About

Welcome to The River

We’re not just a building; we’re a family made of people just like you. No matter where you’ve come from or where you’ve been, you’re welcome here. You are important to us because you are important to God, and we’re here to help you grow in your relationship with Him.

FAQs

Worship is very important to us at The River. It’s more than a ritual or simply the song portion of the service. We believe every worship experience is an opportunity for us to enter into His Presence and encounter Him. And, once we are in His Presence, we are in no hurry to leave!

Often, we sing what is in our hearts. Sometimes, we sing prophetically - singing what God is saying in the moment. There are times music just plays, and we give space for everyone to sing their own song to God. And in each of these situations, there are no words on the screen. This gives you the freedom to express worship in your own words to Him.

YouVersion is the Bible app we use to provide you with notes for the weekend message. You can download the app by going to the App Store or Google Play Store and searching “The Bible App” and downloading to your mobile device.

To access the notes, open the app and choose “More” located on the bottom right-hand section of the screen. Then, select “Events”. Then choose “The River”. Notes remain available until Tuesday evening.

Our Team

Bill Wahl

Lead Pastor

Bill Forbes

Senior's Pastor

Matt Wahl

Associate Pastor

Gabrielle Smith

Spiritual Care Pastor

Danielle Oakey

Kid's Pastor

Scott smith

Community Pastor

Dylan oakey

Student Pastor

Our Core Values

love

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ~ Matthew 22:37-39

humility

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ~ Ephesians 4:2

servanthood

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, ~ Philippians 2:5-7

unity

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ Romans 15:5-6

discipleship

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. ~ Matthew 28:19-20

What We Believe

Our Declaration of Faith states that we believe:

In the verbal inspiration of the Bible.
In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.
That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that repentance is commanded of God for all and necessary for forgiveness of sins.
That justification, regeneration, and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.
In sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word, and by the Holy Ghost.
Holiness to be God’s standard of living for His people.
In the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart.
In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
In water baptism by immersion, and all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Divine healing is provided for all in the atonement.
In the Lord’s Supper and washing of the saints’ feet.
In the premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the righteous dead and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years.
In the bodily resurrection; eternal life for the righteous, and eternal punishment for the wicked.

The following Doctrinal Commitments represent the core beliefs of the denomination as outlined in Scripture.

Repentance. Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19.
Justification. Romans 5:1; Titus 3:7.
Regeneration. Titus 3:5.
New birth. John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9.
Sanctification subsequent to justification. Romans 5:2; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 13:12.
Holiness. Luke 1:75; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; Hebrews 12:14.
Water baptism. Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9, 10; John 3:22, 23; Acts 8:36, 38.
Baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to cleansing; the enduement of power for service. Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:49, 53; Acts 1:4-8.
The speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance as the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Ghost. John 15:26; Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:1-7.
The Church. Exodus 19:5, 6; Psalm 22:22; Matthew 16:13-19; 28:19,20; Acts 1:8; 2:42-47; 7:38; 20:28; Romans 8:14-17: 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17; 12:12-31; 2 Corinthians 6:6-18; Ephesians 2:19-22; 3:9, 21; Philippians 3:10; Hebrews 2:12; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:6, 7;
Revelation 21:2, 9; 22:17.
Spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:1, 7, 10, 28, 31; 1 Corinthians 14:1.
Signs following believers. Mark 16:17-20; Romans 15:18, 19; Hebrews 2:4.
Fruit of the Spirit. Romans 6:22; Galatians 5:22, 23; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 1:11.
Divine healing provided for all in the Atonement. Psalm 103:3; Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:17; James 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:24.
The Lord’s Supper. Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11: 2 3 – 2 6.
Washing the saints’ feet. John 13:4-17; 1 Timothy 5:9, 10.
Tithing and giving. Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22; Malachi 3:10; Luke 11:42; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 ; Hebrews 7:1-21.
Restitution where possible. Matthew 3:8; Luke 19:8, 9.
Premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the dead saints and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years. Zechariah 14:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Jude 14, 15; Revelation 5:10; 19:11-21; 20:4-6.
Resurrection. John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:5, 6.
Eternal life for the righteous. Matthew 25:46; Luke 18:30; John 10:28; Romans 6:22; 1 John 5:11-13.
Eternal punishment for the wicked. No liberation nor annihilation. Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 3:29; 2 Thessalonians 1: 8, 9; Revelation 20:10-15; 21:8.

Contact Us

ServIce Time And Location

Sundays @ 10:00am
Wednesdays @ 6:30pm
River Ministry Center
5801 Griswold Rd., Kimball, MI 48074

Contact Information

810.987.3650
info@river.life
Office Hours: M-Th 9am-4pm
Office Address: 3675 N. River Rd., Fort Gratiot, MI 48059