A church and gymnasium complex on East Evergreen Drive is being resurrected with new owners and a new vision for ministry in the heart of Evergreen.

Josh and Misty Herzog, along with Walter and Tammy Gipe, have formed Psalm 91:1 Ministries and recently purchased the church, gymnasium and adjoining six acres at 305 East Evergreen Dr. from Philip Klevmoen.

The first project — Restart4Us — launched last week with a Sunday morning worship service and Thursday evening women’s ministry at the church. The Rev. Bob Thornton and his wife Judy are leasing portions of the church and gym for their program.

Judy, a registered nurse and former director of nursing at Brendan House in Kalispell, is taking the lead with the women’s weekly gathering.

“Last night we talked about hope,” she said about the inaugural meeting on Oct. 6.

The women’s ministry is an opportunity for women to gather and talk with each other about the challenges in their lives. On that first evening one woman gave her testimony about feeling like a “non-entity” as she experienced homelessness. The woman also shared about accepting Christ into her life and how she’s been sober for nine years.

“There was talking, crying, connecting,” Bob said. “We talk about all kinds of situations with women. It’s adding tools to their toolboxes.”

Added Judy: “We all have stuff that has happened in our lives. God can use us in positive ways.”

The Thorntons stressed that the women’s ministry is not a formal counseling program. If women have emergency needs they are referred to Adult Protective Services and organizations such as The Refuge, a program hosted by Faith Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Men and children are welcome to attend the 6 p.m. Thursday gatherings too. While the women talk, Bob takes the men and children to the gymnasium where there is informal fellowship and activities for the children.

“As we grow, if more men come, we envision a men’s small group,” Judy added.

Bob, a former aerospace engineer before he became an ordained minister later in life, heads the Sunday morning worship at 11 a.m. It’s a simple, 45-minute service of singing and teaching. The Sunday service content will parallel the Thursday evening instruction.

“It’s less than an hour format, with adults and children together,” he noted about the Sunday worship service. “It’s important for children to see the adults getting fed” through the word of God.

“We don’t have a fancy stage band, just a recorded song apropos to the teaching and some study time together in the Bible, seeking how we might best follow the Jesus way regarding the topic,” Bob said.

The Thorntons said they’ve been awed by the level of support they’re getting from the Flathead community for their Restart4Us ministry. Judy recounted how a woman she knew stuck a check in her pocket one day. When she later pulled it out it was a $2,000 donation.

“I’m left speechless,” she said. “People believe in what we’re doing.”

Restart4Us is exactly the kind of outreach the Herzogs and Gipes had in mind when they purchased the facilities and property.

Walter Gipe, who has done much of the renovation of the two buildings, said he has seen the need for local ministry right in front of him as he works on the renovations and has observed children wandering up and down East Evergreen Drive at all hours.

“When this property opened up and I looked at it for the first time I couldn’t grasp the concept it was empty and kids were playing nearby in mud puddles,” Gipe said. “My whole goal is I want to give people the opportunity to know Christ; that’s it.”

To that end, Gipe and his wife are selling their house and plan to live in a fifth-wheel trailer in order to be debt-free. Any money they have above their basic living expenses will be invested into Psalm 91:1 Ministries.

“We’re not roughing it,” he added. “We have everything we need.”

Josh Herzog said one of the ministry’s long-range plans is to build a permanent facility for the Heritage homeschool program that has grown through the years. Another idea in the works is an after-school program at the gymnasium. They’ve been in touch with local schools about how the gym space might best be used.

“I was shocked [the gymnasium] has been sitting here unused,” he said.

The facility was used for a while in recent years by Family Friendly Flathead, but that program has been disbanded for a year or better.

“Once we finish getting Bob [and Restart4Us] up and running, then we’ll dive into what the other programs will look like and start garnering support from local businesses,” Josh said. “We’re just at the ground level.”

Josh and Walter became acquainted about 10 years ago when Josh invited Walter on a mission trip to Africa. “That was the seed,” Josh said.

They initially pondered starting an overseas mission program, but couldn’t turn a blind eye to communities such as Evergreen.

“I have six children. I have a heart for kids,” Josh said. “We need to pour back into that community.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.