Rockford First: No. 9 Fastest-Growing Church, 2016

From the moment you drive onto the campus of Rockford First, there is a very real sense of genuine love and care for people displayed by volunteers, staff and attendees alike. It is this welcoming backdrop, along with practical yet passionate teaching, that is helping to create an environment where many are being introduced to Jesus and choosing to follow him.

One of their unique passions is to meet the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of individuals with special needs. After their third son, Paxton, was born with Down syndrome, Senior Pastor Jeremy DeWeerdt and his wife, Jen, had their eyes opened to a community of people who were in desperate need of hope. It was this deeply personal experience that led them to open Champions Club—modeled after the Champions Club Ministry at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Says DeWeerdt, “We can wholeheartedly say that our church is different because of these amazing champions!”

Read about the No. 8 fastest-growing church »

Read about the No. 10 fastest-growing church »

ROCKFORD FIRST
Rockford, Illinois
Senior Pastor: Jeremy DeWeerdt
Website: RockfordFirst.com
Twitter: @JeremyDeWeerdt, @RockfordFirst
Facebook: /RockfordFirst
Founded: 1929
Affiliation: Assemblies of God
Locations: 1
A 2016 OUTREACH 100 CHURCH
Attendance: 5,004
Growth in 2015: +1,028 (26%)
Fastest Growing: 9

Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazinehttp://outreachmagazine.com

Outreach magazine publishes ideas, innovations, resources and stories to help church leaders reach their communities and change the world. Founded in January 2003 by church communications company Outreach Inc., Outreach is an award-winning, bimonthly periodical for church leadership and is available by subscription and on Amazon.com. Find out more at outreachmagazine.com

Ed Stetzer: Coming Back

We have to take a step back as we teach God’s Word, building upon the grand narrative of redemption to show how every issue dealt with in the story of God is centered in Christ.

Tanita Maddox: Showing Up for Gen Z

There are just so many things that are compelling about the triune God and the way that triune God has enacted redemption for us and continues to sanctify us after we follow him. We just have to pull the contextualization out for our young people so they can see it on their terms.

Created for Relationships

There’s something about community—the relationships, the sense of belonging, the support and encouragement, the sympathy and understanding—that deepens our lives and anchors our souls.