Tucked along Jefferson Road just outside the Athens, Georgia loop, Oconee Heights Baptist Church is a Bible-centered congregation where Sunday worship, midweek Bible study, and a long-running food ministry all share the same campus. From the front door at 4180 Jefferson Road to the Fellowship Building out back, the church describes itself as "rooted in God's Word, growing in faith, and building real relationships," and the rhythm of the week is built around three simple words: gathering, growing, and going out.
Sunday Mornings on Jefferson Road
The Sunday morning pattern at Oconee Heights is straightforward. Grow Groups for all ages begin at 9:45 am, and the main worship service starts at 11:00 am. The service typically runs about an hour and includes a blend of worship through music, prayer, and biblical teaching. Members describe the music as a mix of traditional hymns and contemporary songs, and the preaching as Bible-based teaching that can be understood and applied to daily life. A nursery is available during both the 9:45 am Grow Groups hour and the 11:00 am worship service.
Visitors are told to come as they are. There is no dress code: some people arrive casual, others dress a bit more. The church sits a few minutes' drive from the Athens loop on Highway 129, and there is plenty of parking, with designated handicap spaces next to a ramp for easy access into the building.
Wednesday Nights in the Fellowship Building
Midweek ministry has a long-established place at Oconee Heights. From 6:30 to 7:30 pm on Wednesdays, the Fellowship Building fills with two parallel gatherings. Adults gather for an Adult Bible Study, a relaxed and welcoming environment for studying Scripture, asking questions, and encouraging one another in faith. Down the hall, children in K through 5th grade meet for Wednesday Kids, an evening of Bible lessons, high-energy games, and time with friends. Parents are welcome to drop children off and head to the adult study, or to attend a service and let their kids go through the children's program at the same time on the same campus.
Grow Groups and Life Groups
The church uses the language of "Grow" intentionally. Gathered around the altar call is not only the Sunday service but the smaller rooms where relationships form week by week.
Sunday Grow Groups run for all ages at 9:45 am and include the Adult Grow Group (a separate gathering also meets for Senior Adult Ladies) along with the Youth & Young Adults Grow Group, which meets in the Fellowship Building. The youth and young adults group is pitched as a relaxed environment where students can study Scripture, ask honest questions, and grow in their walk with Jesus.
Beyond Sunday morning, the church runs two Life Groups that meet on a rotating rhythm. The Men's Life Group gathers weekly for Bible study every other quarter and shifts to monthly fellowship and shared activities during the off quarters. The times include breakfasts, BBQs, conferences, and service projects around the church. The Women's Life Group follows the same rhythm: weekly Bible study every other quarter, with monthly fellowship in between, including potluck meals, a Christmas luncheon, and a ladies' tea. Both groups are framed around the same aim - encourage one another, grow deeper, and do life together in a Christ-centered way.
Children and Youth Ministry
Families are a noticeable focus at Oconee Heights. Children's programming runs across the whole week.
- Sprouts Nursery serves babies, toddlers, and preschoolers during both the 9:45 am Grow Groups and the 11:00 am Worship Service.
- Sunday Grow Group, for K through 5th grade, meets at 9:45 am and uses age-appropriate Bible teaching, fun activities, and caring relationships to help kids know God's Word and grow in faith. Older elementary students are also welcome to stay in the main worship service with their parents if a family prefers to worship together.
- Canopy Kids Children's Church takes place during the 11:00 am service, offering K through 5th grade a service tailored for them.
- Wednesday Kids runs from 6:30 to 7:30 pm and includes lessons, games, and time with friends.
All children's workers and volunteers are background-checked and trained. The Youth & Young Adults Grow Group rounds out the next stage, gathering on Sunday mornings at 9:45 am in the Fellowship Building to study God's Word, encourage one another, and grow in Christ.
Trail Life USA and American Heritage Girls
Two character-development programs call Oconee Heights their charter organization. Trail Life USA Troop GA 3106 is a church-based, Christ-centered mentoring program for boys from kindergarten through 12th grade. The troop meets three times a month at the church campus in Athens and adds at least one special event, activity, or service project each month, typically on weekends. Activities center on outdoor adventure and building character, purpose, and practical leadership skills in a Troop setting.
American Heritage Girls is the sister program for girls, focused on faith, service, and character development. The church has a local troop where girls participate in badge programs, service projects, leadership opportunities, and outdoor experiences, all undergirded by Christian values and family involvement.
Monthly Free-Groceries Giveaway
On the 4th Tuesday of every month, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, the Fellowship Building becomes a food-distribution site. Free groceries are given away to anyone in need, no questions asked. The giveaway is open to the surrounding community and reflects a long-running commitment to meeting practical needs alongside preaching the gospel. People can sign up to receive one or two text reminders each month about the giveaway, and the church provides directions on its contact page.
Community outreach extends beyond the monthly grocery event. The church partners on local projects, responds to needs as they arise, and welcomes anyone who wants to get involved in serving neighbors.
What Oconee Heights Believes
Oconee Heights is a Southern Baptist church and aligns with the foundational beliefs of the Southern Baptist Convention. The church's statement of faith centers on a series of convictions:
- The Bible is God's Word, fully trustworthy and the foundation for what is believed and how members live.
- God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- God the Father rules over creation with wisdom, power, and love and adopts believers into His family through faith in Christ.
- God the Son is the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary; He lived a sinless life, died on the cross in the place of sinners, and rose again.
- God the Holy Spirit is fully God, active today, pointing people to Christ, convicting of sin, and empowering the church to worship, serve, and share the gospel.
- Humanity is created in God's image as male and female, but is separated from God by sin and in need of redemption.
- Salvation is God's gift of grace, received by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, through whose death and resurrection full payment for sin is made and eternal redemption is secured.
- The Church is a local body of baptized believers who gather to worship, grow in God's Word, encourage one another, and serve together.
- Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, an act of obedience that publicly pictures the buried old life and raised new life in Christ.
- Family is a gift from God: marriage is the covenant union of one man and one woman for life, husband and wife are equal in value before God, children are a blessing, and parents are called to raise their children in the Lord.
The church's mission is to build a church family rooted in Scripture, growing in faith, and living for the glory of God. Its vision is for the community to be connected to Christ through a healthy, gospel-centered church. The four core values repeated across the site are rooted in Scripture, authentic in worship, dependent on God, and connected to community. Members summarize their strategy as "Gathering Together, Growing Deeper, Going Out."
The Leadership Team
Senior Pastor Jeff Gossett leads the church. Originally from Greenville, Kentucky, Jeff placed his faith in Jesus at 17, moved to Georgia at 18, and after years in the business world, attended Liberty University, where he earned a Master of Divinity from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2013. Before coming to Oconee Heights he served as a youth pastor, minister of evangelism, chaplain, senior adult pastor, and lead pastor. He and his wife, Karolyn, have been married since 1991 and have four adult children, two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren.
Savannah Dennis serves as worship leader. A lifelong resident of Winder, Georgia, Savannah committed her life to Jesus at age 8 and sensed a call to worship ministry at 18. She is attending Toccoa Falls College to study music while preparing for Sunday services and working as a nutritionist at a daycare.
Chris Dennis is the Discipleship Ministry Leader and a deacon. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Chris came to faith at 11, married his wife Kristy in 2000, and moved to Athens in 2012 with their three children. He works for Social Circle City Schools and is pursuing a Master of Divinity through Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches the Wednesday night Adult Grow Group and helps lead the church's Grow Groups overall.
Brian Lane is Men's Ministry Leader, a deacon, and the drummer on the Sunday worship team. He grew up in Powder Springs, Georgia, came to faith at 17, and has been a member at Oconee Heights since 2017 along with his wife, Kristina, and their two children.
Giving and Staying Connected
Giving is framed as an act of worship and a response to God's grace. Members may give through cash or checks during the 11:00 am Sunday worship service, by mailing a check to the church address, or through secure online giving by debit card, credit card, or direct bank transfer. Regular updates, prayer requests, and sermon archives are available through the church's social media and YouTube channel, where recent sermon series including "Where Are We Going?" and "Preparing for Spiritual Victory" can be watched or revisited.
Visitors who want to plan ahead can use the church's online Plan Your Visit page or reach out by email at oconeeheights4180@gmail.com or by phone and text at (706) 548-4600. The church address, 4180 Jefferson Rd, Athens, GA 30607, sits a short drive from the loop on Highway 129, where a Bible-centered congregation, a working food ministry, and two character-development troops share the same campus week after week.