Where He has led us.....so far...
You can go to church and "do" church and still die a slow, agonizing spiritual death. This is the place we were at in December 2000. As a matter of fact most of us didn't really have a "spiritual" life; we were simply going through the motions. Like many others of this generation of 'seekers', we had arrived at a point where we finally "looked up" and said "IS THIS IT?!?"
We felt like we could do one of two things: continue on as we were, or make a change. So, on December 11, 2000 a few families met at the Denton Ferry RV Park in Cotter on the banks of the White River (hence the name 'Riverside'). It was just a meeting to see what our options were, but Bill and Frances Jordan were there to guide and counsel us, as they had been in a similar situation several years ago. With their guidance, we made the decision to go forward with a new church. It was a decision that was not made quickly nor taken lightly.
God has continually watched over us and blessed us from the beginning. We met in homes on Wednesday evening for the first month. Then, when everything was in place, we met for the first time as the Riverside church of Christ on January 21, 2001. The little church building at Fairview was rent-free and lacked modern conveniences such as a bathroom and running water. However, a port-a-potty and water from home took care of those things. There were only a handful of us on that crisp January Sunday morning, but we had a place to meet and we didn't feel deprived of anything. We were together and it was such a joyful occasion! Eric Hudson preached our first sermon. After that, we received tremendous inspiration from the campus ministry at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville....the Razorbacks for Christ. The RFC's came to our little church many times and showed us how to joyfully lead a worship service, and how to gladly serve each other with physical work.
We had already decided at this point that we would have different speakers each week. This structure allows us to be exposed to different viewpoints, and we believe strongly that the Holy Spirit directs the message these men bring to us each week. Many of our current speakers are Harding University Professors from Searcy, Arkansas. Others come all over Arkansas and several surrounding states. With no located preacher to depend on to do the needed work, the Shepherds and the whole congregation share in the work of spiritually caring for each other, and in the outreach programs.
One of the keys to growth has been Life Groups. These small groups meet in members' homes, or at the church building, and promote deeper spiritual growth and service to others. These Groups serve the dual role of reaching outward and inward.
We welcome anyone who is seeking encouragement, fellowship and a deeper relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ!