About The Grove Fellowship — Built on Faithfulness.
Rooted in Community.

The Beginning

The Grove Fellowship was planted in 2007 in the small town of Poplar Grove, Illinois — a place many said made no sense for a church plant. The area was rural, small, and didn't fit conventional church growth strategy.

But Brian and Kristi Phillips believed God specifically called them there.

The church launched publicly on January 7, 2007, with around 185 people. One of the defining spiritual pictures behind The Grove came from the story of David at the Cave of Adullam — where broken, struggling, and overlooked people gathered around a leader and eventually became mighty men. That story shaped the heart of The Grove from day one: a place where people can encounter God deeply, be transformed, and become spiritually strong.

Over the years, The Grove has walked through growth, hardship, opposition, betrayal, and seasons of purification. Through all of it, the church remained committed to authenticity, truth, deep roots, and the calling God gave them.

Today, The Grove is still that gathering — a family, a movement, a community of people who believe that deep roots produce lasting fruit, and that the fire of God changes everything.