"Dream A New Dream"

In 1987, Pastor Del felt that the denomination he had been a part of for most of his life had a traditional approach that failed to meet its members' spiritual needs and didn't emphasize outreach to the unchurched. As a result, he decided to leave the denomination. However, his outlook changed when he attended a Church Growth Seminar hosted at New Hope Community Church in Portland, Oregon. At that time, New Hope was considered a "mega-church" with five to six thousand attendees every weekend. Pastor Del was impressed by the church's approach and teachings, and he shared his story with the Senior Pastor of New Hope, Dale Galloway.

Pastor Galloway encouraged Pastor Del to start a new church and offered to provide resources and support for the endeavor, telling him to "Dream a New Dream."