ABOUT US

A BETTER VIEW OF LIFE AND GOD

Rooftop is a vibrant, casual, and creative Christian church in St. Louis, MO, full of imperfect people trying to follow Jesus together like a family. We don't take ourselves too seriously. But we take Jesus very seriously. A few things set us apart from other churches. They are:

 

Authenticity. We try to “keep it real.” It’s too easy in church to pretend to be someone you’re not.

 

Relevance. We try to speak to issues that normal people deal with, using the language and tools they do. We welcome people who are doubters and skeptics.

 

Inter-denominational. We like being a place where people of all Christian backgrounds can come and worship Jesus. We agree to lovingly disagree on "non-essential" matters with open-mindedness, compassion, and humility.

 

Humility. We take Jesus very seriously but not ourselves. We know we’re going to screw up. We laugh at ourselves a lot.

WHO WE ARE

OUR MISSION

Our primary mission is to be followers of Christ, who make followers of Christ, who make followers of Christ. How do we do that? We mostly do that through relationships and focusing on our "Big Six" key practices of Christian discipleship. They are teaching, worship, evangelism, community, service and prayer.

OUR VISION

Our vision is built on goals. Our goal is to make new life-long Christ-followers who grow into mature, reproducing believers impact our world. Our goal is to help build the Kingdom through mission work and church-planting. Our goal is to preach the gospel of salvation through faith in Christ alone, by God’s grace, irrespective of “results.” Our goal is to praise and glorify God in all we do. 

OUR BELIEFS

We believe in nine core Biblical truths as outlined in our Statement of Faith. We believe in God the Father, His son and our savior, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We believe in the truth of God's Word as revealed through the Bible. Beyond those core beliefs, we welcome debate and varied perspectives on what we call "non-essential" matters.

OUR STAFF

Matt Herndon

Lead Pastor

Matt Herndon is the founding pastor of Rooftop Church. As the Lead Pastor, he serves as the primary communicator, supervises the staff, shepherds the flock, and serves on the Rooftop elder team. Matt’s been Rooftop’s Lead Pastor since 2000, when he started the church with the help of a bunch of great folks from Truman State University. He’s originally from St. Louis (Parkway North, ’92), went to Truman State (B.S. Speech Communication), Bethel University (M.Div.), and Covenant Seminary (D.Min.). His wife, Michele, is a pediatric nurse at Children’s Hospital, and they have three amazing kids--two on earth and one with Jesus. Matt's got too many interests to list. 

Jeremy DeBord

Pastor of Connections and Small Groups

Jeremy DeBord is the Pastor of Connections and Small Groups at Rooftop. He is a graduate of Lee University and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jeremy, a native of Chattanooga, Tenn., spends his time working to help people get connected to Jesus and His Church. He and his wife, Lindsay, married in 2015 and have the two of the greatest daughters in the world, Nora and Audrey. Along with the family dog, Samwise, the DeBords love having people over to their house for food and games. 

Jason Herbig

Pastor of Worship and Technology

Jason Herbig has been leading worship at Rooftop since the very beginning – first as a volunteer and eventually as staff. After graduating from St. Louis University High in 1994, he attended Truman State University, where he met and worked in campus ministry with Matt. He currently holds a Masters in Worship Studies from Liberty University. Jason oversees the music, technical, and creative ministries at Rooftop. He has been married to Liza since 1998, and over the years they have amassed five children, two of whom were adopted through the foster care system. Jason’s interests include playing and recording music, watching movies, and staying involved with his kids’ growing number of activities and extracurriculars as much as he can. 

Heather Gain

Director of Communicatons &  Outreach

Heather Gain is the Director of  Communications and Outreach. She oversees the church's communications channels including the website, social media, and advertising. She plans community outreach events including Trunk or Treat and Summerfest. Heather, who was formerly a crime reporter for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, first joined the staff in 2010 in a part-time role and then transitioned to a full-time position in December 2020. She and her husband, JR, have two daughters - Lois and Ruby. Heather, who grew up in Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Oklahoma, enjoys 19th-century romance novels, board games, and the YouTuber Moriah Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Cook

Church Administrator

Elizabeth Cook serves as Rooftop’s Church Administrator. She oversees the day-to-day business of Rooftop including the calendar, building use, and office administration. She supports other ministries including the Rooftots Children’s Ministry. She joined the staff in February 2022. Elizabeth has a degree in music education from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. She and her husband, Greg, have three children - Maggie, Elliott, and Cecilia. She serves on the Worship Team as a part-time leader. She enjoys Starbucks coffee, crafting, and hanging out with her family.

Anna Clark

Worship Assistant

Anna Clark serves as Rooftop’s Worship Assistant. She helps our worship pastor and other staff members with all things music and technology. She joined the staff in June 2021. Anna has an associate's degree from Jefferson College and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Missouri Baptist University. Her hobbies include music, roller coasters, and working out. 

ELDER TEAM

The Elders are a group of volunteers elected by the congregation that handles most of the big decisions, like staffing, vision, theology, and helping clean up big church messes. 

OUR MINISTRIES

The hard work of connecting and growing often happens in our ministries. Find a place to belong no mater where you are along your faith journey.

JOBS AT ROOFTOP

Rooftop is looking to add some good people to our team. Take a look at the open positions and qualifications for jobs at our church. 

OUR HISTORY

SMALL BEGINNINGS

Pastor Matt Herndon and a core team of believers from Truman State University founded Rooftop in April 2001.

 

We gathered at The Heights in Richmond Heights until we purchased our first building in Affton in 2005.

 

Rooftop outgrew our first building and moved in 2016 to our current location, the former home of Affton Presbyterian Church.

 

In 2020, we planted our first church called Arise Church in Fenton.