I’m New
We’re so glad
you’re here!
Plan Your Visit
Ready to come check us out in person?
Click the button below to let us know when you plan on joining us, and we will meet you to show you around and help you get familiar with us!
Join Us
Looking to jump right in? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of some things we have going on consistently throughout the year, unless otherwise noted on our calendar.
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Saturdays | 5:30 PM (September - May)
Sundays | 8:30 & 10:30 AMKids programming is available for all services.
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Tuesdays | 6:30 PM
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Last Friday of Every Month | 6:30 PM
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Wednesdays | 6:00 PM (September - May)
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Mondays | 6:00 PM (September - May)
422 Main Street, La Crosse (off-site)
Meet Our
Senior Pastor
Shane Holden
After years of church planting in Madison, Shane moved to Onalaska to become the Senior Pastor at First Free in 2010. He is passionate about seeing people who are far from God come to know Him in a real and intimate way, equipping the church to stand firm on the truth in the midst of the ever-changing waves of culture, and making space for people to encounter the love and presence of God. Shane loves his wife Vicky, their four married children and three grandchildren.
FAQs
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A typical service will last 1 1/2 hours. Services begin with the First Free worship team leading the church in music. Song lyrics are projected so you can sing along or engage with worship how you feel most comfortable. After the music portion, there is a short announcement video followed by a member of our teaching team sharing a hope-filled message from the Bible.
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Come as you are. We are a casual church. You will find a range of dress styles from jeans and t-shirts, to an occasional sport jacket and dress. Come dressed however you’re comfortable and you’ll fit right in.
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Kids programming is available for infants-6th grade at all weekend services. Your child will experience age-appropriate teaching, music, singing, and just plain fun. Our Kids Ministry is led by staff & volunteers who are there to care for and love on your child. All volunteers go through background checks, and we utilize a check-in system to ensure a safe environment.
If you have an infant or small child and would like to bring them into the service, we have a Restless Kids Room at the back of the Worship Center, and also offer two Nursing Mothers Rooms with the service live-streamed.
Youth programming for 6th - 12th grade students is offered during the school year, September - May. We are dedicated to meeting youth where they’re at while teaching them to trust in the Lord, be renewed, walk the way Jesus did, and do everything for the Glory of God. Check the calendar for specific times, locations, and off-dates.
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We do communion corporately on the last Friday of every month at our monthly Worship Nights and every Tuesday at Prayer Room. We also do quarterly weekend service communion.
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We have two corporate baptism events (during Worship Night) scheduled each year for the last Friday in October and the last Friday in April.
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We practice “believer’s baptism” which simply means that only those who have made a decision to follow Jesus of their own will and volition are eligible to be baptized. We do offer several special Child Dedication services each year and you can find out more about that and register HERE.
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Typically, our classes and groups run on a semesterly basis, with start dates in September and February. Registrations typically go live on their respective webpages a month prior to the start date.
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If you are new to the church we recommend that you plan to consistently come to weekend services for 3-6 months before you consider membership. We do membership classes twice a year in October and March. You must take the class in order to become a member.
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We are a part of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) denomination. Our statement of beliefs can be found HERE.
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