First Time?

The River is a church in the River’s Edge district of downtown Kalamazoo with a passion to reach the least, the lost, and the lonely with the transformational healing gospel of Jesus. The River seeks to be a place where people can sit under the waterfall of grace. You don’t have to have everything figured out; in fact, we believe no one does. Instead we seek together to Belong, Believe, and Become. Belong to a community of imperfect people focused on loving one another with authentic relationships. Believe in the life-saving power of grace thru Jesus. Become more like Jesus by training to live life in a way that honors and brings Him glory.

Here’s what to expect…

At The River, we want you to feel right at home as we spend our Sunday mornings together. Wear what’s comfortable. Our friendly greeters will welcome you at the door. Our Lobby is where you can find freshly brewed coffee, bathrooms, and see what all’s happening. If you have kiddos, that’s also where you can check them in for RiverKids – they’re gonna love it! Once service starts, we believe Sunday mornings aren’t a spectator sport, but a time to encourage and grow together! We sing together, hear teaching from our current part of the two year bible plan, and have a lot of fun! Don’t rush out after the service either, but enjoy time getting to the whole family.

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What's Happening

WHY WE EXIST

Belong

You simply have a place to belong. It is a natural human need that all of us have to find a place of community. Where we can simply be without expectations to perform or behave in a certain way. We exist so that you have a place to belong…

Believe

…so that you can believe in Jesus. Believe He is who He said He was – the Son of God, who rescues us from our mistakes and terrible ideas and makes a way for us to live an abundant life, full of grace and freedom…

Become

…so that you can become all He intended you to be. When you become a Christ follower, He doesn’t expect you to be something entirely different by way of wiring and nature. When you become a follower of Christ, you become more free and more fully who you already are.