The church is not just a building that we go to on Sunday mornings. It is a group of people, the body of Christ. That goes far beyond the walls of any paticular building and extends into the relationships we have with other people. This is just one of many reasons why Life Groups are important to us at River of Life. They have shown to really bring our congregation together. They’ve proved to make River of Life a community where people know and care for one another and we desire for all of our community to be a part of that.

This coming Sunday October 30th, Life Groups at River of Life will be starting up again! If you are new to River of Life, or have yet to be involved in a Life Group we greatly encourage you to give one a try. Life groups are small groups of people that get together to grow and support one another. They are regularly scheduled gatherings that focus on the bible and how God’s Word fits into every day life.

At River of Life we emphasize and encourage three major aspects of living. We believe that as a christian it is important to connect to God, commit to community, and work towards changing our world. Life Groups are a great way to work on all three. Reading and striving to understand scripture is a great way to connect to God, regularly meeting with the same body of people is committing to community, and supporting members of our community through life’s challenges is a great way to begin changing the world. Each life group takes on a community service project as we feel a sense of responsibility for our town and our neighbors.

“After getting married and moving away from the church I had grown up in I was really missing my church family and all the friends I had at my previous church. When [my husband] Jay and I began attending River of Life church we got involved with Life Groups and began hosting one in our home. At first I thought it would be just a Bible study, but it ended up being a lot more. I found a church family again. My Life Group allowed me to grow in Christ side by side with other Christ followers and grow into a family with them as well. It really has been a great experience.” -Aimee Graciani, ROL member

Christians of any age and with any amount of experience find themselves in challenging situations. Fellowship with other people who strive to live and understand a Godly life helps keep us strong through perspective and support. We are all just human but can get through the trials of this life with each other. Anthony Foxworth, our lead pastor explains “God has created us for community and the best way that we can grow in our faith is to be in community with other people who are seeking to be changed by Jesus. Life Groups are key to being held accountable in our lives and [in our] faith (which all of us need whether we admit it or not), having a sense of belonging to others (we are not in this alone) and that we are cared for and are able to care for others when they are in need. All of us have a next step we need to take, Life Groups is the place to find out what your next step may be!”

You may be asking yourself “How do I sign up?”. Well, there are a few ways. You can make a note of it on your connection card at church on Sunday and someone will contact you. You can click on “connect” on the River of Life home page which will lead you to another link for “Life Groups”. There is a sign up station and listing of current Life Groups in the church at the “Connection Point”. But also, if youre bored and in need of fellowship one night, please don’t hesitate to just show up at any of the groups. You are always welcome!

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
-John 4:24closeJohn 4:24 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (ESV)

Worshiping our God is something that goes beyond raising our hands and singing loudly Sunday morning at church. Our physical expression towards our Father should be motivated by an inward heart movement. True worship is something that is required in a healthy relationship with our Father. God calls us to worship him, and promises blessings to those who do. Here at River of Life we want to see our congregation blessed by intimacy with our God, and the blessings he desires to pour out into our lives.

On Thursday, July 7th, our worship band met to discuss the fundamentals of being worship musicians and what it means to lead people into God’s presence with music. They discussed first “What does it even mean to worship?”. We believe this is something not only important for our worship leaders to understand, but just as important for the congregation as well. What is God really asking us to do when he calls us to worship him?

Jerry Henderson, our worship team coordinator, says “When we think about worship, we often think about the most familiar expressions of worship, which are singing, praying, serving, or several other religious and/or seemingly spiritual acts. Yet, genuine worship comes from our heart, our inner most being. It is us offering up what little we have to honor our Creator, Savior, and most reliable companion. As cultivated by God himself, it is a heart of love, thanksgiving, and surrender, which results in a life of obedience and faithfulness to His calling for our lives.”

At River of Life we strive to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We also believe worshiping our Father is crucial to our relationship with him. This Sunday, instead of just singing along, or idley raising your hands, ask yourself what is that you need to do right in that moment to demonstrate to our father that you are his. Our worship band is not there to perform, they play music every Sunday to lead you into God’s presence.

When you think of your dad, do you think strong? Competitive? Loving even? Does he enjoy heavy lifting and fixing things? If so Dad’lympics (the name says it all) may be the perfect Father’s Day plan for your family.

On Sunday, June 19th, River of Life Church invites you to a community event like no other. Dad’lympics will begin at 10 am with a man-themed church message. Immediately following the service there will be food and games for the whole family, with an emphasis on games for fathers. These activities will include football and baseball throwing contests, shot-put, and according to Anthony Foxworth (our lead pastor at River of Life) even a hatchet throwing contest! Dad’lympics will be brought to a crowd pleasing end with an exciting surprise event.

At River of Life we believe that we are “A perfect place for imperfect people”. There is a real message of love here that looks past people’s short comings because realistically we all have them. This is a place where anyone can feel accepted and everyone is encouraged to come just as they are.

Dad’lympics has been designed simply to reach out to families in our community with love. Romans 12:10closeRomans 12:10 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (ESV) says “Be devoted to one another in brotherly  love. Honor one another above yourselves”. This event will without a doubt bring people together in an awesome and fun way.

What do you have planned for your dad this Father’s Day?