THE VISION

It was June 12, 2020. The pandemic reached unprecedented levels. The doors of churches around the entire world were beginning to close. People were beginning to feel distant from God, disconnected from their local church, and divided from one another. Political and racial tensions were at an all-time high. God interrupted Issac’s sleep with a clear and bold vision concerning the church. God reminded Issac that the emphasis of church shouldn’t be placed on buildings but on people. That church is everyday living and not to be reduced to a Sunday service. That church shouldn’t have barriers, borders, limitations, or walls. So, whether we are gathering in person, at a coffee shop, in a cubicle at our respective workplaces, or online, church is beyond the four walls of any building.

THE BEGINNING

In sharing the fullness of this vision with Elana, they both responded in obedience. They wanted to be faithful to their understanding of this vision, so they launched Relationships Without Walls, an online ministry designed for people who were looking for genuine community, meaningful connection, and transformational content. This online community quickly reached thousands of people extending to about 24 different countries. People who spoke different languages and who represented different cultures and races. This was only the beginning. What God spoke to Issac and Elana on June 12th was only beginning to scratch the surface.

THE GOAL

Issac and Elana realized that beyond their online community, they couldn’t find an in-person community. They couldn’t find a tribe where they felt they could fit in. They spent hours, days, and months in prayer and traveling the United States to find a church where they could be their authentic selves and offer their gifts to help build God’s kingdom, but to no avail. Eventually, God revealed to them that they couldn’t find what they were searching for because what they sought needed to be created by them. Hence, Without Walls was born. Issac resigned from a prominent ministry post one year prior. Yet, their conviction for starting a new church was so deep, Elana resigned from her career assignment of over a decade. They made a faith move and relocated to one of the most culturally and racially diverse regions in the midsouth, DeSoto County. God called these two to be a beacon of hope in the local and global community and to provide a place where those who are far from and near to God can fit in and embrace who God created them to be.

It doesn’t matter your age, race, marital status, or socioeconomic background, you fit here.