If These Walls Could Talk

In the mid seventies a young pastor from Arizona by the name of Ronald Jones opened the Church doors on the corner of Boulder and Weber in Colorado Springs, Colorado and called it, "Victory Chapel". It became a Church that offered hope, deliverance and salvation to many and its memories still live on.

People from all walks of life were drawn to the fire and brimstone sermons and mesmerized by the promise and hope of eternal salvation.

Victory Chapel was filled with everyone from former drug addicts to business leaders. Street-smart teens came through the doors in droves and found restoration and experienced miracles in their life. The Church was known for turning street thugs onto the power of God and the city witnessed many of these teens turn their lives around.

The Church was unique in that they brought the message out beyond the Church doors; they organized concerts, park outreaches, drama presentations and one-on-one evangelism. They were a people who yearned for and believed in restoration and in the power of God. There was excitement in the air. Radical Christians taking the message to the streets, handing out flyers and extending invites to those they met.

Members of the movement fondly referred to themselves as "Jesus freaks". Their motto, "Sold out and on fire for Jesus." Good hearted people with a vision to see the sick healed, to see lives transformed and souls saved.

What kept the little church going were the hundreds of kind hearted and passionate people who were sold out for Christ. They volunteered their time as ushers, nursery workers and later as bible study leaders. The Church was growing fast and it was a beacon in the city for lost souls, a place where you could stop in and would feel an immediate kinship.

The teachings of the Church came out of the, "Jesus People Movement", a Christian revival (historically referred to as a spiritual awakening) that swept through America in the early 70's. The Church's founder was from Prescott Arizona, Pastor Wayman Mitchell. the church's roots began under the affiliation of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

Services were held throughout the week. Friendships were birthed and lives were changed. The spirit in that old building was genuine. The old hymns were embraced and the gospel was preached. At the end of every service, the pastor would invite people to the altar. The altar was the place where every heartache, pain, and ailment could be lifted and prayers were answered. God was changing lives and equipping his saints.

Addicts spoke of freedom from drugs; wide-eyed teenagers witnessed dramatic healings and miracles. Testimony services revealed that something extraordinary was happening.

The relationships that were knit together within that congregation were genuine. It was more than a church; it became a place to call home. We were a family, and as with any family we had our share of dysfunctional moments as well. "I spoke to many former members from the church and they will tell you that they still have fond memories of the people and experiences that transpired in those early years."

The church eventually out grew the little old building at Boulder and Weber and they moved to a larger facility on the South end of town, which had been a former Roller Skating rink.

The Church experienced a few changes throughout those years and eventually even changed their name. Leadership changed slightly and membership fluctuated from time to time, but the Church moved forward.

As seasons of life came and went, for many individuals life eventually took them in other directions. Although some members moved on, they never forgot about their experiences and their old friends from Victory Chapel because the experiences were real, and the bonds created were genuine.

With such an incredibly deep sense of belonging that had been experienced on both a social and spiritual level, the emotions from these memories are powerful and sadly not all memories ended on a good note.

Many of the original members from the old church now reside in other states, some attend church in town at other denominations and quite a few are even pastors themselves. There are also those who left the faith completely.

This was a segment and moment in many lives in which we'll never forget, it is important to preserve the memories - this is our history.

Recently former members of that little old church on Boulder and Weber decided it was time to have a Reunion. They started a Web site on Face book where they could reconnect and share all their wonderful memories and preserve this wonderful piece of our history. If you attended Victory Chapel in the early years and would like to share some of your positive memories, we'd like you to log on and reconnect.

Victory Chapel, it was a wonderful Church that was filled with a lot of amazing people and memories too precious to forget.

Join us on Face book at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Colorado-Springs-CO/Former-VC-friends...