The Barn

Come and see.

The story of a community showing what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and the students whose lives have been transformed by it.

Beginnings

The Vision

By 2020, after six years of steady growth, Breakfast Club had outgrown the Vanada basement, then the garage, then a neighbor's house next door, and finally a local church. Students kept showing up for breakfast and to learn about the love of Jesus. The space kept running out.

As Jake was out on his regular bike rides, he kept noticing the same thing: barn after barn out in the country. He felt the Lord leading him to use one for Breakfast Club. Little did he know what God was planning.

The Gift

Provisioned by God, from start to finish

In May of 2020, Montgomery Farms donated four acres of land across the street from the high school. Then the work followed the same way. Over a dozen businesses donated their time, labor, and resources, and hundreds of people gave, all without a formal funding campaign. People in the STMA community heard what was being built and quietly stepped up.

By the spring of 2022, the barn was almost finished and Breakfast Club still needed $37,000 for furnishings and supplies. Jake posted about it in the community Facebook group. All of it came in two days later.

God raised every dollar. No loans, no debt. This barn was provisioned by Him, start to finish.

Featured on KARE 11, “The House the Community Built.”

The Build

December 4, 2020

Groundbreaking and the Build

Ground broke on December 4, 2020, with contractors, city officials, and community members on hand.

“This is a once in a generation opportunity,” Jake said that day. “When like-minded people come together around a cause we all believe in, are willing to work hard and be generous, and nobody cares who gets the credit, then some incredible things can happen.”

Ten months of framing, siding, roofing, and finishing followed, funded by the overwhelming generosity of local businesses and the community.

Day One

September 30, 2021

The First Morning

On September 30, 2021, nearly 400 students showed up for the first Breakfast Club in the new barn. Construction wasn't even fully finished, and the room was already full. The smell of fresh lumber, monkey bread, hash browns, and pure excitement filled the air. It was an unforgettable kickoff, and a picture of how faithful this community had been, right down to the students who walked in that first morning.

Today

Five Seasons In

Five seasons later, the barn still pushes capacity, and we keep making space for every student who walks through the doors. As the numbers grow, we keep feeding bellies and feeding souls, teaching students about who Jesus is and how much He loves them.

The barn was never the goal. What happens inside it is, and always will be.