Jesus described his kingdom using a story of a great banquet. In the story there were two groups of people invited to the banquet. The first group had opportunities and options. Their calendars were full of business and social opportunities. This group declined the banquet invitation. The second group was located in the streets and alleys, along the roads and country lanes. They were poor, crippled, blind and lame. They accepted the invitation.
Impact Temple is a church plant aligning with God’s heart and the reality of his kingdom as seen in this story. We want those who are wealthy in the eyes of the world to prioritize the banquet and live simple lives that are not too busy for the kingdom. We want the banquet invitation extended to the poor, crippled, blind and lame. We want to remove barriers to the kingdom by planting a church that is accessible and reflects the diverse people God has placed in the East Temple community.
Roy Rhodes came to Impact in August 2019 in order to pursue God’s calling to serve a church that reaches across socio-economic lines and seeking to overcome cultural barriers with the good news of Jesus. Roy graduated from Oklahoma Christian University in 2009 and completed a Master of Divinity Degree from Abilene Christian University in 2015. Prior to coming to Impact, Roy served in church ministry in Houston, San Angelo, and oversees in Chemnitz, Germany.
As a husband and father of three children, Roy’s passion is in seeing the God’s kingdom transform lives, families, and our local neighborhood through discipleship and restoration.
Ashley Ash became part of the Impact family in 2017 while navigating her own personal crisis. Having experienced the powerful grace of Jesus, she has become a spiritual leader committed to sharing the Gospel with everyone around her. In 2022, Ashley became Impact’s Associate Pastor of Students, leading Impact Youth program and helping coordinate the children’s ministry. As a mother, Pastor Ashley is passionate about helping cultivate healthy family relationships and discipleship among young people. She is also an advocate for spiritual, emotional, and mental health.
Ashley also shares her passion and gifts for worship by leading and organizing Impact’s worship teams.
Bill Scofield joined Impact in 2020, and began serving as a pastoral apprentice in 2021 in response to his discerning a call to church ministry. Bill is a natural disciple-maker, having discovered the saving grace of Jesus through the recovery community, and he has walked alongside many others in their journeys of healing and recovery from addictions and substance abuse. Bill is a key leader at Impact and a jack-of-all-trades. In addition to his pastoral training and discipleship work, he serves the church as facilities manager.
Deni Howard serves our church and the neighborhood by ministering to individuals in need. She is a passionate advocate for our friends who are experiencing homelessness and other forms of social displacement. Her own experiences have equipped her to connect with people in crisis as a resource, advocate, and disciple-maker. She also serves as a key leader in the Impact Clubhouse, our organization that provides a collaborative community for people living with mental illness, disabilities and substance abuse.
Deni also serves as the director of Impact’s warming shelter.
Neil Harbison serves as the executive director of the Impact Clubhouse, our organization that is seeking to cultivate collaborative community of support and empowerment for people living with mental illness, disability, and substance abuse. Neil’s experience and expertise include job placement and employment support, social services, and peer advocacy. He is an advocate for mental and emotional health. Neil is also a professional photographer and assists with Impact’s production and communication.
Impact Temple is a non-denominational church in the East Temple community. Our focus is on God’s expanding Kingdom in marginal places.
Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) We believe the life of a disciple will be marked by great sacrifices in comfort, wealth, power and fame to embrace a simple mission.
Love anticipates, plans and creates space for others to occupy. in our relationship Jesus demonstrated hospitality leaving heaven entering the homes of the marginalized, boats of fishermen, and gathering places for the sick. Hospitality sacrifices our comfort to create physical and relational space for others.
We believe our inner circle of friends and our church as a whole should reflect God’s diverse family. Jesus modeled relational diversity in the disciples he chose and the places he went. At Impact Temple we believe that when Jesus is lifted up a diverse church will be drawn together.
Jesus took the very nature of a servant and he said that the greatest among you will be the servant of all (Mt 23:11). We are intent on serving and sharing our lives with those who are most vulnerable. Our goal is to serve our neighbors in the Temple community in two ways:
Bringing or serving a meal is a great way of showing God’s love for each other. At Impact, we believe that the strongest relationships and community are built through fellowship. Join us for Sunday Church, and then afterward, let’s eat together and get to know each other!
