VISION
Flourishing gospel relationships in the people and places of the Rivermont Community and beyond.
WHY: flourishing
God’s design for all of creation is flourishing, which comes from the Hebrew word, shalom. Flourishing is a state of well-being in which all relationships, especially between God and man, are rightly ordered and rightly functioning according to God’s design. Because of sin, all of God’s creation languishes rather than flourishes.
WHAT: gospel relationships
The good news of the gospel is centered on restoring relationships that were marred by sin - first with God and then with humanity and the rest of creation. Our aim is to build intentional relationships with people that will provide natural opportunities to share this good news of the gospel in word and deed. As these relationships form and deepen, we can expect to see the fruit of the gospel begin to flourish marriages, families, businesses and neighborhoods.
WHO: people and places
And yet, it’s not just people that need to experience gospel renewal and flourishing, it’s all of creation (Rom. 8:22). God is making ALL things new and so we desire to see gospel flourishing happen not only in people’s lives but in the places they live, shop, work and serve.
WHERE: in the Rivermont Community extending to the ends of the earth.
“Rivermont community” captures both places the gospel is needed: REPC and the Rivermont neighborhood. And yet, God’s design and call is that the gospel goes out “to the uttermost parts of the earth.” In other words, it goes beyond our neighborhood into the broader city, state, country and world.
MISSION
For the glory of God and the good of His people, REPC seeks to follow Jesus Christ in His mission to awaken Gospel renewal, through Spirit-empowered worship, discipleship, and mission, beginning in the Rivermont Community and extending to the ends of the earth.
WHY: for the glory of God and the good of His people.
The glory of God is the Christian’s highest and chief purpose in life. His glory is what motivates and empowers the fulfillment of his mission, and as we give ourselves to God and His mission, we find unspeakable joy. We experience the goodness and joy of our being made as His “image-bearers” and “fruit-bearers” in the world (Gen. 1:27-28).
WHAT: follow Jesus Christ in His mission to awaken Gospel renewal.
God doesn’t have a mission for his church in the world as much as he has a church for his mission in the world. That mission is to join with Christ in his work of rescuing and restoring God’s good creation, beginning with humanity, from the curse of sin and death and all its effects (Rom. 8:18-23). This means that we seek to reach out, grow and help others come alive to and be transformed by the “new creation” power of the Gospel.
HOW: through Spirit-empowered worship, discipleship and mission.
God has ordained the means by which gospel renewal comes about in and through the church (Acts 2:42). Each of these means must be empowered by the Spirit if they are to be effective in shaping the life of a Christian. They are: worship, discipleship and mission.
WHERE: in the Rivermont Community extending to the ends of the earth.
God has placed us in the Rivermont Community (the Rivermont neighborhood and Rivermont EPC). Our mission begins here: in our church and homes, this neighborhood and our city. We seek deep, long-term ministry relationships as the vehicle for change in our city and world.
VALUES
All of Scripture points to Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption for His people, which culminated in His headship over the Church (Eph. 5:23, Col. 1:18). Therefore all that we are and all that we do as a church is informed and shaped by Christ Himself.
Transforming Power of Scripture
God uses Scripture to conform us to the image of Christ (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Therefore we value teaching God’s Word fully (Acts 20:27), accurately (2 Tim. 2:15), and with conviction (1 Thess. 1:5) in every setting. We seek to provide teaching with relevant and specific application that encourages active faith and obedience (James 2:14-17) while confronting unbelief.
Rooted Worship
Fruitful worship depends upon the strength of its roots. We value worship rooted in Scripture, informed by Church history, and expressed through reformed liturgy and hymnody. Our worship includes congregational participation (Isa. 6:4), expository preaching (Acts 6:2, 2 Tim. 4:2), prayer, and the regular observance of the sacraments (Acts 2:42). We desire to offer our best, in heart and skill, for the glory of God and the joy of his people.
Grace-empowered discipleship
The heart of discipleship - the process by which we become mature followers of Christ - is an ever-increasing belief and trust in the gospel of God’s grace to produce faithfulness and fruitfulness in the disciple’s life (Titus 2:11-12). We believe that God’s prescribed path of discipleship is through the proper use of the “means of grace”, which are the Word, the sacraments and prayer (Acts 2:42). As we are shaped by these means of grace, we are equipped and empowered to pursue authentic gospel relationships, both inside and outside the church (Gal. 2:11-14)
Neighborhood focused
God calls His people, the Church, to inhabit places from which mission might flow (1 Cor. 1:2). For more than 125 years, we have inhabited the Rivermont neighborhood with the call to reach “our Jerusalem” for Christ (Acts 1:8). We invest our time, talents, and treasures to build gospel relationships. We anticipate neighbors coming to faith in Christ, and individuals and institutions flourishing according to God’s design (Jer. 29:1-7).
Relational ministry
Our reconciliation to God through Christ calls us to bear with one another in loving community. As we seek to spend time together in honest relationships, we are confronted with the challenges and joys of genuine love (Rom. 12:9-16). This commitment is essential to shared life as the household of God. In reliance on the Spirit, all Rivermont ministries should strive to embody this relational call.
Priority of membership
We believe membership in a local church is a necessary marker that confirms one’s identity in Christ and commitment to serve as His body, the Church (Acts 11:26). To that end, we provide regular instruction and clear pathways for attenders to become members, and to live out their commitment to engage regularly in worship, discipleship and mission as well as submit to the oversight, care and protection of spiritual shepherds.