A Pentecostal Church on Roosevelt Trail
Windham Assembly of God, also known around the Lakes Region as Tree of Life Church AG, gathers in a large gray building at 1051 Roosevelt Trail (Route 302) in Windham, Maine. For years the congregation has been a steady presence along the busy corridor between Raymond and downtown Windham, drawing families from the Sebago Lake area and surrounding towns. Visitors describe it as a friendly, "come as you are" kind of church, and the front doors are open every Sunday morning at ten.
The church is part of the Assemblies of God fellowship, a Pentecostal tradition known for its emphasis on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and lively congregational worship. At Windham AG, that Pentecostal warmth meets a steady commitment to teaching the Bible clearly, led for many years by the McPherson family.
Sunday Mornings at Ten
The weekly Sunday service begins at 10 a.m. with a time of musical worship, followed by a sermon from Lead Pastor Joel McPherson or, occasionally, a guest speaker. The music draws from both traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs, so newcomers can sing along or simply take it in. The atmosphere is casual: jeans are common, and aside from modesty there is no dress code.
Children stay with their families for the worship portion of the morning and are then dismissed to age-appropriate classes that begin partway through the service. For those who cannot attend in person, Sunday messages are posted online, where full series on Galatians, the book of Joshua, the Holy Spirit, prayer, and spiritual gifts are available to watch on demand. Sermon series have included verse-by-verse studies, a multi-week "Foundations" series walking through the sixteen fundamental doctrines of the Assemblies of God, and topical series aimed at helping listeners apply the Bible to everyday life.
Kids - Arrows in the Hands of a Warrior
The children's ministry is built around a vision drawn from Psalm 127:3 - that children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Each child, the church teaches, is powerful, unique, creative, and made for a great purpose; the church's role is to direct them toward their God-given destinies and let them fly.
To do that, the church offers three Sunday-morning classes:
- Acorns for ages 0 to 2
- Saplings for ages 2 to 5, using the Assemblies of God curriculum with Bible stories, snack time, and play
- Mighty Oaks for ages 6 to 11, using the High Point curriculum with a Bible story, a game, a snack, and a craft
Families check in at a station in the foyer, where a printed label is matched for parent and child so teachers can text a parent directly if a child needs anything during class. Every teacher has been part of the church family for a season and has cleared a background check.
On Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m., the building fills again with two parallel ministries. Royal Rangers serves boys in kindergarten through twelfth grade from September through June, and Girls Club serves girls in kindergarten through eighth grade over the same months. Royal Rangers, a longstanding Assemblies of God program, gives boys a mix of mentoring, outdoor skills, and Bible teaching in a structured weekly environment.
Friday Nights for Students
Teens in grades six through twelve gather for youth group every Friday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Youth Pastor Jonah McPherson and a team of adult leaders run the evenings, which always start with an active or lively game, move into a time of contemporary worship, and then settle into a group devotional led by Pastor Jonah before breaking into small groups for discussion. First-time visitors are welcomed at the door, signed in with a quick contact-info card, and pulled into the fun right away.
The McPherson family connection runs deep. Jonah is Pastor Joel's son and grew up around ministry. He attended NorthPoint Bible College, served as a children's pastor during his internship, and then took a full-time Youth Pastor role in Vermont through a district "School of Ministry" program before returning to lead the student ministry at Windham AG. He now works alongside his wife Rachel in serving the teens of the region.
Men, Women, and Moms
Discipleship at Windham AG is intentionally relational and intergenerational. The Men's Ministry meets twice a month - on the first Monday at 6 p.m. (dinner and Bible) and on the third Saturday at 8 a.m. (breakfast and Bible). The men are active in service projects around the church and the wider community: raking leaves, helping with home improvements, stacking firewood for the winter, and pitching in wherever a need shows up. Each spring the men head off to a weekend retreat; recent retreats have been held at Alton Bay Christian Retreat Center in New Hampshire and have focused on standing firm in faith.
The Women's Ministry, open to women high school age and up, meets once a month for game nights and book studies, with brunches, outreach opportunities, and special speakers layered through the year. Ladies also gather for a spring convention and a fall getaway.
The Moms Group, for mothers with school-age children and younger, meets two Friday mornings a month. Children are welcome to come along, and the group coordinates meeting spots and prayer requests through a group message thread. Interested moms can reach out through the church office to be added to the conversation. Many of these ministries intentionally mix generations so that older believers can mentor younger ones and younger ones can bring fresh energy to long-standing friendships.
Sixteen Doctrines of the Assemblies of God
The church holds to the sixteen fundamental truths of the Assemblies of God, summarized at length in the "What We Believe" teaching. The Bible, the church teaches, is inspired by God and is the foundation for everything the congregation believes and does. There is one true God, revealed in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine.
Humanity, though originally created good, fell into sin, and every person can have restored fellowship with God through salvation - trusting in Christ by faith and repenting of sin. The church practices two ordinances: water baptism by immersion after salvation, and holy communion as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's suffering and death.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct experience after salvation that empowers believers for witness and service, with the initial physical evidence being speaking in tongues, as on the Day of Pentecost. Sanctification is both a declaration at salvation and a lifelong process of becoming more like Christ. The church believes in divine healing as a privilege provided through Christ's atonement, in the Blessed Hope of the rapture, in the millennial reign of Christ when Jesus returns with His saints, in a final judgment for those who have rejected Christ, and in the new heavens and new earth that Christ is preparing for all who have accepted Him.
Salvation itself is explained as a free gift received by grace through faith - admitting sin, believing in Jesus Christ, and confessing Him as Lord. The church is eager to walk alongside anyone making that decision and offers to provide a Bible to anyone who does not have one.
Windham Christian Academy
Housed under the same ministry family is Windham Christian Academy, a K-12 Christian school where the goal is to provide an excellent academic environment while helping each student begin to discover and prepare for his or her life's calling. The school focuses on three pillars: academics, faith, and community. Teachers work to discover, cultivate, and strengthen each child's God-given strengths, weaving in daily opportunities for spiritual growth and service. Many WCA families are part of the wider Windham AG congregation, and the school is staffed by experienced Christian educators. Parents interested in learning more about enrollment can contact the school office directly.
Small Groups and Outreach Through Mission 3:16
Beyond Sunday services, the church encourages connection through small groups. These gatherings vary in format and atmosphere depending on the leaders and members, but each one exists to help people develop authentic relationships with one another and grow in faith together. Anyone interested in joining an existing group - or starting a new one - can contact the church office.
The congregation is also active in the wider community through an outreach ministry known as Mission 3:16, living out the conviction that faith without works is dead. Members regularly step into service projects, and the church welcomes ideas and volunteers who want to pour the love of Christ into the Lakes Region through practical acts of kindness and outreach to neighbors in need.
Pastoral Team and Practical Details
Lead Pastor Joel McPherson has been in ministry for more than thirty years, with a passion for making the Word of God easy to understand and apply. He and his wife Melanie McPherson, who serves as Worship Pastor, often lead worship together. Melanie met Joel at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, and is the mother of their five children and grandmother of five. The pastoral team is rounded out by Discipleship Coordinator Del Sargent and Visitation Team Leader Ron Winship.
Visitors will find plenty of parking at the building on Roosevelt Trail, with two entrances available to the large facility. Giving is available online through the church's giving platform, or by texting any dollar amount to 84321 with the option to designate a fund such as "$20 Missions" or "$20 Youth Ministry." Membership applications are also available for those who want to make Windham Assembly of God their formal church home and take the next step in belonging. At the heart of it all is a simple rhythm: gather for worship, teach the Word, raise up children and teens, and reach the Lakes Region for Christ.