JEFF CARR, new Hockinson Church of Christ minister, is shown here with his wife, Jana and three children (left to right) Jeremiah, Josiah and Lydia. Photo courtesy of Jeff Carr
Hockinson Church of Christ welcomed a new minister in June.
Jeff Carr grew up in California but has preached the Gospel of Christ at many churches from California to Texas, Louisiana and, most recently, Waycross, GA. In Louisiana, Carr lived near New Orleans for eight years and actually experienced Hurricane Katrina which, he noted, was quite shocking.
Carr has been married to his wife Jana for 15 years and they have three young children – Lydia, Josiah and Jeremiah.
Attending Sacramento State University, it was Carr’s intention to obtain a history degree and possibly pursue teaching in that subject. He did not grow up in the church but Carr said, as a senior in college, God took ahold of his heart and he hasn’t looked back.
Carr decided to complete the history degree and realized that teaching the Bible was a synergistic way to bring two callings together. Through a series of events, he was invited to teach at various churches in California, which led to an internship in Tucson, AZ.
But it was in California that he met Jana, who had grown up in the church where they met.
“I literally walked in off the street. I was looking for a church that was non-denominational. I wanted something that was very Bible-based,” Carr said.
The fit at Hockinson is largely due to a very simple, shared belief system – that the Bible is the living, breathing word of Christ. Carr feels that denominations within churches cause a lot of rules to be created that separate believers from each other and the basic principles of the Bible. Carr reads straight out of the Bible and, while he acknowledges his approach is “nothing fancy,” he’s confident that’s what the New Testament teaches.
Another draw to the area is family and friends. Carr said that a lot of his friends from California moved to the Northwest as a result of the economy so when he put out feelers that he was looking for another ministry position, those friends had a lot of positive things to say. As a result, Carr and his family are looking forward to exploring Mount St. Helens, Multnomah Falls and many more tourist destinations that are now in their backyard. Both sides of their family have continued to live on the West coast over the years, as well, so for their children to be closer to relatives is a big plus.
Teaching basic Biblical principles is something Carr incorporates into his everyday activities and responsibilities. He finds that practical application, like the way he conducts himself while coaching his children’s softball teams or being a member of Toastmasters International, is more effective and genuine in reaching the hearts of people who, like him, might not have grown up in the church.
Carr also has a big heart for children. In each of the past 12 years, he’s been involved in a week-long camp held in June in Louisiana that hosts 5-12 graders. This summer, 380 children attended and Carr and Hockinson Church of Christ honored his commitment to be there. There’s another camp in Oregon that’s asked him to partner with them so he’ll be participating in their event in late July.
“The church in Hockinson has a lot of young families and young children to match my young family and young children,’’ Carr said. “They were looking for someone to help energize young families that are here and I have a history of working with that already.”
Carr is teaching the adult Bible study on Sundays, which begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by his weekly message and worship service at 10:30 a.m. Bible classes are available for all ages. There’s another worship opportunity every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. and a congregational singing service is held the last Sunday of every month beginning at 6 p.m.
Hockinson Church of Christ is located at 16401 NE 182 Ave, Brush Prairie, and can be reached by phone at (360) 254-5907. For more information, go online to www.hockinsonchurchofchrist.org.
