We will have the nursery available for children 2 years old and younger.

This year, we will be collecting various items each week and packing them together on Thanksgiving Sunday, 11/20. If you would like to participate, read the list below to see what items we are collecting. Or you can donate $10 for us to use to pack and ship a shoe box.

11/6: Misc. Items

*Hard candy *Lollipops *Mints *Gum *T-Shirts *Socks *Ball Caps *Sunglasses *Hair Clips *Toy Jewelry *Watches *Flashlights (with extra batteries). Please double bag all candy.

10/30: Toys

*Small toys for boys and girls between the ages of 2 through 14.

 10/23: Toiletries

*Soap *Toilet Tissue *Toothbrush *Small Kleenex Packets *Toothpaste *Chapstick *Floss *Deodorant *Etc.

10/16: School and Arts Supplies

*Pens, Pencils, Erasers *Small Picture Books *Sharpener—hand operated *Crayons, Markers *Water Colors Pallets *Coloring Books *Writing Pads or Paper *Glue sticks *Solar Calculators

Please do not give any liquids, used or damaged items. Samaritan Purse will not accept them.

Donated items can also be brought to the church during the week, Monday through Friday from 12pm to 3pm. Please call 407.351.4333 prior to coming.

While we encourage people to join us for our Thanksgiving Sunday Service on November 20 and pack shoeboxes together, you are more than welcome to pack a shoe box on your own and drop it off at the church office prior to November 20. Please click on this link to read the guidelines on how to pack a shoe box from Samaritan’s Purse website.

Thank you. Your participation and generosity is appreciated and will bless many children.  

• Middle School Students – 6:30 – 8:30pm
• High School Students – 6:30 – 9pm

If you would like to know more about our ministry, please contact EL at elallen@riverpca.org.

If you’d like to join them for their next wing night, email Lance at lanceesewell042201@yahoo.com.

• In April, the Pastor will open nominations for Deacons and Elders from the congregation. The nominations will stay open for 3 weeks.
• Once the nominations are closed a list will be compiled and presented to the current Session.
• The Pastor will contact the nominees and determine their level of interest and if the qualification process is to continue. The contact will be by personal visit except for deacons/elders that have served at ROL. During the initial contact the pastor will: 
  (1) Outline and discuss the biblical qualifications of a deacon or elder
  (2) Assess their agreement with core values, and philosophy of ROL, and
  (3) Determine their willingness to serve as a deacon or elder.
• If the nominee accepts the nomination, then a time is arranged for the Session to meet with the nominee and his wife, if married.
• The Pastor and Session will determine the spiritual maturity and theological knowledge of the nominee. These men shall be examined by the Session concerning their Christian experience, their knowledge and acceptance of the Westminster standards, and their willingness to assume the responsibility of the office of deacon or ruling elder according to the qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
• Those nominees who pass the initial qualification process will receive formal officer training over the summer.
• Nominees approved by the Session at the completion of this training process will be presented to the congregation as candidates for election.
• Elections will be by secret ballot of church members, normally conducted during a regular worship service. 
• Ordination and Installation of the new deacons and elders will occur in the fall (Sept/Oct) of the same year of nomination.

River of Life uses a rotation system for officers based on a Three-year cycle. There are several reasons why this procedure is used in our deacon and elder ministry:

• It allows for a broader base of leadership, enabling additional qualified men to serve.
• It maximizes church resources and manpower by allowing for new ideas, motivation and vision to be provided through new deacons each year.
• It guards against burnout and over-commitment among some of our most qualified and dedicated church leaders.
• It provides a way for elders and deacons to renew themselves spiritually for greater ministry effectiveness.
• It allows the leadership to grow and change as the congregation grows and changes. 

Although Deacons and Elders are ordained for life, after completing a term of service they must be nominated, elected and installed again for each additional term of service. Upon completion of the initial three-year term, a Deacon or Elder is eligible for re-election to the Deacon Board or Session for another three-year term. After the second term is served, a full year must elapse before an individual is eligible for re-election. 

“Parenting: Where’s the Manual?”

• 5/08  - The Fearful Parent, “But I don’t know what to do?”
• 5/15  -  The Anxious Parent, “But what if I mess it up?”
• 5/22 – The Demanding Parent, “This better work!”
• 5/29 – The Defeated Parent, “I’ve done all I can”
• 6/05 – The Hopeful Parent, ” I can enjoy this!”

In our Sunday morning worship time we seek to engage both the head and the heart of every person with the truth of God’s Word.  Contemporary worship coupled with relevant Christ-centered preaching brings the Word of God to rest in every area of our lives.  The message of Christ permeates the entire service so that all might see him as Lord.