It seems Jim Phillips has come full circle - and that circle has brought him back to the town of Catalina.
In 1992, while attending seminary school in Texas, the Phoenix native was required to go on a missionary revival and speak at a church. He'd hoped to go someplace different, someplace he'd never been.
Instead, he was sent to the First Baptist Church of Catalina, north of Tucson.
Still, he said, "it became a special place for me."
After his mother attended a portion of that four-day mission in 1992, the church became the place where his mother gave her life to Jesus, he recalled.
Years later, that same site at 3137 E. Everett St. has become LifePoint Church, a nondenominational Christian church that opened in early March.
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Phillips, who at 6-feet 4 inches resembles a former football player, is the lead pastor.
The church's mission, as stated by Phillips and on its website, is: "To lead people who are far from God to actively pursue Jesus."
Phillips added, "it is also to love God by serving others in Catalina."
The building itself also has come full circle.
His church took possession of the building, which had gone from being a Baptist church to an art gallery, coffee bar and dance studio before sitting dormant for several years, Phillips said.
The facility has two separate structures, The Point, which is the worship area where services are held, and the LifePoint Kids building, which holds the children's nursery and church offices.
The LifePoint Kids building also houses the Agape Cafe, where hot coffee and tea and homemade muffins can be found in an informal atmosphere where church members can connect.
That atmosphere reflects the way Phillips communicates to his followers.
Wearing a two-toned, short-sleeved camp shirt that resembles a bowling shirt, plus dark blue jeans and sneakers, he speaks informally to his flock.
He mentions his own relatives, uses self-deprecating humor, and talks of his own experiences when delivering his sermon or talking to church members.
Leslie Phillips, his wife of almost 23 years, said the style serves him well.
"It shows that he is vulnerable and at the same time it makes him accessible, the kind of person that people can relate to," she said.
He has a humility and honesty about him, said Leslie, who is the church's communications and administrative specialist.
"He wants to be real," she said. "We are all struggling as we go through life together and he doesn't want to appear any different from anyone else."
Catalina resident Carmen Hawkins, who has taken her family to LifePoint since it opened, enjoys the comfort of the church.
"The people are very friendly and are inviting. It has a very casual atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable," she said.
"You can see the love of God in the people."
Her daughter, Marissa, 21, said the church is cool.
"It's really like a community of people whose focus is glorifying God and encouraging each other to seek God," she said.
Phillips hopes that as his congregants depart after his Sunday services they can say, "God really spoke to me today."
"I want them to take something with them, like a truth - some nugget they can use in life or maybe for the rest of the week."
Contact A.E. Araiza at 954-3154 or araiza@azstarnet.com
