OUR STORY

At the end of 2009 Pastor Brent Gifford felt that a change of ministry was close. He was currently serving as an associate pastor at a local church in Elk City.  Believing that the Lord was moving him into a lead pastoral roll, he began searching for ministries looking for a lead pastor,  although he was not sure of what location the Lord was leading him. Brent and his wife {Malisa} soon visited some churches along the coast near Corpus Christi for a possible ministry there. On the Monday after his return, Pastor Brent was seeking the Lord in a denominational business meeting when God begin to speak to him about what was His plan was, and the place that He would use him.

“ As I sat there on the back row of an auditorium that seated 5000, worshiping and asking the Lord for direction in my life and in my ministry, the Holy Spirit spoke. A man (I still don't know who he was) was standing directly in front of me. He was about a half inch from my nose. It shocked me because I was not expecting it. He began to give me a word from the Lord concerning my ministry. I was by myself that first time and wished my wife was there also to hear the word of God for herself. 

The next night after service, I saw a man that was staring a hole through me. I politely said hi then went on my way greeting friends. Everywhere I went this man seemed to be there. When it was time to leave the auditorium, this man approached my wife and I and said, "I believe that God has a word for you. Can I give it to you?"  The same word was given concerning our ministry. The next night, in the middle of Penn Square Mall, a woman came up to us and said,  "I have a word from God for you; Can I give it to you?" Our answer was yes, and the same word was given again! This was the start of the The Link Church that took almost two years to come about.”

A year and a half later in 2011 God spoke to Pastor Brent at a stop light. God gave him the name of the church and the pillars of the church: Love, Live, Learn, Lead, and Link.

On September 11, 2011 we held our first worship service as the Link Church. Pastor Brent was divinely directed to ask the School superintendent about renting a school gym. He declined our request, but offered us the Susan Powell Auditorium.  We spent 5 years renting the Susan Powell Auditorium, then we heard from the superintendent that we were not going to be able to rent it after that year. That news set us on a course to find a permanent solution and a home for the Link's ministries.

Pastor Brent began looking for vacant buildings for sale.  One day, while at a stop light at 5th and Main, the Lord spoke to him. "Look up: that is your Church". In faith, pastor Brent looked up and said "No Lord, I already tried to buy that building". The next day while driving, Pastor Brent noticed that there was a For Sale sign in the window of the building the Lord spoke to him about. He called the number and found out the they wanted 4 times what it was worth. So it quickly fell through.

 About nine months later while in his prayer room Pastor Brent ask the Lord, "If you actually spoke to me, have the realtor call me today".  Just as the words left his mouth the Realtor called and asked if he was still interested in the building. Three months later The Link Church had a new home.

WHO WE ARE

 We are a come as you are contemporary worship experience pointing sinners to Christ.

"We believe The Link is a church that has a passion for God. God’s purposes inspire us to believe Him for the impossible."

Ephesians 3:20  That verse says, "By his mighty power at work within us, God is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope" (NLT)

“The Link is a constantly expanding multitude of growing Christians who are learning how to walk in daily intimacy with God."

That’s really the heart of prayer, daily intimacy with God where we share our heart with him and he shares his heart with us. This is what the Bible means by abiding in Christ, remaining in his love, being constantly aware of his presence.

The Link is a house of prayer, a place where prayer provides the foundation for every ministry we are involved in." 

Our ministry needs to flow from our knees. As it’s been said, "Prayer doesn’t prepare us for the battle; prayer is the battle." Our ministries flow from our knees.

Meet our staff

INVITE A FRIEND

You, your family and friends are welcome at the Link. We believe this ministry is the place you can Link to,  to fulfill the call of God in your life.

"We dream of our church being attended by hundreds of unchurched people each week who are in the process of discovering a dynamic relationship with Jesus."

I estimate that over 50 came to know Christ in our first year at the Link.

"Our passion is to be a church that strives to remove every barrier that keeps unchurched people from understanding and responding to the good news of Christ."

We realize there is a huge culture gap between most Christians & most non-Christians.  We live in different worlds even though we live in the same neighborhoods. So we think it’s our job to try to Link that gap, to remove the barriers that might keep a person from truly understanding what it means to become a follower of Jesus.

"Our dream is to be a church that works in partnership with members: each member reaching out with Christ’s love to unchurched friends and neighbors and our church providing worship services to bring these people to that are culturally relevant."

It really is a partnership, and it only works if both sides of the partnership are working. I believe we really need our vision renewed in this area, because I fear that many of us are becoming so busy and distracted by life that we’re no longer living out this partnership.

invite a friend