Kitsap House began by noticing something: 

Spiritual hunger. In 2017, our sending church, Chapel Hill, recognized that over a hundred families were driving from Port Orchard to worship in Gig Harbor. Conversations with local Port Orchard pastors, prayer, and seemingly serendipitous meetings led us to believe God was calling Chapel Hill to start another community of people following Jesus in Port Orchard.

“Church” is a word that carries a lot of baggage with it these days. For us, it means a place of belonging. It means a place of meaning and purpose as we acknowledge and encourage one another that God made us and loves us, even when we don’t love him. It means a community of people who are being counter-formed by Jesus in rhythms and habits that resist the pull of narcissism, consumerism, and atomization that keep us from the abundant life Jesus has to offer. But sometimes “church” doesn’t say all of that. Thankfully God gives another name for this kind of a community: house.

The intention in starting a house of God wasn’t to start a more convenient worship space, but rather to create a new community for the estimated 91% of people who don’t regularly practice faith in Jesus in Kitsap County. In conversation with local Port Orchard pastors, and in much prayer, it was decided to launch a new congregation as part of Chapel Hill in Easter of 2020. Chapel Hill’s leadership team along with the local pastors agreed together that 2022 would be a good season to launch our community as a new church called Kitsap House, not a campus of Chapel Hill, with an intentional local identity and leadership. In February of 2023, we became official with a full board of elders and our first vows of commitment from attenders.

The impact of the initial years of the plant has been a holy refining of who we are and why we are here. Meeting for a time in an actual house has led to an even deeper understanding of what it means to be a church for our neighbors. Meeting in a Yacht club with one big room has helped us embraced doing spiritual life with our kids. Meeting in a gym (not a gymnasium, a gym) has reminded us that sacred spaces can be anywhere. Currently we are meeting in a middle school cafeteria showing us how we can worship family style, intergenerationally. We look forward to seeing where God has us next.

We hope to say with the name Kitsap House that we’re here (Kitsap), and you’re invited (House). We believe fervently that Jesus has come that we might know life and life abundantly, and that Jesus’ plan for that life coming into the world was to pass the message through the local church. We hope you’ll come join us and discover more of God’s Kingdom here.

Meet Megan & Larry

We - Megan and Larry - serve as pastors leading this new community. Only in God’s great imagination could he bring us from Tennessee and Maryland, respectively, to meet one another in Chattanooga 2005 and then return us to this place that has roots for both of us (Larry’s mom spent her childhood in Bremerton and Megan’s parents’ friends from the Navy settled here). We had always hoped we could serve together in ministry, preferably in a place in need of witnesses to Jesus, and — if God would even allow us— somewhere beautiful. God bless you, Port Orchard. We are so grateful he answered our prayers in that!

If we’re not in downtown Port Orchard, you’ll likely find Megan in the garden or the gym. You might find Larry at the piano, playing or listening to classical music, or chilling with a video game or a good book.  

Significant life-shaping events we are open about include infertility, mundane work, spiritual formation and life in community. God’s given us a miracle boy and girl, and that’s a story that’s significantly shaped how we understand the long-suffering seasons of waiting so often intrinsic to life with Jesus. We hope we can make a connection with you over any of these places, loves, and moments.