A new face spreads the word

Rev. Glenn Quirk is not your average pastor.

Word of Grace Community Church is not your average place of worship.

Taking those two statements into account, Quirk’s arrival in Sheboygan Falls as Word of Grace’s new senior pastor looks to be a match made in heaven.

Quirk, who began his duties Oct. 1, replaces Rev. Kirby Andersen, who served as the senior pastor at Word of Grace for 19 years, before accepting a position as the executive director of Dry Gulch USA in Tulsa, Okla. in August.

Quirk comes to Word of Grace from Oklahoma City, Okla., where he served as the associate pastor of pastoral care at the 8,000-member Victory Church for seven years.

While at Victory Church, Quirk served in a variety of ministry capacities, including musician/worship leader, singles’ pastor and audio director.

Prior to becoming a full-time pastor in 2002, Quirk made his living as an insurance adjustor, while serving as a volunteer pastor at various churches in Oklahoma, between 1994 and 2002.

“I always knew I would go into ministry full time,” Quirk said. “I just needed the right opportunity to do so.”

The Poteau, Okla. native is happy to return to his roots in a small-town setting.

“I was raised in a small town,” Qurk said. “Poteau has a population of approximately 8,000 people. It is very similar in size to Sheboygan Falls.”

With a congregation of 300 to 400 people, Word of Grace is miles away from his last position at the gigantic Victory Church.

“When I was at Victory Church, I found it is hard to be as personal as I like to be,” Quirk said. “I like to have a chance to get to know people and relate to them more in their day-to-day lives.

“I like the size of Word of Grace. It is very similar in style and format to Victory Church. The mindset is progressive, which is very comfortable to me.”

Quirk had never set foot in Wisconsin, before coming to Sheboygan Falls in July, to visit with Andersen and get a feel for Word of Grace.

“My only prior knowledge of Wisconsin was cheese, brats and cold winters,” Quirk said. “The more I researched the area, the more at home I felt.

“When I came to meet with Pastor Kirby and check out the church and the city in July, I fell in love with the area, the city and the church,” he said. “It was just what I had been looking for. I always try to keep my life an open book before God. This is where God has led me to be.”

Quirk is proud to be involved in a church that is rather unique to the area.

“I think non-denominational, progressive churches like Word of Grace are more common in Oklahoma than they are here,” he said. “Word of Grace is well known for having a practical application of God’s word and for relating the Bible and the work of Jesus to people’s everyday lives.”

In addition to regular worship services and youth education, Word of Grace sponsors several community-based outreach programs, which Quirk is eager to be a part of.

Oneighty is a youth-based program for teens between the ages of 13-18, which meets each Wednesday evening. Celebrate Recovery is a support group for those striving to overcome a variety of addictions.

“This is a very community-minded church,” Quirk said. “There are a lot of hurting people out there, who are searching and looking for help and support.

“We are here for the community,” he said. “We recently started GriefShare, which is a new program geared to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. You don’t need to be a member of a church to attend Oneighty, Celebrate Recovery or GriefShare meetings. They are here for the entire community.”

Quirk, who is assisted by Director of Pastor Care Michael Lueck and Youth Pastor Justin Fischer, is hoping to expand Word of Grace’s worship offerings to two services in the near future.

“Right now, we have a 10 a.m. service on Sundays,” he said. “I think we are close to having a big enough congregation to add another service.”

As a multi-talented producer, writer and performer, music is one of Quirk’s passions.

“I play keyboards and write what I call progressive, Christian music,” Quirk said. “I really enjoy making and performing music. Hopefully, that is something I can bring to Word of Grace.”

Word of Grace’s congregation includes many members, who have found a home church, after years of searching.

“Many of our members had limited church backgrounds,” Quirk said. “I would say our membership is a bit younger than a lot of other churches.

“Our average age is around 38 or 39,” he said. “Most people that come and see what we’re all about typically love it.”

Quirk said his first few weeks on the job have been filled with enthusiastic support from church members and the community.

“There has been a lot of excitement,” he said. “October was the most highly attended month in the history of the church.

“That is due to the newness factor. Hopefully, it is something we can build on in the future.”

Quirk is impressed with the church’s high-tech modern look.

“The interior of the church is unbelievable,” he said. “The worship area itself is quite unique, with the stage setup. The basketball coaches, sound system, lighting equipment, snack bar, video games and the layout as a whole are just amazing.

“It definitely has a majority ‘wow’ factor the first time you walk in.”

Quirk, who presently lives in Kohler with his wife Amy, 7-year-old daughter Lexi and 3-year-old son Nixon, describes his preaching and education style as straightforward and down-to-earth.

“I don’t think I fit the typical mold of a pastor,” Quirk said. “I don’t believe in hard-selling the church to anyone.

“What you see, is what you get,” he said. “I try to communicate and teach in an understandable, practical way, which is relevant to people’s everyday lives. I also like to make church fun and use a sense of humor to reach people. My job is to give people the tools to tap into what God created them to be.”