A little more peaceful. A little more open to what God might want to say. It’s the Prayer Path—sacred ground right in the middle of our busy lives. This quarter-mile journey was born from a dream and shaped with creativity, compassion, generosity, and hard work. The Prayer Path is a space to grow in our relationships with God and with one another.
Early in the trek, a large, iron fire pit in the shape of the world is encountered. At the highest point on the property is a large wooden cross crafted from a single ash tree. The prayer path is a journey from the world to the cross and back to the world. We change during our time on the prayer path and return to the world as different people.
The prayer path is lined with over ten thousand plants and more than one hundred trees, many of which are from the Bible. A dozen benches, one for each disciple, are strategically placed along the path, providing opportunities for reflection and conversation. A prayer labyrinth sits at the northwest corner of the prayer path—a walk within a walk for centering and renewal. A picnic table is a place to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner with Jesus. Every detail of the area invites you to slow down and experience the presence of God and community with others. The prayer path is a place of beauty, rest, and grace, and is always open. People have been married there, and others have been baptized. Thousands have walked the path alone, with family, or with friends. Some bring fears. Some bring burdens. Some bring hope. Some bring nothing. All leave with something new.
Whether you use one of our prayer guides or simply take it in step by step, the prayer path is a journey worth taking. Come as you are. Walk at your own pace. Walk as many laps as you feel led to walk. And let God meet you there.
The vision for the prayer path emerged in 2011, when our founding pastor, Craig Finnestad, and his ten-year-old son, Benjamin, were exploring a farm located between 195th and 198th Streets, just north of Harrison. As they walked the property, they discovered a hilly, grassy area on the northeast corner that remained unfarmed. At the top of the hill was a grove of overgrown cedar trees. Craig stood at the high point of the twenty-five acres, where a large wooden cross, crafted from an ash tree, now stands, and dreamed of creating a prayer path in this area—a place of peace and an oasis of grace surrounded by a bustling and growing city.
The church purchased the property a year later in 2012 and opened its first building in March 2018. As the church transitioned from gathering at Millard West High School to its new building and navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, the park to the south and west was constructed. The cedar playground, shelter, sand volleyball courts, and cornhole pit attract thousands of users each year. The building expansion opened in August 2023. It was then that the prayer path began to take shape.
Pastor Finnestad enlisted Kevin Schluckebier, the architect of the original building and the park, to assist in designing the prayer path. The two spent many evenings on what is now the current prayer path, measuring, dreaming, and discussing topics such as drainage. After a few weeks, they staked out the quarter-mile prayer path. In the fall of 2023, the site was graded, and the crushed limestone path was installed.
Shiela Schrader, a landscape architect, joined the team in the winter of 2023. Her innovative design included dozens of varieties of plants and trees from the Bible, twelve benches for rest and reflection, a prayer labyrinth, a cypress grove, two areas for growing grapes, hundreds of large rocks, a water feature, and an amphitheater.
2024 was a big year for the Prayer Path. The congregation donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to transform this space into a place where people can grow in their relationships with others and with God. The rocks were placed in March. The trees and irrigation were installed in April. Most of the plants were planted in May and June. At this point, the Prayer Path was open. The benches were placed in July. The landscape lighting was installed in September. Upgrades continue in 2025. The prayer labyrinth was designed and installed in May. We are hopeful the amphitheater will open later in 2025 and that the water feature will be completed in the next few years.
Cam Stutheit and his team at Evolved Gardens maintain the quarter-mile journey that contains over ten thousand plants and dozens of trees. Cam has been with the project since the beginning and has dedicated thousands of hours to the prayer path.
Since its opening in 2024, thousands of people have walked the Prayer Path. It is a place of rest. A place of hope. A place to center. A place to grow. A place to connect with others and God.
The prayer path is unique. Nothing quite like it exists. It is always open. Walk it by yourself or with others. Use one of our many prayer path guides or just enjoy the quiet time and the beauty of the surroundings.
