The River Christian Church Launches on Easter!!!

The River Christian Church, the newest church in the ABCNW, will be launched on Easter Sunday, April 12th. Pastor Dave Griewe came to the Boise area in the Spring of 2008 with a clear sense that God was calling him to plant a new congregation. He and his wife, Cathy, settled on the Eagle area. Although there are other growing churches in Eagle he believed there was a need for a church specifically targeting people who would not come to a traditional church. They want to reach people that no other church is reaching. Part of their strategy is to create a "come as you are" culture, making it extremely easy for the unchurched to attend and check out spiritual issues. The ABCNW churches in the Intermountain Area have welcomed this new work with open arms, and many have lent their support in a variety of ways.

The River Christian Church held their first preview service on February 28th. They had 101 people in attendance. 20 of these were new people who had not shown up at any previous gathering. They had one re-commitment to Christ. Guests gave them rave reviews. And, the service went well. No glitches, according to reports from Pastor Dave. They have continued with preview services each Sunday, ramping up for the big launch on Easter Sunday. They've assembled a full staff, which is a great story in itself. People are getting excited.

Would you join us in praying for the Lord's blessing on this new work in our Region? Here are some of Pastor Dave's specific requests:

• Pray that people will come to church! We ordered 4,000 extra cards to distribute door to door in the neighborhoods surrounding the school where we meet. Pray for them to be well received and for a huge response!
• Pray for God to open the floodgates so we can lead many people to Christ over the next three weeks.
• Pray for our Easter and Grand Opening service details. We go to two services on Easter 9:30 and 11:00. Our hope is to stay with two services and not look back.
• Our children's ministry will have a special Petting Zoo on Easter Sunday. Pray for all the details to be worked out, including having enough animals and for us to find the money to pay for the cost of animals and set up.

In the midst of this new work Pastor Dave and Cathy have been beset by several medical challenges. Please keep their health in your prayers. You can learn more about this new project at www.riverchristianchurch.com. Also, you can request to be on Dave's email list. He sends out a weekly update on their progress and needs. His email is Pastordg@aol.com. The church needs financial support. If you can help, even if it is a small amount, they would appreciate it. There is also a need for assistance in paying for their medical bills. [The picture at the top of this post shows the staff: Dave Rowe, Susie Tilton, Dave Griewe, Don Steinke, Kason Wedel, and Phil Eastman.]