A Baptist Family in Oak Grove
River Oak Church sits along Great Bridge Boulevard in Chesapeake, Virginia, where the congregation gathers around a single conviction: "Living every day captivated and changed by Jesus." The phrase recurs throughout the ministry, and it shapes both the Sunday gatherings and the many smaller communities that meet throughout the week in the church's own building, which the congregation has occupied since December 2, 2007.
River Oak traces its roots to the early 1990s, when members of South Norfolk Baptist Church began praying about planting a new church in Chesapeake's Oak Grove area. In 1998, South Norfolk Baptist purchased an 11.5-acre parcel on Great Bridge Boulevard to serve as the home for that new work. River Oak held its first worship service on January 23, 1999, at Oscar F. Smith High School under founding pastor Dennis Culbreth. The church was formally constituted on November 26, 2000, and it met in area high schools until the congregation moved into its own facility in late 2007. Heath Burris was called as senior pastor in March 2008, and the building grew in phases over the next sixteen years: a hallway addition (Phase II) finished in 2009, a children's wing (Phase III) in 2013, and the current Worship Center (Phase IV) dedicated in 2021.
Three Pastors Sharing the Pulpit
In 2024, River Oak moved to a co-lead pastor model and called Eric Hammen, Caleb Waldrop, and Blake LaRussa to share leadership. Eric Hammen, a retired Navy chaplain with a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate from Liberty University, serves as Executive Pastor. Caleb Waldrop, who holds a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, leads Teaching and Discipleship. Blake LaRussa, a Master of Divinity graduate of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a former Old Dominion University football player, serves as Teaching and Family Pastor. Each takes regular turns preaching, and each oversees a distinct lane of ministry. Three laypersons - Chad White, Dave Velloney, Jeff Benson, and Rusty Bailey - join the pastors on the Church Council, which functions as the congregation's elders.
The church describes itself as council-led and congregational in governance. The members vote on the annual budget, on the election of officers and council members, on amendments to the constitution and bylaws, and on the call or removal of pastoral staff. Beneath the three lead pastors sits a senior staff team that includes LaGaye MacDowall as Executive Director of Church Care, Sue Hilton as Executive Director of Children, and Summer Michaelson as Executive Director of Missions and Outreach.
Three Sunday Gatherings Plus an Online Service
River Oak meets for worship three times each Sunday at 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 11:15 a.m. The 9:30 a.m. service is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel. The atmosphere is described by the church as informal and modern, with Christ-exalting music led by a worship team of staff and volunteers. The platform team, led by Brandon Thompson, plans and leads music, while Tim Hathaway oversees the production team of camera operators and ProPresenter operators. Every Sunday's singing is grounded in Colossians 3:16, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs chosen to teach and admonish the congregation.
Planning a First Visit
The "I'm New" section lays out practical guidance for a first Sunday. Guests are encouraged to arrive early enough to park, check children in, grab coffee, and find a seat. Signs point to designated New Guest Parking, and the parking team will help anyone who needs it. From the lobby, a greeting team shows new arrivals to the worship center, restrooms, and the children's and student areas. Two Info Central Welcome Desks sit by the lobby doors, staffed throughout the morning. Guests are invited to come as they are; the church does not publish a dress code.
Children from birth through fifth grade are welcomed into a program called ROC Kids. Parents can pre-register online ahead of time or stop at the children's check-in when they arrive. A name label goes on the child and a matching number label goes to the parent, and the church uses the parent's cell phone to reach them during the service. A Nursing Mothers room is on the first floor on the Great Bridge side of the main lobby. For families whose child has special needs, the children's ministry offers a "Buddy" program and a Retreat and Learning room.
Acorn Alley, the Clubhouse, and AWANA
Children's ministry at River Oak is organized around three settings. Acorn Alley serves infants through pre-kindergarten at all three Sunday services using the HyFi curriculum, a twelve-truth Bible program with trained, background-checked volunteers and snacks provided. Gina McCartney directs Acorn Alley with Katie Tucker overseeing the weekday preschool and Donna Boone coordinating nursery and special needs.
The Clubhouse covers kindergarten through fifth grade at all three services. Children begin in a large-group setting for worship and the Bible story, then break into small groups by age to apply the lesson and build friendships. Jennifer Steinwand handles Clubhouse administration, and Christin Fleming coordinates AWANA and children's events.
AWANA meets on Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. for children ages three through fifth grade. The program uses AWANA curriculum for Bible discovery, memory work, games, and small-group discussion but does not use the traditional AWANA handbooks and uniforms. Wednesday evenings are reserved for children whose parents are on site attending an adult group or serving as volunteers. AWANA also has a children's choir and a kids' worship team that lead on Sunday mornings, and rising fourth and fifth graders are invited to CentriKid camp each July.
Students from Middle School Through High School
ROC Students exists to help students know and follow Christ for life. The ministry comes alongside parents as the primary disciplers of teens and offers grade- and gender-specific life groups, Bible studies, and a weekly gathering. Students are encouraged to attend one of the main Sunday services with their families at 8:00, 9:30, or 11:15 a.m., and many then join Sunday morning Life Groups from 9:30 to 10:40 a.m. in The Hub. A Sunday night gathering runs from 6:00 to 7:45 p.m. in The Hub, with hangout time, games, worship, a sermon, and small groups. Wednesday nights add a Middle School Bible study from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. and a High School Bible study from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Blake LaRussa oversees the ministry with Heather Vanderford directing administration and girls' ministry, Lawrence White directing the high school, and Tim Schneider assisting.
The annual MVMT WKND middle school retreat takes place each fall at Triple R Ranch, and a parent email list, weekly text updates (text ROCSTUDENTS to 40650), and student-led volunteer opportunities keep families connected between events.
Adults: Men, Women, Singles, and 55+
Men's Ministry gathers men for godly fellowship and discipleship. The ministry's stated goal is to encourage men to become servant leaders who make disciples, beginning in their homes and extending outward. Events include a monthly men's breakfast, an annual skeet shoot and breakfast at Triple R Ranch, the C4 Cruise-In (a monthly Saturday morning gathering for cars, coffee, and donuts), and SALT, the senior-adult ministry. The ministry offers prayer support and a Bible study program. Liz Andersen has served in various River Oak ministries since 2009 and now directs Women's Ministry, leading women's Bible studies and events such as the Women's Fall Kickoff, Military Wives, and Moms of Littles, a biweekly Thursday morning group with childcare provided for mothers of infants through preschoolers.
Chase Rice directs Singles Ministry, and Zach Ginn serves as Groups and Senior Adults Pastor. The SALT ministry, which stands for Senior Adults Living Transformed, meets monthly at midday in The Hub for lunch, fellowship, and an encouraging message, and it also runs a Navigating Medicare seminar and outreach to local senior living facilities.
Care Ministry in the Hard Places
Care Ministry exists to offer compassionate care and discipleship in authentic community, anchored in John 10:10: "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." LaGaye MacDowall, a Liberty University-trained counselor, leads the ministry with Care Ministry Assistant Eve Williams. Care Groups include GriefShare (a thirteen-week support group), DivorceCare, Financial Peace University, Hope Wanted for job seekers, Military Wives, Moms of Littles, Single & Parenting, Marriage Mentor Training, Step by Step Blended Family, Homeschool Fellowship and Field Trips, Caregivers Connection, Threads of Love & Care, and a young men's Bible study partnered with the ROC Stars special-needs ministry.
Care Ministry also runs the compassionate response team, which includes Caregivers Connection for hospital and home visits, Serving Spoons for meal provision during difficult seasons, and TLC: Threads of Love & Care. Volunteers are trained through the Gifted Helper program, and the ministry partners with Kairos Prison Ministry International, which receives cookies made by the women's ministry for delivery to inmates.
What River Oak Believes
River Oak Church subscribes to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the confession of the Southern Baptist Convention. The full text is organized around eighteen articles. The church teaches the inspiration and total truthfulness of Scripture, one God in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the creation of humanity in God's image, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the eternal security of the believer, baptism by immersion of believers as a prerequisite for church membership and the Lord's Supper, the autonomy of the local congregation, the symbolic memorial of the Lord's Supper, the Christian observance of the Lord's Day, the kingdom of God, the personal return of Christ, the obligation of every Christian to share the gospel, Christian education, cheerful and systematic stewardship, voluntary cooperation among churches, religious liberty, and the family as the foundational institution of human society.
The church's own summary of its faith adds that following Jesus is not contained to one hour of the week, and that what happens on Sunday has to matter on Monday. Four values frame the ministry: "We are about the Gospel. We Grow Together. We Impact the World. We are a Place of Grace." Four measures are set out as personal questions for every member: "Am I following completely? Am I changing continuously? Am I living generously? Am I multiplying disciples?"
Going Out: Missions and Outreach
Missions and Outreach is directed by Summer Michaelson. The church sends out and supports missionaries - in November 2023, Pastor Kyle Totty and his family were sent out as full-time missionaries to Lesotho, Africa - and it organizes short-term trips including a Belize Medical Mission Trip, a Hope of Life Spring Break family-friendly trip, and a Family Camping Weekend at Cape Charles. The Coffee & Dessert Ministry Update gathers mission partners such as Alexsa and Armia Samuel for sharing and prayer.
Within Hampton Roads, the church partners with local outreach efforts and supports ministries such as Kairos Prison Ministry. The church's own story includes the development of ROC STARS, a special-needs ministry whose young adults participate in Bible studies and life groups alongside other River Oak members.
Serving Inside the Building
River Oak runs an extensive volunteer program with openings in children's ministry, student ministry, worship (Platform and Production teams), Care Ministry, First Impressions, and the Compassion response team. Children's ministry volunteers are scheduled by service hour, with needs at 8:00 for Twos, Kindergarten, first grade, and Buddies; at 9:30 for Twos, Threes, Kindergarten, third grade, fourth and fifth grade girls, and Buddies; and at 11:15 for Twos, PreK, Kindergarten, third grade, fourth and fifth grade girls, and Buddies. Care Ministry seeks DivorceCare co-leaders, a co-leader for the young men's Bible study, Friends of Military Wives support team members, ReGeneration mentors, and Prayer Team members. The Production Team recruits camera operators and ProPresenter operators. All volunteers are background-checked and trained.
Equipping the Next Generation of Leaders
Through a partnership with Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, River Oak hosts the EQUIP Network, a seminary-level course program open to anyone in the church. Courses are available for credit or audit and are appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students. Interested participants first enroll at SEBTS using the code SEBTSEQUIP to waive the enrollment fee, and classes meet on a weeknight for twelve weeks.
Baptism and Membership
Baptism at River Oak is by immersion and is described in detail, drawing on Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 1:9-10, and Romans 6:3-4. Anyone who would like to be baptized fills out a baptism form and attends an orientation class before the baptism service. The church offers a children's baptism interest form for parents considering their child's baptism.
Giving and Staying Connected
The church supports three giving options: online giving through the Realm portal, text-to-give by texting RIVEROAK and the amount to 73256, and cash or check during weekend gatherings or by mail to the church address. Weekly text updates, a newsletter, and a weekly Discussion Guide accompany the sermon each Sunday. RightNow Media is available free to anyone in the church, providing a streaming library of Bible studies, video series, and resources for children and adults.
River Oak Church gathers on Great Bridge Boulevard as a council-led, congregational Baptist church shaped by its history as a South Norfolk Baptist plant and its current identity as a multi-staff ministry led by three co-lead pastors. From AWANA on Wednesday nights to SALT luncheons for senior adults, from middle school retreats to short-term mission trips to Belize, the church's calendar reflects a single conviction: that following Jesus shapes every part of life, beginning on Sunday and continuing all week long.