It’s been a few months since Generation Church in Fountain Hills welcomed Jake Rogers as the new campus pastor of the church. Since then, he’s been busy finding ways to bring the community together in creative ways.

Movie nights, Nerf wars, car shows and drop-off-the-kids date nights for parents are all things Rogers has in the works at Generation Church.

“My job is to bring the community together and it really fits well because this is such a community-drive town,” Rogers said, adding that Generation Church is one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation.

Rogers started in ministry 24 years ago in Phoenix before moving to California to serve as a religious advisor at the University of Southern California and then as campus pastor for the Dream Center, a Pentecostal network of community centers in Los Angeles. In 2017, Rogers moved back to Phoenix with his family and began working for JC Supercars, a faith-based, nonprofit hot rod shop providing education and employment to recovering addicts.

As a lover of cars and a with a background in ministry, Rogers began mentoring at-risk teenagers in a program called Man Up Mentoring, teaching youth basic tasks like checking tire pressure and changing the oil to more in-depth projects like restoring classic cars. The program also hosts industry professionals to hold presentations, providing an opportunity for young people to ask questions and get a glimpse into a new trade.

At Generation Church, Rogers provides the same level of mentoring for those struggling with “hurts, habits and hangups,” through its Celebrate Recovery program and other mentoring services currently in the works.

“I think that’s what the church is made for, is to take care of people that are struggling who can’t take care of themselves and work on building stronger marriages and family,” Rogers said, who recently met with leaders in the school district to see how Generation Church can help provide a place for students to learn, grow and have fun.

The Rogers family

Jake Rogers and his wife, Sarah, moved to Fountain Hills in June with their two daughters, Makayla and Hope, who are both enrolled in the Fountain Hills Unified School District and taking part in youth theater productions at the Fountain Hills Theater.

Jake and Sarah met in 2005 when Jake was serving as a pastor for the Dream Center in L.A. Sarah, who is a Daytime Emmy Award-winning senior producer, traveled to L.A. to produce a story for the Dr. Phil show about the Dream Center, which housed approximately 300 individuals displaced during Hurricane Katrina.

“Here we are, 16 years later,” Sarah said, who is happy to call Fountain Hills home.

Rogers invites the community to take part in any upcoming events at Generation Church including the Nerf Wars event on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 9 a.m. to noon and an evening of worship and teaching at its upcoming Men’s Night on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m.

“For Generation Church, it’s not just about the church service,” Rogers said. “It’s also about community and helping out and taking care of the people around us.”

Generation Church is located at 16239 E. Ironwood Dr. For information about Generation Church and its upcoming events, visit generation.church/events.