Site Profile: Grove Christian Center

14320 93rd Avenue North
Maple Grove, MN 55369
(763) 420-4271
http://grovecc.org/

From the exterior, Grove Christian Center could be any protestant church. Few windows point outward from the yellow-brick building and most of those are darkly tinted. The sanctuary door is only open on weekends. Visitors pass through a small door at the side of the building, following a small sign pointing to the “main office.” Elegantly lettered quotes from scripture, alternating with splashes of burgundy, line the walls.

Grove Christian Center is one of two Assemblies of God churches in Maple Grove. As such, the church’s style is “missional.” Church programs focus on outreach, or converting new Christians in the community. The services themselves are longer than those of other Maple Grove churches, sometimes lasting two hours. “I’m not in a hurry on Sunday mornings” says Pastor George Bunnell, “If that means letting the worship team continue to lead us while we pray for people, I’m fine with that.” The service music, a combination of traditional and contemporary hymns, is loud and enthusiastic. As congregants pray, they shout and lay hands on each other. “We pray pretty hard sometimes,” says Pastor Bunnell, with a slight grin.

Pastor Bunnell’s sermons complement the service’s style. They are unashamedly honest and include details about his married life, previous drug addiction and other personal struggles. Audience members shout questions and agreement as he preaches. As the sermon goes on, Pastor Bunnell’s voice becomes louder and louder. His speech slurs slightly and his voice falters, as if he is about to break down in tears.

Grove Christian Center boasts its own coffee bar (which new members get five free coffees at). According to Pastor Bunnell, members often talk to each other for hours after the service ends. “We’re all about building bridges.” he says.

When Pastor Bunnell arrived at Grove Christian Center in 2005, there were not many bridges to be built. Membership was dwindling and there were less than a dozen young children in the church.  There was one African American member and one Indian family. Today, 300 people call Grove Christian Center their church. 167 are white (and a sizable portion of those are Russian immigrants) and 80 are “black.” Among the identifiably black population are African Americans, Liberians, Nigerians, Kenyans and Guyanans. 75 children now attend services at the Center. And 80% of those children are Liberian, Nigerian, Indian and Chinese. This diverse membership hails from all over Hennepin County.

Staff

George Bunnell is the senior pastor of Grove Christian Center. Hear more about what Pastor George Bunnell thinks is unique about Grove Christian Center...

His wife Brenda is the executive pastor. A youth and children’s pastor coordinates Sunday School and children’s outreach programs. The church is also served by two unpaid pastors, one who focuses on outreach and the other on pastoral care.

History

Grove Christian Center was established forty years ago as one of the first Assemblies of God churches in the north Minneapolis area. In its early years, it met in the Maple Grove Village Hall (now a public restroom for a nearby park). When its current sanctuary was built in the early 1980s, it sat amidst the cornfields in a slowly developing Maple Grove. As Maple Grove grew quickly over the past ten years, so did the church. It undertook major renovations in 2006-7.