1997-2005
Craig and Tricia Cunningham were serving at Central Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri, where Craig was the Connections Pastor and Tricia worked as a therapist and director at the National Institute of Marriage. Life was full and fulfilling, but in 2005, a simple sunset boat ride changed everything. While sitting on the boat, Craig and Tricia, and some new friends of theirs discussed the idea of doing a church plant together someday. A seed was planted that night that would eventually grow into Shadow Rock Church.
The Durkees moved to La Quinta, California to start a law firm.
Pastor Craig and Tricia stayed in Missouri.
One day, the Cunninghams drove out to California to visit the Durkees. During that visit, they all attended a church service together at Southwest church where they heard the pastor say that 90% of the desert community didn’t attend church anywhere. The two couples sensed a confirmation from the Holy Spirit that they were being called to start a new church in the desert, and committed to praying that God would make a way for that to happen.
Christy Durkee’s father, Richard Varnell, had planted a small church in Thousand Palms, twenty minutes from La Quinta, back in the 1980s. Years later, his son Matt Varnell felt called to carry on that legacy. Matt moved there to revitalize the church in 2005, but had to resign due to health challenges.
Craig Cunningham was invited to step in as pastor. He accepted the offer, with the understanding that later, he would plant a church in La Quinta, as well.
In Thousand Palms, Pastor Craig began leading a small but faithful congregation. The Cunninghams and Durkees renamed the church Shadow Mountain Church, and together they dreamed of something bigger—a network of churches bringing hope across the valley. The first of those new churches would be in La Quinta, and would be named “Shadow Rock Church.”
The name, Shadow Rock Church, was inspired by Isaiah 32:2
“Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a dry land.”
After faithfully ministering in Thousand Palms, the Cunninghams and Durkees felt God calling them to “cast their net on the other side.” With the support of the congregation, they launched a new campus in La Quinta in 2010, meeting at the DSUSD school district building on Dune Palms Road. For two years, Pastor Craig preached both services — one in Thousand Palms, then another in La Quinta. The La Quinta campus grew, but the Thousand Palms site declined, and eventually the church made the difficult, but faith-filled decision to sell the Thousand Palms property and focus entirely on the new work in La Quinta; setting aside the proceeds for a future permanent building.
After four years of setting up and tearing down all chairs and church equipment every week, Shadow Rock finally moved into its own rental space on Hwy 111. They renovated the building and furnished it. The new location worked well for several years, but the limited size (6700 sq. ft.) and rising rent ($11,000 a month) were challenging obstacles. Shadow Rock dreamed of a permanent building that they could call theirs, but zoning restrictions prohibiting church gatherings were a major obstacle.
A 14,000 sq. foot gym was for sale in La Quinta. It seemed perfect, except for zoning restrictions.
The board met, and Bruce commitment to legally fight to overturn the zoning restrictions. If they submitted an offer on the building, and he wasn’t successful, however, the church would own a building that they couldn’t use.
Before the offer on the new building was finalized, Pastor Craig received a diagnosis no one expected — stage 4 cancer, with only three to six months to live. The news was heartbreaking. But even in the face of that devastating diagnosis, Pastor Craig’s heart remained steadfast. He was determined to move forward with the offer on the building—a place he believed would stand as a lasting legacy of ministry in the desert.
With prayerful unity, the board chose to press on, trusting that what they were pursuing was truly God’s plan for Shadow Rock Church.
And miraculously, the offer on the new building was accepted.
The zoning restrictions were eventually overturned. Renovations began — a fresh start, full of hope. But before the doors could open, the world shut down. COVID-19 brought everything to a standstill. For two long years, the building sat empty while SRC prayed through the storms of cancer and the covid pandemic.
Through it all, Pastor Craig kept preaching — first online, then in the parking lot, and finally, in the new sanctuary.
Though doctors had initially given Pastor Craig only three to six months to live, two years later—on Easter Sunday—his longshot dream came true. He stood in the pulpit of the newly renovated building, preaching with the same passion and faith that had carried him through every trial.
By God’s grace, Craig was given not only the ability to see that dream fulfilled, but the strength to keep pastoring faithfully in the new building for two more years beyond that — a true miracle and testament to God’s sustaining power.
In June 2023, Pastor Craig spoke to the SRC congregation one last time, his voice filled with gratitude and unwavering faith in God’s plan.
The very next day, he peacefully entered heaven — his life’s message now lived out in full. Though his absence was deeply felt, his legacy of faith, love, and vision continued to shape the heart of the church.
Pastor Craig’s brother-in-law, Pastor David Nicholson, stepped forward to lead the church through a tender season of grief and renewal. Pastor David and his wife, Melissa, were embraced by SRC, and by February 2024, the congregation’s unanimous vote to make Pastor David the Lead Pastor felt like a new chapter, one written in faith and unity.
Then, that December, two remarkable donations arrived that completely paid off the church’s mortgage — a miracle that seemed to echo heaven’s affirmation, reminding everyone that God’s hand was still faithfully at work in the Shadow Rock story.
Shadow Rock Church continues to thrive under Pastor David and Melissa Nicholson’s loving kindness and leadership.
From a lakeside dream to a flourishing church family, Shadow Rock has become a refuge of hope and transformation in the desert. Every Sunday, stories of healing, renewal, and life change are written into the fabric of this community.
Built on the legacy of faith and love that began in 2005, Shadow Rock Church stands as a “shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”
The mission remains the same: to flood heaven with people whose lives are transformed by the power of God.
We would love for you to join us, if you haven’t already.
The best is yet to come…
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Shadow Rock Church