Rick Reeves, Elder, Lead Pastor

Spouse/Kids:  Ali and I have been married since 2011 and have two daughters, Joey and Brooks, and our son Rowan.

Testimony:  I started following Jesus when I was 23 years old.  I literally woke up one morning and said, "Okay God, I'm going to try you out, so please help me."  That was not quite the “sinner’s prayer” you will find on your evangelism track.  I started attending Roseburg Christian Fellowship and a few months later my mom and I were baptized together in the Umpqua River.  I don't remember the exact date my heart was awakened to the Gospel.  I didn't write it in a book, carve it on a tree, or change my FB status to Christian, and it wasn't until I moved to Reno in 2007 to chase a career in mixed martial arts (MMA) that my heart was gripped by the Gospel. 

I attended a church called Living Stones, which was passionate about declaring the Gospel.  Shortly after, my desire for MMA faded and my new desire was to preach the Gospel and plant a church back in Oregon.  In February of 2015 the six year training and preparation process came to an end and Living Stones sent our family to plant Gospel Community Church.

Evidences of Grace:  The biggest evidence of grace in my life was moving to Reno.  I hated Reno, and I know hate is a strong word, but dislike falls short.  I wanted so bad to get out of there but at the same time felt like God was calling me to settle in. I was thinking a year, but God was thinking more like eight.  I wouldn't exchange those eight years for anything.  It was there I grew in a deeper understanding of the gospel, understood the importance of community, met my wife, had our first child, was equipped for ministry, was challenged to face my past, and grew to understand the importance of transparency.  

Favorite Book(s): The book that's had the biggest impact on me is probably Gospel Wakefulness or Jesus Plus Nothing=Everything, but my favorite is probably The Prodigal God.  I'm currently reading Saturate and Leading with Love.  

Favorite Movie: My favorite movie and probably the movie I quote the most is Dumb and Dumber, and my favorite quote from it would be, "but what if they shot you in the face?"  

Hobbies/Interests: My hobbies or what I enjoy the most are dates and mini vacations with my wife, spending time with my family, and hunting.  Since God gave me girls, I'm hoping one of them takes up my passion for hunting since I've taking up their passions for dance parties, playing kitchen, and grocery store checkout.  I think if you saw me doing ballet with them you would agree that it's a fair tradeoff.  

Obscure Facts/Secrets: I share this with a lot of reservation but my nick names throughout my life have been "Big Dog," "Bubs," and "RICKY!!!" if I was in trouble. My fight nick names were "The Holy Terror," and "Pretty Ricky."  For the record, I had no say in any of these!

I want my GCC family to know:  My greatest passion is the gospel and my heart’s desire is to preach and share the gospel with as many people as I can with the time God gives me.  I love our church family and have been blown away by what God has done at GCC and look forward to what he has in store.  

I began attending a campus ministry called Cru, and that was where I learned how to walk by faith, communicate my faith, and multiply my faith into others. I now serve as the director of Cru here at the University of Oregon.

Evidences of Grace: My wife, Sarah, has consistently been a person who points me to Jesus. I am so grateful for her, and she has had one of the largest impacts on my faith.

Favorite Movie(s): Miracle. I grew up playing hockey (I started when I was 4!), so this movie will always be one of my favorites! 

Favorite Book(s): My favorite fiction book is The Book Thief, and my favorite Christian book would definitely be Prodigal God by Tim Keller. 

Hobbies/Interest: I love anything to do with sports or the Seattle Kraken, the NHL’s newest hockey team. I also enjoy traveling, spending time with my family, playing board games, and exploring waterfalls/nature. 

Obscure Facts/Secrets: I used to teach 8th grade Language Arts in Priest River, Idaho before moving to Eugene. I also coached two seasons of Cross Country, where only 5 girls showed up for the team (by the way, I have never run cross country!).

I want my GCC family to know: That I desire for our church family to love Jesus more deeply today than we did yesterday. What I love most is to help people walk more closely with God and share their faith with others.

Evidences of Grace: God continues to draw my family and I to him despite our rebellious hearts and that he has put people and churches in our life that point to the Gospel of grace.

Favorite Book(s): An impactful book that I have read recently is Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism by Tim Keller. In the realm of fiction I am a big nerd and enjoy sci-fi and fantasy books (e.g., Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, Hyperion Cantos).

Hobbies/Interests: I really enjoy spending time outside with my family. We enjoy rock climbing, skiing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, and paddleboarding.

Obscure Facts/Secrets: I have moved a lot, both as a child and as a younger adult. I have lived in eight states in the US and three provinces in South Korea (not counting extended rock climbing trips living out of the back of a truck with Jess). The longest I have ever lived at a particular address is my current house (five years as of June, 2024). While I enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to be a vagabond, my family and I are very happy to have settled in Eugene.

I want my GCC family to know: That we are all sinners in need of a Savior (e.g., Romans 3:21-26) and that the Christian life is meant to be lived in community (e.g., Hebrews 10:23-25).