A Church Born on Easter 1994 in a High School Cafeteria
On New Year's Day 1994, a young family moved to Matthews, North Carolina, to plant a church. Their first gathering was held in the family's den, but after weeks of flyers, door knocking, and word of mouth, the first public service took place on Easter Sunday in the cafeteria of East Mecklenburg High School. A small group from the area, joined by friends who traveled to support the new work, met there regularly. The young church soon outgrew the school and rented a storefront on John Street in downtown Matthews, where the congregation continued to grow.
The first worshipers described themselves as a non-denominational, interracial, Spirit-filled congregation, and from the start they were an outward-looking community. They participated in Matthews Alive and Stumptown Park with puppetry and mime, began a monthly outreach to a youth detention facility in Columbia, South Carolina, joined the 1996 Billy Graham Crusade and Promise Keepers rallies, and in the spring of 1997 sent twenty-one people (ages eight to sixty-eight) on a mission trip to Mexico. Today that church is known as Joy Christian Fellowship, or simply Joy Church, and it meets at 11516 Idlewild Road in Matthews.
Two Sunday Services and a Wednesday Gathering
Joy Church holds two Sunday morning services, a First Service at 9 a.m. and a Second Service at 11 a.m. On Wednesday evenings the Main Service gathers at 7 p.m. while youth meet at the same hour in a space called the Upper Room. The Sunday services are also preceded by a pre-service prayer gathering in the Upper Room from 10 to 10:45 a.m.
Services are livestreamed on YouTube, and recordings are posted to a sermon podcast and a sermon outlines archive. The church encourages people to dress comfortably and join in a worship style that is contemporary, expressive, and charismatic, marked by extended praise, lifting of hands, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
The Faw Family at the Center: A Generational Pastorate
Joy Church is led today by Pastors Luke and Kelle Faw. Pastor Luke is the son of the church's founding pastor, McLean Faw, and grew up watching his parents build the congregation from its earliest days. Luke has been on staff since 2007, starting as an associate pastor and moving to co-pastor before becoming Lead Pastor; he also teaches as an adjunct professor at Lee University's Charlotte Center. He and Kelle have been in ministry together since they married and have three children: Harper, Asher, and Ryker.
McLean and Denise Faw, who both grew up in Mount Airy, North Carolina, planted Joy Church in 1994. McLean served as senior pastor from the founding until 2025, when he passed the baton of Lead Pastor to Luke and Kelle. Pastor Nick Willi also serves as Associate Pastor. The handover of the pulpit from father to son and daughter-in-law is one of the defining stories of the congregation.
An Intergenerational, Multicultural Army of Worshipers
The church's own description of itself is the phrase: an intergenerational, multicultural army of Spirit-filled worshipers who know their identity in Christ and walk in His authority and power. The mission statement is shorter: a worshiping community reaching the world.
This vision shapes everything the church does. The 2026 vision statement explains that the leadership spent time seeking the Lord for what to emphasize in the year ahead, and the theme that emerged was intergenerational connection. Two anchor Scriptures, Malachi 4:5-6 and Luke 1:17, frame the call: God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, an intergenerational God, and the church's members are better together when generations step into deeper unity and community.
What Joy Church Believes
The church's Statement of Faith begins with belief in the living God of the Bible, who has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Bible is held to be the fully inspired Word of God, and every person is described as fallen and in need of salvation. Joy Church teaches that God the Father has provided salvation only through the blood of His Son, that Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day, and that the same Christ still saves, heals, fills, and delivers today.
Believers affirm the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit for today, an eternal heaven for those who receive Christ, an eternal hell for those who refuse Him, and the promised return of Jesus Christ in majesty and glory. The church also values the preaching, teaching, and application of Scripture; unity of the body through the blood of Jesus; an atmosphere of love and acceptance; every believer in ministry; community and family through small groups; and a commitment to people made in God's image, reaching the lost, helping the least, and protecting the weak.
A House of Refuge for Women in Unplanned Pregnancy
One of the most distinctive statements at Joy Church is its House of Refuge statement. Joy Church publicly identifies itself as a place of refuge for anyone facing an unplanned pregnancy. The statement makes clear that pregnancy is not sin and that the child a woman carries is a blessing, and that the church will not support or encourage abortion. At the same time, the congregation pledges that it will not gossip about, shame, or abandon a woman in this situation, and that members are ready to mentor, throw a baby shower, and connect her with resources inside and outside the church, including a local pregnancy care center. The statement also addresses men, pledging to hold them accountable to their calling to provide for and protect women and children. For those who have experienced abortion in the past, the church offers a pathway to a post-abortion Bible study and complete healing and freedom.
Small Groups, Prayer, and a Spanish Bible Study
Small groups are a major part of life at Joy Church and meet throughout the week. The church runs an All-Ages Bible Study on Thursdays at 10 a.m. and a Spanish Bible Study on Saturdays at 7 p.m., both held in a room called the Coffee Shop. Friday Morning Prayer runs from 6:30 to 9 a.m. in the Coffee Shop, and Sunday Pre-Service Prayer fills the Upper Room from 10 to 10:45 a.m. There is also a Young Adults group that meets at 7 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of the month in the home of Chad and Stephanie Broome.
Small groups are the place where the church's value of community and family takes shape, an atmosphere of walking together, mentoring, and developing one another in the practical one-anothers of Scripture. Prayer is treated as a foundational rhythm rather than a single event, and the church teaches that prayer changes the one praying before it changes anything else.
Children, Youth, and the Upper Room
Children's ministry at Joy Church is described as reaching a generation and equipping supernatural Christ followers through worship, the Bible, small groups, and family discipleship. John Newton serves as Children's Ministry Director, and Sharon MacDonald leads the Middle School ministry. The Wednesday evening youth service meets in the Upper Room at 7 p.m., the same time as the adult Main Service, so that families can attend together before splitting off for age-appropriate teaching.
Chad Broome is the Youth and Young Adults Director and a key contact for both groups. The young adults gather in a home rather than at the church building, modeling the small group approach the church encourages in other ministries.
Inner Healing, Counseling, and Pastoral Care
Since 2024, Miriam Riggio has overseen the Inner Healing ministry at Joy Church. She holds a master's degree in counseling and is trained in several inner healing modalities, and she and her work are described as passionate about helping others find freedom through the love of Jesus, the truth of God's Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit. A counseling ministry complements the Inner Healing work, forming part of the church's broader pastoral care.
Worship, Hospitality, Tech, and Outreach Teams
Joy Church runs five primary volunteer pathways. The Children's Ministry Team supports the work of raising up the next generation. The Hospitality Team provides a safe, friendly, and inviting atmosphere at every weekly service and special event. The Worship Ministry leads the congregation in times of corporate thanksgiving, praise, and worship. The Outreach Ministry takes the church into the community, sharing a warm meal, providing school supplies to children, or sharing a testimony. The Tech Team operates the audio and video equipment, including cameras, mixing boards, and the live stream on Sing Studio.
Beyond these teams, the church also calls for safety and security volunteers to serve and protect the church community, and a Worship Team Application and a Volunteer Application are posted for those who want to step in.
Room in the Inn and Mission Trips
One of the most concrete expressions of Joy Church's outreach is its partnership with Room in the Inn, a ministry to the homeless in Charlotte. From January through March, Joy Church partners with an urban ministry to invite homeless guests every Friday evening. Guests are welcomed with a warm meal, hot showers, and friendly conversation, given a place to sleep for the night, and on Saturday morning returned to the Charlotte bus station and given a lunch for the day. The church asks for many volunteers, including those who can help with food preparation, set-up, serving, laundry, and cleanup, and those who can drive the bus or stay overnight on Friday night.
The church also runs mission trips. A general interest form and a separate missions interest form are both available for those interested in participating.
Followers of the Way: A Sermon Series in the Book of Acts
Much of the recent teaching at Joy Church has worked through a series titled Followers of the Way, walking sequentially through Acts 2. The series began with messages on the apostles' teaching, devoted prayer, and a vision for the church built around four categories: worshipping Jesus, building community, reaching the world, and personal God time. Other recent series include People of Praise, Walking in the Fear of the Lord, At Work for the Glory of God, The Promises, Come Together, and Stewarding Our Time and Relationships.
The teaching style is expository, with a clear outline, Scripture references in multiple translations, and discussion questions at the end of each message. Both the Lead Pastor and the Founding Pastor preach regularly, and guest preachers and other staff such as Pastor Nick Willi and Pastor Chad Broome also bring messages. Sermon outlines are posted online, and the same messages are available as a podcast with audio going back through 2016.
Testimonies on the Wall
Joy Church maintains a Testimony Wall, both in print and online, where members and friends share what God has done. One testimony recounts a woman named Megan Campbell who was approached in front of a Nordstrom Rack in Matthews by a group of Joy Church youth and asked if they could pray for her job search. Another, written by Joseph Frye, describes praying with his mother for the forgiveness of her deceased mother after years of nightmares and bitterness, and the deliverance that followed when she released each specific abuse to Jesus. The church invites others to share their stories at testimony@joychurch.org.
A Bible Reading Plan and Online Connection
A Bible reading plan is available for download, and the church recommends the Streetlights Bible app for daily reading. Online giving, event registration, group sign-ups, and a connection card are all available through the church's Church Center platform. A sermon podcast and a sermon outline archive keep teaching accessible for those who cannot attend in person.
Office, Hours, and How to Connect
The Joy Church office is at 11516 Idlewild Road, Matthews, NC 28105, and can be reached at (704) 845-5516 or office@joychurch.org. Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The church is on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and the YouTube channel is the place to find the live stream of services. The church's phone line, email, social media, and Church Center portal are the main ways to inquire about joining a group, getting baptized, volunteering, or arranging counseling.