LATEST SERMON DEEP DIVES
SENIOR PASTOR
Nickia Larsen
Pastor Nickia Larsen has served as the pastor of First Christian Church of Lyons since August 2022, returning to her hometown after her husband, Andy, retired from the United States Marine Corps. Her ministry is shaped by years of serving and teaching around the world—across California, Africa, and Germany—and by a deep conviction that every person deserves to be seen, heard, known, and loved.
Nickia brings a warm blend of pastoral care, teaching experience, and therapeutic insight. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist–Temporary (LMFT-T) and the founder of Tell the Story Therapy, her private practice located within First Christian Church. She has also served as an adjunct professor of Psychology at Sterling College, bringing the same compassion, curiosity, and story-centered approach to the classroom that shapes her preaching and counseling.
Her heart is to hold space for the broken and weary, for families seeking healing, and for those wrestling with questions that have no easy answers. She seeks to walk alongside people in the tension of grief and hope, faith and uncertainty, heartbreak and joy—allowing room for honest questions and the unfolding work of healing. Through her ministry, she ultimately desires to point people toward Christ and the “unforced rhythms of grace” described in Matthew 11:28–30.
Nickia leads with authenticity, biblical grounding, and a belief that meaningful transformation grows where people can bring their whole stories. Whether preaching, offering pastoral care, or sitting with someone in the therapy room, she approaches each person with compassion and respect for the story they carry.
The Larsen family serves together in the life of the church, with Andy and their children, Kyler, Maklyn, and Tucker, lending their gifts in support and leadership. After years of moving around the world, Lyons has become a place of rest and renewed purpose for their family.
Above all, Pastor Nickia seeks to know Jesus and make His Name known, inviting others into a life shaped by His love and grace.