FAQ's
The Rock is a service designed specifically for singles and college students. In doing so, we eliminate stereotypes of what a Christian "should" look like. We have no dress code. Come as you are. We are intentionally breaking paradigms many people have conceived about church, and inviting them to experience God on a personal level every day... not just on Sundays.
What about kids?
While the staff and members of The Rock value children, we ask that they not be brought to the meetings. The Rock is partnered with Summitview Community Church which offers exceptional childcare and children's programs. For more information, please speak to one of the pastors or staff.
Do we celebrate communion?
Communion, which is also known as the Lord's Supper, is done approximately once a month.
How can I get baptized?
If you would like to get baptized you can talk to your small group leader or to the pastor. Some people prefer to be baptized with their small group at a lake, river, or pool. Baptisms are scheduled on an as-needed basis. So just let someone know, and we'll get it set up.
How do I get involved in The Rock?
We'd really like to encourage you to be involved in the church and especially to visit one of our discipleship teams - otherwise you aren't really experiencing The Rock. In addition, we have a number of other opportunities to serve. Of course, there are 1000's of different opinions on what makes a perfect church. We certainly respect this, and don't claim to be a perfect church. We are merely seeking to follow God to the best of our understanding. If there are areas in which you would like to get involved in and serve, let us know!
What if I want to lay low for a while, but still come to The Rock?
That's totally fine with us. You are more than welcome to simply enjoy The Rock and not feel burdened to join in on all of our other activities. We certainly don't want to pressure you into being more involved than you'd like. We understand that there are many good reasons to limit your involvement. You may have schedule conflicts, or you may be "gun shy" from a previous church experience, or you may just need a little space for a while. That's fine with us. If people keep inviting you to things and you feel pressured, just politely tell them, "I just need a little space for a while," and hopefully they'll grant it to you. We want you to feel welcome, not pressured.
How can I join the Rock?
We feel personal ownership is a very important step in our spiritual journey. Therefore, we periodically offer the Summitview Membership Seminar to familiarize interested singles with Summitview's philosophy, strategy, and beliefs. Call the Rock hotline or send us an email for more information.
How can I get to know people in the church?
We'd really like to encourage you to get involved with a discipleship team and embrace your discipleship team as your church family. We believe that a few deep relationships are far more valuable than lots of superficial ones. Of course that doesn't mean that you can't do anything with other people in the church. It just means that you may want the primary focus of your relationship building efforts to be in your discipleship team. Because this is our general philosophy, you may find that we don't put a lot of energy into having lots of extra events as a whole church. We certainly see value in meeting as a large group, but often we see more value in leaving people's time freed up to do things through their discipleship team.
What happens at Discipleship Team?
Discipleship teams vary widely. A "typical" gathering, if there is such a thing, might involve an icebreaker, investigating a Bible passage, praying for each other, and hanging out. Typically, each group breaks down into smaller groups of 3-5 people so everyone has a chance to share and connect at each meeting. Discipleship teams usually also have fun nights and after-Rock activities.
How can I contact a Pastor or Staff member?
The Rock's staff have offices in their homes and keep irregular office hours. They're in and out depending on their various responsibilities. The best way to reach them is to leave a message on their work phones. While they will do their best to get back to you, please allow a few days for most inquiries.
Can I get counseling through the church?
As a first step to counseling, we'd like to encourage you to talk to your discipleship team leader. If you talk to them and still feel a need for more input, one of the pastors will gladly meet with you. This is an important step, because although the pastors can always find the time to meet with you personally, they may not be able to find the time to really be involved in your life at a deeper level. That is why it is important to involve the discipleship team leader if at all possible. Of course, if you aren't involved in a discipleship team, or if you're not comfortable talking to your discipleship team leader, you are more than welcome to set something up directly with the pastor.
How do I know that The Rock is not a cult?
It's really hard to define exactly what a cult is, so it is hard to rigorously defend ourselves against accusation of being one. Webster's uses some definitions that could apply to most churches. One is that a cult is a "religious sect regarded as extremist." If that's the case, we're in trouble, because Jesus asked us to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Him. That seems pretty extreme! Webster's also defines cult-like behavior as, "obsessive devotion to a person, principle, or ideal." Well, Jesus said we are supposed to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That seems pretty obsessive! Let's face it, if we live like Christ wants us to we will always have people that are concerned that we are a cult.
The following excerpt from So What's the Difference might help provide us with a better working definition of what a cult really is:
"'Orthodox Christianity' means the beliefs held by the majority of Christians since the church began in the first century. These basic beliefs, as they are taught in the Bible, include:
1. God became incarnate (flesh) in the man, Jesus Christ.
2. Christ atoned (paid for) man's sin through His death on the cross.
3. Christ rose in bodily form from the grave, conquering death and proving He is God.
4. The Bible is the inspired, authoritative Word of God.
No religion, cult or sect in the world agrees with orthodox Christianity on all these points."
According to this definition, The Rock is not a cult by any stretch of the imagination. We agree wholeheartedly with each of these tenets of the faith, and believe this to be an accurate standard from which to judge the authenticity of any church.
In addition, the following points should help relieve any concerns that people may have about the legitimacy of The Rock, Great Commission Association of Churches (GCM), and/or the Great Commission Association of Churches (GCAC):
- In our church, the Bible is always held as the final authority. Cult leaders set themselves above the Bible, and claim to have new revelation, or claim to be the true source of Biblical interpretation. God's Word is our ultimate authority.
- It's not about money. We rarely talk about money, and never pass the collection plate. Although our pastors are paid competitively, most of them left much more lucrative careers to be pastors. Certainly they are not out for financial gain.
- Our leaders are servant leaders. Cult leaders promote themselves. Servant leaders promote God, and serve others in love. People who want to lead as some sort of power trip don't fit into our church very well.
How is the leadership of the church structured?
The pastors of the church are accountable to each other and make up the board of directors. There is also a regional director who may give input and counsel to our pastors and who approves their salaries. A board of deacons does not direct the affairs of the church since we believe that the pastors are given the responsibility and guidance by God to lead, and that this is God's plan and provision for the church. The pastor and staff coach the discipleship team leaders and various ministry leaders who lead the church at a more intimate level. The pastor and staff meet regularly with the discipleship team leaders. This provides a level of relationship and accountability for both the leaders and the pastor/staff.
Why haven't the pastors attended seminary?
The requirements for being a pastor are clearly laid out in 1 Timothy 3, and Titus 1. The main emphasis in those passages is that pastors must be men of character. We believe that the classroom is a great place to learn knowledge, but the church is a great place to develop strong character. Not only is it a great place to develop it, but it is also a great place to observe it. A healthy church should be producing men who are qualified to be pastors, and it should be evident to those in the church. This is a different way than how many churches do things, but we believe this method is completely consistent with the teachings of Scripture, and we believe that this is the surest method for the church as well.
Who are the people on staff?
Currently Brandon Pullen and Nathan Hrouda are the two men on staff, Jen Hale helps with administrative support, and from time to time Travis Swan helps with worship leading and graphic design.
Where is the offering plate?
The Rock prefers to not pass a plate to collect money. If you feel like The Rock is your home and would like to support it, there''s a Rock Giving box located in the Summitview West lobby. Your donations are always appreciated.
In what ways does The Rock serve in the community?
The Rock is growing into becoming a vital part of Fort Collins & social responsibility, or to become so engrossed in our social responsibility that we neglect the rest of our calling and purpose as a church. Our desire is to find a healthy balance. We understand that people's primary need is spiritual, but sometimes addressing people's physical needs may open a door to their spiritual ones.
Much of what we do socially, we believe is most effectively done through people's individual lives. What you can do for your neighbor is probably more meaningful than what some church can do for them. Institutions don't have relationships with people, but their neighbors do. To be effective in ministering in our community, each of us must feel a personal responsibility to reach out to the people God has put into our lives. This is our primary plan for achieving effective outreach.
We also recognize that the church as a body can do some things that are hard to do individually.
How is outreach accomplished?
Sharing the good news of the free gift of eternal life is one of the greatest privileges we have as Christians! Although we'll do lots of things to try and bring more people to church, it is important to know that our best form of outreach is you! When people share their faith with their neighbors, acquaintances, relatives, friends, and family our church grows in the most natural way. When people come to church from advertising, they don't know anyone and don't have any natural relationships. When you invite them, they start off on the right foot!
We are also involved in international outreaches. These trips last from one to two weeks and are excellent opportunities to learn how to share your faith, and to really trust God through challenging circumstances.
In what way is The Rock involved in missions?
The Rock is more involved in church planting than in sending out missionary teams. In other words, if we decide to do something in Latin America some day, our preference would be to send a team of people to start a church there rather than to send a missionary there. We'd really like each person to be an active part of spreading the good news, rather than just feeling like they are part of a support team. For this reason, the church itself does not currently support any missionaries, but instead tries to develop and fund church planting teams.