A crowd of Phoenix church members buzzed with excitement as they gathered at Historic First Presbyterian Church on Tuesday evening to worship together in downtown Phoenix.
PhoenixONE, an event that brings members of varying Christian denominations from across the Valley to downtown Phoenix every first and third Tuesday, begins with a worship service at the church and ends with an invitation for attendees to gather at a local Italian restaurant, The Strand, for dinner and socializing.
Members from between 180 and 220 churches attend the event, which started its new season on Sept. 4 with a gathering of about 1,000 people.
According to PhoenixONE’s website, it began in the spring as a partnership between several local churches, aiming to attract young adults from across the Valley to worship together.
Board Director Kimberlee Marlow said PhoenixONE is not a church, but rather a way of connecting thousands of people together to create a community of churches.
“We are not pullers, we are connectors,” she said. “And you will not see us advertising. This is a word-of-mouth thing.”
Executive Director Jeff Gokee said that in order to draw more people to PhoenixONE gatherings, planned events would be kept secret from the public to create a sense of mystery.
Francis Chan, a well-known preacher from Simi Valley, Calif., was the surprise guest speaker on Sept. 4.
Gokee gave the sermon during this week’s gathering.
Ministry-team member Colin Noonan, 28, said many of the attendees are part of a younger demographic.
“We target mostly young adults and professionals in their 20s, 30s and some in their 40s, but college students come, too,” he said.
The gatherings often give people who are not downtown Phoenix regulars the opportunity to explore the area and see what it has to offer.
“Downtown is a great middle point for all of us to meet,” Noonan said.
Ernie Vega, owner of The Strand, said he is pleased with the restaurant’s new partnership with PhoenixONE.
“My daughter has gone to PhoenixONE before,” Vega said. “So there is a personal connection.”
Vega added that business in downtown Phoenix is very “event-driven” and that the increase in activity helps local businesses.
Noonan said 10 percent of the proceeds from the dinner come back to PhoenixONE. He also said the large number of people who attend PhoenixONE is beneficial for not only The Strand but also other surrounding businesses because it gives many people an introduction to downtown Phoenix.
Tara Ulrich, 23, agreed that the event puts the downtown area in the spotlight.
“PhoenixONE brings awareness to what’s down here,” she said. “A lot of people don’t know that downtown has built up so much.”
Contact the reporter at whitney.ogden@asu.edu
