In late 2004 Brian and Krista Thomason began to sense a call from God to start a new work in Crawford Co. A church for the unchurched to feel welcome and accepted. Lifetrack started out as an idea in 2005 while sitting in the stands of a ball game with the parents of other kids. Thinking these people need a place to go to church, a place that accepts them where they are in life. Brian thought it would be wise to ask for help, and did from the Strickland family. Greg and Lori accepted the invitation and moved to Girard in August of ’05.
How to start with just a dream? We had nothing but an idea and God.
1. Boot Camp
- Church Multiplication Training Center, Feb ’05 in Florida.
- River Tree CC paid our tuition & friends helped with expenses.
- There we developed a vision, values, purpose statement, plan and a timeline for starting.
2. Finding financial help
- We went to churches that we had connections to and shared our vision.
- There were 8 different churches that sent us monthly support and several friends and family. And we took up a weekly offering.
- These churches and individuals have slowly weaned us off and left us to supporting ourselves; now we are able to help other ministries and churches.
- God has provided for us time and time again… $75k our 1st year, $100k to buy land and start a building …
3. We sought out wise counsel through the process.
- We started with what we called a “management team” with a wide variety of people from across the country with different talent and backgrounds. These people held us accountable to our mission.
- In 2012 we selected our own Elders. Men from our church. And later that year 2 deacons.
4. Working the plan:
- 9 month process of beginning with weekly Bible studies (began in May ’05).
Some stuck – some did not.
- We did community service and ministry along with the Bible studies. Habitat for Humanity, Wesley house, Coke day, County fair, Little Balkins, Community Hog roast, parades, and preview services in the Girard Library
Lifetrack officially met on a Sunday morning for the 1st time on Super bowl Sunday Feb. 5, 2006 at the Franklin Community Center. 80 people showed up that day; then next Sunday was 30, and so we began. We averaged about 36 people each Sunday for the first month. We eventually outgrew that space and moved to the Frontenac High School Cafeteria. We were also blessed by some significant financial gifts by individuals that allowed us to be aggressive in our advertising and outreach strategy, and to purchase approximately 6 acres at the intersections of Hwy 160 & 69 on the North side of Frontenac, KS. We constructed a simple 60x80 metal building and started meeting there in November of 2010.
Our Purpose was taken straight from scripture:
Colossians 1:28 “To present every man perfect in Christ.”
It is a simple statement but it communicates everything we want to do- taking every man – wherever he or she is in life - & moving them to a readiness for heaven. That’s what it is all about.
The Vision for the church is a little more involved than the Purpose. The Purpose tells us what we’re going to do – and the vision tells what we want to see. How will we know we’re being successful in the Purpose?
***Our vision is to see people with lost and broken lives being put on the track to the life God wants them to have in this world and the next.
Hence our name Lifetrack; we want to be a church about changed lives for the better. If we’re not reaching new people and changing old beat up, broken lives for new lives in Christ – we’re not getting it done!
As a church we put together a short list of values that will help us stay on track with our purpose and vision. Keeping these values in front of us keeps us going in the right direction and lets folks know what we are about.
In August of 2019 Brian transitioned the pastoring responsibilities to Jacob Taylor. We are excited for the next chapter of our story to be written by the leading of the Holy Spirit as we seek to use our Gifts to grow God's kingdom.