Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church Greeter

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Below is some information to help you know what to expect before you visit. Please take a look and let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to meeting you!

Be sure to stop by our Welcome Center in the lobby

We'd like to meet you, answer any questions, and give you a small gift.

Welcome Center at Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church

We are here because of the good news of Jesus Christ.

We are sinners who have been rescued from sin by Jesus Christ. Though we have different backgrounds, ethnicities, opinions, and personalities, we find commonality in the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We gather each week to worship the one true God revealed in the Bible. We're grateful for the privilege He has given us to worship, live, and serve in our local community.

We rely on God's grace to give us true unity to function together as one body in Jesus Christ, submitted to the Word of God and committed to living that Word out in our daily lives.

Learn What the Good News Is

Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church Small Study

Who We Are

Our mission is to live for Jesus and make a difference in the world. We believe that discipleship involves continuous growth in faith for believers who are committed to following Jesus. Our heartfelt desire is to assist individuals in knowing Christ intimately and nurturing their Christian faith, leading to a richer and more impactful life with God.

Who We Are

How We Got Here

The Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church has a history dating back to 1984 when a group of Laramie families came together for a Bible study with the aim of establishing a new church. By early 1985, the church was incorporated as the First Evangelical Free Church of Laramie and accepted into the Rocky Mountain District of the Evangelical Free Church of America. The church initially held services at various locations before purchasing its first building at 1402 Gibbon Street.

Later in 2003, the church purchased several acres of land on 15th Street where it currently resides. The church has been greatly blessed by God and now offers multiple services each Sunday while remaining committed to its mission of "Making disciples who make a difference for Jesus Christ in Laramie, Wyoming and around the world."

Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church worship team

What to Expect

We're thrilled to welcome you to our church! This is a place to experience God's grace.

Let us show you what to expect when you visit so you feel right at home. We hope you'll take a moment to meet some of the great people here after the service and if you wish you can fill out a connection card and we’ll follow up with you later.

Connection Card

What to Wear

We value and celebrate the diversity of people who attend our services. We encourage everyone to come as they are without feeling the need to conform to any particular dress code.

Service Format

Our service typically last one hour. We hear Scripture read, sing several songs, listen to the message and are dismissed. Afterward we encourage people to hang around, meet new people, and catch up with friends.

Music

One of the ways we worship as a congregation is through singing. We sing hymns and contemporary songs led by our skilled music team. We invite everyone to join in.

Children

We offer a nursery for children aged three and younger during the entirety of the worship service. Additionally, we provide children's church for kids ages 4 through 5th grade after the song service.

Sermon

The preaching style typically follows an expositional approach where we systematically work through passages of Scripture and provides practical application for life. At times relevant topical sermons are presented. Sermons usually last around 40 minutes, and our sermon series regularly alternate between the Old and New Testaments. The Gospel is at the center of all our preaching.

Meet the Team

Meet the Elders

Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church Staff

Mark Vaporis

Pastor

I have served as Senior Pastor at Snowy Range since 2008. Before moving to Laramie, I served in a church in Michigan for 17 years. My wife, Chris and I are both from Chicago, and met while attending the Moody Bible Institute. We have four adult children, all married to great spouses, and 8 grandkids. (Ask me, I’ll show you pictures) I graduated from Trinity International University, and later received an M. Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. My goal is simple. I want to live as an enthusiastic follower of Christ, continuing to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, and to serve faithfully in the local church, leading, and clearly communicating God’s truth so people may know Him in a saving and transforming way.

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Shannon Brown

Director of Children's Ministries

I am a proud native of Laramie, Wyoming, where I was born and raised. However, after graduating from high school, I felt a strong desire to explore other places and promptly moved away. I ended up attending Bible college in Northern Wisconsin, where I earned a degree in pastoral theology. I have worked for publishing ministries for the past 30+ years, serving as their art director and doing graphic design. During that time, I always longed to move back to Laramie, but along with my wife, Tricia, we embarked on a journey through Wisconsin (10 yrs), North Carolina (8 yrs), and Illinois (13 yrs) before we finally moved back home in 2020. My connection to Wyoming fuels my passion to be used by God to make much of Him and spread His gospel throughout our town. My wife and I have five children and two grandchildren, but don't let that fool you—we still have lots of energy in the tank. Some of the things that give us joy are spending time with people and hearing their stories about their spiritual journeys as well as spending quality time in the mountains enjoying all that God has given us in this part of the country.

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Chris Vaporis

Office Manager

Cody Johnson

Family Life & Youth

I grew up on a ranch in Western Nebraska and graduated twice from the University of Wyoming. Working and playing on the ranch, I loved sports of all kinds. My parents raised me, along with my brother and sister, attending church as a part of our upbringing. My great grandmother used to say I would grow up to be a preacher. While I am not sure if this is what she had in mind, it has been an interesting journey to see how God has led my family and me to where we are today. My wife, Sheri, and I worked in campus ministry for over 20 years, reaching out to college students. I am now excited to work with families and youth of all ages. Our children, McCade and Emmy, have always played an important role in our ministry. I aspire to lead my family in following God and minister out of the overflow of my growing relationship with Him. Recently, I completed my Master of Theological Studies degree from Shepherds Theological Seminary through The West Institute, right here in Laramie in May 2021. I am thrilled to see what God is doing in the Family Life and Youth Ministry at Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church in Laramie, and I enjoy being a part of it.

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David Riedl

Director of Worship

I was born in Casper, Wyoming to parents who faithfully served the church in music and children’s ministries. My four siblings and I grew up attending Sunday school and Bible camps, singing in the children’s choir, and sneaking donuts from behind the coffee counter when nobody was looking. After moving to Cheyenne, I graduated from high school before spending two years in Spearfish, SD playing football at Black Hills State University. My football career was short-lived, and I soon found myself living near Steamboat Springs, CO where I worked as a fly fishing guide, a Nordic ski instructor, and a ranch hand. Eventually, I returned to Laramie to finish my undergraduate studies. At the University of Wyoming, I became very involved in campus ministry, serving on the leadership and worship teams for Campus Ventures. In the summer of 2021, I assumed the role of Music Director here at SREFC, and I have been continually humbled and encouraged by the ways in which God has blessed our ministry. I am honored to lead a team of wonderfully talented and kingdom-minded volunteers every Sunday morning! In addition to serving as Music Director, I am pursuing a Masters in English Rhetoric and Composition. After graduation, I will begin working as a lecturer for the University of Wyoming’s LeaRN department. I will also continue coaching track and field at Laramie High School, and I’ll spend my summer afternoons guiding on the river. I am so blessed to live and serve in Laramie, WY and to see how God is moving through and among His people at Snowy Range E-Free Church.

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Snowy Range Elders

Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church Elder

Chad Conner

Mike Lance

Jeff Smith

Jesse Harvey

Steve Lebsack

Elias Hutchinson

Jay Schaefer

Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church Bible

What We Believe

We seek to be Word-driven and Christ-centered.

The Word of God governs our life, and we believe the Bible points to Jesus Christ. The Bible is God's written Word—His communication to us of who He is, what He does, and what He expects of us. The Bible alone holds the authoritative answers to the questions of life and eternity.

The written Word is a reflection of the Living Word, Jesus Christ. It is our reliable, sufficient rule for faith and practice.

We seek to be timeless in our message.

Because we believe the gospel is central and that our church life should be governed by the Word of God, we practice expository, Christ-centered preaching. We strive to make our message accessible to everyone, while still preaching the full counsel of God.

Our message is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We seek to share this message compassionately with the hurting to make a difference in our community, while also engaging in committed missions efforts throughout the world.

We seek to be relevant in our vision.

We believe that the Bible is relevant and contains everything we need to face the problems of life today. We are ordinary people who submit to the work of God in our hearts to change us to become more like His Son, Jesus. We desire to change, not because we thereby gain favor with God, but because we desire to grow in our love for Him.

Our Statement of Faith

We are Part of the Evangelical Free Church of America

God

We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

The Bible

We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.

The Human Condition

We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel's promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.

The Work of Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

The Church

We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.

Christian Living

We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.

Christ's Return

We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.

Response and Eternal Destiny

We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.