ABOUT US
OUR VISION
PASTOR
DEACONS, TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
We exist to worship God, to share His love that all might be saved and to become more like Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Guiding Values of BRCC
The heartbeat of Big Rock Congregational Church may be described by these six summaries of the values that form our unique identity and guide our shared life together as a local body of Jesus Christ.
Our guiding Values:
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Being a house of prayer
We value being a house of prayer. We pray because it is one of our greatest privileges as God's children. We pray because God invites us to bring our cares and concerns to him, and we pray because we have seen God working through his many answers to our requests. By praying we also express our trust in God's promises and dependence upon his grace and through prayer we praise his majesty and give thanks for his benevolence.
Because we value being a house of prayer, we also seek to express ourselves through heart-felt worship that is true and proper. Looking to the Scripture as our pattern, we both embrace contemporary expressions of our faith while firmly standing on the meaningful traditions handed down to us from previous generations.
Because we value being a house of prayer, prayer is central to all we do as a church. We spend time together praying because the Scripture and personal experience teach us that miracles happen when the church prays together And because we value being a house of prayer, we value time spent praying personally and corporately. We seek to emulate those who have left us with a testimony of a prayerful lifestyle and to model prayer for those with less experience and confidence continuing that prayer legacy for future generations.
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Spirit-led congregational governance
We value being an autonomous, self-governing church that is formed and led by the Holy Spirit and established by covenant in the bonds of Christian love and faithfulness. We gladly receive into our number any of like faith who are willing to be faithfully bound by these same ideals. We appreciate the gifts with which God has endued upon us as individuals for the common good. For this reason, we appoint from among our own number proven godly leaders who can help to faithfully shepherd the church in fulfilling its God-given mission. Though we are all far from perfect, we recognize the valuable contributions every member makes regardless of the visibility or popularity of their service.
Because we value being an autonomous, self-governing church that is formed and led by the Holy Spirit, we trust his leading to call specially trained and gifted men to shepherd us under his loving care. When appropriate, we may affirm their ministries through professional development and credentialing. And should we become aware of professional or spiritual malfeasance that severely damages the reputation of our Lord, and or church, it is also our painful, though necessary, responsibility as the body of Christ to prayerfully reevaluate and potentially severe those professional ties while seeking to preserve all dignities, ministries, and reputations in the bonds of Christian love, grace, and mercy.
Because we value being a complete local body of Christ, we endeavor to submit to one another out of reverence to him. We value our shared life as a body and hold open meetings where together we make decisions regarding the business of the church. We welcome the varied perspectives of our individual gifts and callings. And prayerfully trusting the leading of the Holy Spirit, we use democratic means to ascertain the unity of mind he has given to us. Striving for unity in achieving our mission we treat one another with respect to our differences, and together we celebrate our successes and mourn our losses.
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Loving fellowship
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Reaching out
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Developing spiritual maturity in all members
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Being faithful stewards of God's blessings
Dr. Keith Jones, Pastor
Article IV: Faith and Covenant
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Faith: BRCC recognizes the following to be the foundation of our belief:
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We believe the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testament, to be the only inspired, inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God written.
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We believe that there is one God, eternally co-existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His personal return in power and glory.
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We believe that for salvation of lost and sinful man regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
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We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling power and fullness the Christian is enabled to live a godly life in this present evil world.
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We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
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We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in Christ.
Covenant: As members of BRCC we will commit ourselves to faithfully keep these commitments before God. We will recommit ourselves to these each time we welcome new members into Big Rock Congregational Church.
Under the headship of Jesus Christ, we do prayerfully covenant before God and with one another:
1. To glorify God by:
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Obeying and submitting to His word and indwelling Spirit.
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Seeking to grow toward maturity in Christ Jesus.
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Loving God with all our being.
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Growing in our knowledge of God and His word, the bible.
2. To build up the body of Christ by:
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Acting in love toward other Christians.
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Putting away all bitterness and forgiving as God has forgiven us.
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Maintaining unity in love.
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Praying for one another.
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Refusing to participate in gossip, slander, or speaking against one another.
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Seeking to help one another grow toward maturity in Christ.
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Being faithful in our attendance.
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Giving a tithe, cheerfully, in support of the church as God provides the ability.
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Being equipped to minister to one another.
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Using our gifts and abilities to serve each other.
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Being supportive of all church ministries.
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Following the leaders God has given us.
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Humbly accepting prayerful biblical discipline.
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Maintaining our bodies in moral purity according to Scripture, pursing moral fidelity and refraining from sexual relationships that are premarital, extra marital, or homosexual in nature.
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When moving away from this place, uniting with a church of like faith, as soon as possible, so that we can continue to carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principals of the Word of God.
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Practicing private and family devotions and training our children and those under our care in the Christian faith and life.
3. To reach out to the lost with the gospel of Christ by:
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Building relationships with non-Christians.
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Acting in love toward our unsaved neighbors.
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Sharing the gospel of Christ.
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Inviting the un-churched to attend worship and other activities at Big Rock Congregational Church.
Reaching out to guests and welcoming newcomers to Big Rock Congregational Church.
Moderator: David Bradley
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Deacons:
David Bradley
Gail Fehr
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Trustees:
Judy Hoffman
Lynn Scharer
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Clerk: Cathy Isbell
Financial Secretary: Juli Brennan
Treasurer: Judy Hoffman
Minister of Discipleship:
Gail Fehr
Marilyn Jones
Minister of Missions:
Michelle Garner
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Our Pastor and Family
After graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in Agricultural Education and Agronomy in 1982, Pastor Keith had different plans in life. He began his professional career in the lawn care service, but soon moved into the company's marketing division. And for the next 17 years Pastor Keith worked as a manager of database and direct marketing for two major corporations. But sensing the God was calling him to full-time ministry, he left the business world to enter seminary in August of 2003. Together with his wife, Marilyn, and family, they relocated to Dallas, Texas.
Soon after graduation from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2007, he pastored for a short time at an independent Baptist church near Paw Paw, Michigan. Then in December of 2010, he was called to Big Rock. Both Pastor Keith and Marilyn grew up on small farms. With their rural upbringings, Pastor Keith feels a special burden and calling for small rural communities. And his path of faith in Christ has led through several evangelical circles including Evangelical United Brethren, Church of Christ, Baptist and independent churches. For this reason, Pastor Keith appreciates the broad theological traditions that comprise the conservative congregational church movement. He has a passion for not only communicating God's Word, but for teaching others how to study it for themselves.
A gifted teacher of young children, Marilyn graduated from Millerville University in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She also holds a Master of Education from Elmira College in New York, and has taught in public and private schools in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Pastor Keith and Marilyn have been married for more than 30 years. Together they have four adult children. Each of their children has also been homeschooled by Marilyn. In their spare time, they enjoy numerous crafts and hobbies including antiques, country cooking and flower and herb gardening.
Throughout his life Pastor Keith personally claims the hope expressed by Paul of the believers in Philippi, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" Pjil 1:6 NIV). The path of life may take unexpected twists and turns, but those who know Jesus Christ can always be assured of one thing, He leads us every step of the way, and he won't give up or leave our side until he has led us safely to his Father's home.
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