After Two decades, High Tide Church has a Home

FRANKFORD, De – After two decades of meeting remotely, members of High Tide Church are home. The church started a building program in 2019 and, on November 12, had their grand opening. Over 800 people attended the special service.

Senior Pastor Andy Ehlers said, “It was fantastic!” It has been a journey with many joys and heartache. But God has seen them through.

In welcoming remarks, Terry Davis, Ehler’s father-in-law and a church elder, said, “It’s been a long time coming. We have a beautiful facility here – It’s like crossing the Jordon.”

That idea was punctuated with the blowing of a shofar as part of the opening ceremony. Following the service, there were food trucks, a moon bounce for kids, and a general festive time of fellowship.

High Tide began with a dozen believers who first met in the home of Andy and his wife, Tanya, for prayer. The group grew and moved to a school, then to a firehall, (back to the school and firehall again) before finally moving into their new home — a 10,000-foot modern facility on 20 acres with plenty of room to grow. The modern facility has a kitchen area, offices, children‘s areas, and more. The sanctuary has a black ceiling with recessed lights that give it the look of an expanse — almost like stars.

Reflecting on the early. years, Andy said, “I told the church in the first six months we’d have a new building – maybe we would rent, find a commercial spot to lease, and make it our own or buy something.” God had a plan for High Tide’s permanent home, but it wasn’t in six months. It was in His timing —  21 years later.

Unfortunately, as the building’s frame was nearing completion, about nine months before the opening, Tanya died following a three-year battle with cancer. Additionally, member Steve Kitchen, who helped design and draw the building, passed away before seeing the final fruition of his work.

Davis, Tanya‘s father, prayed to God at the opening service… “How do we thank you? Thank you for the vision you gave Andy and Tanya to start a small group… for the lives changed because of this church you planted in this area. I pray in some way those who have gone on before are being able to watch from heaven the things you have done and completed here.”

High Tide members have been faithful through the journey, but Andy said significant growth began to happen, amazingly, following Covid. He said they struggled the first six months at the Roxanna Firehall when they returned following the pandemic restrictions; then they had a tremendous growth spurt: “When we came back after Covid, it exploded. We started doing more children’s ministry and hired Chris Hardy as the worship pastor. The numbers doubled – from 250 to 500!” Andy said. Things were looking up! The church was growing, and Andy graduated with his Doctorate in Ministry.

It was about that time that Mike Trammell, a retired pastor who was serving as an Elder and on the personnel team, and Tom Stolle, a High Tide member (now BCM/D executive director), met with the church“s finance team. The men felt the church needed to re-evaluate the pastor‘s compensation package, to serve the family better.

Trammell told the team that with Andy’s education and experience, the church should consider a salary increase and a solid benefits package. Trammell told them, “When a church takes care of their pastor, God will take care of that church,” pointing out scripture passages in the New Testament — 1 Timothy 5:17-18, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and 1 Thess. 5:12-13, “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.”

God’s blessing on a church that cares for its pastor is a principle that Trammell firmly believes. “I’ve seen that many times over the years,” he said.

High Tide leaders agreed and increased the compensation and benefits. Andy said the timing could only have been God. “We launched the building campaign on the last Sunday in 2019, and Tanya was diagnosed on December 1. We raised 1.4 million dollars and grew and grew in attendance. An anonymous donor gave $400,000 towards the building program.

Throughout the cancer ordeal, Andy said the church was incredibly loving to him and Tanya. “From that moment on (from the diagnosis), the church took care of us through 38 months of battling cancer. They raised funds through a GoFundMe page and covered every meal, hotel, and parking — everything. We were covered completely by the love of the family of God!”

The love of the church even served as a testimony. Andy said a family member, who was not a believer, asked if he could help. “I told him I don’t need it. Our church has loved on us and provided everything. It was a chance to be a witness to show the love of Christ we experienced.”

In a video about the new church, Davis said, “We’ve got this beautiful facility, land… all this stuff –  we’ve gotten here! It’s like crossing the Jordan, getting into the promised land. What do we do now? Do we just relax and enjoy ourselves? We don’t have to set up chairs and tables. No, we have to redeem the dream.

Andy said, “This isn’t the destination. This is just a tool in the process of making disciples that make disciples, seeing people come to know the Lord and teaching others to walk and follow in those footsteps.

Davis said, “The part of getting there is done, but this is the beginning of something new!”

Andy and Tanya’s children participated in the grand opening. Leilani helped with preschool, Drew played piano, and Raychel and Camryn helped in G-force the children‘s ministry that Tanya led.

In a video at the groundbreaking, before Tanya‘s death, she said, “I‘m just so thankful God did this…” as she spread her arms.

She quoted from Psalm 93:4-5, “Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of many seas, the Lord on high is mighty!” Today is just another miracle,” she said of the groundbreaking — and looking ahead.