Pastor's Corner

I have spent a fair amount of time in recent weeks contemplating how to describe the process necessary to determine the will of God.  I have finally put together a few ideas that I thought I would share with you.

When we are faced with a choice several options generally appear.  Our task is then to discern which amongst the various options are consistent with God's will.  This may result in one option or many that are within God's will.

I believe that we arrive at God's will concerning a given decision by combining God's specific communication to us with the wisdom God has given us.

How do we do this?

Riverside will be having several child dedications this upcoming Sunday and then again in a couple weeks.  I thought it would be helpful to briefly explain the difference between child dedication, infant baptism, and believer baptism.  Riverside chooses to respect the biblical positions of both infant and believer baptism equally.  Devoted followers of Christ have held each of these views and there is room for both in the Body of Christ.  These explanations are very brief and may prompt additional questions.  Please speak to me if you have any questions or would like to discuss dedication or baptism further.  Each is vital to the life of the church and our relationship to God.

Riverside desires to be a community of authentic and connected people that care deeply about the spiritual formation of entire families.  In recent months we have faced facility limitations (primarily with children downstairs) that have caused us to examine how to continue to fulfill our desires most effectively.  After months of prayer, discussion and discernment, the Staff and Leadership Team have decided that Riverside will offer an additional Sunday worship service in the Fall.  In the Fall we will have identical worship services at 9am and 10:45am. 

One of the greatest things about being a pastor is that I get to witness God at work in the lives of various people every day.  I realize that many of you never get to hear about the amazing things that happen within Riverside every week . . . so, I thought I would fill you in on a few.  Through Riverside, you are a part of the movement of God! 

This past week we had the opportunity to look at what the Bible says about sexual immorality.  During the sermon I specifically spoke about the pervasive issue of pornography in our society and how it both dehumanizes people as sexual objects and separates sex and sexuality from its God-given place in committed relationships.  I also mentioned that I would provide more resources to help you overcome and avoid pornography. 

More than a year ago, the Riverside Leadership Team assembled a Development Committee to evaluate Riverside's current facility usage and future needs.

Last summer Riverside voted to acquire the white house next to our property upon the recommendation of the Development Committee and the Leadership Team. The Riverside offices and Senior High and Junior High youth have now moved into the house freeing up badly needed children's space in our main facility.

After talking with many of you, I came up with a new use for the Pastor's Blog. I will be posting updates on various things that are going on in the life of Riverside that you might not be aware of. I hope this will help you to feel more informed about our work together and why we do what we do. As always, I encourage you to contact me if you ever have any questions, concerns, or simply want to share what is happening in your life.

One important piece of Riverside news that is happening this month is that Sunday, May 30th will be our final Sunday of Discovery Hour (currently at 9AM on Sundays) for this school year. You might initially think to yourself, "Hmmm . . . Riverside wants intentional spiritual growth for my family to STOP this summer . . .?!"

Nope!