Inkom Community Bible Church, Inc. (ICBC), is a non-denominational church and is self-governing and independent in nature.
ICBC started from a Bible study group in the 1970’s. It officially became a church in 1978. In 1983 ICBC purchased the building we are in today.
ICBC operates by the elder form of government, giving the elders the responsibility for the total direction of the church as they are guided by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Board of Elders is charged with selecting new elders and disciplining those elders who are so deserving. The Pastor is a member of the Board of Elders.
There is no church membership.
Our doctrinal statement:
· God’s Word We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be inspired of God, without error in the original writings, and of supreme and final authority in all matters of life and faith. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)
· The Nature of God We believe in one God eternally existing in three equal persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, John 6:27; Hebrews 1:8, Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19)
· Jesus Christ We believe that God the Son became incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ, being born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man. (John 1:1, 14; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:6-10; 1 Timothy 2:5)
· Sin We believe that man was created in the image of God, that through willful sin he fell, incurring spiritual death and thus, that all human beings are sinful both by nature and in practice having within themselves no possible means of salvation. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23; 5:12,19; Galatians 3:11)
· Salvation We believe that the only means of salvation is through the Lord Jesus Christ who died as our substitute for the death which we deserve, and that salvation is a free gift to anyone who places their trust in Him. (John 1:12; 3:16, 18, 36; Acts 4:12; Romans 1:16-17, 8:1; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)
· Security We believe in the eternal security of the Christian. (John 5:24; 10;28; Romans 8:29; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 5:13; Jude 24)
· The Holy Spirit We believe in the Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Godhead who regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all believers in Christ and fills those yielded to God. (John 14:16; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 12:13; Ephesians 4:30, 5:18; Titus 3:5)
· The Church We believe that the church exists in two parts, the universal church which is composed of all believers and the local church which is a group of believers who are joined together for the purpose of worship, fellowship, and evangelism. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:20-23)
· Baptism & Communion We believe that Christ ordained the observance of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper until He returns. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
· End Times We believe in the imminent return of our Lord for His church, followed by the tribulation and His Second Coming to establish His earthly reign. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 14:1-3; Revelation 20:1-6; Matthew 24:21)
Staff:
· full-time Pastor
· part-time youth leader
· part-time secretary
· part-time treasurer
· part-time janitor.
Elders: Are charged individually with certain areas of ministry, administration, and the spiritual care of the church body.
Deacons: Are charged with the care of widows and the physical aspect of the church building.
Building: ICBC meets in and owns a large older former school building. ICBC is debt free.
Worship and other ministries:
· Worship Service is at 9:30 am on Sunday followed by Sunday School at 11:15 am.
· The youth group and Adventure Club meet at 6:00 pm on Thursday.
· Small groups meet twice a month.
· There are several Bible studies throughout the week.
· ICBC believes in the power of prayer and has an active prayer chain and prayer group.
Our missions:
· Old Faithful Christian Ranch (OFCR) This is a Christ centered camp located in Island Park, ID. It has been in operation since 1997. ICBC has been involved and supporting this ministry from its beginning. It operates summer camp for youths and retreats for churches throughout the year.
· Cassie Snooks Food Services Director at OFCR.
· Melissa Millermon, InFaith Ministries Melissa (Missy) serves in Downey, ID. Missy’s main call is to reach the youth in her area, encourage women through discipleship and Bible studies, and a widow's ministry she will soon be participating in.
· Compassion and Hope Pregnancy Center Compassion & Hope Pregnancy Center offers free, confidential and life-affirming resources informing, educating and empowering women and men regarding pregnancy, abortion and parenting. We are a Christ-centered, non-profit ministry serving clients with excellence.
· Perry and Sandy Rotenberger, Be One Together Perry and Sandy are involved in any area of ministry churches need from building to pulpit supply and VBS.
· ABWE A couple that serves Asia through evangelism, discipleship, counseling, and leadership training. For their security we do publish their names.
Demographics: Our church has ~ 100 people who call ICBC their home, with 55-65 attending regularly:
· ~10 under the age of 18.
· ~27 between 19-54
· ~63 55+
Additional demographics:
· ~34 attend without a spouse or divorced or widowed.
· ~60 attend from the Inkom area with most of the rest coming from Pocatello.
· We experience growth from believers moving in from out of state.
Challenges: ICBC’s current challenge is that of an aging church body. It has been difficult to attract families with young children. This is despite hosting VBS, Adventure Club (previously AWANA), and youth group.
Community Profile of Inkom, ID
Inkom, ID is in Southeast Idaho, 15 miles south on I15 from Pocatello, ID in Bannock County.
Inkom is in an L shaped valley that sits at the base of Mt. Bonneville in the Portneuf Range. Mt. Bonneville is the home of Pebble Creek Ski Area. The Portneuf River and Rapid Creek both pass through town. Inkom sits at an elevation of 4544 feet.
Bannock County is known for its access to outdoor activities including downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, mountain biking, trail running, ATV/UTV access, dirt biking, camping, hunting, fishing, and hot springs.
Our climate can be considered semi-arid. The summer days are long and hot, but the evenings are cool. Winters generally start in earnest in December and run through spring. We typically get late winter and early spring snows. Most of the deep cold tends to miss Inkom. Snowfall in October is common as is snow in May. The growing season for gardens can be short. Overall, it is an enjoyable climate.
The town of Inkom does not have any industry. There is a grocery store, a gas station/convenience store, a US Post Office, a repair garage, gym, bank, soda/snack shop, and a bar. There is Inkom Community Bible Church and 2 Latter Day Saints (LDS, Mormon) churches. The only school is Inkom Elementary School, which sits across the street from our church. Students in upper grades ride a bus to Marsh Valley Junior and Senior High Schools in Arimo, ID which is 15 miles south of Inkom.
In 2022, Inkom, ID had a population of 954 people with a median age of 33.8 and a median household income of $68,594. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Inkom, ID grew from 892 to 954, a 6.95% increase and its median household income grew from $66,818 to $68,594, a 2.66% increase.
The population of Inkom is predominantly white. The predominant religion is LDS.
Inkom has experienced growth because of its proximity to Pocatello. The population of The Pocatello area is 68,000. Most working residents commute to their jobs outside of Inkom. Southeast Idaho in general has experienced growth from peoples moving into the state from Utah, California, Oregon, and Washington. Farming and ranching are still active in the area and give the location its rural appeal.
Pocatello (15 miles up I15) is the nearest city for most major services such as shopping, restaurants, and medical services. Pocatello is home to Idaho State University and Portneuf Medical Center.
Salt Lake City, UT is located 150 miles south on I15. Boise, ID is located 200 miles to the west.