What to Expect

About Us

Our Mission & Values

Our core values are Christ, Community, and Commission. We strive to let these values shape everything we do as a church.

When it comes to our mission, there is nothing new or clever about it. We are simply seeking to obey Jesus when he told us to make disciples of all nations.

We are simply committed to being and making disciples of Jesus Christ for the glory of God.

Our Leadership

Christ Church of Elizabeth is led by a team of pastor/elders, who are responsible for teaching and leading the church.

James Opperman

Pastor/Elder

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My wife, Kait, and I have been married since 2014 and we have two children that bring joy, laughter, and a bit of chaos into our lives and we love it. The Lord opened my eyes to the truth of the gospel and saved me during my college years at the University of Toledo and has given me a deep love for His word and gratitude for the gospel. I am so thankful for his sovereign grace towards me! I have an MTS degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and am working towards an MDIV from Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to spending time with my family, I really enjoy reading, eating good food, hiking, hunting, kayaking, fishing, and pretty much anything else outdoors.

Hugh Fitzpatrick

Pastor/Elder

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I was not raised in a Christian home. After 26 years of being enslaved to what Paul describes as “the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2), with my self-absorption only exceeded by my hubris, the Lord opened my heart to trust in Christ. So, I cast myself upon Christ through faith and have been striving to follow Him ever since. I have been married to Heather – the delight of my life – since 1994. We have two children, one daughter-in-law, and one grandson. I enjoy history, theology, economics, college football, sci-fi movies, and hanging out with my family (not necessarily in that order). You can find me on Facebook and Instagram. Be forewarned though, I view social media as little more than a platform for my kooky sense of humor (which I exercise with great passion).

Bill Cornwell

Pastor/Elder

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I became a Christian in 2001 after hearing the Gospel message at Northwest Bible Church in Hilliard OH, outside Columbus. I married my beautiful wife, Amanda, in 2004 and since that time, we have lived in Michigan, Texas, and eventually moved to Colorado in 2016. We have been blessed with five children, and love spending time together enjoying the Colorado wilderness. We all enjoy skiing, camping and hiking in the mountains. Whenever there is spare time (and there’s not much!) I love to exercise – CrossFit, rowing, running, you name it!, playing banjo and reading history, including biographies of famous historical figures (some favorites were books about the Wright Brothers, Neil Armstrong, John Adams and Winston Churchill). Through 20+ years of marriage, we have been overwhelmingly blessed by the Lord, who has seen us through many good times and some hard struggles. Through it all, we have experienced firsthand his continuous, steadfast love, whose faithfulness extends to the heavens (Ps 36). We feel so very blessed to be a part of the CCE family.

Tom Scuderi

Deacon

lauryn Hartwell

Deacon

Ryan Hartwell

Deacon

David & Tammy Acosta

Deacon, Children’s Ministry Directors

kait opperman

Administrative Assistant

Our Ministry Philosophy

At Christ Church of Elizabeth, we are Elder-led, Deacon-served, and Congregationally-governed.

We believe that there are three distinct emphases that inform how we do ministry. We are committed to the centrality of the gospel, the sufficiency of Scripture, and the necessity of community.

Additionally, we keep our schedule stripped down and focused. We want our members to be growing in Christlikeness, not just busy doing lots of church stuff. This allows us to keep our members freed up and centered on the five activities that Christians who are obedient to Christ and growing in their faith do:

  • Sharing the gospel with unbelievers through EVANGELISM
  • Helping at least one other believer follow Christ through DISCIPLESHIP
  • Bringing praise and petitions to God with the rest of the church in PRAYER
  • Connecting with other believers for mutual service and love in FELLOWSHIP
  • Gathering with the church to rehearse and celebrate the gospel in WORSHIP

For other information about how we think about ministry, see our documents on the ordinances and philosophy of worship and music.

Observing the Ordinances
Philosophy of Worship & Music

Who We Are

Our Story

 

Several years ago, the leadership and congregation of Parker Hills Bible Fellowship began earnestly desiring and praying for the opportunity to plant a church.

In the last few years, it seemed like the Lord began providing the leadership for a new church to be planted, and the community of Elizabeth became a specific area in mind. In 2024, six families began meeting together and considering their role in planting a new church, and slowly more families began to join in. Three men were identified, examined, and recognized as elders and began to prepare to lead the church, and we were officially sent out from Parker Hills Bible Fellowship as a new church plant in late January 2025. We praise God for leading the way to plant this church, Christ Church of Elizabeth, and look forward to being and making disciples of Jesus Christ for the glory of God.

What We Teach

We are a deeply gospel-centered church that is broadly reformed in our doctrine. You can read the doctrinal standards for teaching and eldership here.

Below you will find what all of our members believe.

I. THE WORD OF GOD

We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (Matt 5:18; John 10:35; 17:17; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Heb 4:12; 2 Pet 1:20-21)

II. THE TRINITY

We believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are equal and perfect in every divine attribute, and they execute distinct and harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. (Gen 1:1; Matt 28:19; John 1:1-3,14; 4:24; 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; Rom 9:5; 2 Cor 13:14)

III. GOD THE FATHER

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, and love. He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men and women, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Ex 3:14; Is 57:15; Jer 32:17; Matt 5:45; John 4:24; 5:26; 6:37-40; Acts 14:16-17; Rom 11:23; 1 John 4:8; 5:14-15)

IV. JESUS CHRIST

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Son, who fully possesses the same nature and attributes as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He is not only true God but true Man, sent by the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We believe in His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, His priestly intercession on behalf of His people, and His personal, visible return from heaven. (Mark 1:1; Luke 1:30-35; John 1:1-3,14,18; 10:25-38; Acts 1:11; Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Col 1:15-20; 1 Thes 1:10; 4:16-17; 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 1:3; 4:15; 7:24-25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10)

V. HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the Holy Spirit, co-equal with the Father and the Son. We believe in His personality and His work in regeneration, sanctification and preservation. His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and implement Christ’s work of redeeming the lost. He also intercedes for believers according to the will of God and empowers them for service through the giving of spiritual gifts and for godly living. (John 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:8-11; Acts 1:8; Rom 12:3-8; 1 Cor 2:13; 12:4-13; Eph 1:13; 2 Thes 2:13-14; Titus 3:5; 1 John 2:20)

VI. HUMANITY

We believe God created humanity, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin. As a result of the fall, all persons are sinners by nature and by choice and are therefore spiritually dead; yet the Holy Spirit regenerates repentant sinners who trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. (Gen 1:26-27; Rom 5:12-19; Eph 2:1-9)

We believe all human life is sacred and is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. (Gen 9:6; Psa 139)

VII. SALVATION

We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. This salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God, was purchased by Christ on the cross, and is received through faith apart from any human merit, works, or ritual. (Rom 3:20-26; Eph 1:2-14; 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)

VIII. THE CHURCH

We believe in the church, the spiritual body of which Christ is the head and the spiritual temple of which Christ is the foundation. It is composed of all persons who possess saving faith in Jesus Christ and have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This invisible, universal church expresses itself in visible local churches comprised of believers in Christ who commit themselves to God and one another. The ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. (Matt 16:16-18; 28:18-20; Acts 2:32-47; 1 Cor 11:23-32; 12:13; Eph 1:22-23; 4:3-6; Col 1:18)

We believe each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ, is self-governing in function, and is interdependent in relationship with other true churches. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord, yet each must submit mutually to the others in love. (Matt 16:18-19; 18:15-20; 1 Cor 5:4-5; Eph 5:21)

We believe the church’s scriptural officers are elders and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of elder is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. (Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 2:12; 3:1-13; 5:17; Titus 1:5-9)

IX. CHRISTIAN CONDUCT

We believe saving faith inevitably produces good works. The supreme task of every believer is to glorify God in thought, speech, conduct, and lifestyle. Each Christian should seek to be a growing disciple of Jesus Christ in every area of life, a faithful steward of all resources, and an ambassador for Christ before the world. (Matt 5:14-16; 25:14-30; 28:19; John 13:35; 17:20-21; Rom 8:29; 1 Cor 10:31; Phil 2:14-16; Jas 2:14-26)

X. GENDER, MARRIAGE, AND SEXUALITY

We believe God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct yet complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. (Gen 1:26-27)

We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting by God of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union. This covenant union between husband and wife portrays the spiritual union between Christ and His bride, the Church. Any attempted redefinition or alteration of marriage, therefore, does violence to the sacred, spiritual realities it was created by God to represent. (Gen 2:18-25; Mal 2:14; Eph 5:31-32)

We believe God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. Any form of sexual immorality (including but not limited to premarital sexual activity, adultery, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. Yet God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Matt 5:27-28; 15:18-20; Rom 1:18-32; 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11, 18; 7:2-5; 1 Tim 1:15-16; Heb 13:4)

We believe every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Behavior or attitudes which the Scriptures would categorize as hateful or corrupting are to be repudiated. (Matt 22:37-40; Luke 6:31, 35-36; Eph 4:29)

XI. LAST THINGS

We believe in the personal return of Jesus Christ in power and glory to receive His church to Himself and to bring the world to its appointed end. The dead will be raised, and Jesus Christ will judge both the living and the dead. The unrighteous will be punished in hell, and the righteous will dwell with Christ forever in the new heaven and the new earth. (Acts 1:11; 1 Thes 4:13-17; Rev 20-22)