My name is Brandon Rukes, and I am the Senior Pastor at the Griffith First Christian Church.

I've been coming to GFCC since I was 4 years old, I was baptized on May 13, 2001, and I got into leadership here at GFCC when I was 16 years old! I love my church, I love this family, and I love what I do here.

Currently, my go-to Bible verse right now is Romans 5:8 which says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." None of us have it all together, myself especially. But I can still be used and loved by God even in my failures.

My dream and goal this year is for our church family to become much more grounded in the Word this year and to grow in our spiritual maturity. This is my goal for myself, my family, my church leadership, and my whole church family.

Favorite Bible verse is John 13:35 - By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

I began to come to GFCC in the fall of 2020. We came because we were looking for a church that we could call home. A place where you were accepted no matter what. And we found that here!

The role includes managing the weekend worship experience; assisting or leading all areas of outreach (which includes family outreach, local outreach, the New Elliott Ministry Center, and global outreach/missions); assisting in the relaunch of our fellowship/events ministry; and overseeing GFCC’s ministry presence.

In my free time, I love to spend time with my family and friends. My wife Rachel and I also love to venture into Chicago to see different musicals and shows.

Favorite Bible Verse James 1:2-3 — Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

I started coming in March of 2018, at the first Saturday service. And now, I currently lead the children's ministry. In my free time, I love to travel, especially on a cruise ship.

The role of an elder is a vital one… Not only for the safety and health of Griffith First Christian Church (GFCC) but for the church body of the entire world. Below are some background information on who we believe our elders should be at GFCC and what they are responsible for. Please pray for our elders, they are strong men of faith who can use all of the prayers of wisdom and discernment they can get. An Elder is not simply a title or an office, but it is a lifestyle that describes what he does, who he is, and how he thinks.

Elder Responsibilities:
P - Prayer (Acts 6)
P - Preach / Teach (Acts 6)
P - Policy (Acts 15) – They write policy to hand to the staff to execute it
P - Protect (Acts 20) – Doctrine
P - Pastor (Acts 20) – Pastoral Care

Episkopos – overseer, bishop, guardian, stresses what an elder does

Presbyteros – elder, older person, stresses who an elder is

Poimēn – shepherd, pastor, stresses how an elder thinks & acts

1st Timothy 3:1-7 (NIV) — Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

Titus 1:6-9 (NIV) — An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe [or children who are trustworthy] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Bylaws, Article V. Section 1: The elders are to serve as shepherds of the church, overseeing its ministry. The elders shall be the only governing body with authority over the church and shall have responsibility for every aspect of the church program. Elders will appoint to vacant offices.

After reviewing the role and confirming that they meet the biblical qualifications of an elder listed above, nominees should be strong men of faith, who have shown good leadership & shepherding capabilities. We currently have nominations during the fall season, for terms that start on January 1 of the following year. More information on specifics will be given in October/November.