PRAISE CENTER – 35 YEARS OF HISTORY

OUR HISTORY

In November of 1980, a soul winner in the Westwood community by the name of Elmer Gonzales approached Evangelist William A. Rodriguez asking him to lead a Bible study for twelve adults who had recently given their lives to Jesus Christ. After several life-transforming Bible studies with this young group of new converts, William A. Rodriguez felt the call of God to establish a soul winning church that would reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
On December 31, 1980, after a trip downtown to legally incorporate Praise Center Church, the group of young adults held their first church service in a renovated residence located at 3400 W. Walsh St. in the Westwood neighborhood that seated 70-80 people.
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Within three months it was filled to capacity.This group of young people could not have imagined the powerful impact that their obedience to God’s call would soon have on the city of Denver.
 

In April of 1981 Praise Center Church relocated to Florida and Pierce in Lakewood, to a building that seated approximately 200. The word quickly spread throughout West Denver that a new ministry had begun where people’s lives were being transformed. The Lord continued to guide sinners to Praise Center, and the word of God brought hope to hundreds of individuals causing the growth to once again exceed the seating capacity.

 

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By June of 1981 (now only six months old) they were blessed with the opportunity to utilize a church facility that would seat 500, on the corner of Cherry and Iowa in East Denver. The temporary use of this church facility was pending a sale and in September of 1981 the congregation was informed that the building had been sold. The congregation began praying for a miracle and by the month’s end, Pastor William Rodriguez had found a new home for the Praise Center family.

On October 19, 1981 (approximately ten months after the start of the ministry) God blessed Praise Center with the finances and terms to purchase their own building located at 2005 S. Lincoln Street in Denver, which became the base for ministry for the next twenty years. This location had the capacity to seat one thousand individuals, classroom space and offices.  After 20 years at that location, overcrowded Sunday school rooms and limited off street parking prompted the congregation to start to pray and believe God for a larger space to grow in a location where their heart was in reaching those in need of Christ.

In 1997, Praise Center started an educational organization called The Life Development Institute, a non-profit focused on helping to educate the community. The target was the zip code, 80219, one of the most needful areas in Denver. Praying for a facility for educational purposes, God provided a building at 1590 S. Federal Blvd. in Denver, better known as the LDI.  The LDI is home to the Praise Center Church administrative offices, Inside Out Television Studios, Sparc Media, Ignite Music Group, Life Development Institute, Youth Hope Ministries training center and Audio/Video production facilities.

Being back in the 80219 community through the LDI, God once again opened the doors for Praise Center Church to relocate from S. Lincoln Street to its current location of 3105 W Florida Avenue in June of 2001.  With the purchase of this facility, Praise Center increased its overall square footage from 10,000 to 50,000 sq ft. with the Sunday School Wing addition being completed in 2005.

In addition, Praise Center acquired the adjoining 3.4 acres of land to the north of the facility which will eventually be developed into a new sanctuary seating more than 1,200 individuals.

In the past 35 years of local ministry, Praise Center Church has reached approximately 50,000 people by means of evangelism, person to person, television, radio, church outreaches and church services. The ministry has been blessed with averaging approximately 365 people per year answering the alter call and receiving Christ as their savior.