Our vision is to be a diverse church reaching all people in our community for the sake of Jesus Christ and
the Kingdom of God.

Meet the Team

Scott Matthews

Lead Pastor

Stephen Tefft

Kids Director

What We Believe

We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

As adopted by the National Association of Evangelicals.

History

Elkhart Community Church traces its roots to 2017, when River Oaks Community Church sensed a calling to launch a new campus in downtown Elkhart, creating a bridge to bring people of all backgrounds together in faith and community. By November 2019, nearly 120 congregants had joined this vision, forming a launch team that led to the first official service at Elkhart Central High School.

With its vibrant diversity, downtown Elkhart offered an ideal setting to bring this vision to life. The church was committed to welcoming people from every culture, language, and background, creating a community where all could worship Jesus together. Inspired by the vision in Revelation 7, the Elkhart campus quickly grew into a place of unity and worship, strengthened each week by the dedication of volunteers and the enthusiasm of attendees.

In July 2021, an opportunity arose to collaborate with Central Christian Church, whose leadership invited the Elkhart campus to share their building as a worship space. Recognizing the potential of this partnership, River Oaks began making plans to take over ownership, which would provide a permanent location for ministry in the heart of downtown. Through a successful capital campaign that raised $1.7 million, the congregation invested in remodeling the building to make it a welcoming and functional space for future growth. By June 2023, the Elkhart campus celebrated its grand opening in the newly renovated space, where new ministry groups formed, Sunday services expanded, and the church continued to thrive.

In September 2023, the River Oaks leadership embarked on a season of restructuring, creating a pivotal opportunity for the Elkhart campus to consider a new path forward. With momentum already building, the Elkhart campus embraced the chance to establish itself as an independent congregation. By September 2024, Elkhart Community Church launched as a fully independent church, continuing its mission of welcoming people from every background to experience God’s love and grace in downtown Elkhart.