The Church Alive sits on Skyline Drive just off Highway 65 in Conway, Arkansas, less than a mile from exit 125 of Interstate 40. The congregation's one-line declaration, EVERY PERSON ALIVE IN CHRIST!, shows up front and center on everything the church puts out, and the ministries that grow out of it - Alive Groups, Kids ALIVE, REVOLUTION, and Chi Alpha - all carry the same thread. Pastored by Randy and Patty Long, The Church Alive is an Assemblies of God congregation that gathers on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am and Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm for worship shaped by the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
On Highway 65, Just Off Exit 125
Conway is a city in Faulkner County in central Arkansas, home to the University of Central Arkansas and a short drive north of Little Rock. The Church Alive's physical address is 1205 Skyline Dr., Conway, AR 72032, with the building sitting just north of I-40 along the Highway 65 corridor. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1083, Conway, AR 72033. Visitors coming from the interstate take exit 125 and head north less than a mile; a Google Maps link on the directions page provides turn-by-turn routing from any starting point.
Sundays at 9:30, Wednesdays at 6:30
Two weekly worship gatherings anchor the life of the church. Sunday mornings begin at 9:30 am in the main sanctuary, with a blended Pentecostal style that draws on contemporary worship and preaching of the Word. Children attending with their families head to the fellowship hall for Kids ALIVE during the worship hour, an interactive children's ministry that aims to make learning about God fun, creative, and relevant to a younger audience.
Midweek worship happens on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm. The same hour that adults gather for prayer and preaching is when middle and high school students - sixth through twelfth grade - meet in the Edge for REVOLUTION Student Ministries, a separate service with its own time of worship, word, and fellowship. Parents and teens can attend the same night and worship in the same building, just down the hall from each other.
Messages from these services are recorded and posted under the media section, with audio available to stream or download. Recent sermon series on the archive include Holy Spirit, Live Limitless, New Now, Year of You First, Last Days Stand, The Father's Divine Hand, Harvest Season, The Greater Realm, and Mother's Day. Lead pastor Randy Long is the primary preacher, with executive pastor Ryan Long, Patty Long, and guest speakers including Shane Warren, Odis Richmond, Evangelist Robby Mitchell, Matt Carpenter, and missionary Matt Marlin also contributing. Selected services are posted to the church's YouTube channel, where a livestream of the Sunday gathering is also available.
The Dream Behind the Church
The Church Alive spells out its mission in unusually plain language on the Our Mission page. The church's God-given dream, in the pastors' own words, is to be "a haven where the hurting, depressed, frustrated, addicted, confused and lonely can find a place of love and acceptance, forgiveness and healing, guidance and encouragement." It is a dream of a "Bible-based Christian community where loving, learning, laughing, worshipping, praying and evangelizing are done in harmony," and of developing people to spiritual maturity through small groups, short-term Bible studies, seminars, retreats, and long-term teaching through Christian Life and Service Seminars.
From there the dream expands outward. The church aims to equip every believer for significant service by helping them discover the gifts and talents God has given them, to send out missionaries and church workers around the world, and to empower every member for a personal life mission in the world. It is a dream of a facility open seven days and nights a week where kids and youth of all backgrounds can find friends, fun, and fellowship in a loving Christian environment, of a church that serves the Central Arkansas community by ministering to the whole person - spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially - and of planting new churches in Arkansas, the nation, and beyond its borders. Five values summarize the rest of the framework: Authentic Relationships, Lifestyle Discipleship, Intimate Worship, Value-Based Evangelism, and Equipping Ministry.
Alive Groups, Kids ALIVE, and REVOLUTION
The ministries at The Church Alive are built around the idea that every person, whatever their age or stage, can become fully alive in Christ. The flagship small-group ministry, simply called Alive Groups, is the discipleship and fellowship track for adults. The church describes them as a way to "grow in discipleship and connect in fellowship at TCA." Round-by-round meeting dates are announced as each new session opens.
Kids ALIVE runs on Sunday mornings during the main worship hour and gives children their own age-appropriate environment to learn about God. Children's pastor Angela Ansel oversees this work and the team of volunteers who serve in it.
REVOLUTION Student Ministries targets sixth through twelfth graders. In addition to the Wednesday night service in the Edge, REVOLUTION connects to its own social media channels for information about upcoming youth events, retreats, and mission trips.
Chi Alpha on the College Campus
Because Conway is a college town, with the University of Central Arkansas right there, The Church Alive has invested in a campus ministry called Chi Alpha. Chi Alpha is the Assemblies of God student movement, with the name drawn from the Greek christou apostoloi, meaning "Christ's ambassadors." The church explains the name this way: "Each of us who takes on the identity of 'Christian' becomes Christ's ambassador - or christou apostoloi in Greek, which we shorten to the first letters 'Chi' and 'Alpha' or XA." Chi Alpha at TCA includes weekly worship gatherings, discipleship groups, retreats, and mission trips aimed at reconciling college students to Christ and sending them out to proclaim the kingdom of God in the marketplace, the church, and the world. The premise, drawn from Paul's words to the Corinthians, is that for many people a Christian will be the only Bible they ever read.
What We Believe
The Church Alive holds to the classical Pentecostal convictions of the Assemblies of God, summarized in five statements on the church's beliefs page.
God's Word. The Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God. It is not just the ideas that are inspired; the very choice of words was inspired as the original writers were moved by God to write what he wanted them to say. The church teaches that the Scriptures are God's revelation of himself to mankind, that they are infallible, and that they are the divinely authoritative guide for faith, belief, and manner of living.
God's Person. There is one eternal God, the Creator of all things, who exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is totally loving and completely holy. The Lord Jesus Christ is both God and man and is the only one who can reconcile people to God. Each time the church partakes of communion it remembers that Jesus lived a sinless and exemplary life, died on the cross in our place, and rose again to prove his victory and empower his people for life.
God's Plan for Man. Sin has separated each person from God and from his purpose for their lives. Forgiveness comes through repenting of sin, believing in Jesus Christ, and submitting to his will. God wants to heal and transform people so that they can live healthy and powerful lives in order to help others more effectively. The holy, fruitful, and power-filled life God intends involves baptism in water, setting the mind on him and his purpose, and being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
God's Plan for the Church. God has individually equipped his people and corporately gathered them as his living body so that they can successfully achieve his purpose for their lives, which is to worship God, strengthen the church, and share the Gospel with the community in which they live.
God's Plan for End Times. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again as he promised and will rule and reign on the earth. History will conclude as the wicked are judged and the righteous enter a new heaven and a new earth.
A link on the beliefs page points to the full Assemblies of God 16 Fundamental Truths for a more detailed statement.
Stay Connected, Give Online
The Church Alive keeps in touch with its congregation through several channels. Email alerts and text alerts are available; supporters can text ALIVE to 24583 to sign up for text updates. The church maintains an active Facebook page and an Instagram presence under @churchaliveconway, plus a YouTube channel that hosts video content and livestream access for services.
Giving is handled through SecureGive, with one-time and recurring options (weekly, twice a month, monthly, quarterly, or yearly). Contribution statements are issued at year end, and scheduled gifts can be edited, paused, or deleted at any time through the original account. Questions about online giving can be directed to the church office at 501-327-4763 or info@thechurchalive.org.
Pastors Randy and Patty Long
The Church Alive is led by Randy and Patty Long as lead pastors. Their son Ryan Long serves as executive pastor, and Michael Long serves as student pastor. Angela Ansel oversees children's ministry as the Kids ALIVE pastor. The office at 1205 Skyline Drive is open during the week, with the office line (501-327-4763) and the general inbox (info@thechurchalive.org) as the main points of contact for prayer requests, event questions, and administrative needs. A prayer request form on the church's site allows anyone to submit needs for the prayer team to lift up, anchored by Mark 11:24 and the church's stated belief that prayer really does work.
The Church Alive in Conway is, at its heart, an Assemblies of God church rooted in Pentecostal conviction, intentional about the next generation with dedicated space for kids, students, and college-age adults, and shaped by the belief that the Holy Spirit is at work in ordinary gatherings on a Highway 65 hilltop, week after week.