TO LEAD PEOPLE INTO A GROWING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.

Christ followers who are growing in their relationship with Him.

We want people to grow deep and reach wide.

Paul writes to the Thessalonian church, "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess. 1:3)

We believe that a growing deep and reaching wide is characterized by a life of faith (in Jesus Christ), a heart of love (for God and others), and a voice of hope (sharing Jesus' message).

Therefore, when we lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ we want to lead people to pursue lives of faith, hearts of love and voices of hope.

In Acts Chapter 2 we see the church on mission with God - making disciples through lives of faith, hearts of love, and voices of hope. Acts 2:42-47 says that the church demonstrated four core principles in their everyday lives:

Lives of Faith -
"they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching" At River Valley, the Word of God is central to all we do. We believe, without the Bible, we have nothing to say. We read, study and memorize the Bible so we may know God, proclaim Him, and live His ways.

Hearts of Love -
"...to the fellowship..." The church is more than a Sunday morning gathering of hello's in the hallways. The church is His body through whom He displays His glory; feeds the hungry, frees the oppressed and clothes the naked. It is His body, the church, which sacrificially loves one another in His name, caring and meeting each other's needs. We believe our togetherness must turn into otherness.

Voices of Hope -
"...to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Singing songs is only part of what it means to worship. For those who have been saved by His grace, worship becomes a lifestyle of honoring God. Our worship expressed in urgent prayer and remembering Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf becomes a voice of hope to those who need God.

This mission is defined and motivated by two key Scriptures.

The Great Commandment: "Jesus said, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart. . .soul. . .and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.'". Matt. 22:36-40

The Great Commission: "Jesus said, 'Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matt. 28:19-20

To carry out our mission to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ (make disciples) we provide three environments called Foyer - Living Room - Kitchen.

A foyer is a place where guest enter and are welcomed. Our foyer environment is our worship services on Sunday. These are large gatherings for the purpose of connecting with God through worship and the teaching of His Word. These provide the most natural entry point into the church for most people.

The living room environment is where friends are made. Our living room environment is Sunday School. This is a smaller gathering where relationships can begin. Sunday School provides the opportunity to study the Bible while meeting other people.

The kitchen environment is where friends become family. Our kitchen environment is small groups. We believe that small groups provide the greatest context to experience authentic biblical community in the pursuit of lives of faith, hearts of love and voices of hope. It is our goal that everyone who calls River Valley their home will become part of a small group.