Who We Are
Riverside exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
We see this happening in three ways:
DISCOVER.
We invite you to DISCOVER the love of God, DISCOVER a life with God, and DISCOVER God's purpose for your life.
GROW.
We encourage and provide opportunities for you to GROW in faith and spiritual maturity.
GO.
We then equip and empower you to GO into the world to humbly serve and make other disciples in the name of Jesus Christ.
Vision, Mission & Values
Everything we do is to support our vision of being a vibrant community that welcomes ALL people to discover and live out their God-given purpose.
We live into our vision through our mission to ignite hearts for Jesus by selflessly giving the world what God has given us.
Our vision and mission as a church are driven and shaped by our core values.
WORSHIP:
Individually and corporately honor and praise the Lord, above ALL in everything we say, do, and have every single day.
Scriptural basis: (Exodus 20:23; Deuteronomy 11:1; Deuteronomy 26:10-11; Psalm 145:2; Hebrews 2:12; Matthew 22:36-38)
DISCIPLESHIP:
Introduce others to Christ, teach them to truly surrender and follow Him, equip them to go out and do the same.
Scriptural basis: (Matthew 4:19-20; Matthew 16:24; Matthew 28:19)
WITNESS:
Identify and take every opportunity to share the power and the presence of God in your life.
Scriptural basis: (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:32; Acts 5:32; Acts 22:15; Luke 24:45-49)
LOVE:
Love all people the way Jesus does with grace, mercy and justice.
Scriptural basis: (Mark 12:31; Luke 6:27-36; John 13:34-35)
NEXT GENERATION MINISTRY:
Embrace children, youth, young adults, and families in our community and empower them to be life-long disciples of Christ.
Scriptural basis: (Proverbs 4:20-22; Proverbs 22:6; Proverbs 23:26; Psalm 119:9; Psalm 144:12; Ecclesiastes 12:1-2; Jeremiah 1:4-8; Ephesians 2:19-22; Ephesians 4:29; Hebrews 10:24-25; Mark 9:37; Luke 18:15-17; Acts 2:38-39)
What We Believe
As a part of the United Methodist Church, Riverside is connected to a denomination that values diversity. Within every United Methodist Congregation, there is room for a wide variety of opinions. Though there are Social Principles that help guide how United Methodists interact with the social world, these are not understood to be irrefutable stances. That being said, there are foundational beliefs that help define who we are as United Methodist Christians:
God, who is one, is revealed in three distinct persons.
We believe in the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ. God became human in Jesus whose life, death and resurrection demonstrate God’s redeeming love.
The Holy Spirit is God’s present activity in our midst. When we sense God’s leading, God’s challenge, or God’s support or comfort, it’s the Holy Spirit at work.
Genesis 1:27 asserts that we’ve been made in the image of the Creator. Like God we have the capacity to love and care, to communicate, and to create.
The church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today.
We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.
The kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and future hope.