Dishman Baptist Church gathers in Spokane Valley at 315 North Argonne Road, with roots in a Baptist mission organized at Argonne and Valleyway in 1953. The congregation is known for the motto “Connecting People to Christ and to One Another” and for keeping that connection central through worship, growth, stewardship, outreach, fellowship, and ministry. Its Sunday rhythm brings together Bible study in the morning, worship at 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and a monthly churchwide meal, while ministry groups for children, teenagers, women, and adults carry the fellowship through the week.
From a 1953 Mission at Argonne and Valleyway
On May 31, 1953, Lewis Steed, a missionary from the Oregon Washington Baptist General Convention, led a team of 40 people to organize a Baptist mission at the corner of Argonne and Valleyway. The young congregation grew rapidly during its first years and became instrumental in planting Southern Baptist churches in Idaho, Montana, and Washington. That history remains part of Dishman’s identity, while its continuing commitment centers on the leadership of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the truth of the Gospel behind every effort.
Steed wrote, “The blessings of the Lord on our work is truly a great reward for our little faith. It would have been impossible from a human standpoint to believe we could accomplish this much, but with God all things are possible. This church is a real testimony to what God can do if people will follow His will and be dedicated to His cause.” The church expresses its present purpose in the mission, “To present every believer, from the cradle to the grave, mature in Christ,” and in a vision of connecting people to Christ and one another through worship, growth, stewardship, outreach, fellowship, and ministry.
Sunday at Dishman: Life Groups, Worship, and Fellowship
A Sunday visitor has three principal gatherings to choose from:
- Life Groups at 9:30 a.m. bring all ages together for Bible study in classes held at the church.
- Morning Worship at 11:00 a.m. pairs music with an expository message from God’s Word.
- Evening Worship at 6:00 p.m. is the third regular Sunday gathering.
The morning service includes contemporary worship music and older favorites, with preaching intended to help attendees understand God, love Him, know His desire for their lives, and proclaim Him beyond the church. The congregation’s promise to guests is practical: visitors will not be singled out as visitors but welcomed as guests. Dishman also commits to caring for children and returning them to their parents as they were received.
The church office phone is 509-926-0575 and its email is mail@dishmanbaptist.org.
The 11:00 a.m. service is livestreamed on YouTube. The online gathering includes a service outline and live chat, with a sign-in option and a name entry for guests. Recorded messages are also available through the church’s sermon collection.
Learning in Context: Life Groups for Every Generation
Life Groups are the primary way Dishman connects people with Christ and with one another. The groups study Scripture in the historical and cultural context in which it was written, then approach the text with the aim of understanding what it meant to its original readers before applying it to life today. The groups use Lifeway’s Explore the Bible curriculum for book by book studies.
The setting is described as intimate and interactive. Questions are encouraged, along with personal relationships, accountability, and mutual love in Christ. The groups also seek to develop in each believer the ability to study and apply Scripture for themselves. Sunday morning groups meet at Dishman at 9:30 a.m. and are open to everyone ages 0 through 120. The wide range places children, parents, and older adults within the same morning rhythm.
Dishman Falls Kids: The Story of the Bible and the Doctrines of Faith
Dishman Falls Kids is built around partnership with parents who want to raise their children “in the admonition and knowledge of the Lord and the Gospel of Christ.” The church desires to help each child grow to the highest potential God gives, develop into the image of Jesus, and become a solid, faithful Christian adult who joyfully carries the Gospel into the world. The ministry is also grounded in the conviction that God changes the heart, while teachers bear the responsibility to teach the Word of God diligently and in a way children can relate to.
Two classes meet on Sunday mornings. The 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. class follows the “story” of the Bible through a journey lasting three years from Genesis to Revelation, helping children understand the redemptive plan God has for his people. The 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. class focuses on theology and the doctrines of the faith, introducing children to what the church calls the “Queen of the Sciences.”
Reclaim Youth: Biblical Lessons for Daily Life
Reclaim Youth serves students in grades 6 through 12, focusing on what the Bible teaches about life lessons encountered in daily life. The group meets at Dishman on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and on Sundays from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., creating two regular opportunities for students to gather, learn, and spend time together.
Weeknight Study, Women’s Fellowship, and Accountability
Beyond Sunday classes, Dishman offers several weeknight gatherings. Two in-home groups meet at 6:00 p.m. on Mondays: a Bible book study led by Yuri Belko and Men of Simplicity, led by Pastor Kyle Harrison. An in-home group at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday considers sermon topics from Sunday morning and is led by Max Parada. A Wednesday group at 7:00 p.m. studies the Bible with Pastor Kyle Harrison. These gatherings continue the same emphasis on studying the Word in context, asking questions, building relationships, and offering accountability.
Women’s Bible Study meets at Dishman at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesdays under Tricia Harrison. The women’s ministry seeks “to encourage, equip, and unify women in the pursuit of God’s glory,” using expositional studies of the Word and fellowship with one another. Hebrews 10 supplies the church’s picture of this shared life: drawing near to God with assurance, considering one another, and encouraging love and good works rather than neglecting to gather.
Worship That Teaches and Sings the Gospel
The purpose of Dishman’s worship ministry is to preach the gospel through songs that are singable, substantive, and theologically sound. Its style blends contemporary and traditional music. Songs are chosen according to what they teach about who God is, how he works in the lives of believers, who they are, and how sinners relate to a holy and perfect God.
The worship team also serves through the sound and media booth, recording, production, and videography, as well as instrumental roles including drums, bass, guitars, and keyboards. This combination of carefully selected songs and varied musical gifts supports the church’s aim of proclaiming the Gospel through worship.
What Dishman Teaches
Dishman’s teachings begin with the Bible as God’s revelation, fully true and trustworthy, with Christ as its focus. The church confesses one living and true God, eternal and triune as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived without sin, died on the cross, rose from the dead, ascended, and now dwells in believers; he will return in power and glory. The Holy Spirit inspired Scripture, brings understanding of truth, convicts concerning sin, brings about regeneration, and empowers believers and the church for worship, evangelism, and service.
Human beings, created male and female in God’s image, possess full dignity and are worthy of respect and Christian love. Salvation is God’s grace, received through repentance and personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification, and perseverance. Dishman describes the church as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, joined by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing two ordinances and operating under Christ’s lordship through democratic processes.
The church identifies pastors and deacons as its scriptural officers. It teaches that both men and women are gifted for church service, while the office of pastor is limited to men as required by Scripture. Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience that remembers the Redeemer’s death and anticipates his return.
Other teachings center on regular Lord’s Day observance, the Kingdom of God, Christ’s return, resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny; the duty of every church and follower to evangelize and participate in missions; and Christian stewardship of time, talents, and possessions. Dishman also teaches that Christians should oppose racism, greed, selfishness, vice, and sexual immorality, work for people who are orphaned, needy, abused, aged, helpless, or sick, and uphold the sanctity of human life. It affirms religious liberty, including the separation of church and state, and describes the family as a covenant between one man and one woman for life, with parents charged to teach spiritual and moral values and guide their children by biblical truth.
Mission, Fellowship, and Shared Responsibility
The third Sunday of each month brings the congregation together for a churchwide potluck after service. The shared meal is an expression of the fellowship listed in the church’s vision and offers a regular rhythm for the whole church to spend time together. On other Sundays, the three gatherings give the congregation distinct ways to worship and study.
Stewardship is also part of the church’s life. Secure online giving supports the work of the congregation. This practice reflects the teaching that Christians are responsible to use their time, talents, and material possessions for God’s glory and to help others.
At 315 North Argonne Road in Spokane Valley, Dishman Baptist Church continues the mission begun by Lewis Steed and a team of 40 people in 1953. Its enduring conviction is that the leadership of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the truth of the Gospel shape every effort, and its aim remains to present every believer, from the cradle to the grave, mature in Christ.