Adopted In, Growing Up, Reaching Out on North Tenth Street
Community Bible Church sits at 500 N 10th Street in Central Point, Oregon, a small town in Jackson County just a few miles north of Medford. The building is a handmade, family project: the entire congregation built the sanctuary in 1963 after a fire forced the church out of its previous home, and the building has been the church's center ever since.
CBC's motto, repeated on every welcome card, sums up its life together: Adopted In. Growing Up. Reaching Out. The phrase is both mission and rhythm. It shapes a Sunday schedule built around two identical worship services, weekly Equip classes that run alongside each service, and a calendar of community groups, men's and women's ministries, midweek Awana for kids, and a robust student ministry for middle and high schoolers. On any given week, five generations are gathered under one roof.
Sunday Mornings: Two Services, Equip Before Each
Sunday worship takes place in the Sanctuary at 9:00 am and again at 10:45 am. Both services run just over an hour and follow the same general order. Before each service, an hour-long Equip class meets at 9:00 am and 10:45 am in the Fireside Room and Room 101, offering adults a deeper teaching time alongside the second service so that anyone can plug in without missing the sermon. Equip topics rotate through the year; the gatherings are a way to help each believer grow up through biblical literacy and Christian service.
Visitors can park in the front or back lot, follow the signs into the sanctuary, and grab coffee and a snack at the coffee bar before service. Dress is casual, and the greeters at the door will hand a newcomer a bulletin and answer questions. A livestream of the 9:00 am service runs on the church's YouTube channel each Sunday morning for those at home or out of town.
A Church That Calls Itself Family
The single word visitors hear most often at CBC is "family." Family means a multigenerational gathering of God's people who are passionate about the person of Jesus. The church's mission statement is short and steady: We are a multigenerational church dedicated to worshipping Jesus, growing personally & spiritually, & reaching others with the Gospel.
CBC's roots stretch back more than a century. In 1918, three Central Point churches: a Baptist, a Methodist, and a Presbyterian, joined together into a single fellowship called the First Federated Church, finding doctrinal agreement around salvation by grace through faith in Christ. After a move in 1946, the congregation renamed itself Community Bible Church. The renaming was deliberate: the leaders wanted the simple, straightforward theology of the Bible to direct the church, rather than become attached to any one denominational idea. CBC is non-denominational and does not belong to a national convention or network.
What CBC Believes
The church's statement of faith rests on seven convictions. CBC believes the Bible is the inspired, only infallible, authoritative Word of God. There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church affirms the deity of Jesus Christ: his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, vicarious and atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and personal return in power and glory. Salvation comes through regeneration by the Holy Spirit and is essential for the lost. The present ministry of the Holy Spirit indwells every believer and enables a godly life. There will be a resurrection of both the saved and the lost: to life for the saved, to damnation for the lost. And CBC affirms the spiritual unity of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Elders, Deacons, and Pastoral Staff
CBC is led by an elder team composed of pastoral staff and qualified men from the congregation. Elders are nominated by the church family, examined by the sitting elders, and affirmed by congregational vote; they lead through decision-making and direction-setting and serve as the church's primary teachers. Deacons are nominated by the church family, examined by the elders, and affirmed by the congregation; they care for the facility, facilitate ministries, and serve the church family through prayer, financial assistance, and practical help. Major decisions like staffing and budget are brought before the whole congregation for a vote of affirmation.
Three pastors share the day-to-day ministry of the church:
- Kevin Hearne, Lead Pastor. On staff at CBC since August 2011. Married to Janelle Hearne since 1997, with four sons. Holds a B.S. in Mathematics from The Master's College and an M.Div. and D.Min. from Western Seminary.
- Dale Bitterling, Executive Pastor. On staff since February 2002. Married to Debbie Bitterling since 1989, with two adult children and five grandchildren. B.S. from Southern Oregon State College.
- Eddie Hertel, Student Pastor. On staff since December 2021. Married to Elisabeth Hertel since July 2020. B.A. and M.Div. from Cedarville.
The ministry staff includes Jeromy Siracusa as Worship Ministries Director, Kathleen Aupperle as Children's Ministry Director, and Jennifer Morse as Women's Ministry Director.
Children at CBC: Gospel Project Classes and Awana
CBC teaches its children using The Gospel Project, a Christ-centered, chronological curriculum that walks kids through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Children's ministries meet in classes during both services. At 9:00 am there are classes for nursery under 2, 2-3 year olds, 4-5 year olds, K-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade, 4th-5th grade, 6th-8th grade, and 9th-12th grade. At 10:45 am the children's wing offers nursery under 2, 2-3 year olds, 4-5 year olds, and K-3rd grade. A private moms and babies room is available during services, with snacks, a changing table, and sermon audio for moms with infants.
On Wednesday nights during the school year, CBC hosts Awana from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Awana runs from September through April and includes games, handbook time, and large-group teaching. Registration is open through the church's online signups.
Student Ministries: Middle School, High School, and Student Equip
The student ministry exists to disciple students in the gospel so that they would learn, love, and live Jesus Christ. Both middle school (6th-8th grade) and high school (9th-12th grade) groups meet together on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, learning from the Bible, connecting with peers, and building relationships with leaders who are passionate about helping them grow in Christ. On Sunday mornings, students gather for Student Equip at 9:00 am, a teaching hour that runs alongside the first worship service. Students are then encouraged to sit with their families at the 10:45 am service, where middle schoolers and high schoolers join their parents in the sanctuary. The student ministry maintains its own Facebook and Instagram pages and sends a parent newsletter.
Adults: Equip Classes and Community Groups
Adult ministry at CBC centers on Equip Classes on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am and 10:45 am, and a network of Community Groups that meet in homes throughout the week. Community Groups are organized by life stage: College, Young Marrieds and Singles, Young Families and Singles (multiple groups), Middle Age (multiple groups), Seniors (multiple groups), and Multi-Generational (multiple groups). Newcomers can fill out a Community Group Application to find a good fit.
Men: Bible Study and Brothers' Keepers
Men at the church have two main on-ramps. Men's Bible Study meets on Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:30 am in Room 203, led by Vern Weaver. There is no charge. For men who want a smaller circle, Brothers' Keepers groups meet on Mondays at 6:00 am in the Conference Room, led by David Hooper, and on Thursdays at 6:30 pm in Room 203. Both Brothers' Keepers groups focus on the same two things: accountability and Bible study. New men are welcome at any time.
Women: Bible Studies, Fellowship, and a Year of Events
Women's ministry at CBC runs from September through April each year, with multiple weekly Bible studies. Ladies' Tuesday Morning Bible Study meets from 9:30 to 11:15 am in the Fireside Room, and a Ladies' Tuesday Evening Bible Study meets from 6:30 to 8:15 pm in the same room. A Wednesday morning study runs from 10:00 to 11:30 am.
Beyond Bible study, women's ministry has a rich weekly and monthly rhythm. Quilting meets on Fridays from 9:00 am to noon in Rooms 101 and 102, welcoming women of all ages and skill levels to work on personal projects and projects that benefit the CBC family and organizations in the wider community. Women's Fellowship Night gathers on the first Friday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the Fireside Room for a relaxed, come-as-you-are evening of crafts, games, and friendship. StrongHER Together is a women's active ministry built around hiking, pickleball, and other activities, meeting on the third Saturday of each month. Sister Care is the church's compassion arm for women, responding to widows, new mothers, and women in difficult seasons with prayer, presence, and practical help.
Women's Ministry Director Jennifer Morse also coordinates three yearly signature gatherings: a January brunch called Tropical Paradice, an A Proper English Tea in May, a fall women's event in October, and a Holiday Bazaar in November.
Reaching Out: Missionaries and Local Partners
The Reaching Out part of CBC's motto is most visible in its missions ministry. The church supports missionaries and partner ministries around the world and across the Rogue Valley:
- Isaac and Amber Rodgers with Mission Aviation Fellowship
- Aaron and Kimberly Knapp with Ethnos 360 in Missouri
- Mike Broyles with Lifeline Global
- Matt and Kimberly Davis with Reach Global in London
- Jon and Sharla Rubesh with CORD
- Bryan and Shara Moritz with Ethnos 360
- J and B K. with Reach Global (Pathways) in South Asia
- HD with Reach Global in North Africa
- Don and Susan Thayer in the United States
Local partners include CEF Jackson (Child Evangelism Fellowship of Medford), Wilderness Trails, Youth 71Five Ministries, the Medford Pregnancy Center, Pacific Bible College, Medford Gospel Mission, and Hearts with a Mission. A dedicated missions line on the giving page allows members to direct funds specifically toward these partnerships, and a separate youth missions fund supports student outreach.
Pastoral Reflections and Sermon Library
Lead Pastor Kevin Hearne and other pastors write a regular column called Pastoral Reflections. Recent pieces have asked How Many Isaiahs? (a defense of the unity of the book of Isaiah from Isaiah 40), encouraged members to take up reading in an AI-saturated world, reflected on earnest love in action after a sermon on 1 Peter 4, looked at servant leadership from a scriptural rather than corporate lens, and shared a personal story of forgiveness cut from a recent sermon. Sermon audio and video are archived on the church's YouTube channel and distributed as a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
A Bookstall, a Mortgage, and a Calendar
Near the Welcome Desk on Sunday mornings, CBC runs a small bookstall with curated titles at lower-than-Amazon prices: novels, theology, parenting, biographies, graphic novels for kids. Lead Pastor Kevin Hearne keeps the selection and writes about new additions in his reflections. The church is also working to retire its mortgage by 2030, with a dedicated giving line on the online giving page. Online giving runs through PayPal; envelopes are available at the welcome center on Sundays and at the church office during business hours; and donations can be mailed to the church at 500 N 10th St, Central Point, OR 97502.
The full calendar can be subscribed to through Google Calendar, Outlook, or an .ics file. The office is closed on Mondays and during holidays.
Next Steps for Visitors and Members
Anyone curious about CBC can take the next step at their own pace. Newcomers are invited to fill out a "New to CBC + Update Info" form. The church offers a New to CBC class for those wanting to learn more, a Membership Application for those ready to join, a Baptism Application for those ready to take that step, and an "I'd Like to Serve" form for those wanting to jump in. Community Groups, Ladies' Bible Studies, Brothers' Keepers, and Awana all have their own short applications through Church Center, the church's online registration system.