The Living Word Chapel in Oracle has added another location for people who live in the Hayden/Kearny/Winkelman area.
The new location had its official “open house” on Dec. 23, and then had its first service on Jan. 8.
“It’s now one church, two locations,” Pastor James Ruiz said. “We call it the Living Word Chapel (in) Oracle, and the Living Word Chapel (in the) Copper Corridor.”
If you are a member of the Living Word Chapel in Oracle, you are also a member of the Copper Corridor one.
Ruiz said the new location is in Hayden High School, in what was used to be called the “Cyber Cafe.”
“We have remodeled it,” he said, “and we are renting it from Hayden High School.”
Ruiz said with the new location, they are hoping to reach people from Dudleyville, Hayden, Winkelman, Kearny and Superior.
Ruiz said it took them a year-and-a-half to launch the new location. He said he had a family meet with him and talk to him about starting a church in the new location.
Rick Hyman, the Copper Corridor Campus Director, said the new church is meant to serve all the surrounding area of Hayden.
“By naming the campus the Copper Corridor, it is to serve all the surrounding communities, not just Hayden and Winkleman,” Hyman said. “We are closer to Kearny to also reach Dudleyville, Christmas and Superior,” he said.
Ruiz said at the Oracle Church they have people from San Manuel, Mammoth, SaddleBrooke, Eagle Crest, Oro Valley, Catalina and Aravaipa.
“Our whole mindset was to put in this new church campus and reach people that weren’t churched,” he said.
At their launch service, which Ruiz said they called their Christmas Eve Eve service, they had just over 100 people in attendance.
Ruiz said the average demographic of people in attendance at the new location is 30-40, and they do have a few teens and children attending.
Hyman said the youngest ages run from 4 to about 12 years of age.
Ruiz said they are planning on having the new location for a long time.
“We are in it for the long haul,” he said.
Ruiz and Hyman get help running the churches from their wives Shauna Ruiz and Debiann Hyman.