Our Story
In November of 2002, a small group of people began meeting at a home in a NE Dallas suburb in Texas. For three months, we prayed, worshipped, and sought God for direction and strategy regarding a new model for the church in the north Garland/South Plano area of the Dallas Metroplex.
We eventually found an old, smoky, gutted-out pool hall and began renovating the commercial strip for our church. On February 2, 2003, we opened the doors of Livingway Church in Garland, Texas. Within a year, we outgrew our seating and went to two services. After 18 months (2004), due to limited space and facility requirements, we moved across the street into a local movie theater.
In 2006, we moved to the Firewheel Town Center AMC Theater in Garland, TX – just a month after it opened. It was at this time that we truly began to step into who God called us to be. We consider that year to be our “reboot” year. We were blessed and excited to be in such a thriving and active location. The theater atmosphere was always energetic, but it never replaced the moving of God and the divine expectancy He brought every week.
In February of 2009, our Pastor, Ted Blair, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Cancer. After months of treatment and Chemotherapy, he was declared cancer-free. He chronicled his story through a YouTube video series: the good, the bad, and the ugly, all for God’s glory. You can see them here.
In 2009, God began to lay on our pastor’s hearts a mission for a community venue that would serve the area and be the place where Livingway and its ministries would meet on the weekend and during the week. A place that would first be our new home, secondly a venue, and thirdly a coffee lounge providing a place for people to gather for friends, live music, counseling, and hope of Jesus. We call it – THE VIVE.
Over the next several years, we saw God bless our church and the lives of those who were part of it. In January 2016, we felt God’s release to pursue the Vive. We prayed, prepared, and searched for a new location. God led us and gave us a great opportunity to renovate a space that no one wanted and was not what one would expect. God provided, and we stepped out in faith. In September 2017, the space was completed, and a launch for our new season in following Jesus.
Livingway’s current home is a unique experience – we meet at the Livingway venue – THE VIVE. Modern and industrial with warmth and style, the Vive is an exciting place for weekly ministries and events.
We look forward to growing together with those that God sends and building a story of friendship, adventure, and changed lives – Living God’s way. One thing is for sure: we have never been typical; we have always sought to walk out God’s unique plan for us as a church. We may not have every program other churches have, but if you are looking for grounded relationships, expositional Biblical truth, and relevance on the journey of life, this is it. We look forward to seeing you this weekend.