As a Cowboy Church, our vision is
- To Establish a ministry to the old west and agricultural community;
- To make a positive impact on our culture and our community by standing for
Biblical principles; - To Create a place where worship is an act of the heart, soul, and mind;
- To teach the gospel from the pulpit, in the classroom, and in the arena; and
- To teach life skills, ministry skills, & cowboy skills in a positive environment.
A Short History
Rafter J Cowboy Church started in May 2002 with weekly Bible Studies and heldtheir first Worship Service on July 1,2002. They started with 10 members in a horse barn outside of Terrell, with the horses often adding their own views to the matters at hand. In 2004 with 58 members in place the Rafter J Cowboy Church moved into a cover arena off Hwy 148 & I-20 in Terrell, Texas. At the beginning of 2005 classrooms were added for the learning of children and classroom time for the adults as well. With 225 members in place by the 3rd quarter of 2005, Rafter J set forth solid ministries throughout the church. Ministries which include: Men’s Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Youth Ministry, Children’s Ministry, Worship Ministry and Arena Ministry Rafter J Cowboy Church is reaching out to the community with Sunday morning Church Services and weekly Bible Studies. Rafter J is seeing 100’s of people come to know and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rafter J Cowboy Church FAQ’s
What denomination is Rafter J Cowboy Church?
Rafter J Cowboy Church functions as an interdenominational fellowship gladly welcoming anyone. You are always welcome at Cowboy Church no matterwhere you come from, what your background is, or even what you’re wearing. Cowboy Church was established to fill a need in our community with the same type of Western Heritage from the old west.
Do I have to be a Cowboy to attend Rafter J?
The answer is NO!
Our membership is very diversified. There are members who have
never even been on a horse! The cowboy culture welcomes folks
who may not feel comfortable, for their own personal reasons, in
a conventional church. Every one is welcome into our family at
Rafter J.
How Do I contact the church?
You can call the church line directly.
Our church secretary, Tammy Cope can be reached at the church
office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-2 or you can
email the Tammy at rafterjcc@sbcglobal.net
and your question will be forwarded to the proper person.
How Do I Get Involved At Rafter J?
There is always something to do at Rafter J. We have teams that are headed up by a team leader. The team leaders meet monthly with
the elders and the Pastor to discuss church planning and growth.
Each team is made up of volunteers who wish to be involved in
this wonderful ministry. Some of the teams remain fully staffed
while other teams are always in desperate need of help.
We have volunteer cards available at the welcome table just inside the arena door.If you are interested in becoming involved, you can fill out a
card and drop it in the offering house at the arena gate and
someone will contact you.
How do I express my desire to become a member of Rafter J?
We have our Green Sheets at the welcome table that you can fill out and drop in the offering house. You will be contacted for a pre-membership
meeting. This meeting is for the Pastor to get to know you and a
time for you to get to know all about the church. This is a
great time to ask any questions about the church that you may
have before joining. In this meeting you will be given a book
with all the information in it about Rafter J. You will be asked
to pray about joining and if this is where God’s wants you,
then the Pastor will acknowledge you on the following Sunday as
new members of Rafter J Cowboy Church.
Does Rafter J Cowboy Church have programs for my children?
We do not have a traditional Sunday School but we have programs for all
ages. We are very proud of our nursery and Sunday
school rooms. We have nursery workers available from 9:45am
until the close of service. The children are always excited to
come to church. They learn valuable Bible lessons along with
fun activities and games. Our children’s ministry is on the
move…
This ministry is geared towards the children of
our church. Children’s ministry is from ages 0-12 years. We
focus on their needs and development in Christ Jesus. We offer
Children’s Church @ 10:00am on Sundays. We have age appropriate
Godly activities & messages for each age group.
What events are regularly scheduled in the Arena?
We have a full schedule of events that are listed on the
calendar. Please, check it regularly as new events are added all the time. You can also check out the individual pages for the different programs
to see what’s happening. Our information line is also another
good source of information: 972-994-1119.
What kind of music do you have at Rafter J?
Our band works very hard to provide a
well-blended variety of music. Each service offers a wide range
of music from traditional hymns, to contemporary Christian
music, bluegrass, cowboy ballads, blues and even some jazz.
There is something for everyone at Rafter J!
How should I dress for church?
Our services are held in the arena. We sit on folding chairs in the arena. Some find it easier to sit in the bleachers or to pull a chair up to the rail of the arena and sit on the patio. Some people wear jeans and some people people wear church clothes. Just come how ever you are comfortable.