What God Has Done
A letter from Gregg
Ten years ago, who would have imagined that 11 people gathering in my house with a dream to start a new church and connect people to Jesus would lead to thousands of lives being changed?
From the beginning, the goal was simple: we wanted to be a church that mirrored the heart of God.
I think Jesus shows us His heart so clearly in Luke 15. Many of you know the story. It starts with a home. And home is supposed to be the place where you are safe, known, and loved. In that home, the Father has two sons. One is a prodigal, a lost son who runs away, rebels, and ends up far from home. The other is an elder brother, a son who stays close in proximity but becomes distant in his heart. What I love about the story is this: the Father never shuts the door to either! Home is for the lost. Home is for the hurting. Home is for the distant. Home is for every story.
Which is why that has always been our heart at Stateline: to create a home where people can belong so that they can find and follow Jesus. Jesus can change any story if given the chance!
Jesus said, “In my Father’s house, there are many rooms,” and He is preparing a place for us there. So if God never stops making room up there, then we can’t stop making room down here for people to encounter Jesus.
That’s what this next season is about. The dream hasn’t changed. We still want to mirror the Father’s heart and continue expanding a home for every story.
What has been a gift for me personally as the Pastor of Stateline is seeing how much Stateline has become a home for members of my actual family. Brad, my cousin, was a real-life prodigal who found his way home.
Story of Redemption
Brad
Shortly after I left college to pursue a dream of being a touring musician, I fell into a heavy depression. A roughly 7-year battle with alcohol, cocaine, and gambling addictions slowly ripped everything away.
One night, after being awake for almost 48 hours, I stole money from a former employer. When the calls started saying, “We have you on camera,” my plan was to run to California and leave everything behind, including my kids and family who did nothing but support me.
But God had other plans. When I got to my car, my dad was waiting for me. I have no doubt my Father (God) told my father (Jeff) he needed to be there that day.
Less than a year later, an unexpected email from Stateline led me back to church. It was a teaching that my cousin, Gregg, did, and it was as if he was speaking directly to me.
Since then, my faith has grown stronger than ever. I am now almost 7 years clean and sober. I’m married to the love of my life, Korissa, and I’m blessed to have 3 beautiful kids. Because of Jesus, I now have the ability to handle the tough situations that I couldn’t before. I understand now that I can’t handle everything on my own, but I know that if something is too heavy, Jesus has my back.
There have been defining moments in the life of Stateline Church where God has reminded us why this work matters...
Significant Moments
11 people meet to dream of a new church community in Rockford. Prayers take root and a launch team is formed. In September, the first Launch Party is held at Sam’s Ristorante & Pizzeria.
The first service is held at Rockford Christian High School and 434 people attend. Stateline hosts its first Compassion Sunday, and Free Family Flicks begins.
Average attendance: 313
Stateline moves into its new church home on Perryville. The church raises money to buy bikes for traveling pastors in India. Christmas is the first service over 1,000.
Average attendance: 584
Stateline plants its first church with Compassion International in Colombia and partners with RIP Medical Debt to erase $16.8 million in medical debt.
Average attendance: 857
Stateline launches Church Online and the Love Your Stateline initiative. We regather in person in the fall with 302 in attendance.
Stateline launches Rooted. Free Family Fun goes on the road to expand the Good Shepherd YMCA outreach and impact foster families in the Stateline.
Average attendance: 546
The 5-year anniversary is celebrated with five new core values. Stateline Kids launches its first summer outreach camp.
Average attendance: 807
Stateline expands with a Student Ministry space next door. Easter is the first service over 2,000.
Average attendance: 1,068
Stateline partners with Orchard Group to launch DEVO Church in Denver, Colorado.
Average attendance: 1,315
Hundreds serve during the first church-wide Love Your Stateline serving day. Four South American churches receive water filtration and new bathrooms. Easter is the first service over 3,000.
Average attendance: 1,552
Stateline partners with Orchard Group to plant a second church in Denver and has its largest service ever at Easter with 3,278 people.
Average attendance so far: 1,703
What God has done through Stateline
Our Impact
Thousands of items, Christmas gifts, Bibles, and prayers have been given across the years.
God is Not Done
We all have a ONE: someone we love, someone we are praying for, someone we long to see find and follow Jesus. And as long as there is still ONE more story to reach, ONE more family to serve, ONE more person to welcome home, the work is not done.
Jesus gave us His mission: to fish for people. To seek the lost. To make disciples. To create a home where people can encounter the grace and truth of Jesus. For Christ, we cannot stop making room because when a church stops trying to reach people, it slowly starts to die. Not on our watch!
Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” (John 14:2) That means heaven is a picture of the heart of God. We have a Father who keeps preparing space, keeps opening doors, keeps making room for His children to come home. So, if God never stops making room up there, then we cannot stop making room down here!
God has already done more through Stateline than we could have asked or imagined. He has changed lives, restored families, built community, raised up leaders, and written stories only He could write. However, we believe He is not finished.
Ephesians 3:20-21 | Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
This is another one of those defining moments in the history of our church. This is the moment we will look back on and say, “God made a way.” This is the moment we trust Him for greater influence in our city, greater impact in our region, and greater gospel reach for generations to come.
We are building for your family, for your friends, for your neighbors, for the ONE. We are creating space for future stories of salvation, healing, baptism, community, purpose, and hope.
So together, we will keep trusting. We will keep sacrificing. We will keep casting nets. We will keep making room for every story. The mission continues. God is not done.
That is why Luke and Erica's stories are so impactful. They remind us that the work is not done...
Story of Rescue
Luke
I got to a point this last year where life just got to be too much. I could be with family, friends, and people who cared about me, but something inside of me still always felt kind of alone.
One day, I was at a bar finalizing my plan to not be here anymore. I had it all figured out. But then I started thinking about how destroyed the people who cared about me would be. I’m so thankful the two people sitting next to me were there. They started talking with me, and one of them asked, “Do you go to church?” I said no, but I kind of thought I wanted to start. She invited me to Stateline.
I was terrified walking through those doors for the first time. I sat in the very back corner so I could leave if I needed to. But I walked in with open eyes and an open heart. It was the Christmas service, and that message left me in tears.
I went from feeling hopeless to feeling hopeful. I realized God hadn’t forgotten about me. He had a plan for me; it just took this long for me to be receptive to it.
When I decided to follow Jesus, I decided to go all in. After being baptized, I felt refreshed. A lot of the weight and burden I’d been carrying wasn’t there anymore. That one hour changed 44 years of my life.
I wasn’t going to see 45. But now, I’m looking forward to 46.
Story of Hope
Erica
There have been seasons in my life that felt unbearably heavy. After losing 2 children 5 years apart, grief was a constant companion. It felt confusing, broken, and painfully quiet. There are days when despair seems louder than faith. My heart has felt like a tomb, sealed shut by sorrow, questions, and a kind of silence that made me wonder if God is in all of it.
I have wrestled with anger and deep sadness. Everything was rearranged: my dreams, my identity, even my prayers.
That brokenness is what led me to walk through the doors of Stateline. I needed guidance. I had a broken heart and a shattered spirit, and I didn’t know where else to turn. But I kept coming back because I realized I wasn’t alone. God was still with me. And through this church, He reminded me that there are people who care and who walk alongside you in the hardest seasons.
The truth that Jesus walked out of the tomb means death does not get the final word. His resurrection is not just a Bible story, it’s a promise. And because Jesus lives, my children live. He conquered the grave. My sorrow is not without hope. It speaks into my broken heart and reminds me that what feels final here is not final in eternity.
I miss my children. That heartache hasn’t disappeared and never will, but it will not define me. I see myself as a mother with children in heaven, not a mother without hope. His resurrection has given me a deeper faith, a softer heart, and a stronger trust in God’s promise. Grief is a part of my story, but so is hope. Despair visited me, but hope overcame it and because Jesus is alive I know this is not the end of my story.
Home there
Imagine...
- ...a home where thousands of lives are saved, hearts are healed, and families are restored...
- ...a home where people are activated to shine Christ’s love into the Stateline region...
- ...a home where we could baptize hundreds more...
- ...a home where your neighbors, friends, and family feel like there is a seat for them...
- ...enough space for spiritual communities, classes, and groups to gather..
- ...space for thousands of kids to grow, learn, and hear about the love of Jesus...
- ...a dedicated student ministry space where students can reach their friends...
- ...a home that is not landlocked and has continued space to expand ministry...
- ...green space for students, kids, camps, sports, and outreach...
- ...parking spots! But for real, imagine people not leaving because there is nowhere to park...
- ...a home of hope: a visible sign that God is not done with Rockford and renewal is happening here...
Making Room for Every Story
Initiative Details
We are planning to build a new space and expand capacity to approximately 65,000 square feet, creating more room for people of all ages to find and follow Jesus. The new facility will include a 1,500-seat auditorium, additional kids’ spaces, a multipurpose chapel, an expanded lobby, and more outdoor green space.
While our building will grow, the heart of Stateline will not change. We will remain the welcoming church that feels like Home Here, because our core values will remain the same, continuing to shape who we are and how we move forward.
This initiative is ultimately about more than adding square footage. It’s about making room for more people to experience the life-changing hope of Jesus. We are incredibly grateful for what God has already done at Stateline, and we’re excited to faithfully prepare for all He may do next!
A Home for Every Story
Our Goals
Primary Goal
Everyone engages!First and foremost, this is about trusting God and desiring to partner with Him. We want everyone to be able to say that Stateline Church is their home: “I helped build that!” When you give, every story impacted through Stateline becomes part of your story.
Secondary Goal
$10 millionover 2 years
Home Here supports current ministry, staff, outreach, and benevolence. Home There supports the new building.
A discipleship tool
Gift Chart
A gift chart simplifies a financial goal by dividing it into potential individual contributions at different levels. Our chart represents one hypothetical way that our goal could be realized, although we know this will not reflect the exact breakdown of A Home for Every Story.
As you pray and ask God how to give during this time, allow this gift chart to be a discipleship tool. As your eyes travel down the chart, it may be tempting to settle on a value that seems “comfortable.” However, our hope is that this simple tool inspires and challenges you towards a posture of trust, faith, and generosity.
| Number of Gifts | Dollar Gift Amount | Dollar Amount From level | Cumulative Dollar Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| 2 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| 4 | $250,000 | $1,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| 7 | $100,000 | $700,000 | $3,700,000 |
| 9 | $75,000 | $675,000 | $4,375,000 |
| 15 | $50,000 | $750,000 | $5,125,000 |
| 17 | $40,000 | $680,000 | $5,805,000 |
| 25 | $30,000 | $750,000 | $6,555,000 |
| 55 | $20,000 | $1,100,000 | $7,655,000 |
| 75 | $12,000 | $900,000 | $8,555,000 |
| 175 | $5,000 | $875,000 | $9,430,000 |
| Many | Up to $5,000 | $570,000 | $10,000,000 |
Small sacrifices. Large Kingdom impact.
Gift Accessibility
Giving is more accessible than you may think because small weekly sacrifices can have a large kingdom impact. Even something as simple as one less meal out a week can be redirected towards God’s house.
Over the next two years, many types of gifts will be given, but remember this: the “largest” gift may not equal the most “generous” gift. It’s not so much about the amount you give, but how that gift reflects a heart’s desire to seek first the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 6:33)
It may be tempting to doubt the significance of your gift when compared to our total goal. Not so! Every gift matters to us, but ultimately to God! Remember, our primary goal for this initiative is for everyone to participate.
This tool helps you see that what feels manageable weekly becomes meaningful annually!
Choose a weekly gift amount to see its monthly, annual, and two-year totals.
A Home for Every Story
Commitment Card
This calculator is a planning tool and does not submit or store your information.
A Home for Every Story
Next Steps
Pray!
Ask God to guide every step and every decision of A Home for Every Story to help more people find and follow Jesus.