Welcome Home
Our story.
Our story is one of unity. Oliver Creek Church of Christ launched in March 2007 when two Memphis area congregations united together. Unity really gets to the heart of who we are. Throughout our history, we’ve been a place of healing, love, and growth for many who sought out Oliver Creek as a refuge. We are a loving family made up of people from diverse backgrounds and experiences coming together for a common purpose—to glorify God, love one another, and bless the world.
Our story is also one of transformation. We’ve been a growing church with a big vision for what God can do through us. Oliver Creek began meeting in a warehouse, but soon moved to our current location in 2009. Our family grew, and soon outgrew our space, so in 2012 we added on to our current location, which provided additional classrooms and a gathering spot for our teens! The growth has continued, and so in 2016 we added a second worship gathering on Sunday mornings. Along the way we’ve also added gifted men and women to help in our growing ministries, along with elders, deacons, ministry team leaders, and ministry staff.
The real transformation we’re aiming for, however, is God’s work in changing hearts and lives to be like Jesus. In fact, our mission at Oliver Creek is just that, to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Our story is really made up of the many stories of people taking steps deeper and deeper into the humble way of Jesus and a Spirit-filled life. God has created some amazing stories at Oliver Creek, and the transforming effects ripple through the city of Memphis, the Mid-South, and throughout the world!
We are thankful to God for his blessings. It’s been an amazing journey for us so far–but we believe God is still very much at work in these people, and that the best is still yet to come! We’d love to hear about your story and to see how you and your gifts could help write another chapter of unity and transformation here at Oliver Creek!
At Oliver Creek we believe our mission is to be a church where people are transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, but how does that happen?
Simply by grace–God's grace. At Oliver Creek, we challenge each member to seek God's grace in the everyday rhythms and routines of life. We live out six habits-drawn from the life of Christ, the pages of Scripture, and the history of the church–which we encourage each member to practice in solitude, in community, and with the whole world.
Give thanks.
God uses thanksgiving to transform us because in giving thanks we acknowledge our reliance on God for all good things. We praise Him for being the giver of life, flourishing, deliverance, and all spiritual blessings in Christ. God’s people have always made thanksgiving a rhythm of their lives, and it is through thanksgiving we allow God to rid our hearts of selfishness and pride. When we give thanks, we embrace the peace that comes with knowing God is in charge and is our provider.
Reflect on the Word.
Since the beginning, God has used his Word to transform and bless the world. When we reflect on the Word–God’s revealing of Himself to us–we come to know God. We come to love what He loves, hate what He hates, and see ourselves and the world like He does. By this, we are transformed to be more like Him. A primary way we reflect on the Word at Oliver Creek is through spending time reading and contemplating the Scriptures.
Ask deeper questions.
We believe God is the source of truth, so He can be found when we ask deeper questions. We ask deeper questions about ourselves: who are we, what shapes us, and who should we be? We ask deeper questions of one another: what is our world like, what messages are we sending and receiving, and where is Satan tempting us? And we ask deeper questions of God: who is He, what is He calling us to, and how can we participate with Him? We believe wrestling with these questions transforms us as we come to know God more deeply through them.
Commune with God.
We are transformed into the image of Jesus when we open our eyes to God’s presence with us and seek to return the love He pours into us. This nurtures our relationship with God, and our communion with Him helps us to be more like Him. We nurture our relationship with God through spiritual disciplines like prayer, silence, meditation, fasting, worship, and hospitality. We also commune with God through service and fellowship with His people.
Eat together.
Some of the most transformative moments Jesus had with people were during a meal. Sharing a meal and the hospitality it brings transforms us because it centers us around our dependence on God to provide even something as simple as food. Eating together reminds us that we all share basic needs, it creates a familiar space where people from all backgrounds can feel more comfortable, and it allows for us to serve one another. All of this makes sharing a meal the time when the other GRACES can be practiced and our hearts be made more receptive to God’s transformative work.
Serve your neighbor.
The central commands of the Christian faith are to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. This love and service of others that stems from a love of God is the central way God is transforming the world. It shows the world the ways of Jesus, who counted our interests more important than His by taking on flesh and dying on a cross. When we follow His example and serve our neighbors, not only does the Spirit work on our hearts, but we also show the world what the kingdom of Jesus is like. Because of the example of Jesus and command to serve our neighbors, Oliver Creek highly values the well-being of the Memphis community.