A Neighborhood Church on West Exposition
Green Mountain Christian Church sits tucked between the Glennon Heights and Briarwood Hills neighborhoods on the eastern slopes of Green Mountain in Lakewood, Colorado. The building is at 10700 West Exposition Drive, accessible by turning west off South Kipling Street onto Exposition, going a half mile, then turning left onto Exposition Drive. A sign at the corner of Exposition and Exposition Drive points the way on Sunday mornings.
The church describes itself in three plain words: a neighborhood church reflecting the love and hope of Jesus. That vision statement shapes everything from the sermons each Sunday to how first-time visitors are welcomed when they walk through the door. Guests encounter what the pastors call "a friendly, intergenerational group of people who are glad you are here."
Rather than splitting into separate campuses or age-segregated services, Green Mountain Christian Church gathers all generations together in one room on Sunday mornings. Children's ministry runs alongside the adult gathering, and the church's mission language emphasizes making disciples across generations rather than dividing them.
Sundays at Green Mountain
Sunday is the rhythm that anchors the week. At 9:30 in the morning, adult Bible study classes meet, offering a place to dig into the passage that will be preached later in the morning. Coffee and snacks are available, and newcomers are invited to join in.
The worship service begins at 10:45. Music leads the way, with a worship team guiding an "intimate time of singing together" and song lyrics projected on the screen. Guests can sing along or simply listen; there is no pressure to do either.
After the singing, the pastor or a guest speaker brings a message described as "an encouraging message from the Bible that focuses on the love and hope of Jesus." Communion is observed weekly. The bread and cup are shared each Sunday as a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice, and believers are welcome to join in this act of remembrance.
After the message, prayer ministers are available to pray with anyone who would like that. A welcome table inside the worship center holds a gift for first-time visitors. The service typically runs about an hour.
For those who cannot attend in person, services are livestreamed at gmccnow.online.church, and the full archive of recent services is available on the church's YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Disciples Who Make Disciples
The mission statement of Green Mountain Christian Church reads in full: "Our mission is to be disciples (followers of Jesus who are changed by Jesus and committed to His mission) who make disciples."
This is the lens through which the church organizes every ministry area, names its sermon series, and talks about itself. Five categories of ministry flow from this mission: outreach, learning, prayer, togetherness, and worship. Each one connects back to the central task of making disciples.
The working definition of a disciple comes from Matthew 4:19, when Jesus called Simon and Andrew:
- A disciple follows Jesus
- A disciple is changed by Jesus
- A disciple is committed to the mission of Jesus
The phrase "Following and Fishing" became the title of a sermon series that unpacked all three of those elements in turn. The church teaches that the goal of all ministry is to see people come to follow Jesus, be transformed by Him, and join in His mission. Programs, praise, and preaching are tools for that goal, not the goal itself.
Rooted in the Restoration Movement
Green Mountain Christian Church is a non-denominational church associated with the Restoration Movement, the evangelical stream that includes the Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. The congregation is self-governing and locally led, without a denominational hierarchy above it.
The church holds several core beliefs, summarized here in brief:
About God. There is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is the creator and sustainer of all things, perfect in holiness and righteousness, and deeply involved in the world He made.
About Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Son of God incarnate, eternally existent, fully God and fully human. He was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, was crucified as a substitutionary atonement for sin, was buried, and was raised in bodily resurrection. He now serves as high priest and mediator and will return personally to judge.
About the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is fully God, the third person of the Trinity. He convicts of sin, indwells believers, makes Christ known, counsels in truth, and empowers holy living. He inspired Scripture and still teaches it today.
About the Bible. The Bible is God's inspired Word, without error, sufficient for knowing how to live faithfully. The Old and New Testaments together are the supreme and final authority for faith and life.
About Humanity. Human beings are the only creatures made in God's image, both physical and spiritual, with supreme value.
About Sin. Sin is anything that falls short of God's will and character. Everyone is guilty of sin, and God in His love desires all to come to repentance and be reconciled to Him.
About Salvation. Salvation is not earned by works but is achieved solely through the work of Jesus Christ, received by grace through faith. Baptism by immersion is the biblical way to publicly express faith and personally participate in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. In salvation, believers are justified, set apart as holy, and will one day be glorified.
About Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality. The church teaches that God immutably creates each person as male or female, that marriage is the union of one biological man and one biological woman for life, and that any sexual relationship outside this union is contrary to God's created order. The church affirms compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity for every person.
About the Church. The church is the body and bride of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit to make disciples of all nations, gathering in local congregations for communal worship of God.
About the Future. Jesus will return personally, visibly, and in glory. He will raise the dead, bring salvation and judgment to completion, and God will fully establish His Kingdom in a new heaven and a new earth from which all evil and suffering are excluded.
Walking Through the Bible Together
Preaching at Green Mountain Christian Church works through books of the Bible over weeks and months at a time. The sermon archive stretches across years.
Several long-running and recent teaching series have shaped the congregation:
- Following Jesus. A walk through Matthew's gospel asking what Jesus did, where He went, and what He taught, and what it means to follow Him today.
- One Anothering. A series through the New Testament "one another" passages, exploring how believers are meant to do faith together.
- Teach Us to Pray. An eight-part series through the Lord's Prayer, teaching not just how to pray but how the prayer itself teaches us to pray.
- Family Pictures. A series on the word pictures of the church in Scripture: the flock, the bride of Christ, the building, the body.
- Following and Fishing. Unpacking the three elements of discipleship: following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and being committed to His mission.
- Philippians: A Love Letter to the Church. A six-part series through Paul's letter to the Philippians, written to encourage and strengthen believers in difficult times.
- Church Explained. A four-part series examining the things the church does and the meaning behind them.
- Jesus and the Way. A sixteen-part series through the gospel of Mark, examining the Way of Jesus and what it means to be part of His Kingdom.
- Lessons from Christmas and Themes of Thanksgiving. Seasonal series drawing out meaning from familiar holiday stories.
- Practical Wisdom. A study through the book of James.
- The Art of Neighboring and Love Thy Neighborhood. Series on loving the surrounding community as Jesus commanded.
- A Summer in Rome. A summer-long study through Paul's letter to the Romans.
- Is God and Names of God. Series exploring God's character and the names He has revealed Himself by.
Guest speakers appear regularly, including James Williamson, Alex Ellis, Matt Ellis, Lance Hardy, Phil Christian, and Tony Herrera, who have preached recent services.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
The rhythm of GMCC continues throughout the week.
Tuesday evenings bring a Bible study at 6:30 in the fellowship hall. It is a midweek time to dig deeper into Scripture with others.
Wednesday afternoons at 4:30, the fellowship hall fills again, this time for either Bible study or prayer. Most Wednesdays focus on Bible study, but the second Wednesday of each month is set aside for prayer. Either way, the gathering is open to anyone who wants to come.
Friday mornings are reserved for a men's prayer breakfast at 8:00 at Sunrise Sunset Cafe, 1424 South Wadsworth Boulevard in Lakewood. Men from the church gather to pray for their neighborhood, congregation, ministry partners, and one another over a meal.
Once a month, usually the third Sunday, the Golden Oaks ministry gathers from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. It is a meal and an unhurried time of fellowship for the older adults of the congregation, a way of staying connected as life stages change.
Children and Family Ministry
Janiece Kneppe Walter leads the Children's and Family Ministry at Green Mountain Christian Church. She took on the role in early 2022 and also heads up the Early Childhood Education department at Red Rocks Community College. Her work supports parents in the spiritual formation of their children and helps families grow in faith together.
For those who want to go deeper in their own faith, the church offers discipleship pathways, intentional relationships built around helping one another become more like Jesus. Rather than a program to complete, these are friendships formed around growing in Christ together. Anyone who wants to know more is invited to ask.
The Power of "One Another"
If one teaching thread runs through Green Mountain Christian Church, it is the New Testament's emphasis on the "one anothers." The phrase appears about a hundred times in the New Testament, and the church has built an entire sermon series around unpacking what those simple words mean.
Loving one another, praying for one another, encouraging one another, bearing one another's burdens, building one another up, belonging to one another, worshiping with one another. Each of these commands shapes what Christian community is supposed to look like.
The message that runs through the series is simple: doing life and faith together is the way Jesus designed His church to work. Sunday morning alone is not enough. Real transformation happens in the smaller, deeper relationships where people know one another's burdens and pray for one another with specificity.
The church teaches that one-on-one encouragement, confession of sin to a trusted brother or sister, and bearing one another's heavy burdens are not extras. They are the call of Christ on every believer. Following Jesus' example of spending most of His time with a small group (first 70, then 12, then three), GMCC encourages smaller, more intentional relationships alongside the larger gathering.
Elders in the Middle of It
Green Mountain Christian Church is set up as a self-governed, elder-led congregation. Currently, four elders serve as shepherds to the flock, selected according to biblical qualifications.
Ron Walter serves as Interim Minister. Ron is also one of the elders, having served previously as a volunteer Associate Minister before stepping into the interim role while the church searches for a new senior minister.
Rich Pottenger serves as Chairman of the Elders. Tom Harrington and Russ Scott round out the elders team.
A number of ministry managers also serve the congregation, leading in many areas of church life. The leadership team shepherds the flock, meets needs where possible, and leads by following the example of Christ.
Prayer That Goes Deeper
Prayer is at the heart of life at Green Mountain Christian Church. The congregation believes God hears and answers prayers, and that prayer is one of the best ways believers can support one another and the surrounding community.
A prayer request can be submitted through the church's online prayer page, and prayer team members can follow up with the requester by text or email if desired.
The church also teaches that prayer goes beyond surface-level requests. Following Paul's example in Ephesians and Philippians, real intercession means praying for spiritual growth, wisdom, depth of love, and ministry opportunities, not just immediate felt needs. The kind of prayers Paul prayed could only be prayed within the context of meaningful relationships, ones built over time through shared study, shared meals, and shared life.
Reaching the Glennon Heights Neighborhood
Because Green Mountain Christian Church sees itself as a neighborhood church, outreach flows naturally to the surrounding blocks. The congregation is committed to being "an active part of the neighborhood, seeking to reach and serve the people of the community."
The vision has three anchors: be a neighborhood church, reflect the love of Jesus, and reflect the hope of Jesus. The hope of Jesus, the church teaches, is not only a future heaven but also purpose and direction in the present, rooted in the promises of Christ.
Outreach, learning, prayer, togetherness, and worship ministries all work together toward one end: sharing the love and hope of Jesus in Glennon Heights, in Lakewood, and to the ends of the earth.
What Visitors Can Expect
Visitors are warmly welcomed at Green Mountain Christian Church. People come as they are, in whatever clothing feels comfortable, and find a friendly group that is glad to have them.
On Sundays, signs at the corner of Exposition and Exposition Drive point toward the parking lot. Guests arriving for the 9:30 Bible study can join in before heading to the 10:45 worship service. Inside the worship center, a welcome table holds a small gift for first-time guests. After the service, there are people available to pray with anyone who wants that.
Those who would like a head start can let the church know they are coming. A person will be ready to meet them with a welcome pack and show them around. The prayer team also commits to pray for visitors on the morning of their visit.
Worship Through Giving
Giving is part of worship at GMCC, but it is never pressured. Visitors and members alike are not asked to give; giving is described as "a spiritual decision you should make out of your relationship with the Lord." The church does not give in response to pressure but cheerfully, as the Bible teaches.
Three ways to give are offered: online through the church's giving page, by placing cash or a check in the giving plate just inside the auditorium doors, or by mailing a check to the church's PO box. Recurring gifts can be set up online as well.
Office, Contact, and Online
The church office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The phone number is 303-985-0754, and email reaches the staff at info@gmccnow.com. The mailing address is PO Box 150395, Lakewood, Colorado 80215. The physical building is at 10700 West Exposition Drive, Lakewood, Colorado 80226.
For those who cannot gather in person, services are livestreamed at gmccnow.online.church. The full archive of recent services is available on YouTube and Facebook. Green Mountain Christian Church maintains an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube, sharing updates, sermon clips, and community announcements throughout the week.