It's Not About Putting Our Name on Another Building. It's About Reaching People Who Need Jesus.
There are people in Boulder who will never walk through the doors of Flatirons. But they might walk through the doors of Pinewood Church. And that's exactly why we're investing in them.
For nine years, Parker and Jess Manuel and their team have been fighting for the people of Boulder. Not from the outside looking in. They live there. Raise their families there. Build relationships there. They've put down roots in a city where trust isn't given easily.
In Boulder, people don't care as much about what you do or how much money you make. They want to know one thing: Are you really one of us? Do you love this city enough to stay?
Pinewood has spent nine years proving the answer is yes.
And right now, something incredible is happening.
Parker describes the atmosphere at Pinewood as "electric." People are coming together, getting honest about their lives, turning back to Jesus, and worshiping like they mean it.
Last fall, Pinewood saw baptisms for nine straight weeks.
On a recent Celebration Sunday, the service lasted two hours and twenty minutes. Nobody left early. Afterward, two more people came forward. One got baptized. The other gave his life to Jesus.
That same Sunday, just 59 commitment cards represented more than $1 million in giving above regular tithes and offerings toward Pinewood's future.
The church is growing, and people are putting everything they've got behind what God is doing.
But it hasn't always looked like this.
Coming out of COVID, Pinewood was in a brutal spot. They had lost their denominational affiliation, financial partners had walked away, and their savings were almost gone.
That's when the partnership between Flatirons and Pinewood became more than financial support.
As Pinewood steps into its next chapter, Flatirons is standing with them.
Pinewood is working toward purchasing its first permanent building, a former Christian Science church in the heart of Boulder.
Eighteen months ago, they launched a campaign called "Here to Stay." It was more than a fundraising campaign. It was a promise to the city: We're not going anywhere.
And people noticed.
Flatirons' financial commitment has helped give Pinewood credibility with lenders and a stable foundation for the next three years. Parker described the level of support as bigger than anything he's seen another church give to a church plant.
But here's what matters most. We're not in this just to help Pinewood buy a building. We're helping establish a church that could change lives in Boulder for the next 100 years.
And Parker isn't stopping at one location.
Pinewood has a vision for ten locations across Boulder. They're already identifying leaders for their second and third locations, preparing to reach more neighborhoods and more people who need Jesus.
Some have asked, why wouldn't Flatirons just open another campus in Boulder? Because reaching people isn't about putting our logo on every building. It's about understanding the people we're trying to reach.
Pinewood has spent nearly a decade building trust in a community that can be skeptical of churches, especially outsiders. Their name means something in Boulder because they've earned it. They've shown up, stayed through the hard seasons, and loved people who don't always agree with them.
We can't manufacture that kind of trust by opening another campus.
And we don't need to.
Parker jokingly calls Pinewood Flatirons' "undercover campus." Different names. Different leadership. Same mission. Same commitment to helping lost and broken people encounter the real Jesus.
The goal was never to make Flatirons famous. The goal is to make Jesus known.
Jesus didn't tell His followers to build the biggest church in town. He told them to go and make disciples.
That's what Pinewood is doing in Boulder.
And that's why we're behind them.
When you give to Flatirons, you're helping make stories like this possible. You're helping a church that nearly lost everything establish permanent roots. You're helping leaders reach people we might never reach ourselves. And you're investing in a mission that could keep changing lives long after we're gone.
Different church. Same Jesus. Same mission.
We're not competing to build the biggest name. We're fighting to reach the most people with the good news. When another church wins people to Jesus, that's a win worth celebrating.
This is what it means to BE FREE. Free from building our own kingdom. Free to put the mission ahead of our name. Free to give generously so more people can find the life Jesus offers.
Your generosity goes further than the walls of Flatirons. Keep giving. Keep fighting for people. Let's help the next generation find freedom in Jesus.