The Independence/Blue Springs Examiner has an article in today’s paper about EPIC Church. The article is located in the special progress section on page E8 and EPIC has a featured ad on page C5. Here’s the text from the article written by Sandy Turner:
Bobby Hawk recently said that life’s challenges could be compared to “trying to put a round peg into a square hole.” With an EPIC idea, he’s ready to share the “solution” with as many as he can.
EPIC, for Hawk, means something different than its’ usual definition of being big and impressive — although his philosophy for life and his new church is exciting and extraordinary.
EPIC Church, located in Independence, began with a dream in the fall of 2007 and in just a years’ time the journey for Bobby and his wife Vanessa, began of planting a new church with a new way of worship.
Meeting for the first year in the Pharaoh Theater on the Independence Square, EPIC began holding service in their new location in January.
“Vanessa and I love the entire process of beginning a new church,” Hawk said, who will be a first time father in March. “Our goal is to reach the pre-churched and de-churched in the community.”
As a multi-cultural and multi-generational church, EPIC is giving their members and guests help for living in today’s society and hope for the future.
“Some people have been turned off by church for many reasons,” he said. “We want to have the chance to introduce them to God’s word in a different way as well as giving those who have never been to church the opportunity to come, feel welcome and accepted for who they are.”
With Sunday morning services at 10 a.m., the EPIC experience is creative, casual and contemporary with live music and a message that is applicable to today’s lives.
Graduating in the top of his class from the Central Bible College in Springfield, Hawk’s passion to plant new churches began at the young age of 22, when he began his first church in Michigan and continued to preach nationally and internationally.
“We were sad to leave the inner-city church that we had planted,” he said. “But it was time to come back home,” as Hawk grew up and went to school in Blue Springs.
The naming of the church came from the foundation of the church’s principles: Experience God in an exciting, creative and practical way. Participate, meaning going from simply observation to participation. Invest as being good stewards of God and investing in our own lives as well as others. Commit to the EPIC and your own personal mission.
“There are times that people come to visit a church not even realizing that they are actually looking for a personal relationship with God. EPIC exists more for the people outside of the church, than the people inside.”
Affiliated with the Assemblies of God, EPIC Church is also backed by the Sheffield Family Life Center with pastor George Westlake scheduled to make a guest appearance in March.
“EPIC is a church for anyone, but not for everyone,” Hawk explains. “We are less concerned about what people are wearing. It’s about being comfortable and learning God’s word.”
EPIC offers nursery care as well as a children’s service.
On bobbyhawk.com his food for thought is this: Do you spend more time building walls with religion or bridges through relationships?
Visit www.bobbyhawk.com or www.epickc.com for more information or call 896-3742. Find EPIC Church off of 40 Highway heading East, turning right onto Little Blue Parkway and turn right onto E. 50 Terrace.
A big thanks to Sandy and the Examiner for writing such a great article about EPIC Church!
