First United Church of Arvada, 7195 Simms St, Arvada, CO 80004, US

History of the Church In Spirit & Truth Christian Fellowship began as a family bible study that met every Friday evening, rotating between five homes. As the size of the bible study group grew, the group began renting a room at the Camp Fire Girls Camp on 52nd & Sheridan in Arvada. Shortly thereafter, Sunday morning services and Sunday School were started at the Camp Fire Girls Camp Rollendet, with Bruce Burgess, pastor from the Lighthouse Apostolic Faith Assembly in Ft. Collins, commuting to Arvada to preach. After approximately a year at the Camp Fire Girls facility, a lease was signed on a small storefront in the Berkley Village Shopping Center at 5308 N. Sheridan Blvd, just across the street. It was in the storefront that Lonnie Samora assumed the Pastoral duties, allowing Bruce Burgess to concentrate fully on his congregation in Ft. Collins. The Church occupied the storefront building for almost four years until 1998, when to accomodate growth of the congregation, a lease was signed on a Church Building near Old Town Arvada at 59th & Vance. In December of 2002, the congregation purchased the former Arvada Church of the Nazarene building at 6524 Urban St in Arvada, which is where the church currently resides. The Church was incorporated as a Colorado Non-profit Corporation in September of 1997. In June of 1999, In Spirit & Truth Christian Fellowship Inc. received its IRS Section 501 (c) (3) status as a Federally tax-exempt organization. The Pastor is Lonnie W. Samora, a Denver area native, graduate of Arvada Senior High School (1975), and graduate of Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, CO. He holds a Bachelors of Education degree, awarded in 1983. Pastor Samora is a full-time instructor in Adams 12 Five Star Schools at Horizon Senior High School, where he teaches Marketing and Business. Pastor Samora was ordained into the ministry in 1984, serving as a Youth Pastor, Deacon, Worship & Song Leader, and Assistant Pastor over a 14 year period prior to assuming Pastoral duties in 1993. Lonnie Samora is a licensed minister (Since 1999) with the Colorado District of the United Pentecostal Church International, Billy Hale-District Superintendent.