about us
Welcome to Christian Growth Center, a thriving, welcoming nondenominational church in Rockford, Illinois. Christian Growth Center offers worshipers a loving environment in which to connect with others on a faith level. With an array of youth programs, community events and services catering to your faith. Everyone is invited to worship and grow with us at Christian Growth Center.
At Christian Growth Center's services you will find an environment rich in acceptance and conducive to gaining a deeper intimacy with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. By understanding we are disciples of the Lord, we seek to be instruments of God's transforming hand in this world. We help followers of the faith to deepen their understanding while connecting communities together under one roof.
Come worship with us and be part of our community of believers.
our pastors:
Born the second eldest of seven sons, James was called to the ministry in his early 20’s. Upon graduating from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. He relocated to Atlanta, Ga. where he received salvation and later met his lovely wife Rholanda U Royal. They were married July 2, 1994. Soon after he heard the call of God to return to his hometown and served as assistant pastor for 5 yrs to his father Elder David Goldsmith a General in the Lord. After faithful service he was released and charged to be one of the founding Pastors of Christian Growth Center a multicultural, nondenominational Church located in Rockford, IL. James received his Masters of Divinity from Liberty University Theological Seminary School in Lynchburg, Va. Anointed with the spirit of wisdom he is also the proud father of three sons Elias, Joel and David. Pastor James and Lady Lisa have been married for 28 yrs. and have declared “War” on the vastly growing epidemic in the body of Christ “The Spirit of Divorce”. They have joined forces and are determined to help marriages ban together to weather life’s toughest storms.
Pastor James Fambro
Lead Pastor
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Born and raised in Camden NJ and later relocated to Atlanta Ga. At the tender age of 22 Lisa received salvation and surrendered her heart to the Lord. She later met her husband James Fambro and they married July 2, 1994. Throughout her 20+ years of ministry Lady Lisa has served by her husband’s side, as an Evangelical speaker with a prophetic message of healing, deliverance and restoration. Anointed with the spirit of exaltation she is the current co-host of "Happy Times with a Gospel View" a radio ministry heard online on Soar radio in Rockford IL. A successful business woman and entrepreneur she recently finished her first book awaiting publication entitled “Favor without Limits”. Rholanda is determined to preach, teach, and serve God’s people until the broken are restored, hurting are healed and the barren wombs are satisfied! She currently resides in Rockford, IL with her husband Pastor James Fambro and three sons Elias, Joel and David.
Lady Lady Rholanda (Lisa) U. Fambro
Statement of Faith
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We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible written Word of God.
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We believe that there is only One God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and, God the Holy Spirit.
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We believe in the blessed Hope, which is the rapture of the Church of God, which is in Christ, at His return.
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We believe that the only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
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We believe that regeneration by the Holy Ghost is absolutely essential for personal salvation.
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We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing for the human body in answer to believing prayer.
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We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for Him.
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We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy and separated life in the present world.
What We Believe
We believe that the Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are God-breathed: that by the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit, the biblical writers wrote the divine, trustworthy, and authoritative Word of God, the only rule of faith and practice (Matthew 5:18; 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
We believe in the one true God who has revealed Himself as eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; distinguishable yet indivisible (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:21-22; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
We believe in the Incarnation: the deity of Jesus of Nazareth - that He is Lord, the Son of the living God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is truly God and truly man (Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 14, 18; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 1:7-8; 22:12-13, 16).
We believe that mankind was originally created by God in His image, fell into sin through disobedience, marred God's image, plunged all of creation into depravity, and made it impossible for man to save himself (Genesis 1:27; 3; Romans 5:12).
We believe in the Substitutionary Atonement: that Jesus, the Christ died on the Cross for our sins, obtained eternal redemption for us, was buried, and was raised bodily from the dead on the third day, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, and appeared to His disciples (Isaiah 53; Luke 24:1-3; Acts 1:1-3; 2:22-36; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Hebrews 9:12-14).
We believe that Jesus of Nazareth ascended bodily into heaven, was exalted to the right hand of the Father, and that He will literally and physically return the second time for the Church (John 14:2-3; Acts 1:9-11; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Hebrews 9:28).
We believe that the personal salvation of the repentant sinner, by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross, produces the "Abundant Life" (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; John 10:10; 19:30; Acts 17:30-31; Romans 5:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 2:24).
We believe in water baptism by immersion, as an obedient response of the believer to the command of the Lord (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; 19:1-5).
We believe in the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father for empowering believers to witness about Christ (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4).
We believe that every believer has a right to expect that the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit are to operate in the local church until Jesus returns (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:6; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; Ephesians 4:11).
We believe in the local church as the primary instrument of God in the earth to disciple men, and to establish the kingdom of God through prayer, fellowship, and the ministry of the Word (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:42-47; 6:4; 20:28; Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 10:25).
We believe that on the "Last Day": Jesus will return in the "Second Coming," there will be a resurrection of the dead including the righteous and the wicked, and after judgment the righteous will be rewarded, but the wicked will be punished (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 11:24; Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:11; Revelation 20:11-15; cf. also Matthew 25:31-46).