Looking Ahead at Riverview

I’ve tried to think of an analogy to accurately reflect my thoughts on 2009, and Riverview’s potential in 2010. One person called 2009 the ‘Perfect Storm’ of change for our church. An entirely new staff, a building project, and a programming change all culminating in January 2009. That’s a pretty good analogy, but I don’t want to give the impression that what happened at RBC in 2009 was bad. God has used all we have gone through to prepare us for future ministry, and challenges.

Someone else related to me that from their ‘insider’ experience at Riverview, RBC is more like a schizophrenic church; meaning there were five different churches trying to meet together in the same building. I could see a lot of truth in that, but from our study in Ephesians, we know it never works that way. We (the church) are one body in Christ, and to divide the body is to kill it. (Ephesians 2:16 & 4:4)

Instead of these two analogies I would like to suggest that Riverview is more like a person who is maturing and growing, and who sometimes goes through what my mom used to call ‘growing pains’. Riverview was born in 1954. When we were a young church we grew like a young child…fast. Within ten years the church had grown from zero to over one hundred. In the next ten years it grew by another hundred. In the adolescent years of the church it stayed much the same, but in its young adult life RBC grew tremendously. By the end of Pastor L.M. Woodson’s tenure the church was turning forty –five years old, and had grown to average four hundred in attendance.

Then came the MLC…the mid-life-crisis. Pastor Brad, Bro. Aaron, Mike, and Charles all arrived at Riverview at an awkward time in the life of our church and community. God placed them as Pastors at Riverview during a difficult time of transition, and they did a great job leading RBC into the new millinea, which I think is pretty symbolic of their ministry years at Riverview. They led Riverview from one distinct phase in life to the next. Also during this time, up through the present, Bixby has been growing like crazy, so we have had to discern who we are in our fast changing community. We have had to answer questions like, how do we keep the older folks who have been here for thirty years happy, and at the same time reach all the new young people moving into our area? Or, how do we keep up with the new and exciting churches that are being planted all around us without sacrificing our core values? Grappling with questions like these and hundreds more have led me to understand Riverview has simply gone through another stage in the life of a church. Over the last several years RBC had a church-wide mid-life-crisis.

A mid-life-crisis is an identity crisis. When men go through this they are trying to figure out who they are, and it often leads to a career change, a gold necklace, and a corvette. When a church goes through it, we imitate the churches around us, adopt ministry methods that don’t fit us (in an attempt to be relevant), and we usually alienate church members on both ends of the spectrum. Riverview has had it’s MLC, and now we are ready to move forward; accepting who we are, as God intended us to be, to be used by Him and for His glory to reach our community for Christ.

So where do we go from here?

Get Comfortable In Our Own Skin. Let’s just be happy with who we are in Christ. Riverview is God’s Church, and He loves His Church. He is building His Church, and the gates of Hell cannot prevail against His Church. Instead of trying to be something we are not, Riverview will simply be the Church God has called us to be.


Commit to Sound Doctrine. Preach the Bible. Teach the Bible. Live out the Bible.


Commit To Being The Best. Let’s be the best Door Greeters, Sunday School Teachers, Hand-Shakers, and Meal Takers out there. We should be the best at welcoming new people into the flock, and we should be the best ministering to the needs of others. I want Riverview members to be the best at a participating in worship, not just showing up to watch. If you are a Youth Sponsor, give it your all. If you teach in Children’s or Preschool Sunday School, do it whole-heartedly. If you are an Adult Director, please realize how important your job is. To everyone else - get involved, find a place to serve, and give God your best.

NO GRUMBLING. Please don’t complain to the people in your circle of influence. Be a positive influence with them. If you have a genuine concern talk to one of us pastors about it. Maybe we can explain why we do what we do. Getting mad and grumbling never does any good. It doesn’t make you feel better, and it doesn’t solve any problems. Not to mention grumbling and complaining are not the Christian way to handle disagreements.


Embrace Evangelism. Evangelism is one of the keys that will unlock the future of Riverview. Pray and ask God to place people on your heart to pray for them to be saved. Then pray and ask God to give you opportunities to share your faith with the people you are praying for.


Live Missionally. Living missionally goes hand and hand with evangelism. People will most likely not hear you message if your life does not back up what you say. Living missionally means to always be watching for opportunities in your daily life that will open a door for you to serve another person in the name of Christ with the hopes of sharing your faith with them on a personal level.

God Bless You Riverview.  You know I love you, and I love being your pastor....Have a great Year!!!!     aj