Photo courtesy Mark Garrett
The Idyllwild Assembly of God Church conducted its first service as an Idyllwild congregation on Sunday, Jan. 10. According to Pastor Mark Garrett, 38 people attended. “The next Sunday, Jan. 17, attendance had grown to 44 people,” said Garrett.
Garrett had been associate pastor at Valle Vista Assembly of God in Hemet for five years. The Valle Vista church, with average Sunday attendance of 500, is acting as the parent church for the new Idyllwild congregation. “The Valle Vista congregation has long felt an affection for the people of Idyllwild,” said Garrett, explaining that Valle Vista provides administrative support and volunteers to come up to help with operation of the new Idyllwild church.
For the time being until a permanent venue can be found, Idyllwild Assembly of God services will be held at the Idyllwild Pines Chapel on the Idyllwild Pines campus. “We hope to have a permanent home by the summer when Idyllwild Pines’ camper season begins,” said Garrett. “Idyllwild Pines has been so generous to allow us to use the chapel in the meantime.”
Weekly services are Sunday at 10 a.m. The church plans to begin more ministries soon. At 8 a.m. Fridays, Garrett is at Mile High Cafe to meet and talk with people in a relaxed setting. “It’s an opportunity to build relationships,” he said.
In a lead-up to beginning weekly Idyllwild services, and in an effort to acquaint Idyllwild with the church, it participated in multiple Idyllwild community events: entering a float in the Idyllwild Fourth of July parade and sponsoring the IAG Skateboarding Bash, Skateboarding Movie Night and Community Fund Day at the Idyllwild Community Center.
For more information, visit www.iagchurch.com or call 951-581-0012.
Thank you, Idyllwild Town Crier and Marshall Smith, for letting Idyllwild know about our new church.