Join the Story, Live the Story, Tell the Story
Victory Life Church sits on Hudson Drive in Stow, Ohio, just north of Akron and a short drive from Kent, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Streetsboro, Tallmadge, Munroe Falls and Fairlawn. Founded in 1984, the congregation has spent more than forty years building a Bible-teaching, non-denominational community where families, students and longtime believers gather around the same three-word motto: Join the Story. Live the Story. Tell the Story.
That motto sums up the rhythm of the church. Visitors are invited to Join by stepping into a Sunday service or signing up for Growth Track. Once connected, members Live the story through Life Groups, youth ministry, children's programming and worship. The final call, Tell, carries the church well beyond Summit County through a global missions network that stretches from Ohio to Guatemala, Spain, Asia and East Africa.
Two Identical Sunday Mornings at 9:30 and 11:00
The Sunday gathering is the heart of Victory Life. Two identical services meet at 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM in the sanctuary on Hudson Drive, so families can pick the hour that fits their morning. Each service blends live contemporary worship led by Worship Director Andrew Skifstad (known around the church as AJ) with clear, Bible-centered teaching from Lead Pastor Matthew Skifstad.
The worship is described as both reflective and energetic - designed to be engaging and understandable, with songs that give space for prayer and moments that lift the room. Teaching is practical and rooted in Scripture, aiming to connect the Bible to daily life for everyone from longtime believers to first-time guests. Dress is casual, parking is free on site, and accessible spaces sit near the main entrance.
Sermons are streamed live on the church's YouTube channel, and past messages stay available online for anyone who wants to catch up on a series.
Kids Ministry from Check-In to Children's Wing
Children are part of the Sunday gathering from the very first song. Kids in kindergarten through sixth grade begin the service with their parents in the sanctuary and are dismissed to Children's Church at the start of the message. Preschool-age children are checked in before the service through the South Entrance, closest to the Children's Wing, while older children can be checked in at either the North or South Entrance.
Background-checked staff, volunteers and a security team escort children safely to their classrooms. After the service, a secure check-in tag system ensures that only the matching adult can pick up each child in the Children's Wing. Kids Ministry runs during both Sunday services, so families don't have to choose between a service time and a program for their children.
Victory Life Youth on Sunday Nights
Middle and high school students have their own gathering: Victory Life Youth meets every Sunday night from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The night includes Bible teaching, breakout small groups, games and time to build friendships. A team of volunteer leaders mentors students through discipleship and prays for them week by week.
One Sunday every other month the youth stay for an extended event night - a campfire with a s'more buffet, summer Water Wars, a Christmas party and similar gatherings that are designed to be easy places to bring friends who are new to church. Each event includes a clear gospel presentation and a chance for students to respond. During the summer, the youth ministry also organizes summer camps and mission trips, which the church describes as mountain-top experiences for students' growth as believers.
Life Groups Around Stow, Kent and Cuyahoga Falls
Beyond Sunday mornings, Victory Life runs a network of Life Groups that meet during the week in homes across Stow, Kent, Cuyahoga Falls and the surrounding area. Groups are organized for every stage of life - young adults, families, men, women and retirees - and each gathering is led by a trained facilitator.
The format is intentionally simple: a guided journey through Scripture with open, honest discussion, prayer and the chance to build real friendships. Newcomers are encouraged to attend a Sunday service first, fill out a connection card, and let the staff help match them with a group that fits their schedule and stage of life.
Growth Track: A Three-Week Introduction to Church and Calling
For anyone newer to Victory Life, Growth Track is the church's on-ramp. It is a three-week class built around four numbered sessions: 101 covers the basics of Victory Life and its weekly life; 201 explores essentials for growing in Christ; 301 helps participants take inventory of the talents God has given them; and 401 connects those gifts with serving opportunities inside the church. The class is also a chance to meet staff and other newcomers.
Family Prayer and Worship Nights
A few times each year the whole church gathers in the evening for a Family Prayer and Worship Night. These are intentionally intergenerational - everyone is welcome, not just families with children, but children are included in the room so they can see their parents pray and worship alongside the church. The nights combine extended worship with focused prayer and are a key moment of the church year for drawing the congregation together.
Kid's Intensives on Wednesday Nights
During the school year Victory Life offers a six-week Wednesday night series called Kid's Intensives, run twice a year. Each evening pairs a Bible lesson and craft with a specialization elective taught by a guest. Past intensives have included a cooking class with a professional chef, a wilderness survival class led by a National Parks ranger, and music lessons from a working musician. The series is free, and there is a parallel offering for parents so the whole family has a place to be.
Vacation Bible School Every Summer
Vacation Bible School has been a part of Victory Life for more than forty years, making it one of the longest-running ministries in the church. VBS is offered each summer with engaging lessons, activities and crafts designed to share the hope of Jesus with kids in a way that sticks. Information about the upcoming VBS is shared during services, on the online calendar and across the church's social media pages.
A Statement of Faith Rooted in Scripture
Victory Life's beliefs are gathered into a written Statement of Faith that walks through the historic Christian doctrines one article at a time. The church affirms belief in one God revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; in the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, bodily resurrection and reign in glory; and in the absolute inspiration of Scripture, given without error by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is treated as the final authority for doctrine and practice.
The statement also affirms that human beings were made in the image of God and, through the fall, are spiritually depraved and alienated from their Creator apart from grace. Salvation is by grace through personal faith in Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Believers are to be buried with Christ in water baptism after conversion, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and are called to a continuing life of holiness shaped by the Spirit's work.
The church confesses the spiritual unity of all who are born of God, the priesthood of all believers, the ongoing ministries of evangelist, pastor and teacher within the church, and the literal second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the righteous to eternal life and of the unregenerate to eternal judgment.
Missions from Stow to Four Continents
Telling the story takes Victory Life well beyond Summit County. The Missions Fund supports a long list of missionaries and ministries that the church has walked alongside for years.
In North America, Jim and Jamie Loker serve with Audio Scriptures Ministry, distributing solar-powered MP3 players loaded with audio Bibles to people groups who cannot read. In Central America, Oscar and Rosa Marcial translate and distribute audio Scriptures in the Chinantec and Isthmus Zapotec regions of Oaxaca, Mexico, working with small house churches and Bible studies.
In Europe, Ron and Brenda Anderson have served in Spain since 1978 through European Christian Missions, planting churches and now coaching church planters globally. Brenda leads a discipleship and counseling ministry at the Meco women's prison in Madrid, and the couple also partners with Maasai Rescue Ministries in Tanzania. In Cordoba, Francis and Natalie Arjona run The Good Samaritan Association, a drug rehabilitation center that has helped nearly five hundred people work through addiction in an evangelical environment. Francis also serves as Spain Country Director for ECMI. Nohemi Valero serves as a national missionary in southern Spain, helping with children's ministry and Bible studies in a small church plant.
In Asia, P.J. and Lizzy live and work in a remote region, translating Scripture into languages that do not yet have access to the Bible. They recently completed a New Testament translation into the Tazig language and serve with the organization Beyond.
The Missions Fund, along with the General Fund, Benevolence Fund, Marlin Skifstad Memorial Scholarship Fund and Building Fund, makes up the giving structure of the church. The Benevolence Fund helps people in critical need with utilities, rent, gas and food. The Marlin Skifstad Memorial Scholarship Fund, named for the founding pastor of Victory Life, supports students pursuing advanced Christian studies.
The Pastoral Team and Elders
Lead Pastor Matthew Skifstad has served at Victory Life since 2006. He holds a bachelor's degree in Bible and Theology from Lee University and a master's from Ashland Theological Seminary. His responsibilities include preaching and teaching, pastoral care, staff administration, and serving as both an elder and trustee. Executive Pastor Ray Byrne has been in ministry since 2007, with experience in youth ministry and church planting. He oversees volunteer ministries, discipleship and church operations. Worship Director Andrew Skifstad also teaches music in Copley-Fairlawn and leads the church's contemporary worship ministry.
The church is governed by a board of elders that includes Head Elder Dave Anderson along with Travis White, Matt Petroski, Todd Alvis and Bill Anderson.
Baptism as a Public Next Step
Baptism is taught as an outward expression of an inward decision to follow Jesus, and as a public declaration of faith. Victory Life baptizes by immersion as a symbol of new life, cleansing and commitment. Anyone who has personally trusted Christ as Lord and Savior is invited to be baptized during a Sunday service. Participants are asked to bring a change of clothes and a towel, and friends and family are encouraged to attend.
What to Expect on a First Visit
First-time guests at Victory Life find a casual, family-friendly environment designed to be approachable whether someone has years of church background or none at all. The welcome team greets people at the door, answers questions and helps visitors find a seat. Two identical Sunday services at 9:30 and 11:00 AM make it easy to choose a time that works. Children are welcomed in the service for worship and dismissed to Children's Church before the message. Free parking, accessible spaces near the main entrance, secure children's check-in, and live-streamed sermons on the church's YouTube channel all aim to remove the small barriers that can make a first visit harder than it needs to be.