Narrative Statement

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.

Our Approach to Sexuality & Gender

Because of the day and age in which we live, we are occasionally asked by guests and future Riverwood family members what our beliefs are about issues pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community. Because we believe “clarity is caring,” our Elder Team has put together the following statement in order to clarify our approach.

At Riverwood, we seek to follow the way of Jesus, who came “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). This means we desire to hold firmly to the truth of Scripture while extending the grace of Christ to every person.

Every person is made in God’s image.
The Bible teaches in Genesis 1:26,27 that God created humanity in His image. This gives every person inherent worth, dignity, and value. Regardless of background, experiences, or struggles, all people are image-bearers of God.
Sin has affected every part of life.
Because of the fall, every human being experiences brokenness. This includes our desires, our relationships, and our understanding of identity. Scripture teaches that all of us fall short of God’s standard (Romans 3:23) and are in need of His grace through Jesus Christ.
Jesus redeems and restores.
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus came to rescue us from sin and restore us to God. By His death and resurrection, we can be forgiven, transformed, and given new life. This applies to every area of life, including our sexuality and gender.
God’s design for sex and marriage.
Scripture teaches that sexual intimacy is a good gift from God, designed for the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4,5,6; 1 Corinthians 6:18,19,20; Hebrews 13:4). Any sexual activity outside of this covenant is described in Scripture as sin.
God’s design for gender.
From the beginning, God created humanity as male and female (Genesis 1:27). These two sexes are not interchangeable, but part of God’s good design. While we recognize some truly struggle with their gender identity, including wrestling with stereotypes expected of them based on their biological sex, we believe God’s intent is for every person to embrace their biological sex as His gift and seek to live a faithful life to the gender they were assigned at birth. Gender, like marriage and sexuality, is meant to reflect God’s wisdom and purposes in creation.
Our posture as a church.
At Riverwood, everyone is welcome. We believe welcoming someone does not mean affirming every desire or decision, but rather inviting all people to find their true identity in Christ. Whether someone experiences same-sex attraction, gender dysphoria, or any other struggle, they are loved by God and welcomed here. At the same time, we lovingly call every person to submit all of life—including sexuality and gender—to Jesus.
Grace and truth together.
We recognize that all of us are sexual sinners in need of forgiveness. No one is beyond God’s love. Our desire is to walk alongside one another, pointing each other to Jesus, the only one who can heal, forgive, and transform us.

In short: you matter to God, so you matter to us. Our goal is not to make people “straight” or “fixed,” but to help all of us know and follow Jesus, who gives life, hope, and salvation to all who “call upon the Name of the Lord.” (Romans 10:13)

Want Even More?

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.

Learn More

Values

While there are many things we appreciate (like excellence, fun, and chocolate!), we have three primary values that come out of the Gospel:

Grace

Because God has given us grace through Jesus, we lead with grace towards others.

Truth

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.

Trust

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.

Beliefs

The Simple Answer