Meet Cole Willard of Flatirons Church in Aurora

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cole Willard.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in Broomfield, and lived a pretty wild life. Had lots of fun, but made a ton of poor decisions. I grew up playing baseball, and was lucky enough to get a scholarship to go play at a small school in Nebraska for a couple years. Made some more bad decisions out there, but in the process met my wife, and we moved back to Colorado. I had just got arrested for some stuff in Nebraska, but needed a job after graduating, so I came back for an interview downtown, and hated it, what a waste of time. I decided I would head to church with my parents before heading back to Nebraska, we had been going to Flatirons off and on since ‘99. They threw a video up on the screen talking about their internship, and something in me knew that I should apply. So, I did. And it took a bunch of interviews, I didn’t pass a background check, just all sorts of crazy stuff, but they stuck to their values, and took a risk on me and brought me on! So, I was an intern for a year, and then got hired on to the men’s ministry team. I worked on that team for 3 years, and then they asked me to be the next campus pastor, which was/is insane ha! So, I worked on a launch plan, built a team, and we got our Aurora campus launched a little over 3 years ago! It’s been crazy to see how its changed, and the lives it has affected, been really cool! We’ve been married for 6 years, and we have an almost 2-year-old!

Has it been a smooth road?
Ha definitely not a smooth road, being young and in a leadership, position is always hard, way more failures that successes. Life has always been a bumpy road, but honestly that’s more fun ha so struggles with just decisions in life, getting caught up in drugs and alcohol early on, but it’s been a continual focal point in my life to make slow changes to getting towards a smooth road. I lost my dad 2 years ago and that’s been the biggest road block in a while, losing him is super hard, losing your best friend, and just losing a man that guided so much of my life, and made such a huge impact. It has been a really hard 2 years.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Flatirons Church – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Flatirons is a church for people who have been trying to make life on their own and are just tired and realizing that nothing else is working. It has always been a place where you can bring all of the stuff in your life, and find no shame and no judgement, and just a place where you can wrestle with Jesus through all of the hard parts of your life. I think we are known for being a big church, lots of people don’t like us ha but it’s a place for you to come and hear truth, and wrestle with it. I am proud that we are a church for literally everyone, no matter what you’ve been through, no matter what defines you, you are welcome here. I think our teaching sets us apart, and the way the we do church is different than what people think a church should be

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love our city, there’s very few places I would live besides here (Greece, I know that’s not a city but anywhere there, its perfection, and Brooklyn), otherwise I will be here till I die ha. Our city is a place of authenticity, a place that is just chill, people aren’t trying to be something they aren’t, we are creative, and work hard. Our sports teams are fun but infuriating, the food is actually great if you are down to explore for it, and it’s a city that just feels like home, at every turn. It’s hard to figure out what I like least, besides traffic in the past 10 years ha and the fact that the Rockies can’t figure out how to string together a strong season 😉

Contact Info:

• Website: Flatironschurch.com/aurora
• Phone: 303-665-5524
• Email: cole_willard@flatironschurch.com

Image Credit:
Flatirons Church Creative Team

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