The River Church Story:
The vision for THE RIVER CHURCH began when a team of pastors started praying and dreaming together of what church could be. The pioneering pastors gathered a team and began to envision an authentic, adventurous community of Christ-followers based in Bend that would BE the church. From the first meeting, the personality of THE RIVER CHURCH began to emerge—one shaped by being outward focused, intentionally and aggressively advancing God’s kingdom, being fun and adventurous together, unifying the body of Christ, learning and living God’s truth, and more.
The local church, instead of being seen as primarily a place where people come to for spiritual life, it becomes a place where people are strongly encouraged each week, trained in practical, biblical matters so they can live more effectively in the day-to-day issues of life and then go out of to make a distinct impact upon the city and world.
The founding pastors spent nine months praying about this idea before they went public with anyone about the idea to which they felt God was calling them. The next year was spent prayerfully raising a team to join them, seeking ministry partners and raising funds for the task. From the beginning, we’ve been part of a much bigger story than our own—God’s global movement called the Church. THE RIVER CHURCH’s story is being written by God’s creative hand. Each person we meet becomes a part of this story. Clearly, God is working.
The River Church Name:
Human nature always points the emotional compass inward. To be the church, we must point that compass outward. Jesus promised that "rivers of living water" would flow out of the hearts of all who believe in Him. God will not bless attempts to make a stagnant pond of that river of life. As we bring the kingdom of God into the community, He will change the world in which we live. “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.” (Psalm 46: 4)