Since 1997, The Rock has been investing Friday nights into the lives of local children and families. Today, a warm homemade meal is served each week, and many families attend together. The Rock staff visits many of the families regularly, and provides food, clothing, and support throughout the year. We are a “Christ centered” ministry that seeks to build relationships with children and families. Everyone is welcome at the Rock and will find it to be a great place to establish friendships, gain support, find hope, and experience the love of Christ. Guiding Principles:
We will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, the example of Jesus life, and the Word of God to make certain the Rock is:
1. Christ Centered – Many people are going to form their impressions of Christ and the church through The Rock, and we want that picture to accurately reflect how awesome it is to have a relationship with the God who created them. Jesus and the truth in the Bible will be central to the teaching & ministry of the Rock without compromise.
2. United – Because we are so weak and limited as individuals, we will serve in complete unity with one another and with Christ. We will do nothing on our own but seek to work together in everything we do. When we serve with unity of the Holy Spirit and one another, only God can get the glory for the things He accomplishes through us, and the power of God will be evident. Our witness will be clear to others as a result of our unity.
3. Sustainable and Attainable – Everything that we do at the Rock will be prayerfully considered to be certain that it is God’s will. We will not serve in areas that are not realistically attainable by our staff and sustainable for a long period of time. We understand that this ministry will be most effective over long periods of time, and that the greatest works of God typically take place this way through lives that are patient and enduring. We will be content with waiting for the fruits of this ministry and its rewards to come our way in Heaven.
4. Relational – Most people come to a saving faith in Christ as a result of a relationship with someone else, so we will seek to establish personal relationships with the children and families we have been entrusted with. The circumstances of life in the families we minister to is typically not the fault of those we are called to serve, and has often times been passed through the generations in their families. We will seek to include them in our church families, understanding that “breaking the cycle” in their lives may take a lifetime of relationship building and trust so that they can clearly understand the love of God.
5. Outward Focused– Because Jesus and the disciples always went out into the darkest places to share the love of Christ, we will always focus outside of the typical church “circle” and minister in places where others typically would not. We will focus on the dark and difficult areas of our community. This will take more patience and perseverance than some other areas of ministry. Our families and children will be much better off as well as the families we minister to as a result of following the example of Christ in focusing outward.
