A Cathedral on Millsap Road
Christian Life Cathedral has gathered at 1285 E. Millsap Road in Fayetteville, Arkansas since 1984. What began with Founding Pastors Steve and Cozy Dixon has grown into a multi-generational, multi-ethnic congregation that calls itself an interdenominational fellowship of Christ-followers who value grace, diversity, and the spiritual formation of individuals. The church's campus includes the main sanctuary, the CLC Student Center next door, the CLC Chapel, and dedicated CLC Kids classrooms. Its motto, Heal. Equip. Discover. Fulfill., orients everything from Sunday services to small groups to outreach partnerships across Northwest Arkansas. Lead Pastors Grant and Afsaneh Roe now oversee a staff of more than twenty pastors serving children, students, college-aged adults, seniors, worshippers in two languages, and people navigating recovery.
Sundays at Nine and Eleven
Sunday worship is offered at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the main sanctuary, with both services available in person and livestreamed on YouTube. Each gathering includes a time of musical worship, prayer, and a biblical message. The church invites guests to come as they are; dress on any given Sunday ranges from suits to jeans. A large parking lot surrounds the building, with ushers and a connect counter staffed by the Hospitality team. Children from birth through sixth grade are welcomed into CLC Kids during both services, with check-in opening fifteen minutes before the service at the Family Information Center. Spanish-speaking guests are invited instead to Iglesia Oasis, which meets at 11 a.m. in the Student Center.
Statement of Faith and Cathedral Thinking
Christian Life Cathedral proclaims the Apostles' Creed as its statement of faith, the formative fourth-century confession that roots the church in historic Christian belief. Two frameworks built on top of the Creed shape everyday discipleship at CLC.
The first framework is four lifestyle practices. Life with Christ means letting Jesus' life and teachings shape one's own. Life of Formation means participating in transformative discipleship for the sake of others. Life in Community means living in mutual, life-giving relationship with other believers. Life on Mission means serving God by serving others.
The second framework is what the leadership calls Cathedral Thinking - five distinctives that guide how the congregation expresses its life together. The Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered walk; inspirational worship marked by musical excellence; a diverse, multi-generational family in which every ethnicity and generation has a place; intentional individual and corporate prayer; and investment in church planting, global missions, and local outreach. The metaphor is deliberate: cathedrals are built to last for generations, and CLC seeks to make decisions today that will bless its tomorrows.
CLC Kids: Birth Through Sixth Grade
CLC Kids meets the needs of children from birth through sixth grade during Sunday services and Wednesday night programming. Early Childhood (birth through kindergarten) surrounds each class with three foundational truths - God made me. God loves me. Jesus wants to be my friend forever - through Bible stories, songs, and the loving care of trained volunteers. Elementary (first through sixth grade) leans into the wonder and discovery of those years, helping children explore God's Big Story through Sunday morning services, Wednesday night Discipleship Groups, and seasonal community events.
Security is a priority. Every adult serving in CLC Kids is background checked, no team member is ever alone with a child, and each child wears a name tag with a security code matched to a parent's pick-up tag. If the church needs a parent during the service, the matching code appears on screens at the front of the sanctuary. A comfortable Mother's Room across from the main restrooms is available for nursing parents and includes a TV so they can follow the service. Classrooms are peanut-free, and parents can note allergies or special medical conditions during registration. Child Dedication ceremonies are offered several times a year for parents who want to publicly commit to raising their child in the knowledge of the Lord. Children ages eight and up may be baptized after a meeting with a pastor. Early Childhood Pastors Lori and Mike Fisk lead the birth through kindergarten ministry; Children's Pastors Sally and Andreas Haukas lead the elementary ministry.
CLC YTH: A Family for Seventh Through Twelfth Graders
Middle and high school students have their own corner of the campus. CLC YTH meets Wednesday evenings in the Student Center at 1147 Millsap Road: doors open at 6 p.m. for hang-out time, the service runs from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., and each gathering includes fun activities, live worship, a sermon, and Fam Groups - small groups organized by grade, each led by at least one adult male and one adult female, where students can ask honest questions and process life. On Sunday mornings, students are invited to CLC Room 206 at 9 or 11 a.m. for breakfast and Bible study. Youth Pastors Danny and Liz Tuxhorn lead the ministry, which keeps its own presence on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at @clc.yth.
College, Young Adults, and Singles
Mitchell and Skyler Peters serve as College and Young Adults Pastors. The Tompkins Group, designed for young adults - singles, couples, and young families - meets on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in Lowell for a potluck-style dinner and a discussion of the weekly sermon. The church's location in Fayetteville places it within easy reach of the University of Arkansas.
Senior Adults
Senior Adults Pastor Sue Whiteley oversees a community for adults sixty-two and older. The group gathers for luncheons on the first and third Thursday of each month at 11:30 a.m. in the Student Center and for chapel services on the second and fourth Thursdays at 10 a.m. in the CLC Chapel. Several community groups are reserved for older adults, and additional fellowship and service opportunities are woven throughout the year.
Celebrate Recovery
Celebrate Recovery meets every Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. in the Student Center and is open to anyone seeking healing from life's hurts, habits, and hang-ups - including addiction, trauma, and mental health challenges. The Christ-centered, Bible-based program opens with dinner, moves into a time of worship, and ends with open share time, walking participants toward what the leadership describes as new healthy truths and life-giving habits. Ross Hinshaw leads the ministry, and the page reminds participants that 911 and the Suicide Crisis Lifeline at 988 are available in an emergency.
Accessibility: Incredible Kids
The Accessibility Ministry creates an inclusive community where individuals of all abilities and their families can grow spiritually. Its Incredible Kids program supports children with special needs during Sunday services, assisting participation in worship or providing personalized ministry in an accommodating environment. Families are encouraged to contact Accessibility Director Courtney Cates before a first visit so the team can prepare to receive the child. Three words frame the work: embracing. Supporting. Empowering. The ministry also supports a caregivers' community group that meets monthly in the CLC Fellowship Hall with childcare available.
Worship and Fine Arts
The Worship and Fine Arts Ministry leads the congregation in musical worship each Sunday. The team blends choir, praise team, and worship band musicians in a diverse expression of genres that the leadership calls a glimpse of heaven. Choir rehearsals take place on Wednesday nights from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. at the Millsap Road building. Worship and Creative Arts Pastors Reggie and Laura James oversee the ministry, which also maintains a presence on Spotify.
Community, Grow, and Support Groups
CLC Groups are the primary way members build relationships outside Sunday services. They fall into three categories.
Community Groups gather around shared life stages and interests. The Alvarado/Smith Group offers men of all ages brotherhood and spiritual growth through Man to Man content, meeting Saturdays at 6 p.m. in Hindsville. The Combs Group is a monthly haven for women, meeting Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in Springdale. The Courage-Mellott Group is for adults over fifty, gathering Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. in Fayetteville. The Ford Group meets biweekly on Mondays at 6 p.m. in Fayetteville for women of any age around a meal and fellowship. The Harcourt/Ellis Group is a serving group that meets at LifeSource Fayetteville on Thursdays at 9 a.m. to help at the food pantry. The Humphreys Group welcomes young married couples on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in Farmington. The MacLeay women's group gathers weekly on Thursdays at 5:45 p.m. in Rogers. The Mickelson/Smith Group is a biweekly men's community on Thursdays at 6 p.m. in Springdale. The Peters Group partners with Every Soul Matters on Saturdays at 9 a.m. in Fayetteville to serve neighbors experiencing homelessness. The Sorrell Group opens Bibles over hot coffee on Saturdays at 10 a.m. in Fayetteville.
Grow Groups meet to discuss the weekly sermon. The Burkholder Group gathers women in their late twenties to early forties on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Springdale Public Library. The Frierson/Hedges Group offers men a biweekly sermon study on Thursdays at 6 p.m. in Fayetteville. The MacLeay men's group reads through two to three chapters of the Bible each Friday at 7:45 a.m. in Rogers. The Osing Group meets Sundays at 6:30 p.m. in Fayetteville to dive deeper into the sermon. The Tompkins Group meets Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in Lowell with a potluck. The Yares Group gathers Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in Fayetteville for sermon discussion.
Support Groups accompany people through harder seasons. Celebrate Recovery (described above) meets weekly. Cates/Ford is a monthly group for caregivers of children with disabilities, meeting Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in the CLC Fellowship Hall with childcare available. Single and Parenting gathers single moms on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for dinner, free childcare, and an encouraging discussion.
Discipleship Pathways: Alpha, Next Steps, and Spiritual Formation
Three structured pathways help newcomers and long-time members grow deeper. Alpha is an open, conversational introduction to faith that meets on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. for dinner, a video, and small-group discussion. The Next Steps Course is a two-week Sunday morning class designed for newcomers that explores ways to connect and serve, with children's ministry provided during the class. Spiritual Formation Classes meet on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. and offer semester-long studies such as Uncommon Joy with Pastor Steve Dixon, The Story with Lori Buchanan, What to Do in the Waiting with Tim Holder and Angie Landers, and Navigating Loss, Change, and Grief with Tracie Akins and Charley Combs.
Local Outreach: CLC Cares
CLC Cares is the church's local outreach arm. Rather than running its own programs in every area, the congregation partners with established organizations across Northwest Arkansas. LifeSource operates a food pantry Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and welcomes individual and group volunteers weekdays. Potter's House runs a preschool Tuesday through Thursday, K through twelve small groups on Sundays, tutors and mentors for grades five through twelve on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, adult programs Wednesday evenings, and daily thrift stores. Every Soul Matters hosts a pop-up village fair on third Saturdays to serve neighbors experiencing homelessness. Kairos Prison Ministry sends two small-group weekend trips per year. Teen Challenge welcomes beautification projects any day of the week and a monthly Reconnect Family Weekend. Two resource hubs are also promoted through CLC Cares: Care Portal, connecting volunteers with children and families in crisis, and Hark NWA, linking residents to education, food, housing, and other supports.
Missions: CLC Reach
CLC Reach extends the church's mission beyond Northwest Arkansas to support church planting and global missions partnerships. The congregation's international outlook is part of what the leadership calls Cathedral Thinking - a willingness to invest in the gospel across the street and across the ocean.
Oasis: A Spanish-Language Congregation
Iglesia Oasis de NWA is a Spanish-language congregation that meets within the CLC campus and is pastored by Michael and Ani Brown, third- and second-generation ministry leaders who met as children in Peru. Oasis gathers for Sunday morning worship at 11 a.m. in the Student Center, for Abundant Life on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., and for Oasis Youth on Fridays at 7 p.m. Its heartbeat, in the leadership's words, is to share what God has done - to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ in both word and life to the Hispanic and Latino community of Northwest Arkansas.
Giving and Connection
Gifts to Christian Life Cathedral can be made online, through the CLC App, in person during Sunday services, by mail, or through non-cash contributions such as stocks, real estate, or estate planning. Church finances are reviewed weekly by staff, monthly by the executive board, quarterly by an accountant, and audited periodically. The My CLC portal gives members access to giving statements, group sign-ups, sermon study guides, and other resources. A Connect Card, a Decision to Accept Jesus form, a Question form, and a Prayer Request form are available online at any time. The CLC Chapel, accessible at cathedralchapel.com, hosts senior-adult services and is open for additional pastoral care.
Christian Life Cathedral is led by Grant and Afsaneh Roe, with Executive Pastors Greg and Joetta Dixon, Pastor Emeritus Steve Dixon and Cozy Dixon, and a staff team of children's, youth, college, worship, community, senior adult, pastoral care, media, and Oasis pastors. The congregation continues to grow around the four practices and five distinctives that have defined the church since 1984.