Kindergarten and is described as full of "jumping, singing, dancing, learning, and laughter." Elementary, for first through fourth grade, focuses on three recurring truths: "I NEED to make the wise choice. I can TRUST God no matter what. I should treat others the way I want to be treated." Preteen ministry, for fifth and sixth graders, is designed to help students navigate the complicated transition years by creating a community where "every preteen knows they matter and belong."
A separate Compass Special Needs ministry provides a safe and loving environment for children with developmental disabilities. First-time families are encouraged to arrive thirty minutes before the service to complete Compass Kids registration and are invited to take a tour of the kids area. Children can also be pre-registered online.
Compass Youth and The Bridge Recreation Center
Junior High and High School students at Compass meet at The Bridge, a recreation center on the Chandler campus that the church describes as "one of the most unique places for students to hang out in the valley." The Bridge exists to give students a safe place to be active, have fun, and simply belong. Its facilities include a full-size basketball court that divides for volleyball, pickleball, and dodgeball, a game room with video games, pool tables, and ping pong, an outdoor skate park, and a 35-foot indoor rock climbing wall with auto belays. The Bridge Cafe serves drinks, snacks, and affordably priced food, with special Friday night meal deals that let students hang out all evening.
Junior High ministry serves seventh and eighth graders with Life Groups, serving opportunities, summer camp, and special events. High School ministry, for ninth through twelfth graders, follows a similar model and meets weekly at the Bridge. The Casa Grande campus offers its own combined youth program for grades six through twelve, meeting every Tuesday from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. with engaging Bible teaching, life groups, games, and a free dinner.
The Bridge is also open to adults and to families outside of regular youth hours. Adult programming includes pickleball, basketball, volleyball, yoga, fitness, futsal, biking, hiking, and golf groups, with most activities offered free of charge. The space is also available for facility and event rentals, including weddings.
Young Adults, Legacy, and Marriage
Compass Young Adults, for ages eighteen to twenty-nine, meets Monday nights from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at The Bridge. Each week begins with a devotional led by a young adult leader or peer, often includes worship or prayer, and then breaks into table groups for discussion. Free dinner is served in the cafe, and the gym stays open for volleyball, pickleball, basketball, and games. Young Adults Director Charity Turner oversees the ministry and helps connect people to serving opportunities.
Legacy is the church's ministry for adults fifty-five and older. The community gathers on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in The Cafe at The Bridge for fellowship, devotional, prayer, and a range of activities including pickleball, cornhole, board games, and exercise. A Legacy Open House is offered periodically for newcomers.
The Marriage ministry hosts a monthly Marriage Meetup on the second Friday of every month, providing a relaxed evening of food, games, and fellowship for couples at any stage, with childcare available. Big Faith Questions is a recurring class that digs into topics of Christian belief and theology.
Groups, Rooted, and Alpha
Small group life at Compass is organized through an online Group Finder that sorts groups by type, demographic, and child environment. There are five categories. Care Groups walk people through specific seasons of difficulty. Growth Groups focus on intentional growth in areas like marriage, parenting, or recovery. Couple's Groups build community for husbands and wives. Singles and Couple's Groups welcome people of any marital status or age. Activity Groups center on shared interests such as pickleball, golf, or hiking.
Two signature small group experiences stand out. Rooted is an eleven-week small group journey designed to deepen faith and help participants find their place in God's story. Alpha is a series of introductory conversations about Christianity, open to anyone exploring faith. Both are offered in English and through the Hispanic Ministry in Spanish.
Compass Connect is the church's two-hour introduction class for newcomers. Held over a meal, it covers what Compass believes, what the church values, and how to take next steps, with childcare available.
Compass Academy: Training the Next Generation of Leaders
One of the most distinctive programs at Compass is Compass Academy, a leadership development track in two parts. The Compass Academy Residency is a one-to-two-year full-time program for adults ages eighteen to thirty who feel called to ministry. Residents receive a monthly stipend, a host home if they live outside Arizona, dedicated mentoring in their ministry area, and the opportunity to complete an accredited bachelor's or master's degree through a partnership with Kairos University.
Ministry tracks in the residency include Kids Ministry, Youth Ministry, Worship and Production, Adult Ministry, Missions, Guest Experience, Young Adults, and Communications. The goal is to develop leaders spiritually, personally, and professionally, with a particular focus on pastoral coaching, since the church notes that "80 percent of pastors don't last more than 5 years in ministry because they don't have the tools to succeed long term."
Academy for All, launching in fall 2026, opens the same training to the broader congregation. Eight core classes, held in the evening and taught in roughly eight to ten week sessions, cover Spiritual Formation, Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Biblical Worldview and Apologetics, How to Read the Bible, Theology Overview, Church History, and Leadership. Anyone in the congregation can audit a single class, and those who complete all eight earn a Compass Academy Certificate.
Care Ministry and Celebrate Recovery
The Care Ministry at Compass exists to walk alongside people through physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual difficulties. Care Night, held every Monday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the West Auditorium at the Chandler campus, gathers multiple support groups under one roof with childcare included. Pastor Mark Began leads the ministry and oversees a team of support groups tailored to particular needs.
Among the regular groups are GriefShare, a thirteen-week curriculum-based program with materials provided free of charge through a donation in memory of Lynda Riecks, Hope Beyond Loss for those rebuilding after significant loss, an Anxiety Plus support group for people living with anxiety and other mental health conditions, and Stronger Together Sisterhood for women across generations. A Widows and Widowers group meets weekly on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. in the Cafe. Hope Forward is a Christian cancer support group that helps patients and families find hope and peace through studying God's Word. An Infertility and Miscarriage support group meets on the second Monday of each month, and a Special Needs Moms group meets on the second and fourth Mondays. Mending the Soul offers a twelve-week, biblically-based abuse recovery curriculum in a confidential small group setting.
Compass also hosts Celebrate Recovery at its Casa Grande campus every Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The program, which the church has run for more than two decades, follows a Christ-centered twelve-step model for anyone struggling with hurts, habits, or hang-ups. The Casa Grande program has been meeting for over ten years. The evening includes an optional dinner at 6:00 p.m., a large group teaching or testimony, gender-specific open share groups, and a Crosstalk Cafe for community afterward. Free childcare is provided for children from eight weeks through first grade, and Celebration Place runs concurrently for elementary students in grades two through six.
The Hispanic Ministry
Spanish-speaking ministry at Compass centers on the interpretation offered at the Chandler 11:00 a.m. Sunday service and a growing set of Spanish-language resources. The Hispanic Ministry team offers Almuerzo Para Nuevos, a welcoming lunch for newcomers, Rooted groups conducted in Spanish, Change Maker serving opportunities, a Change Maker Expo, and recurring Worship Nights held in Salon C100 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. throughout the year.
Beliefs and Statement of Faith
Compass Christian Church teaches that there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church affirms that Jesus is fully human and fully divine, eternally existing with the Father, born of the virgin Mary, and proven to be the Son of God through His deeds, His fulfillment of prophecy, His crucifixion, and His bodily resurrection. The Holy Spirit is understood as a divine person who convicts of sin and equips every believer with spiritual gifts for ministry.
The Old and New Testament Scriptures are described as inspired by God and without error in their original manuscripts, containing a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of mankind and constituting the divine and only rule of faith and practice. Salvation is taught as the gracious gift of God, received through faith in Jesus Christ, accompanied by repentance, confession, baptism by immersion, and an ongoing commitment to make Jesus Lord of one's life.
The church teaches that Christ is the Head of His Church and that every Christian is a part of His body, with membership requiring personal salvation and baptism by immersion. Compass affirms the Second Coming of Christ, the bodily resurrection of believers to eternal life, and the final judgment of unbelievers. On marriage, the Statement of Faith holds that marriage is a covenant relationship solely between one man and one woman, and that sexual intimacy is a privilege reserved for that union. Communion is observed as a memorial instituted by Christ.
Giving, Missions, and the Dollar Club
Generosity is described as "a core part of our culture at Compass because God has been so generous to us." The church reports giving away $8.6 million to meet the needs of others, with impact distributed across three streams. Locally, giving supports medical expenses, food banks, and direct living assistance for people in Chandler, Casa Grande, and the greater Phoenix area. Globally, the church supports church planting and leader training in Austria, Brazil, Cambodia, and other nations. Missionally, giving fuels the church's weekend services, children's ministry, and student outreach through The Bridge.
The Dollar Club is one of the signature expressions of that generosity. For every person who attends a weekend worship service, Compass gives $1 to help meet an immediate need in the community, whether that is a mortgage payment, a car repair, groceries, or medical bills. Members of the community can nominate recipients.
Beyond traditional giving, Compass accepts stock transfers through a Morgan Stanley brokerage account and cryptocurrency donations through a partnership with Engiven. Online giving is available through Pushpay, by texting COMPASSAZ to (833) 245-5510, or by mail to the Chandler campus address.
Leadership and the Elder Board
Brian Jobe serves as Senior Pastor and Elder, with Joe Platania and Sam Thomas as Executive Pastors and Kyle Welch as Campus Pastor overseeing both locations. Derek Jones leads the NextGen team. Vernon Richardson directs Creative Arts. The Care Ministry is led by Pastor Mark Began, and Global Missions is led by Jason Corley.
NextGen ministry is staffed by Lead Kids Pastor Shauna Stonewall, Early Elementary Pastor Morgan Beckner, Preteen Pastor Chris Lewis, Special Needs Coordinator Cara Bellew, Childcare Coordinator Veronica Arvayo, and Curriculum Coordinator Helena McCullough. On the youth side, Kevin Larter leads the High School ministry, Danny Stugan leads Junior High, and Tyler Stott serves as NextGen Worship Leader. Phil Castellanos leads Casa Grande Kids and Youth.
The Elder Board is chaired by Jim Chaves with Connor Butler as Vice Chairman. Current elders include Brian Jobe, Raj Johnson, Brent Lavin, Dale Rycraft, Mike Smith, Dave Wilkinson, and Jeff Zvada.
Getting Connected
Visitors can plan a visit online, ask a question, or send a prayer request through the church's main hub. The New Here Lunch provides a casual introduction to the staff and congregation, and Compass Connect offers a more structured two-hour class. Life Groups, Rooted, Alpha, and Care Night all offer entry points into community. The Bridge Recreation Center, Celebrate Recovery, Compass Academy, and Compass Kids each have their own pages with registration links and team contacts. The church maintains a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where sermon archives are also available.