In the summer of 2015, Andy Duke, the Youth Minister at Christ Baptist, began to sense God's call to a new area of ministry. After a season of prayer and conversation among church leaders, the decision was made to consider a church plant. CBC engaged with the North American Mission Board (NAMB) to learn more about planting a church and to assess Andy and Heather’s call to plant.

The vision for a CBC plant was cast on a Sunday morning in the fall of 2015, and another couple, Gerald and Nancy Franks, immediately expressed interest. Initial efforts focused on learning, praying, and exploring possible locations. By early 2016, it became clear that God was calling our team to plant in an underserved region of the country, and with the help of NAMB, the focus narrowed to Colorado. Around the same time, Thomas and Sarah Woods joined the team. The Woods, Franks, and Dukes took their first vision to trip Colorado in the fall of 2016. During this trip, the Franks and Dukes felt a draw to northern Colorado, while the Woods determined that God was leading them in another ministry direction. We are grateful to God for how the Woods supported and encouraged the church planting effort in those early days.

Just weeks before this first vision trip, Andy preached at CBC on the need to surrender our lives and futures to Jesus. During this sermon, John and Lee Ellen Pitman heard the call of God to join our church plant. A few months later, Steve and Jen Bohnke also expressed interest in the work.

Steve and Andy took a second vision trip in February of 2017, and during this trip a location that had significant spiritual need and was a cultural fit for the growing plant team was identified-Windsor, Colorado. At the time, Windsor had a population of 28k people but was projected to nearly double over the next decade. We estimate 90% of Windsor residents do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

After completing the church planting assessment process in the fall of 2017, Andy and Heather were endorsement by NAMB and began the transition process to Colorado. The Pitmans and Bohnkes moved to Windsor in June of 2018, the Franks and Dukes joined them the following month. The team began gathering for weekly worship in a home almost immediately.

The first year in Windsor was spent learning the new culture, engaging in NAMB on-the-field training, establishing relationships in every available sphere of influence, and developing a strategy for launching the church. Christ Church Windsor was constituted April 1, 2019.

With the help of mission teams from Christ Baptist and other partners, Christ Church Windsor held monthly “preview” test public worship gatherings at Grandview Elementary in September, October, November, and December of 2019. These services were to gauge public interest and help the team refine their processes.

Christ Church publicly launched on January 12, 2020 at Grandview Elementary and met for eight weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of all area schools. The new church, now with about 25 regular attenders, held online services for twelve weeks. On June 14, 2020, CCW had its first in-person gathering in months and its first baptism service at the Poudre River. Three were baptized.

After this, the group met in a local park for 12 weeks. During this season, John and Lee Ellen Pitman returned to their family in Raleigh. The Pittmans had committed to one year on the field and ended up staying two. Their contribution to the founding of Christ Church Windsor cannot be overstated.

Then, in September of 2020, Coffee House 29 in Windsor opened their doors for Christ Church to meet on Sunday evenings, and this was their gathering space for nine months. Baptism services were held on October 25, 2020 and May 30, 2021, as God continued to draw the lost to Himself and people to the church.

With the waning of the pandemic, Grandview Elementary once again became available. So, in the summer of 2021, Christ Church returned to its original public meeting space. Since returning to the school, God has blessed the church with increased momentum. Kids Camp 2021 brought 6 new families to the church, and there is a palpable sense of God’s grace in their weekly worship gatherings. As of November 7, 2021, there are 58 regular attenders. The next baptism service will be held on November 21st, at which point, membership will stand at 20. CCW has two elders, two elders in training, one deacon, and five additional part-time staff.

We believe God has an incredible future for Christ Church Windsor. Thank you, Christ Baptist, for making this church plant possible.