Who We Are
Our Mission The purpose of our church is to worship God the Father and Jesus Christ, His son, to build up His body (the church) through the teaching of sound doctrine from the Bible, and to evangelize and minister to other, locally and beyond, as God enables us through and by His spirit. New Here?Our sermonssabbath keeping church
Greater Phoenix Church of God is a Sabbath-keeping church. We celebrate the holy days of the Bible, including:
Greater Phoenix Church of God is a Sabbath-keeping church. We celebrate the holy days of the Bible, including:
- Passover
- Days of Unleavened Bread
- Pentecost
- Feast of Trumpets
- Day of Atonement
- Feast of Tabernacles / Last Great Day
Our Story
We are truly a community church, and our congregants hail from all corners of the Valley of the Sun. We honor each individual who comes to worship with us. Together, we are eager to grow in knowledge and faith while we learn of God’s plans for our lives. Our church is casual and welcoming to all.
Pastor and Wife
Pastors
Keith Hoeck and his wife Judy were influenced, through study and prayer, to commit to and hold fast to the Bible as the one truth that leads to a sincere appreciation of Christ’s sacrifice and the pardon and love that they receive from God. With this promise in hand, he and his wife were baptized into the faith once delivered in 1993. They then were blessed with three lovely girls and continued keeping the faith while attending the Greater Phoenix Church of God.
When opportunity arose to learn, Mr. Hoeck went on to learn under longtime minister Mr. Harold Cormany. This is where he spoke his first sermonette.
He is happy to be back with the Greater Phoenix Church of God. Mr. Hoeck was ordained in October 2019 by Mr. Cookman and the Greater Phoenix Congregation.
With more than three decades of biblical study experience, he hopes to bring all who seek God to a clearer picture the Bible paints. As a representative of the kingdom, he believes we should be subject to the Lord in all areas of life. Through speaking, Mr. Hoeck also empathetically wants to help other followers set priorities and create the balance they need between this world and God.
Pastor and Wife
Pastors
Jim Cookman became associated with Sabbath-keeping churches of God in 1961 after listening to the World Tomorrow Radio program for several months on a station in Phoenix. Mr. Cookman was baptized in 1963 and later ordained in the early 1970s as a deacon in the Worldwide Church of God. He took years of leadership and Bible-training classes as a member of Worldwide.
In the 1990s, Mr. Cookman left Worldwide and began fellowshipping with independent churches of God. He joined the Greater Phoenix Church of God late in that decade.
Mr. Cookman has been married to Betty Scudder since 1964. They have 4 children and 14 grandchildren.
In 2002, Mr. Cookman was ordained as an elder at the Christian Educational Ministries Feast of Tabernacles and is is currently the senior pastor at Greater Phoenix Church of God.
Speaker
Pastor
Tim Threadgill grew up observing the Sabbath and holy days in various churches of God and recalls attending Sabbath services with his grandmother, and mother at an early age. Tim is a native of San Francisco, California, but has called Phoenix home since the early 2000s. Tim has spent his professional working with children and young adults in both education, and behavioral health, and holds a Masters Degree in Professional Counseling. Tim has a deep passion for helping individuals who may be experiencing difficulties or struggling through trials in their lives, and sees this as an important part of his walk with Christ. Tim was baptized in 2014, and has continued to build on his relationship with Jesus Christ through the years. 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all things, have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins”
Speaker and Wife
Pastors
James and Lois Shortridge have been married 30 years and been members of God’s church for the same amount of time. They have been blessed with 4 children and 13 grandchildren. They have lived in Arizona for 23 years. James is an electrician by trade and owns his own handyman business, Servant Home Improvements & Repairs. He models his business after Matthew 20 v 28, “Just as Jesus came to serve..” James does his best to also serve. Lois has worked at State Farm Insurance for 33 years and is planning to retire in September 2020. James has been a member of the praise team for 11 years and also shares his love of the Lord by giving sermonettes and sermons. James and Lois love the Lord, their family, church brethren and community with all their hearts.
A Community of Believers
Greater Phoenix Church of God is small but mighty. Our worship services welcome from 25 to 100 people each Saturday who come from all walks of life, joined together by their faith and belief. Couples, singles, and families worship here. Young and old pray together. We are a family.
On the second Saturday of each month, we welcome members and visitors to join us for a potluck lunch following the service. For these special meetings, we bring in speakers to educate and enlighten us on a variety of topics to share God’s word.
As a community, we support each other as well as our neighbors. Currently, we give to a local food bank, the homeless, and community-based projects. We also sponsor a church in Africa to provide much-needed services to the residents there.
On our campus, we offer bible studies, children’s lessons, and men’s and women’s groups.
Give from Your Heart
Greater Phoenix Church of God is small but mighty. Our worship services welcome from 25 to 100 people each Saturday who come from all walks of life, joined together by their faith and belief. Couples, singles, and families worship here. Young and old pray together. We are a family.
What to Expect
What We Believe
Contact Us
Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.
— Genesis 2:3, NIV
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