Starting Point

We’re so glad you’re here.

Welcome to the River

No matter where you are on your journey, we’ve saved a seat for you. Our hope is that each time you walk through our doors, you will feel at home as you encounter God and connect with community. Our staff and volunteers are here to serve you and help you connect.

Whether it’s your first time or you’ve recently become a part of the family, we welcome you and look forward to making this journey with you.

Who We Are

We’re not just a building; we’re a family made of people just like you. We are a community of believers who realize the importance of transparency and authenticity. We are followers of Jesus who want to love God, love people and change your world.

We invite you to join us on this incredible journey and discover God’s amazing plan for your life!

Our Core Values

We Pursue Love

Love is the trademark of Christianity. Jesus told us in John 13:35 that people would know we belong to Him by our love. With this in mind, we strive to create an environment of unconditional, no-strings-attached love. A culture of honor. We believe that when we live this way, not only will the world recognize us as His followers, but they will also be magnetically drawn to Him.

We Desire Unity

Jesus asked the Father in John 17:21 to make us one. His desire is that we operate in unity and solidarity. Unity is not that we agree with each other, but that we are on the same page with God. Unity is seeing what God is seeing, saying what God is saying, doing what God is doing and moving as one with Him. And, as we synchronize our hearts with His, we become a living testimony of the transforming power of Jesus in our lives.

We Value Authenticity

We believe authenticity is crucial for spiritual growth and development. James 5:16 encourages authenticity because honest admission about our problems, struggles and circumstances is the first step to finding healing and freedom. We promote and support a culture that allows us to be real about where we’ve been, where we’re at and what we are feeling. This transparency not only gives room for Holy Spirit to work in our lives, but it also is an encouragement to those around us, enabling them to see they are not alone in their journey with Jesus.

WE FOSTER FREEDOM

In 2 Corinthians 3:17, we read that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Galatians 5:1 says that it is for freedom that Christ set us free. Because our freedom is important to God, it is important to us. We purpose to nurture an atmosphere of freedom: freedom to be who God created us to be, freedom to express worship to Him with openness, freedom from the yoke of slavery to sin, freedom from bondages, freedom from cookie-cutter expectations and freedom to be real.

Meet The Team

What We Believe

The River is a member of the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee.

About The Gifts of The Spirit

Declaration Of Faith

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.

Doctrinal Commitments

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.

Why I Love The River

LAURA BURRELL

Take a moment to discover why Laura loves The River!

BRAD SUNDBERG

Find out why Brad loves The River!

Javi Wille

Check out all the reasons why Javi loves The River!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the coffee free and may I take it into the Sanctuary?

What is YouVersion? How do I get YouVersion?

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.

What should I wear?

Why are there 2 campuses?

Worship here is different. Why is that?

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. (This means we are 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.

Is there a place for students on the weekend?

Get in Touch

We want to hear from you. If you have any questions, please feel free to connect with us.

Church Directory

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Contact

Office Address 3675 North River Road, Fort Gratiot, MI 48059

Phone 810.987.3650

Email info@river.life

Fort Gratiot Campus

Office Hours Mon-Thurs 9:00am – 4:00pm

Sunday Service 9:00am & 11:15am

Wednesday Night Service 6:30pm temporarily Online

Starting Point

Welcome to the River

Who We Are

Our Core Values

We Pursue Love

We Desire Unity

We Value Authenticity

WE FOSTER FREEDOM

Meet The Team

Bill Wahl

Lead Pastor

Kim Wahl

Co-Lead Pastor

Rod Bricker

Executive Pastor

Bill Forbes

Senior’s Pastor

Matt Wahl

Associate Pastor

Gabrielle Smith

Spiritual Care Pastor

Danielle Oakey

Kid’s Pastor

Ethan Bricker

Associate Pastor

Scott Smith

Community Pastor

Lydia Bricker

Worship Pastor

Stefan Wahl

Student Pastor

Ellen Goulette

Guest Services Coordinator

Tammy Forbes

Administrative Assistant

Lesa Bricker

Sozo Ministry Director

Kate Thompson

Volunteer Coordinator