Divine declaration leads to new church, new disciples

Craig Klauka emphasized one habit on his frequent drives along Interstate 17 and state Route 303 around Phoenix: praying for new churches to start among the people moving into the fast-growing region.

“There needs to be some churches out here,” he often mentioned to the Lord. “This is a huge opportunity for ministry.”

Then, one day, the head of the church made a divine declaration to Klauka, then a high-school pastor.

“You realize you’re a laborer,” the Montana native recalls God saying. “Stop praying for them. You’re it.”

Klauka obeyed, planting Grafted Church, which meets in a part of Phoenix where people are familiar with churches. The construction of new homes and the formation of new communities north of the city drive him to help more people hear the gospel.

Grafted is a place where new people feel wanted

Seth Gosch, a worship leader in the church, first came to Grafted several months ago. The congregation sought help from Likewise Collective, a ministry that supports and sends worship leaders to churches. 

Gosch served one Sunday and immediately felt accepted at the church, an uncommon experience over the last 11 years of his life.

“It was the first church community I found in a long time where I felt wanted,” the single father of two kids said. “Craig took me and the kids to Chili’s. He and his wife both love my kids, and my kids love their kids. People wanted me to be there.”

Gosch has experienced churches that leave hurting people on the outside. But Grafted is a place, he said, where the congregation has a clean slate and offers a home to people who feel left out at other churches.

“You get back to the roots of what church is supposed to be” at new churches, he said.

It was the first church community I found in a long time where I felt wanted.

Seth Gosch

Klauka’s desire for the church is reflected in the name: Grafted refers to a Bible verse that teaches how the gospel brings the outsider into the family of God. In a letter to a congregation of Gentiles and Jews worshiping together, the early church planter Paul wrote that Gentiles had been grafted into God’s family.

“The families that we have drawn to Grafted are all people who’ve been hurt by churches,” Klauka said. “It might be a slow burn.”

This church is working the gospel deep into their life

At this time, the pastor said he and the church are going deep even if the Lord hasn’t yet widened their influence across the burgeoning area. Twenty of the church’s 30 committed disciples are in mentoring relationships that regularly include one-on-one growth opportunities.

“It’s just been such an organic thing,” Klauka said of the formation of those relationships. “People love the small community we provide and want more.”

The Lord’s work through these discipleship gatherings is that Klauka and his wife only lead about half of the connections. All the other mentoring happens through church members who started and sustain the activities within the one-on-one conversations.

Building a church for a community that will grow, change

A Taiwanese computer chip company will build a manufacturing plant near Grafted, Klauka said. That will add to the melting pot, even as families from Taiwan have already started moving to this side of Phoenix. 

He said there are also refugee populations, indigenous people and many from around the country who relocate to Arizona. Unlike Flagstaff, where Klauka lived as a child and teenager, he said north Phoenix is a fast-growing, fast-paced place.

“If you’re not doing a million things,” he said, “you’re not in the right place.”

He also said people are very loyal to their preferred shops, stores or restaurants. He said people will drive past coffee shop after coffee shop to get to their favorite. Or they drive 30 minutes to get a pizza, even if they pass six other restaurants.

People usually only attend worship twice a month because weekends are filled with recreation, kids in club sports or weekends in Flagstaff, where the weather is much cooler at the higher elevations.

The Lord sees the potential in this valley, so he answers the prayers of his people

The Klaukas have a passion for young families since that’s the life stage they’re in. But they’ve really loved seeing people like Graft’s worship leader, Seth Gosch, who experience the love of community and the privilege of serving Christ.

As Grafted Church continues to welcome outsiders into God’s family, it’s amazing to see what the Lord has done. Some roadside prayer sessions behind the wheel on I-17 turned a  man who had no intention to leave youth ministry into a church planter. 

What he saw on the interstate — land development to prepare for 10,000 families and businesses — can someday include an opportunity for more people to know Christ as Lord and Savior.

“There’s a need for this valley to find Jesus, and I feel called to help meet it,” he said.

Converge's 10 districts have committed to deploying 312 church planters before 2026. Read more inspiring church planting stories and learn about the goal to send out 312 church planters in five years.