Wrapping up 10 years

Deep Roots looks back, ahead at anniversary bash

Jerry Henkel/ViewCongregation member Gina Gifford ties bows on chairs on Dec. 4 to prepare for Deep Roots Christian Church?s Dec. 12 remembrance dinner. The gathering was among activities marking the church?s 10-year anniversary. The event included live music and a presentation looking back on Deep Roots? first decade. Jerry Henkel/ViewFrom left, Gina Gifford speaks with Deep Roots Christian Church founding Pastor Brent Lively and church special events coordinator Lori Willey on Dec. 4. Deep Roots Christian Church Pastor Brent Lively, left, talks with church special events coordinator Lori Willey on Dec. 4. The 200-member church hopes to expand outreach efforts and build additional places of worship around the globe.Jerry Henkel/View Advertisement

It has been 11 years since Pastor Brent Lively and his wife, Charda, set their spiritual compass to Las Vegas.

But if you ask them, something greater pointed them and the wheels to their moving van in this direction.

The young couple, then living in Breckenridge, Texas, aimed to plan their own church and said they felt compelled by God to do so in a city where the need was the greatest and where people wouldn't want to go, they say.

For the Livelys, that place was Las Vegas.

"God kept putting it in our hearts," Charda said.

One year later, their dream became a fledgling church inside of their home. Dec. 12 marked the 10-year anniversary of when that seed became what is now Deep Roots Christian Church.

"Moving to Las Vegas was like moving to another country," Brent said. "As we told people our vision, a lot of people thought we were crazy."

The nondenominational organization, now located at 4161 N. Rancho Drive, celebrated the milestone with a weekend of events, including a remembrance dinner and a classical music concert by father-and-son duo Seigfried and Christer Tepper.

As the couple reflected on the past 10 years, they said they've come a long way from worshipping with neighbors in their living room, where Brent preached and manned the guitar.

"We came from nothing," Brent said.

"Literally nothing," his wife swiftly echoed.

The couple offers different opinions of what moments since those humble beginnings stand out to them most.

Charda noted a moment a few weeks ago when a member baptized his young son. She said it warmed her heart knowing that the child's father was baptized by Brent eight years ago.

"We're starting to see our vision carrying down," she said.

Brent said highlights for him include thinking about the lives he has seen changed since Deep Roots Christian Church opened. He cited strippers and addicts who have changed their ways; single mothers once in poverty now supporting their families well; couples in broken marriages making spiritual repairs; and sick people healed.

The church moved from the Livelys' home to Rhodes Elementary School, to a commercial building near Ann Road and Tenaya Way. Its current location on Rancho Drive better suits the needs of the congregation of about 200 members, mostly families, the couple said.

The pastor said the church emphasizes relationship and, in turn, the congregation is a warm, welcoming unit.

"We made that a value from the start," Brent said.

He said he didn't want to be the kind of pastor to get too enveloped in ministry and the business end of operations, but rather to really devote individual time to church members.

"Las Vegas is a big city with big problems," Brent said. "We learned that we need to show we are healthy and balanced."

They have developed programs more catered to specific groups through separate men, women and children Bible studies and a youth ministry. The church also started an annual food pantry set up like a supermarket for members in need of items ranging from diapers and medicine to food and household goods.

Charda proudly boasts that she has lost 20 pounds through the church's weight loss ministry program.

The church also tries to arrange volunteer events that members' entire families can participate in. The Livelys' three children are often included in the church's outreach events, as well.

Brent recently returned from ritual mission trips that some church members make to Mexico to build houses for needy families, but Deep Roots Christian Church's journey hasn't been immune to setbacks.

Brent said the most difficult time for the church came after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Many church members lost their jobs when tourist traffic to the Strip dwindled and establishments made cutbacks. He said church members have rallied around families affected by the current economic climate, as well.

Generosity from members and friends in the form of donations, such as a brand-new sound system, and help obtaining new spaces to worship, has helped them navigate other tough times, the Livelys say.

"When you start with nothing, everything is great," Brent said. "This is a hard city for a church to get started. We are so grateful we continue to grow and expand."

Looking ahead, the Livelys have ambitious goals for their small church. They hope to expand their religious outreach efforts more worldwide, hoping to plant 10 sister churches in 10 nations. In addition to swelling internationally, they hope to narrow their focus on Las Vegas by opening a private school and a home for at-risk youth.

"We feel like we're just getting started," Brent said.

For more information on the church, call 395-9394.

Contact Centennial and Southeast View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.