What Is the Christian Life?
The life signs of passion, connecting, and renewal
are at the core of what a Christian life looks like.
We strive for each person to grow in these life signs at River Rock.
PASSION
Because...
We exist to glorify God by delighting in Him, we are committed to meeting for worship regularly and learning to see work, play, education, child-rearing, involvement with local and world politics, (i.e. all of life) as acts of worship.
Prayer shapes the future, we will weave prayer through the entire ministry fabric at River Rock. We will model prayer and create opportunities for people to grow in their prayer life and intercede on behalf of River Rock. River Rock will strive to be known as a house of prayer, not just as a church that prays.
The anointed preaching and teaching of the Gospel is the primary catalyst for God’s grand mission, we will preach passionately and consistently. We will encourage weekly attendance at worship services, participation in small groups and individual training in the gospel of Jesus.
Consistently engaging scripture is the key to knowing God, we will consistently and continually teach, pray and create opportunities for people to learn to read the Bible as the primary means of discovering truth and hearing from God.
Faithful stewardship glorifies God, we invite everyone to tithe generously and to prayerfully evaluate their current use of all their resources. We will provide ongoing assistance on financial wellness through the leadership team.
We spread a passion for God through intentional life-giving relationships, dinner parties, informal get-togethers for conversation and Sabbath celebrations will be supported and encouraged as a vital ministry of River Rock. We will create opportunities for people to engage with each other and bring friends to witness people in vital union with Jesus.
CONNECTING
Because...
All people matter to God and to us, we will spend a disproportionate amount of our time, resources and prayer on reaching people who are outside of a relationship with Christ primarily through relational evangelism.
Intentional life giving community is essential for life-change, we will work hard on getting everyone at River Rock involved in a life group. We recognize that life change happens when people are connected with each other in small communities of 3-12 people where they can learn to love and be loved. We will create a healthy Life Group structure that is always open for more people and serves as an integral part of life at River Rock Church.
The formation of authentic Biblical community is the intricate, patient work of the Holy Spirit, when interpersonal problems arise (and they always do) we will navigate those with love.
We will not be satisfied with just another club or social group meeting. We will work to develop the deep, life giving community that is only available through the giving of ourselves to each other through the Holy Spirit.
Ongoing life-transformation is normal for followers of Jesus Christ, we will catalyze ongoing spiritual fitness training as image bearers of God to be conformed more and more into the image of Jesus. We will do this within three primary contexts: corporate worship, small groups and individual training.
Hospitality makes an invisible God visible, we will strive to make room for others in our corporate expression of worship and in the various ministries that make up River Rock.
The church is a life-giving community of interdependent servant leaders, we will encourage everyone to find a place to serve that is aligned with their giftedness. We will provide opportunities to discover and affirm your particular giftedness.
RENEWAL
Because...
Our world belongs to God, we will train people to embrace their life as ambassadors of Jesus in bringing the good news of peace in all areas of life and to all areas of the world.
We are partners with God, we will seek first his Kingdom and righteousness and strive to join him in his mission of mercy and grace, hope and love, justice and righteousness.
People shape culture, we will teach, empower and equip people to be credible witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ and agents of his mission of making all things new. We will be proactive in how we engage culture, seeking not to be shaped by it but to shapers of it.
God has designed each of us to fulfill his purpose for our lives, we will work hard on helping each person find the vocation where God’s greatest glory, their greatest passion and our communities greatest need intersect.
Justice identifies and undoes sin and its effects, we will engage individually and corporately to fight against oppression and suffering. River Rock will look for ways she can creatively engage injustices both locally and abroad by encouraging and incorporating both “to” and “with” forms of love.
Churches plant churches, we will participate wholeheartedly in a regional church planting movement.