MILWAUKEE — Evolve Church Senior Pastor Kenneth Lock II—who also serves as the chaplain for the Milwaukee Bucks—is preparing to host a large Easter Sunday service at the UW Panther Arena in downtown Milwaukee.
The church is moving its Easter service from its usual location at 76th and Mill Road to the downtown arena for the second year to reach a wider audience.
"The reason being is that most people don't come to the North Side, and so we made a decision to go to where the people are, and that's downtown at the heart of the city where everyone can come together," Lock said.
Watch: Evolve Church brings Easter Sunday service to the UW Panther Arena
Evolve Church is also preparing to celebrate its eighth anniversary next week. The growing congregation offers several community services, including a mental health program that integrates mental wellness with a spiritual core, and a single-parent housing initiative.
"We just helped one mom purchase her first home with only $335 down," Lock said.
The church also focuses heavily on youth and Generation Z, providing a safe community for young adults to explore their faith.
"We've become essentially like the main place for them to come to find community and find programming that allows them to be free, have fun, and still realize that you are our future, whether the community accepts it or not," Lock said.
In addition to leading Evolve Church, Lock serves as the chaplain for the Milwaukee Bucks. He described the role as a dream come true after growing up watching players like Ray Allen and Big Dawg.
"It's a dream for me to get a chance to share faith and hope and to walk with guys like Giannis and Miles Turner as they explore faith and continue to be amazing role models for the community," Lock said.
Lock hopes the downtown Easter service will serve as a beacon of positivity for the city.
"There's so many negative things you could focus on, but just to remind us that when we come together, when we put our faith in something greater, put our faith in God, we really can change the world if we come together," Lock said.
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