On the north side of Boise, set back from the busy thoroughfare that carries traffic toward the foothills, the Boise Church of Christ gathers each week at 2000 N. Eldorado Street. The congregation's tagline, "Where church is family," captures what it wants to be known for. Members describe themselves as "a non-denominational group of Christians who are committed to upholding the truth of God's word and proclaiming the good news of His grace." The church's mission is short enough to memorize: "To participate with Jesus in fulfilling his great commission to make mature disciples." Everything from the Sunday morning schedule to the summer camp in the Boise Mountains flows out of that single sentence.
The building has been home to the congregation for decades, and the address shows up on local maps as both Boise Church of Christ and Eldorado Church of Christ. Inside, the rooms are arranged for the simple patterns of New Testament worship: a sanctuary for the assembly, classrooms for Bible study, a fellowship hall for shared meals, a library for resources, and a teen room for the next generation. From this single campus, the church reaches into homes across the Treasure Valley, the Boise State campus, and the wooded hills near Idaho City.
The Four L's: Lord, Love, Learn, Live
The church organizes its discipleship around what it calls the Four L's: Lord, Love, Learn, and Live. Members want to know the Lord and His will, proclaim and share His love, learn through His Word and through relationships, and live by Jesus' example. The framework is built into the rhythm of the week, the calendar of classes, and the way the congregation talks about what it means to be a disciple.
A message on the Great Commission, drawn from Matthew 28:18-20, captured the urgency behind all four words. "Make disciples of all nations," the risen Christ commands, "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." The church hears that commission as marching orders for every believer, not a special calling for an especially committed few. The Great Commission is the church's reason for being: to participate with Jesus in fulfilling it in this generation.
The leadership describes the congregation this way: "Members are baptized believers who have made a conscious decision to follow Jesus by caring for one another and for all people that we have opportunity to assist." Members are united by their common acceptance of Jesus' Lordship in their lives, "even as we may disagree in other matters." In a culture that often treats church like a consumer choice, the members want to follow Jesus together as a family.
A Sunday on Eldorado Street
Sunday is the backbone of the week. The building opens with Bible classes at 9:30 a.m. Adults gather in the sanctuary for a study of Ephesians, and teens work through a book of the Bible in the fellowship hall. The 9:30 a.m. adult class is also livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. At 10:15 a.m., the whole church filters into the sanctuary for Morning Fellowship, a brief time to greet one another and settle in. The main worship assembly begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs until noon.
The assembly follows the simple order the New Testament church has kept for two thousand years. The Lord's Supper is observed each week, with bread and cup taken in memory of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Congregational singing fills the room, led from the front. Prayers are offered together. A sermon opens God's Word, and an offering is collected. The teaching ministry moves through book studies of the Bible, doctrinal series on the Lord's Supper, and gospel-centered series on Christian freedom and identity. The sermon archive stretches back years and is searchable by series and book of the Bible, with recent studies walking through Ephesians, the Epistles, 2 Peter, and Jude.
Visitors are welcomed throughout the morning. The church extends a standing invitation: "We welcome all visitors to the Boise Church of Christ - where church is family." The congregation describes itself as "pretty down to earth," and members come as they are. The teaching is faithful to the conviction that "Jesus is the center of Christian faith," and that His Lordship should shape every part of life.
Wednesday Evenings of Singing and Study
If Sunday centers on the assembled church, Wednesday is when the gathered community digs into God's Word together. At 6:30 p.m., thirty minutes of congregational singing fill the library. Then at 7:00 p.m., the building opens for Life Groups and Bible classes. A Teen Bible Study meets in the teen room and walks through the Epistles, while adults gather for prayer, praise, and fellowship, often breaking into smaller Life Groups that meet across the Treasure Valley during the rest of the week. The Wednesday rhythm is intentionally simple: sing, study, pray, and stay a while. Members describe the evenings with three words: Pray, Praise, Fellowship.
Tuesday Morning with the Ladies
For women who want a regular midweek time in the Word, the Ladies' Bible Class meets on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at various homes in the Boise area. The class moves from house to house, giving members a chance to open their homes and build relationships around the Bible. The study alternates between books of the Bible and topics chosen by the women themselves, and the class has become a steady place for friendships to grow alongside faith.
Life Groups Across the Treasure Valley
Life Groups are the heart of the church's "discipleship in everyday life" vision. Several groups meet at different times and locations throughout the week, in homes and around the city. They are designed to draw members closer together in fellowship and to put the Four L's into practice. A members' directory, available to those who register with the church, includes an interactive map of where each group meets. The groups are not programs to attend but communities to belong to, where the Bible is opened, prayers are shared, and the love of Christ is made visible in the ordinary moments of the week.
Camp Ivydale: Forty-Five Minutes into the Mountains
About forty-five minutes outside Boise, in the wooded hills near Idaho City, the church owns Camp Ivydale. The camp is the setting for preteen camps, teen camps, family camps, and young adult camps every year, all aimed at deepening discipleship in a place set apart from the rhythm of the workweek. Camp Ivydale is a long-standing expression of the church's commitment to raising the next generation in the Lord, and the summer calendar of retreats is a major part of the congregation's ministry together. Members drive up the mountain to sing, study, hike, and pray, and the friendships made around the campfire often last a lifetime.
The Biblical Studies Center at Boise State
The church has also planted the Biblical Studies Center at Boise State University. What began as a ministry of the Boise Church of Christ has grown into a very active, inter-denominational campus ministry that serves young believers and seekers alike. It is a vital part of campus life at BSU, and a place where college students can study the Bible, ask hard questions, and find Christian community during their years at the university. The Center hosts Bible studies, teaching series, and a library of resources, and it welcomes students from many church backgrounds.
What They Believe
The church's stated beliefs are rooted in the Bible as the inerrant Word of God and in the simple patterns of the New Testament church. Without trying to be exhaustive, the church summarizes its convictions under ten headings.
God. The church affirms belief in the one eternal God, Creator, Lord, and Savior of the world: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who governs all things according to the purpose of His will.
The Bible. The church affirms the divine inspiration, truthfulness, and authority of both Old and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety. The Bible is the only written word of God, without error in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
Man. The church affirms that all men and women are unique individuals, created in God's image and capable of intimate fellowship with Him. By virtue of Adam's sin and their own personal rebellion, all people are sinners. Babies are born innocent and guiltless of sin but inherit a sinful nature that inclines them toward sin.
Salvation through Christ. The church affirms that there is only one Savior and one gospel. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, gave Himself as the full payment for the guilt of sin by His death on the cross and is the only mediator between God and humanity.
Salvation by grace through faith. The church affirms that Jesus rescues all who trust in Him. This response of faith involves turning away from sin, submitting to Jesus as Master, publicly confessing Him as Lord, and being immersed in water in His name. Baptism by immersion is the public acknowledgment of dependence on and submission to Jesus Christ. It is the act by which one is buried with Christ into His death and raised by God to live a new life, born again of water and Spirit.
The church. The church affirms that the church is the bride of Christ, the body of Christ, the community of believers, and the primary manifestation of the kingdom of God on earth. The well-being of the believer, the progress of the gospel, and the health of society are promoted by the vital functioning of Christian congregations in every level of society.
Evangelism. The church affirms that Christ sends His people into the world as the Father sent Him, and that this calls for a deep and costly penetration of the world. World evangelization requires the whole church to take the good news of Jesus to the whole world.
Christian unity. The church affirms that division hinders the work of evangelism and that Christ prayed that His followers might all be one. As a result, the church firmly advocates the restoration of the church revealed in the Scriptures as the only sure way to achieve Christian unity.
Social responsibility. The church affirms that God is both Creator and Judge of all people, and that His people should share His concern for justice, reconciliation, and the liberation of people from every kind of oppression. The church believes that love for one another is how the world will recognize true followers of Jesus.
The power of the Holy Spirit. The church believes in the power of the Holy Spirit. Conviction of sin, faith in Christ, new birth, and Christian growth are all His work. The fruit of the Spirit is the primary evidence of His work in the believer's life, and the Spirit empowers the people of Jesus with various gifts to serve and build up the body of believers.
The return of Christ. The church believes that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, in power and glory, to consummate His salvation and His judgment. At His return, He will judge every person who has ever lived and grant eternal life to those He has forgiven by His own blood, while those separated from God by their own sins will be condemned to an eternity separated from God.
Shepherds, Deacons, and a Lead Minister
The Boise Church of Christ is led by a team of shepherds, deacons, and a full-time Lead Minister. The three shepherds are Dan Watts, Ted Taylor, and Terry Scheuffele. They serve the congregation under the New Testament pattern of plural eldership, providing spiritual oversight and shepherding the flock.
Serving alongside them are six deacons:
- Max Miller
- Vic Clapp
- Don Boyer
- Ernie Taylor
- Ryan Bier
- Seth Conder
The deacons care for the practical and ministry needs of the congregation so that the shepherds can devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word.
The Lead Minister is Dr. Joey A. Gafford, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, who began his work at the Boise Church of Christ on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021. Dr. Gafford has ministered with churches of Christ for more than forty-five years, including twelve years with the Southside Church of Christ in Grenada, Mississippi. He is a product of thirty-seven years of Christian education, beginning with West Birmingham Christian School, and holds an A.A. in Bible from Faulkner University, a B.A. in Bible from Freed-Hardeman University, an M.A. and M.Div. in New Testament from the Turner School of Theology at Amridge University, and a D.Min. in Preaching from the Harding School of Theology. He is the author of The Rhetorical Effect of Closure in Narrative Sermons and has written many Bible study booklets and resources. He and his wife, Tina, have been married for decades and have three grown children.
Following Along from Anywhere
The church's livestream makes Sunday morning accessible to anyone who cannot be at Eldorado Street in person. The 9:30 a.m. adult Bible class and the 10:30 a.m. worship assembly are both broadcast on YouTube, and the streaming page links to a countdown and to previous services. A sermon archive stretches back years and is searchable by series and book of the Bible. A free church app is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store under the name "Our Church." After installing it, members and visitors can search for "Boise Church of Christ" to access general information, log in with member credentials, or create a profile. A weekly newsletter can be subscribed to by email.
Online giving is available, and members and friends can support the church's ministry at any time. A library of resources is also maintained, and a separate Biblical Studies Center library can be browsed online for those who want to dig deeper between Sundays. The church's blog carries a steady stream of pastoral posts that walk through books of the Bible and topics relevant to Christian life, and a calendar of events keeps the whole congregation on the same page throughout the year.
Come as You Are
The Boise Church of Christ invites anyone in the Treasure Valley who wants to follow Jesus to come and see, from long-time Christians to those still searching for a community of faith. The doors on Eldorado Street are open, and the church family's promise is plain: "Here at Boise Church of Christ, we are constantly trying to bring each other back to the simplicity of following Jesus. We make no claim to be great at it. But we want to be."