The Rock Family Worship Center is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, non-denominational church rooted in Huntsville, Alabama and stretching across the Tennessee Valley. With four campuses, a private K2-12 Christian school, a presence on multiple continents through missions, and a network of community partners that distribute food, support foster families, and host recovery groups, the church has spent more than two decades building a single, unified congregation out of many neighborhoods, ages, and stories.
Four Campuses Across the Tennessee Valley
The Rock Family gathers in four locations. The original campus sits on Holmes Avenue in Huntsville at 3401 Holmes Ave NW, where Sunday services and most staff offices are anchored. A Madison-area campus meets at 1594 Old Railroad Bed Rd in Harvest, Alabama. South of the state line, the Fayetteville campus meets at 2626 Huntsville Hwy in Fayetteville, Tennessee. The newest location, Smith Lake, meets at 19870 US-278 in Double Springs, Alabama, in the Winston County area near Smith Lake.
Each campus runs on the same weekly rhythm. Sundays begin at 10 am with corporate worship, and Wednesdays begin at 6:30 pm with Formation Nights. Pastors are stationed at each location: Ben and Lauren Burrows serve the Madison campus, Matt and Traci Tidmore serve the Fayetteville campus, and Spencer and Ashlynne Bell serve the Smith Lake campus.
Twenty-Five Years and a New Chapter of Leadership
Pastors Rusty and Leisa Nelson founded the church roughly twenty-five years ago and built it into a multi-campus, multi-ethnic body. After more than two decades, they passed leadership to Pastors Scott and Britt Silcox in January 2024. Scott had served on the Rock staff for 23 years before stepping into the lead pastor role. Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Scott and Britt describe themselves as creative, collaborative, and family-centered, and they parent three children.
Rusty and Leisa have moved into an apostolic role, mentoring other pastors, overseeing a ministry alliance called R3, and advocating for foster care and adoption. The transition is a baton-pass, with the Nelsons continuing to give support, encouragement, and wisdom to the Rock and a growing number of other churches.
The Vision: Presence, Formation, Kingdom
The church describes its mission as building up compelling Kingdom disciples rather than halfhearted, nominal Christians. The vision rests on three pillars:
- Presence. Pursuing the tangible presence of God in hearts, homes, the church, and the city. The Presence team oversees prayer, worship, production, and guest connection.
- Formation. Intentional discipleship through Scripture, tradition, spiritual disciplines (worship, prayer, fasting, tithing), and community.
- Kingdom. Establishing the reign of Christ in everyday life through sacrificial generosity, redemptive entrepreneurship, local outreach, global missions, and prophetic creativity.
The church warns that all three are needed for balance. Presence plus Kingdom without Formation produces shallow service. Kingdom plus Formation without Presence produces activism without encounter. Presence plus Formation without Kingdom becomes personal therapy with no outward impact.
Five values shape the house: be one hundred percent dependent on the Holy Spirit, believe for the impossible, fear the Lord, prefer others over ourselves, and act as stewards rather than owners.
Sunday Mornings at 10
Every campus gathers for worship on Sundays at 10 am. The service features a convicting, encouraging message, soaking worship, and a diverse community. Coffee flows freely, parking and greeter teams welcome visitors, and a pastor is available to connect after the service. The worship style is contemporary and charismatic, with extended times of sung worship and openness to the Holy Spirit. The atmosphere is kind, open, and hospitable, and the dress code is come-as-you-are, with some people dressed up and others more laid back. The sanctuary is air-conditioned, so a sweater is recommended.
Baptism by immersion is celebrated as an outward sign of the inward work of salvation, and baptism services are scheduled several times a year.
Wednesday Formation Nights at 6:30
Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm are called Formation Nights. The format is on-site small groups for all ages, with the goal of having families out by 8:00 pm. Four tracks run in parallel: Faith, Freedom, Finance, and Family. Kids programming runs at the same time for babies through fifth grade, so parents can participate while their children are cared for in an adjacent, vetted, background-checked environment.
Off-site Rock Groups also meet throughout the week. These lifestyle groups cover interests ranging from Bible study to hiking, mothers with strollers, dance, and recovery.
Rock Groups and Small Group Life
Rock Groups are the church's small-group system and the primary pathway from sitting in rows to living in relationship. A semester of groups runs roughly from late August through the spring, with a group host sign-up in late July, a group fair in early August, and group meetings beginning in mid-August. There are spring and fall rounds.
Group categories include on-campus Formation Groups that meet Wednesday nights, off-campus Lifestyle Groups that meet throughout the week, and topical studies. Current groups include Before the Throne of Grace, Becoming Her, Ladies Bible Study, Ladies Fellowship, Raising Godly Children, United by Grace, Holy Strollers, Compassion Dance for ages 6-16, Freedom for men and women, men's Bible studies, and Huntsville-area groups labeled RGH, RGM, and RGF by campus.
Rock Kids, Rock Youth, and Young Adults
Children's ministry runs from birth through fifth grade. Rock Kids Jr. cares for children from 6 weeks to 5 years old during Sunday services, Wednesday evenings, and special events. Rock Kids serves ages 6 to 12 with a small-group model that requires a larger volunteer base. All workers are vetted, background-checked, and trained, and no child is ever left alone with a single adult.
Champions Sensory Center is a specialized Sunday morning ministry for children with unique needs, ages 6 weeks through 18 years. It operates by application only.
Rock Youth is the middle and high school ministry for ages 12 to 18, meeting Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm. The vision is to see students saved, healed, set free, discipled, equipped, empowered, and serving. Pastor Rico Williams leads the ministry.
Young Adults is geared toward ages 18 to 28, with a rhythm of stewarding growth, strengthening community, and building the church. Current groups include the AAMU Student Home Fellowship, a Bible study at Alabama A&M University, a SUB 30 group, a YA Freedom group, a Wednesday Night Sermon Recap, and Wednesday Night SHE for women.
Women's Ministry: SHE and Wildfire
SHE is the women's ministry of the Rock. After 26 years of conferences impacting tens of thousands of lives, SHE is just getting started. The ministry focuses on women finding their identity in Christ as daughters and being empowered to change the world around them. Components include conferences, gatherings, outreaches, studies, and mentoring.
Wildfire is the signature women's conference. The annual event runs Thursday through Saturday with main sessions in the sanctuary and breakouts in the Rock Kids and Red Hall classrooms. Past breakout topics have included Seed of a Dream, Seed of a Sound, Flourishing in Every Season, Single Again, Carry the Fire, and Take the Ground. Girls ages 5 to 14 are invited to a surprise program in the She Girls area.
Other women's offerings include weekly Wednesday Night groups for women, Freedom studies, mom's groups like SHE Hive and Holy Strollers, Embrace Grace for women facing unplanned pregnancy or single mothers of newborns, and a book study of Captivating for women in the 18-24 in-between season.
Men, Seniors, and Marriage
The men's ministry has four keys: Engage the community and culture with the Gospel through lifestyle and intentional relationships. Establish Biblical Foundations daily. Equip men to minister through their lives and not a title. Empower men to make disciples, treating that as the measure of growth and engagement. Pastor Derrek Sullivan leads the ministry.
Senior Adult Ministry gathers adults 50 and older for fellowship, fun, and adventure. A monthly gathering meets at every campus, with the Huntsville meeting on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm. Annual trips are part of the rhythm. Pastors David and Ruth Nelson serve as the contact for the ministry.
Marriage and relationship groups are part of the Rock Groups roster and are built into the Wednesday Faith track.
Prayer Across the Week
Prayer is a defining mark of the church. The church quotes David, One thing I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever, and identifies prayer as its main priority. A culture of prayer is reinforced through recurring gatherings:
- Tuesday Night Prayer in Huntsville and Madison, 6 to 7 pm
- Wednesday Midday Prayer in Huntsville, 12 noon to 1 pm
- Thursday Night Prayer in Fayetteville, 5:30 to 6:30 pm
- First Saturday Good News Prayer Walks in Huntsville
- Monthly Intercessory Prayer for the Persecuted Church
The Holy Here app is recommended as a tool for mapping personal prayer, connecting with others, and capturing what God is doing in real time.
Kingdom Heights Preparatory School
Kingdom Heights Preparatory School (KHPS) is the church's K2-12 private Christian school, currently enrolling. The school pairs advanced academics with bold faith, aiming to shape students who love Jesus deeply, think critically and lead courageously, pursue truth, beauty, and goodness, and transform culture with the power of the gospel.
The founding leadership team includes Dr. Rachel Ballard as Head of School, Kelly Wynn as Dean of Curriculum, Daniel Jackson as Dean of Spiritual Formation, Pastor Cheryl Bennett as Associate Dean of Student Support Services, Kat Holder as Fine Arts Director, and Coach Kendrick Epps as Athletic Director. The Early Learning Center serves ages 2 to 4.
The church is halfway through a two-year pledge commitment to raise $4.3 million for renovations to the KHPS building, with $2.65 million raised as of Vision Sunday 2026.
Missions: Local, Regional, Global
The Rock's missions philosophy is captured in five verbs: Pray, Fund, Help Mobilize, Go, and Welcome. The church partners with missionaries and organizations in Asia and the Middle East (Hong Kong, Israel, India), Europe (including Iceland), Latin America (Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Panama), and a range of national partners in the United States. Featured workers include Beth Strickland, Robert Stearns, Lata Lincoln, the Erlingsson Family, Gunnar Gunnarson and Svava Omardottir, the Branson Family, Phinehas and Morgan Barton, Joy Coleman, Jacob and Cassie Hancock, Danny and Lorena Dyer, Ken Pounders, Rines Varrette, Johnny Jernigan, the Huntsville Assistance Program, and Robert and Frankie Presson.
The Global Prayer Collective gathers on the second Monday of each month to pray for the persecuted church and the work around the world. Short-term Team Trips are offered most years. Recent trips include a Honduras Ministry Trip in partnership with Pastor Danny Dyer, Prisoners of Hope International, Children's Cup, and Casa de Oración Familiar, and an English Camp in Falls Church, Virginia, in partnership with One Voice Fellowship and For the Nations, serving refugees and immigrants. Leah Perez coordinates the missions ministry.
Outreach Partners: Manna House, Dream Center, Dream Theatre, and The Refinery
Four affiliated ministries extend the church's reach into the community:
- Manna House. Community food distribution and outdoor church, led by Fran Fluhler.
- Huntsville Dream Center. An outreach and community service organization dedicated to empowering lives and communities in Huntsville and Madison County by building bridges of hope.
- Dream Theatre. A performing arts center under the direction of Kat Holder that doubles as a creative community for the church.
- The Refinery. A care ministry led by Pastor Alicia Gale that hosts support groups for relationship issues, grief, divorce, inner healing, food struggles, anger, and addiction.
The church's Good News teams also include Heart of the Home (foster care) and Outdoor Church Takeover, in addition to the missions and food distribution work.
Beliefs and Practices
The Rock is non-denominational and traces its beliefs through classic evangelical lines. The church affirms that God exists eternally in three co-equal persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God who lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin, rose again on the third day, ascended to Heaven, and will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus and lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation.
The Bible is held as God's Word to humanity, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, and as the supreme source of truth for Christian belief and living. People are made in the spiritual image of God, marred by the attitude of disobedience called sin. Salvation is God's gift of grace received through faith in Jesus Christ, not by self-improvement or good works.
The church practices water baptism by immersion as an outward sign of the inward work of salvation. Tithing of 10 percent of income is the Biblical standard for giving. Marriage is between one man and one woman, recognized by a licensed ceremony with a licensed minister; common law marriage is not recognized. Heaven and hell are literal places of eternal existence.
Becoming a Member and Getting Connected
Newcomers are invited to NextSTEPS, the church's membership class. Elders provide ongoing pastoral care for members, with elders assigned by last name. The Huntsville elders serve members by surname range, the Madison elders by surname range as well, and the Fayetteville elders each serve their campus.
Rock Groups, Rock Kids, Rock Youth, Young Adults, women's ministry, men's ministry, and Senior Adult Ministry all offer pathways to connect beyond Sunday morning. Baptism sign-ups, Alpha, and Good News evangelism efforts provide additional on-ramps.
Giving is available online through Pushpay for each campus and for missions and the Kingdom Heights fund. The Rock Family app is available on iOS and Android, and sermons are livestreamed and archived on YouTube.
Staff and Ministry Leaders
The staff leadership team is organized around the Presence, Formation, and Kingdom values. On the Presence side, Pastor Brian Holden leads as Presence Team Lead, with Pastor Adam Nelson overseeing worship, Pastor Jenny Erlingsson overseeing prayer, Pastor Reese Mitchell serving as Director of Expression, and Pastor Terry Bennett overseeing Connection Point. On the Formation side, Pastor Tim Reyes leads as Formation Team Lead, with Pastor Sudhakar Rathinavelu overseeing groups, Pastor Cicely Seldon overseeing young adults, Rico Williams overseeing youth, Pastor Christian Lake serving as Teaching Pastor, Pastor Sherei Lopez Jackson serving as Theologian in Residence, and Pastor Derrek Sullivan overseeing men's ministry. Caleh Thiesen serves as Rock Kids Director, with Megan Thomas and Katie Jones as Rock Kids Jr Directors.
On the Kingdom side, Pastor Thor Erlingsson oversees care and missions, Leah Perez coordinates missions, Pastor Alicia Gale oversees care and The Refinery, Fran Fluhler leads Manna House, and Kat Holder directs the Dream Theatre. Pastor Chris Mitchell oversees campus leadership, and Pastor Jamie Mitchell serves as Hospitality and Biz Ops Co-Team Lead.
Madison is pastored by Ben and Lauren Burrows. Fayetteville is pastored by Matt and Traci Tidmore. Smith Lake is pastored by Spencer and Ashlynne Bell.