Essential Church
COMING 2026
Welcome To
Essential Church is a Spirit-filled, life-giving church launching in the Des Moines Metro. Our vision is simple, to see it - Here as it is in Heaven. Led by Pastors Zach and Ashley Morris, Essential Church exists to build a community marked by authentic Bible preaching, passionate worship, and a family atmosphere where everyone belongs. We believe Jesus changes everything, one story, one family, and one neighborhood at a time.
Essential Church
Our Vision
Our vision is to bring the culture of God’s Kingdom to earth—making Here look like Heaven. In our homes, schools, neighborhoods, businesses, and city, we carry His presence and reflect His Kingdom.
HERE AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
Our Mission
Leading People to ENCOUNTER God, ESTABLISH Identity, EXPERIENCE Community, EMPOWER Purpose, and EXPAND God’s Kingdom
Zach & Ashley Morris
We’re Zach and Ashley Morris—husband and wife for nearly a decade, parents to three incredible kids (Nash, Cohen, and Vivienne), and passionate followers of Jesus. Long before we ever dreamed of planting a church together, God was writing our story in ways we couldn’t see yet.
Everything changed for both of us as teenagers. At 17 and 18 years old, we each had a life-altering encounter with God at church camp. It was there that we sensed His unmistakable call to ministry. Those early encounters marked us, shaped us, and planted a deep conviction in our hearts: one day, we would help build a church where people could meet Jesus the way we did—personally, powerfully, and unmistakably.
For the past 10 years, we’ve served in full-time ministry, preaching and teaching about Jesus. We’ve watched God transform lives through relationships, discipleship, and Spirit-filled, Bible-anchored teaching. We’ve sat across tables, prayed through tears, celebrated victories, and walked with people through the highs and lows of life. And somewhere in the middle of all those moments, the dream God placed in our hearts began to take shape.
Through every season, our love for God, our love for each other, and our love for people has only grown stronger. Ministry for us has never been about building something impressive—it has always been about building people. We believe deeply in the power of genuine connection, authentic community, and creating an environment where every person is seen, known, and welcomed like family.
Today, as we step into this new chapter, we do so with full hearts and open hands. We aren’t just planting a church—we’re building a home. A place where you can encounter God, discover who you were created to be, find real community, and walk into your God-given purpose.
We’re grateful for every step that’s led us here… and we believe with all our hearts that this is only the beginning.
Welcome to the journey. We’re honored to walk it with you.
ZACH
ASHLEY
Our Values
Join The Family
Join The Family
Essential Church is a Spirit-filled, Bible-believing, multicultural, multigenerational church that believes everyone is Essential. We are committed to seeing the people of our city transformed by the power of God’s presence and carrying the culture of the Kingdom of God into every sector of our society. Whether you are close to God or far from God, you belong here.
Come and join the Essential Church family, because something we know to be true is this: You Are Essential.
Join us in prayer for Des Moines, IA. Pray that hearts would be open, lives would be changed, and families would be transformed. We are believing for divine favor, divine connections, and divine opportunities. Your prayers are essential.
1_Pray
Join the team and build from ground zero. A church is not built in a day, and it’s not built by one person. Is God calling you to make it Here as it is in Heaven? Answer the call. This is not just a team, it’s a family.
2_Join The Launch Team
Partner with us through generosity. Every generous gift is one step closer to seeing the vision of Essential Church come to reality in Des Moines, IA. Want to financially partner with us? You can do so by tapping “give” below.
3_Give
Stay connected with us by following us on all platforms @esntlchurch

