Discover Elim United Church

Discover Elim United Church

our mission

Our mission revolves around four core principles: Discovery, Living, Growth, and Leadership. Through our services, we aim to guide every guest towards discovering God’s purpose for their life, nurturing the growth of our church community in their spiritual journey, and empowering individuals to become leaders who serve others.

our vision

Our vision originates from a desire to establish a local church that will profoundly impact on the spiritual landscape of the Treasure Valley and Idaho as a whole. With the establishment and growth of Elim United Church, we are witnessing this vision materialize. The purchase and construction of our new church building marks a significant milestone in this vision, and our team remains dedicated to serving the Lord, and the Treasure Valley community each day.

Church pastor and family.

LeaderSHIP

David Sferle is a devoted servant of God, husband to Maria, and a father of seven beautiful children. Hailing from a family with roots in Romania, he understands the struggles of escaping communism to find freedom in the United States, where he can openly practice his faith. With a heart for the Inner City community, Pastor Sferle tirelessly works to lead others to Christ, inspiring them not only to embrace a relationship with Jesus but also to emulate his love and compassion.

Guided by the Golden Rule – treating others as you would want to be treated – he instills this principle into the lives of his flock. Pastor Sferle is deeply committed to spreading the gospel in every possible way, extending a helping hand to the orphaned, the impoverished, and the widowed, embodying the teachings of Jesus in both word and deed.

OUR STORY

Our journey from Romania to the United States was driven by a deep desire for religious freedom and the ability to openly express our faith. In Romania, we faced religious and political persecution that limited our ability to worship and serve God according to our beliefs. Migrating to the United States has blessed us with the liberty to practice our faith without restrictions.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve God in a country that values religious freedoms and enables us to worship as we believe God has revealed Himself to us. Our faith community is open to all who seek the truth and want to know more about Jesus Christ. We invite anyone to join our church and experience the transformative power of God through His Holy Spirit, which is active within our community. Through this, we hope that individuals may find both spiritual and physical healing and learn to trust God in all aspects of their lives.

our pastors

DAVID & CHERA WHALEY

With a call on their lives to train up people that would discover the life that God has for them, Pastors David & Chera began teaching in a house in Nampa with 20 people. Since those days of small beginnings, God has prospered them and honored His word to David & Chera for maintaining the vision and integrity of the ministry to which they are called. David & Chera pastor Harvest Life Church with a current weekly attendance of 1,000. The messages and ministries offered at Harvest Life have successfully worked to make a tremendous difference in the lives of thousands for over 20 years.

Our Beliefs

We affirm the belief in a singular, everlasting God who is the Architect of the universe. This divine being manifests in three distinct forms: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. His nature encompasses boundless love and absolute purity.

Referenced passages: Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:26-27, Psalm 90:2, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 John 1:1-2, John 1:1-3

We affirm that Jesus Christ, both fully divine and fully human, stands as the sole mediator between humanity and God. His sinless and exemplary life, sacrificial death on the cross, and victorious resurrection serve as the means of our reconciliation with God and the source of empowerment for our lives. Following His ascension to heaven, He is poised to return as the ultimate King and Lord.

Referenced passages: Matthew 1:22-23, Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1-5, John 14:10-30, Hebrews 4:14-15, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans 1:3-4, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Timothy 6:14-15, Titus 2:13

Across the scriptures, it is apparent that Christ founded and cherishes the church, a vital component of God’s divine blueprint for humanity. As God orchestrates the growth of His Church worldwide, each local congregation plays a significant role in this grand endeavor. Grounded in biblical teachings, we hold that God’s Kingdom is chiefly advanced through His Church, emphasizing the imperative for every believer to actively engage with their local congregation.

Referenced passages: Ephesians 2:19-22, Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 2:19-20, Ephesians 5:25-27, Colossians 1:18

We acknowledge that sin has severed the connection between each individual and God, diverting us from His intended purpose for our lives. God, out of His immense love, sacrificially offered His Son, Jesus, on the cross to provide forgiveness for humanity’s sins and pave a path for us to be embraced into His family. This salvation, freely given, cannot be earned through human endeavors. Jesus’ death stands as the exclusive means of forgiveness, and it is solely through faith in Christ that we access the precious gift of eternal salvation bestowed by God.

Referenced passages: Romans 10:9-10, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:6, John 1:12, Titus 3:5, Galatians 3:26, Romans 5:1

Jesus declared, “I have arrived to bestow upon you a life of abundance.” God’s divine intention for humanity is abundant life. We firmly hold that God desires to mend and renew us, enabling us to lead wholesome and prosperous lives, empowering us to better serve others. Our conviction rests in the goodness of God, who stands unequivocally on our side, who in His love and wisdom, employs tragedy, sickness, or natural disasters as teaching tools. Through Christ, God has granted us righteousness and liberated us from sin. This gospel, too marvelous to contain, compels us to share the message of Jesus Christ fervently across the globe, in obedience to God’s command.

Referenced passages: John 10:10, Romans 8:31-39, Mark 16:15-18, James 1:17, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

History

Founded by a resilient family fleeing religious persecution in Romania, our church’s journey began in small home gatherings, illegal under communist rule. After settling in Portland, OR we found solace in a local Romanian church, connecting with others who had fled oppression. In 1999, the patriarch of our family, George Sferle inspired by the Holy Spirit, led a part of our family to Missouri, where he pastored and nurtured a small Romanian congregation until his passing in 2006. After his passing, his son-in-law, Dinu Jurcoi, carried on the legacy, leading us back to the northwest, to Nampa, Idaho, until 2023. Today, under Pastor David Sferle’s guidance, Elim United Church thrives as a close-knit community of Bible-believing Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our history, marked by trials, reflects God’s guiding hand, inspiring us to share His light with the lost.

History

Founded by a resilient family fleeing religious persecution in Romania, our church’s journey began in small home gatherings, illegal under communist rule. After settling in Portland, OR we found solace in a local Romanian church, connecting with others who had fled oppression. In 1999, the patriarch of our family, George Sferle inspired by the Holy Spirit, led a part of our family to Missouri, where he pastored and nurtured a small Romanian congregation until his passing in 2006.

After his passing, his son-in-law, Dinu Jurcoi, carried on the legacy, leading us back to the northwest, to Nampa, Idaho, until 2023. Today, under Pastor David Sferle’s guidance, Elim United Church thrives as a close-knit community of Bible-believing Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our history, marked by trials, reflects God’s guiding hand, inspiring us to share His light with the lost.

Our Values

We prioritize delving deeper into God’s Word, recognizing it as the bedrock of existence.

Call to Action: Am I allowing God’s Word to shape me?

We prioritize ascending towards God, understanding that we emulate the qualities of the One we adore.

Call to action: Am I open to receiving from God as I extend myself to others?

We value connecting outward because Gods family is bigger than those we already know.

Call to action: Am I creating an atmosphere that allows others to belong?

We prioritize looking beyond the surface because we’ve been recipients of grace and aspire to extend it to others.

Call to action: Am I demonstrating love towards others based on their identity as defined by God?

We prioritize setting higher goals because we consider excellence as a tribute to God and those whom we serve.

Call to action: Am I striving to do my best with the resources available to me today?

We prioritize giving everything we God places in our hearts to give, because Jesus exemplified servanthood to the world, and it’s precisely what our world requires from us.

Am I freely offering myself and my possessions to those around me in service to the cause of Christ?