Surname
Address
Street Address
Home Phone
815-555-1212
Head of House
815-555-1212
Spouse
815-555-1212
Children
Morgan, Evan, Lindsay, Grace, Allie
Joshua Pegram, Lead Pastor
Joshua, Liz, and their kids arrived in Rockford in 2014. After serving for several years on the staff of a church in Greenville, SC, the Lord led Joshua to Morning Star as our lead pastor. The Pegram family loves the body of Christ here. Joshua likes to spend time with people, play (and watch) sports, and read. But most of all, he is passionate to make Christ known and is convinced that God works in the world today primarily through the local church. Joshua preaches to exalt Jesus Christ, to make the Word of God clear, and to see lives changed by the power of the Spirit.
Email Joshua
What to Wear
We have a diversity of people attend our services and are thankful for a congregation with a variety of dress.
You'll find anything from very casual jeans and t-shirts to polos and slacks to suits. We encourage you to come as you are.
Children
We are thankful to have a congregation with many children. We encourage all parents to train their children to worship as part of the church. We provide nursery for children up to age 2 for the entire worship service and dismiss children ages 3-8 for children’s church before the sermon. Some children remain in the service the entire time, and we welcome their presence.
Sunday School
On Sunday morning at 9:30am we come together for Sunday School for all ages, where we learn topically about God’s Word and its application to all areas of life. Following Sunday School, we have about a 20-minute break with light refreshments and good conversation before our morning worship service begins at 10:30am.
Music
​​We sing a blend of lyrically rich songs both recent and historic. Those of us who are comfortable with music from one particular era have discovered that we come to enjoy other songs we had not previously encountered.
We strongly prefer congregational singing, which emphasizes the gathered body enthusiastically singing praise to God with one voice. Some Sundays we sing with piano, guitar, and drums, and others we sing with just piano accompaniment.
Format of Service
Our service is intentional, in that it follows a deliberate order of worship, but it’s not formal in style. We sing several songs, offer congregational and pastoral prayers to God, hear Scripture read, and give our offerings and tithes.
Sermon
Preaching at Morning Star is generally expositional, meaning that it seeks to systematically work through passages of Scripture, declaring the point of a particular Biblical passage, with practical application rooted in the redemptive story of Scripture. Sermons usually last around 45 minutes and are packed with material for reflection. Our sermon series regularly alternate between the Old and New Testaments. All preaching is driven by the Gospel, the Bible’s main message of God saving sinners through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
After the Sermon
After a few moments of silent response and reflection, we close each morning worship service with a celebration of the Lord’s Supper, followed by a benediction. A typical service finishes around 12 noon. An hour later, you might still find folks talking over the sermon and events of the past week.