Dr. Jeremy & Jen DeWeerdt
Welcome to City First Church
At City First, we help everyone meet Jesus, grow in faith, and live with purpose together.
Meet Our Pastors
Jeremy and Jen DeWeerdt have called City First Church home for most of their lives. Jeremy began his journey leading student ministries and later founded what is now City First Leadership College, while Jen has been by his side, shaping vision, community, and family life at the church. Together, they have poured their hearts into helping people encounter Jesus, grow in their faith, and step into their God-given callings.
Married since 1995, Jeremy and Jen are proud parents of three sons—Caden, Connor, and Paxton. Caden and his wife, Dakota, are the proud parents of Jeremy and Jen’s first grandchild, a daughter named Willow, who has brought tremendous joy to their family.
Jeremy holds an M.A. in Ministerial Leadership from Southeastern University and a DMin in Semiotics, Church, and Culture from Portland Seminary at George Fox University. Jen also holds an M.A. in Ministerial Leadership and is the founder of the Original Women’s Conference, where thousands of women have discovered purpose and direction in their lives.
Through more than 19 years of leadership, they’ve seen lives transformed at City First and beyond. When they’re not leading the church, Jeremy and Jen enjoy family time, cheering for their favorite Chicago sports teams, and investing in the Rockford community.
Our story
A Legacy of HOPE
City First Church began nearly 100 years ago in a cornfield outside Rockford, Illinois. Over time we moved from a humble storefront downtown to building one of Rockford’s first large auditoriums. Today, we’re multi-site, offering full services for all ages — including preschool/kindergarten — and serving online and in correctional ministries.
Pastors Jeremy & Jen DeWeerdt, who grew up in this church, stepped into senior leadership in 2007 after years of serving in youth ministry, leadership training, and community outreach. Under their leadership, City First continues to grow year after year, with momentum and vision for even more impact.
What We’re All
ABOUT
Our Mission
We exist to introduce everyone to Jesus and teach them to follow Him.
Our Vision
To be a movement of God’s love, so cities are full of hope and people are full of purpose.
Our Values
We believe Jesus is life, and that belief leads us to action. Our core values include:
Know God
We desire for everyone to know God so they can thrive and have fruitful lives. (Psalm 92:12-15)
Grow In Faith
Our faith is intended to be active. According to Romans, we have all been given a measure of faith, but we want to grow in our faith. Faith is imperative to have longevity in our relationship with God. We are to continually take the next step in our faith journey so we can be deeply rooted in God’s truth. (Romans 12:3, Luke 8:5-15, James 1:2-4)
Live It Out
What Jesus has done for us spurs us to live a generous life! Living it out means that you are not only plugged into the church but also are giving back with the resources God has given you. Our faith is put into action by living generously with our time, talents, and treasures. (Galatians 6:10)
Pass It On
This is the go portion of the great commission in Matthew 28. Jesus modeled this, commanded it, and the early church practiced this. Pass It On is lived out when we step into someone’s world with compassion and empathy and share the hope of Jesus. We have a passion for the lost, pray for those around us, and invest in those around us. (Matthew 28:18-20)
What We Believe
God
We believe there is One God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the second member of the Trinity, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He is truly God and truly man. (Matthew 28:19)
The Bible
We accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God. It was written by men, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is authoritative, and without error. (2 Timothy 3:15, Hebrews 4:12)
Humanity
We believe every person matters to God. All people were created in the image of God to have relationship with him, but became separated from God through sinful disobedience. As a result, people are incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through their own efforts. (Titus 3:5, 2 Corinthians 5:15, Romans 3:23)
Salvation
We believe the sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ on the cross provides the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, God freely offers salvation to anyone who places their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin. (Romans 5:8, Romans 10:9, Hebrews 9:12-15)
The Church
We recognize Jesus Christ as the leader of City First Church, not a person, group, or religious organization. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by loving Him and by making Him known to the world. (Colossians 1:18, Hebrews 10:25)
Baptism By Immersion
We practice baptism by immersion under water the way Jesus was baptized. Once you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, we believe that water baptism is an important step as a proclamation of faith. (Colossians 2:12)
Worship
Our hearts were created to be loved by God and in turn to love Him with all of our hearts. Worship is the way we live our lives and respond to who God is, what He has done, and His powerful love for us. One of the most consistent ways we worship is through singing and speaking words of reverence to Him. (Mark 12:29-31, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 29:2)
Spirit-Led Living
We believe the only way possible to live the Christian life is by God’s power within us. By obedience to the Word of God and daily yielding to the Spirit of God, every believer should mature and be conformed to the image of Christ. So, we seek to practice a daily dependence on God’s Spirit to enable us to do what is right and to obey God’s command to be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18, John 15:5)
Communion
We practice receiving Communion as an act of remembering what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. (Luke 22:19)
Giving Back to God
We practice tithing for the support of Christ’s Body, the church, as God commands. We recognize that giving 10% of our income is Biblical. We recognize that Jesus taught about money a great deal while on earth and stated a profound truth when He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21, Leviticus 27:30)
Every Believer Is A Minister
The Bible teaches that every follower of Christ is called to full-time Christian service, regardless of his/her vocation. This is called the “priesthood of believers” and means that we’re all called to be ministers. We believe that every person has talents and abilities to be discovered, developed, and deployed. (1 Peter 2:9)
Telling Others About Jesus
Jesus asked every one of us to share the Good News and God’s love with the people in our lives! We believe that it is the responsibility of every Christian to tell others about Jesus and invite friends to church. (1 Peter 3:15)
Ready For The NEXT Step?
Visiting a new church can feel intimidating — we get that. At City First, our goal from the moment you arrive is to make you feel welcomed and at home.
Expect to find:
- Uplifting worship and teaching that speaks to real life.
- Safe, fun spaces for kids and youth.
- Friendly people ready to say hello.
- Clear information so you know what’s happening next.
