Finding Community as a Family in the Tri-Cities
A conversation with the Thomas family
If you had breakfast at our house on a Sunday morning, you might think we were getting ready to run a small marathon. Four kids. One dog. Coffee that may or may not be finished. Someone can’t find a shoe. Someone forgot their Bible. Someone is brushing their teeth for the first time all weekend.
It is loud. It is fun. It is a little bit chaotic.
But it is one of our favorite parts of the week.
We’ve been coming to Bethel Church in Richland since 2013. Our oldest daughter was one. Now we’re the family of six that somehow takes up an entire row. Sundays have become a steady, life-giving rhythm for us.
How Our Family Found Bethel Church in Richland WA
Before we ever attended a Sunday service, we joined a small group. Friends invited us and we found ourselves surrounded by people who were genuine, honest, and willing to walk through real life together. It felt like a group where we could exhale.
After a few weeks, we visited on a Sunday. Then came back. And kept coming.
It didn’t take long to realize this wasn’t just a church we attended.
It was a community we belonged to.
What Sundays Look Like for Our Family
We pile into the car. Someone is singing. Someone is arguing. Someone is asking if they may please bring a blanket, a sketchbook, and possibly a snack buffet in the backseat. The answer depends on how many minutes we have before service starts.
When we arrive, the kids head into Bethel Kids with the confidence of people who know exactly where they belong. We find our seats in first service, take a breath, worship, and reset.
Serving has also become part of our Sunday rhythm.
Jesse volunteers with third grade boys.
The girls help on the kids worship team and in classrooms.
The younger boys jump right into singing, crafts, and making new friends.
“When you’re on stage, you want to do your best to glorify God,” Lainey said.
“But we also get to laugh together before. So it’s fun.”
That balance of meaningful and joyful is one of our favorite things.
What Our Kids Love on Sunday
We asked our kids what they like most about church.
Their answers were beautifully sincere and slightly hilarious:
- Singing loud enough that we can hear it from the hallway
- Paper airplanes that somehow travel across entire rooms
- The Bible verse prize station (a major highlight)
- Seeing friends they do not get to see at school
- The carpet where all good games begin
- The song we always end up singing in the car afterward
- And trains. Apparently trains.
Bennett (age 6) shared:
“I like to make paper airplanes and throw them around.”
Micah explained the prize system with the confidence of a financial auditor.
It was surprisingly detailed and persuasive.
Watching Faith Grow in Our Home
The growth we’ve seen in our kids hasn’t looked like big dramatic moments. It has been little things showing up in ordinary life.
Worship songs being hummed while building Legos.
Bible verses repeated at unexpected times.
Prayers whispered at bedtime without us prompting.
The leaders and volunteers in Bethel Kids know our kids by name. They show up consistently. They make learning about Jesus fun. And they remind our kids that church is not just something we attend. It is something we are part of.
That has meant more to our family than we can say.
Thinking About Visiting Bethel Church in Richland WA?
We know the hardest part of visiting a church is simply walking in for the first time. It can feel overwhelming. But once you’re in the building, take one more small step. Say hello. Ask a question. Let someone show you around.
You do not have to know exactly where to go or what to do.
There are people ready to help with that.
Your kids will be welcomed.
You will not be the only one figuring it out.
You belong here long before you know everyone’s name.
And if you happen to see a family trying to buckle four kids into car seats while balancing coffees in the parking lot, that is probably us. Feel free to say hi.
Thanks for reading! If you want to learn more about what it’s like at Bethel Church, click one of the links below.
