“I really consider myself a pastor to my community, not just my church.”
When Jeff and Eryn Moors felt called to plant a church, they tried to find other things to do. They’d been in ministry for over a decade, however, Jeff explains the overwhelming feeling around planting a church.
“When I thought about leaving the city I was living in, Oceanside, my heart hurt.”
Despite being offered a lead pastor position to take over a church with a building in a beautiful area, Jeff knew he couldn’t leave Oceanside. He approached their current lead pastors about the calling he and Eryn couldn’t shake, and they blessed the vision to reach more people in the community of Oceanside.
Rhythm Church launched in January 2020 after much prayer and preparation. Jeff shares how difficult and challenging that time was as a new church but how they were able to turn their efforts toward supporting the local community.
“That’s what helped us survive, not being inwardly focused on how we were going to weather this – but how we could help our COMMUNITY weather this.”
He also shares about his role as a pastor to the community, how he’s learned to be an empowering leader, their city’s big challenges including gentrification, and the importance of getting to know your city as much as possible so that you can pastor it with the right care and insight.
Check out this church planter story to learn more about Rhythm Church’s journey and how loving your city and trusting God’s calling is always worth it.