Frequently Asked Questions

We’re thankful that God didn’t only work during one period of time. He’s been leading, guiding, and inspiring his people for thousands of years and he will continue to do so until Jesus returns. As a result, we appreciate the rich heritage of Christian worship that’s been handed down to us but we don’t feel bound to it.

At Rock Chapel you’ll hear songs that are hundreds of years old as well as songs that are still getting airtime on the radio – and everything in-between. Our goal isn’t to lift up either ‘traditional’ or ‘contemporary’ styles of worship but to lift up Jesus. And we’re open to doing that in a variety of ways.

If you’d like to learn more about our worship services, you can check out our ‘What To Expect’ page.

Children

Children, ages 4 to 11, are dismissed for Kid’s Church after the music portion of worship on Sunday mornings which is usually around 10:30AM. Kid’s Church usually lasts about 40 minutes.

In addition to this time of teaching, there are two classes that meet on Wednesday nights at 7PM for more in-depth teaching.

There are three core goals that we have during these time:

1. To teach the big story of the Bible.
2. To teach how we respond to and enter into the big story of the Bible.
3. To lead children into a life characterized by love for God, love for others, and growth in grace.

In addition to this time together, the children have a once-a-month activity called Kid’s Day Out. These are friendship building field trips beginning immediately after the morning worship service and ending around 4pm. There’s usually no cost for these activities.

Youth

Youth who are in grades 6 through 12 gather for a small group, teaching time on Wednesday nights at 7PM.

As with our children’s program, we have three core goals during these times:

1. To teach the big story of the Bible.
2. To teach how we respond to and enter into the big story of the Bible.
3. To lead youth into a life characterized by love for God, love for others, and growth in grace.

In addition to these Wednesday night classes, the youth has a monthly activity that they’ll get together for on a Friday or Saturday. The youth are also encouraged to go on our yearly mission trip when possible.

At Rock Chapel, we believe that Jesus is our model for everything that we do as a church – including discipleship. Because of this, we prioritize the same things that he did: biblical teaching, loving service, and spiritual friendship.

We believe that these three ideals cannot be separated but lie at the root of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. And as we receive biblical teaching through our worship services and small group classes, as we love others through local service opportunities and short-term mission trips, and as we develop spiritual friendships with those beside us, we grow in Christlikeness.

We believe that Rock Chapel is ultimately governed by the Holy Spirit. However, this can only take place as the leaders of our congregation (a pastor, staff, and board of deacons) submit to and are led by him. When we make decisions, we do so prayerfully and based on the authority of God’s revealed word.

Major decisions which will impact the entire congregation are often brought to the congregation for a vote. But even then, we encourage all voting members to cast their vote only after much prayer.

Rock Chapel is affililated with the Church of God Reformation Movement whose general offices are located in Anderson, Indiana. You can find out more about the international movement by visiting http://www.JesusIsTheSubject.com and you can learn what we’re doing at a state level by going to http://www.carolinaministries.org.

Part of what it means for us to be “Church of God” is to recognize that God is not bound to any particular building or denomination. He is at work among all believers. And, as a result, we have a strong desire to work alongside Christians of every background to see the Kingdom of God advance. As a result, we partner with local organizations and churches for just that purpose.

Though we can’t offer a comprehensive theology of God’s Spirit and his work in these few short paragraphs, it’s worth noting a few major points regarding our beliefs concerning this topic.

We believe that a new Christian receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion. At Pentecost, the early Church experienced a unique event when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers in a very visible way to confirm what was taking place. But it’s clear that after this one-time event, the Holy Spirit was received at the moment of salvation (see Acts 2:38). As a result, there is no need to seek the gift of the Holy Spirit after conversion. If you’ve come to Christ in faith and repented from your sins, you have received his Spirit.

We believe that being ‘filled with the Spirit’ is about submitting more and more fully to the Spirit’s leading. Paul encourages the believers at Ephesus to “not get drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 NASB). Before and after this command, Paul tells the believers to live spiritual lives – lives submitted to the Spirit. God’s Spirit enables us and empowers us to submit to his leading. With this in mind, the primary outward marks of being ‘filled with the Spirit’ are an obedient, faith-filled, loving life.

We believe that the Spirit’s primary role is to teach us, empower us for service, and lead us into the presence of God. Before his death, Jesus told his disciples, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things” (John 14:26 NASB). God’s Spirit guided the writers of scripture and he also guides its readers – including you.

In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Paul informs the congregation at Corinth that they have all been given spiritual gifts by the Spirit. These gifts are not for the person who has received them but have been given so that they can be given away in service.

Since the Holy Spirit is God, when he enters into our life, we experience God’s presence. In that presence, we receive assurance of our salvation, spiritual encouragement, and we are progressively transformed into his likeness.

We believe that the ‘gift of tongues’ spoken of in scripture refers to known human languages, as evidenced by Acts 2:7-8. As a result, we do not practice the speaking of ‘unknown tongues’ during worship.