General FAQ’s
Roosevelt Community Church is a church that is In, For, and With the Community. The Purpose and Direction of Roosevelt Community Church is to be a Church that is dynamic, not static. We are not interested in merely being a church that sits on Sunday and listens to music and a sermon. We are a Church that is committed to loving God above all else. We are a Church where we love our neighbors and enter into genuine friendships with both Christians and non-Christians alike. We are a church that is committed to sharing the love of God to those who’ve never experienced it before. We are also a Church that welcomes back those who’ve known the love of God and yet have turned away for whatever reason.
Why are you called Roosevelt Community Church?
Roosevelt is the name of the neighborhood we are located. Though the mission begins here, it doesn’t end here, but is carried with us to the varying neighborhoods and towns we live in. As a congregation, we are sent each week to love our neighbors and make disciples, regardless of where we find ourselves.
What do you mean by “In, For, and With”?
In, For, and With is the RCC ethos—it simply means we consider place, neighbor, and community in our ministry praxis. We believe Jesus is in, for, and with people and as His church we are in, for, and with the local community.
Do you have to live in the Roosevelt Neighborhood to be a part of RCC?
No. Though we are specific about the place of Roosevelt, as a church we welcome people from all parts of the city of Bellingham and Whatcom County. It’s just that our primary focus of outreach in the Roosevelt Neighborhood.
Why is everything about your building in Spanish?
Good question—we rent our building from a Hispanic 7th Day Adventist church. So we don’t own our building, but rent it Sunday mornings and Monday and Tuesday evenings for Men’s and Women’s ministries.
What makes RCC unique?
Our mission is to be a church in, for, and with the community. The way we “do church” considers our location in the Roosevelt Neighborhood, Christ’s Great Command to love our neighbor as ourselves, and the forming of community, both as Christ followers and with those that don’t yet know Christ as the Lord and Savior of their life. In, for, and with can also be called theology of place, neighbor, and community.
Are you part of a specific denomination?
We are part of the Church of God of Anderson, Indiana. The COG is not a denomination, but rather a movement of churches desiring to be Christ-centered communities. You can find out more at www.chog.org
Do you have childcare?
No. We have children’s ministry. At RCC we value sharing Jesus with kids and ministering to them as best we can. We also highly value supporting parents as best we can in their discipleship efforts of their own children and our curriculum emphasizes this.
How is the tithe money used?
In the Old Testament Scriptures, the tithe (10% of income) was used for the livelihood of the priests, to care for the poor and needy, and feasts in the name of God. So we base the distribution of funds on these—paying staff, helping those in need, and having parties in the name of God (neighborhood BBQ’s and such). In the New Testament, we read that money went to support “mission” or the sharing of the Gospel, so we do that too.
How did RCC come about?
We started on Easter 2004 as a video-venue of Cornwall Church in Bellingham. Over time we realized the best way for us to minister would be to become a church-plant of Cornwall, rather than a video-venue. Cornwall Church has blessed us with the means to plant RCC—Thanks Cornwall!
