Happy Birthday to The River Church of the South Bay! A group of faithful, adventurous souls gathered at the home of Steve and Ceci Watts on February 7, 2007, and committed to one another that they would start something new and fresh, spurred on by Isaiah 43:19 ...
“Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”
They were committed to Jesus, to one another, and to our neighborhoods. The growth of spiritual depth, influence in our community, and reach around the world, not ignoring also the growth in the number of people who call The River their spiritual home and family, has been beautiful. I am grateful to you original families, and indeed, God is still doing something new in and through you who today make up The River Church. So happy birthday! The maturity manifested throughout The River is an illustration of Paul’s passion in Ephesians 4 that local churches will be intentional about growing up. He says, “don’t stay a baby, move toward maturity.” He emphasizes two strands of intentionality toward growing up [Ephesians 4:1-16]: unity of the whole, and contribution from the individual.
Bill
