A Church on the West Side of Highway 169
Rejoice Church sits on the west side of Highway 169 in Owasso, Oklahoma, just off the E. 106th Street North exit. Three Sunday morning services and a packed calendar of midweek programs draw families from Owasso and the surrounding towns of Collinsville, Oologah, Skiatook, Sperry, and Claremore. The driving idea behind everything that happens here is the mission statement: "Leading all generations of our neighbors and nations to follow Jesus."
From the Owasso Theater to 106th Street
Rejoice started in 1956 with about thirty people meeting around town, mostly in the old Owasso Theater. Within three years, the congregation built a home on Atlanta Avenue and spent the next three decades growing there. In 1992, the church relocated to its current campus on 106th Street. Today, more than six decades after that first gathering, the same building still serves as the home base for a church that now partners with missionaries from Green Country to Chicago, Mexico, China, Haiti, and the Ivory Coast.
Casey Cariker has served as Lead Pastor since 2011, after eight years as Youth Pastor and two as Associate Pastor. He grew up in the church and is a graduate of Owasso High School and Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City, where he earned a BS in Secondary Education and Bible. He later completed the RZIM Apologetics Online Academy and did master's work at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He sits on the board of We Start Churches and personally mentors more than twenty-five pastors around the world.
Three Sunday Mornings, One Livestream
Worship services run at 8:45, 10:00, and 11:15 a.m. each Sunday, with each gathering lasting just over an hour. The 10:00 a.m. service also livestreams on YouTube and Facebook Live for those joining from home. The dress code is casual; the congregation comes as it is. Guests are never asked to give, and a free gift waits at the information desk for first-time visitors.
Children and students have their own rhythm during the morning. Early Childhood Ministry (ECM) welcomes kids from birth through kindergarten during every adult service. RCKids serves first through fifth graders at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Sixth through twelfth graders join UnCommon for Sunday morning small groups at 9:30 a.m.
Beliefs and the Five Pillars
The church holds to a clear set of evangelical convictions. Members believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They affirm the deity of Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious and atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and personal return in power and glory. They believe regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential for salvation and that the Bible is the inspired, only infallible, authoritative Word of God. The church also teaches the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, and the spiritual unity of believers in Christ.
Five values shape everything Rejoice does. Leadership means reproducing disciples to advance the Kingdom through the local church. Generations means faithfully remembering every season of life, from the womb to eternity. Neighbors means relating intentionally to those in the home and across the street. Nations means reaching boldly those who rarely or never hear the good news. Follow Jesus means responding obediently to his life-changing call.
Kids Ministry: ECM and RCKids
Early Childhood Ministry provides a loving, safe, learning environment during every adult worship service, where children from birth through kindergarten have fun with other children while learning three foundational truths: God made me, God loves me, and I will obey Him.
RCKids serves first through fifth graders with quality elementary-age programming aimed at spiritual transformation. The ministry teaches that life change is program-driven, but life transformation is Holy Spirit-driven. Children attend on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. and again on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
A dedicated special needs ministry serves children who need one-on-one attention. Every child is checked in upon arrival, receives a name sticker, and a matching claim sticker is given to the parent or guardian. No child leaves without the matching sticker. Julie Boyer serves as Director of Kids Ministries, and Ryan Golightly serves as Pastor of Family Ministries.
UnCommon Students
UnCommon, the student ministry, welcomes students from sixth through twelfth grade and extends into college age. Sunday morning small groups at 9:30 a.m. and Wednesday worship from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. give students a place to go deeper in the Bible and apply it to everyday life, while also building friendships with other young believers. Devan Sexton and Avery Sexton serve together as Youth and Young Adult Ministers.
Groups, Serving, and the DEVELOP Internship
Rejoice Groups gather across Owasso and beyond to help believers grow in faith, learn from one another, and share burdens. Groups meet at various times and locations throughout the week and are designed to fit the rhythms of working adults, families, and students.
Serving opportunities include the Welcome Team, which greets guests on Sunday mornings, and Worship Arts, which brings music, lighting, and visual media to the services with on-stage and behind-the-scenes roles. The DEVELOP Internship invites college students and young adults to spend three months to a year gaining hands-on ministry experience in a godly coaching environment. The internship is paid, and lodging is provided.
Next Steps from First Step to Giving
Rejoice lays out a clear path for newcomers. First Step is a casual lunch held in the church Café several times a year at 12:30 p.m. Guests meet staff and group leaders, hear the church's history and beliefs, and learn how to get connected. Childcare is provided for the whole family. From there, members are encouraged to move through four steps: Salvation and Baptism, Community, Serving, and Giving.
Giving and the Rejoice Foundation
Giving happens online through Planning Center Giving, in person by cash or check using envelopes found in the seat backs, or through stock gifts. Recurring ACH gifts keep processing fees to a flat thirty cents per transaction. All donations are tax-deductible, with annual giving statements mailed each January.
Through giving, Rejoice supports missionaries in more than thirty ministries from Green Country to Chicago, Mexico, China, Haiti, and the Ivory Coast. Local outreach includes partnerships with single moms, support for senior adults, shoe drives for local families, and one of the largest responses in the nation to Operation Christmas Child and Samaritan's Purse each winter.
The Rejoice Foundation is the church's separate giving arm, securing the gospel for today and tomorrow. The Foundation funds evangelical ministries locally (Arubah Community Clinic, His House, John 3:16, Neighbors in Need, Owasso Community Resources, Rejoice Christian School, and The Spring), nationally (American Dream Center, The Harvest Church, and We Start Churches), and globally (Hope Alive Church, Operation Christmas Child, Samaritan's Purse, and The Hope Project). John Manning chairs the Foundation board, and Susan Dilks serves as vice chairman.
The Staff and How to Reach Them
Casey Cariker leads as Lead Pastor, with Ryan Golightly as Pastor of Family Ministries, Michael Boggs as Worship Pastor, and Joshua Riggs as Pastor of Operations. Julie Boyer directs Kids Ministries, while Devan Sexton and Avery Sexton shepherd Youth and Young Adult Ministries.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can plan a visit, watch the livestream on YouTube, follow along on Facebook and Instagram, request prayer online, or sign up to serve. The church can be reached at 918-272-5291 or hello@rejoicechurch.com.