When Palm Vista began meeting at Dysart High School in February 1998, the fledgling church faced an important strategic decision: should it focus on impacting the communities north of Bell Road or the communities south of it? Rather than choosing to focus exclusively on one or the other, the members of Palm Vista decided to reach out to both.
Palm Vista has a vision of people of all ages, races, and nationalities coming together to worship God, grow in their faith in Him and make their faith known.
When we moved into our current building in November 1999, the family communities that now lie to our south were yet to be constructed, so our early church enrollment was primarily senior, but things quickly changed. Surprise Farms became a flourishing family community, and our church collectively renewed its commitment to reach people at all stages of life.
In the short time since then, God has blessed our church in amazing ways. We now offer three services on Sunday morning. Traditional Christian education exists side by side with cutting-edge community groups, and both young and old alike worship together in one place. After years of prayer and effort, our vision is becoming reality!
Even more exciting is the new vision God is giving as we move into a new season of ministry. Palm Vista is shifting its focus from the development of a multi-generational church in Surprise to the mobilization of that church to impact its community, neighboring areas and the uttermost parts of the earth.
Specifically, God has inspired us to reach out in His name to the most at-risk segments of our society: children and adolescents suffering from hunger, homelessness, and exploitation.