Riverwood holds to orthodox Christian beliefs (no whacky theology or cultic leanings here) and our core belief is the Gospel (it pretty much drives everything).
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If we put our statement of beliefs into a story, here is how it would read:
We believe in one God, who is perfect, amazing, indescribable, and more awesome than we can comprehend! This incredible God consists of three Persons, known to most Christians as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Together, these three Persons created all things, the pinnacle of which was Mankind.
Mankind, who was made in the image of the one God, rebelled against his (and her) Creator, allowing sin into God’s created order.
Jesus, God the Son, fully God, became fully man, taking on human flesh, being subject to all the temptations and trials that Man endures. Yet unlike rebellious Man, the eternal Begotten One of God remained sinless through His temptations and trials.
Then to fulfill God’s plan since the foundation of time, Jesus died in Man’s place, taking on the penalty of sin Himself, even though He Himself was sinless.
This sacrificial act allowed the Perfect God to execute judgement on sin, yet it also allowed this Generous God to extend mercy to His creation of Man.
But that’s not all! To show that He has authority over even death itself, Jesus rose from the dead. He then spent some time with His followers before ascending to Heaven, where He is seated next to the Father, as the authority over all things.
And now Mankind can be given spiritual life through belief in this amazing story, acknowledging that it is OUR story, that Christ died OUR death, and God wants to restore His created order through and in US!
This phenomenal, yet true story, can be found in the God-inspired 66 books of the Bible, comprised of the Old and New Testaments. This Book not only tells this amazing true tale, it also instructs us on the truths of what life in the river of Christ looks like.
While Riverwood is for all intents and purposes an independent church, we have chosen to partner with the churches of Converge. Therefore, we hold to the basic statement of belief that all churches within Converge agree upon.
While there are many things we appreciate (like excellence, fun, and chocolate!), we have three primary values that come out of the Gospel:
Because God has given us grace through Jesus, we lead with grace towards others.
Jesus said in John 8:32 that "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." And we believe Jesus and His Gospel is the truth.
Just as Jesus entrusted His ministry to His followers when He ascended to heaven, we likewise are to exhibit faith in God by entrusting others to serve alongside of us and even replace us.