BOB M.
married | 2 kids | attending since 2004.

What’s in your CD player?
Casting Crowns

What’s your greatest indulgence? 
Going fishing!

What is your favorite movie? 
Black Hawk Down.

What’s your idea of a perfect day? 
Typical Sunday, get up have breakfast, go to church, spend the rest of the day together with my family.

Your proudest moment? 
Being a dad.

What has God been showing you lately that has surprised you?
God has shown me a lot!  After I went on a missions trip to China, He showed me that I need to be debt-free because of all of the blessings I have been given.  God has put a burden on my heart for me to be a better giver and help out the Kingdom in that way. 

What was your first step in getting involved at River Valley Church? 
Attending with my wife.  She found the church online and I agreed to come with her once.  We agreed it was a great church; we liked the vibe.

What kept you here? 
Enthusiasm!  Small groups, services, people…it’s been a great experience coming to River Valley.

How has River Valley Church impacted your life? 
River Valley has had a huge impact.  I grew up Christian but was lacking in relationship with God.  RVC has helped me to find that, build it, and encourages me with new weekly messages and multiple Small Group opportunities.

BOB M.
married | 2 kids | attending since 2004.

What’s in your CD player?
Casting Crowns

What’s your greatest indulgence? 
Going fishing!

What is your favorite movie? 
Black Hawk Down.

What’s your idea of a perfect day? 
Typical Sunday, get up have breakfast, go to church, spend the rest of the day together with my family.

Your proudest moment? 
Being a dad.

What has God been showing you lately that has surprised you?
God has shown me a lot!  After I went on a missions trip to China, He showed me that I need to be debt-free because of all of the blessings I have been given.  God has put a burden on my heart for me to be a better giver and help out the Kingdom in that way. 

What was your first step in getting involved at RVC? 
Attending with my wife.  She found the church online and I agreed to come with her once.  We agreed it was a great church; we liked the vibe.

What kept you here? 
Enthusiasm!  Small groups, services, people…it’s been a great experience coming to RVC.

How has RVC impacted your life? 
RVC has had a huge impact.  I grew up Christian but was lacking in relationship with God.  RVC has helped me to find that, build it, and encourages me with new weekly messages and multiple Small Group opportunities.

MARIA J.
married | 4 kids | attending since 2004.

What’s in your CD player?
Barlow Girl, Rebecca St. James, FFH

What was your first job? 
Paper route.

What’s your day job? 
I’m a mom who homeschools our four children.

What did you want to be growing up? 
A business woman.

What is your favorite movie? 
Sound of Music.

What was your last purchase? 
Groceries.

What do you look for in a friend? 
I look for someone who is genuine, real, not afraid to let themselves to be shown for who they are and that they have a smile on their face.

What has God been showing you lately that has surprised you? 
How He answers prayer and how God will continually challenge you and use you if you are willing to come before Him and seek His will.  It’s been so clear for me lately.

What was your first step in getting involved at RVC? 
Our kids went to a Timothy Club event and we offered to lead a small group.  It was the easiest church to get involved with.

How did you hear about RVC? 
I live down the street and always saw the church, but we were going somewhere else.  Also, we had neighbors that went as well and heard about it from them.

How has RVC impacted your life? 
In many many ways.  So much of what we do as a family involves RVC.  We wanted a church in our community where our whole family could get more involved.  Each time we walk in the doors, it’s like God is saying, “I’m glad you are here”.  If you took church out of our lives, we would be bored!

GARRY W.
single dad | two kids | attending since 2005.

What’s in your CD player?
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

What was your first job? 
Babysitting.

What was your last purchase? 
Gas.

What’s your greatest indulgence?
Working out.

What do you look for in a friend? 
A true friend isn’t just someone who accepts me for who I am, but holds me to a higher standard and also not only sees me for who I am but who I can be.

What has God been showing you lately that has surprised you? 
My ability to not have to be organized and ready for everything all the time. 

What kept you here? 
For the first time in my life when I walked out of service I had a void filled.  I had always attended church out of obligation.  I went because it made my mom happy when I was a kid and I knew it was the right thing to do, but I never got anything out of it.  Then I came to RVC… I cried, laughed, sang and felt like there was a reason why I was here.

What Small Group do you belong to? 
ESP (Elevating Single Parents).

How have Small Groups @ RVC impacted your life? 
I have always been a very selfish person and not one to get involved or give of my time.  Through no doing of my own, I feel God has directed me to lead a small group to help point people in the right direction and connect deeper with Him.

RACHEL A.
single mom | one kid | attending since 1998. 

What’s in your CD player? 
RVC worship CD.  And it’s awesome because if you have had a bad day, you can put it in your car and crank it really loud! 

What was your first job? 
A hostess at a restaurant.

What’s your greatest indulgence? 
Really good ice cream in my hot tub.

What did you want to be growing up? 
A kindergarten teacher.

What’s your idea of a perfect day? 
A day spent at home with my son, sleeping in, leaving pj’s on until late in the morning and going out for lunch.

What do you look for in a friend? 
Someone who will listen to you, be there for you and be available to you and it doesn’t matter what else is going on in their life.  They are going to stop and take the time to listen and really listen to what’s in your heart behind what you are saying and won’t let you get away with the easy answers.

Your proudest moments? 
When my son was baptized and he wore the same t-shirt his dad wore when he got baptized.

How did you hear about RVC? 
I got a flyer in the mail and we went and it was so warm and welcoming and just so different from anything I had ever had before and we just loved it.

What kept you coming back? 
We kept coming back because it was so real and because people really cared and the sermons are about things that are part of your real life and you can actually take them and apply them to your life.

How has RVC impacted your life? 
RVC has had a deep impact on my life.  I had grown up in a Christian home but never took it to heart.  It was more about the teachings and not living it everyday.  As I went to RVC it resonated in my soul that you have to “know that you know” where you are going to go when you die.  I made the decision to enter in to a personal relationship and it made such difference!  I am so grateful, because when my husband died there would have been no way I could have made it without my faith and RVC helped me to find that.

How have Small Groups @ RVC impacted your life? 
Small Groups are so much fun!  It’s the best way to get to know people, connect with people, pray for people and have people pray for you and to make real connections.

DEB B.

married | attending since 2003.

What’s in your CD player? 
A self-help CD on getting things done

What was your first job? 
A key punch operator for a credit card company.

What is your favorite movie? 
Ice Age.

What was your last purchase? 
A new printer.

What do you look for in a friend? 
Someone who is fun to be with and loyal. 

What has God been showing you lately that has surprised you? 
God has been amazing to me!  He has given me a lot of opportunities with my career.  Opportunities I really never thought I would get.  It’s a lot of fun and I can’t explain how happy I am.

Why did you come to RVC? 
RVC was having a community outreach on weight loss and I joined the group.  I was then invited to a service and was hooked.  I knew it was different.  It was truly friendly and I really liked the sermons.

What kept you here? 
A number of things kept me coming back!  The energy of God that I felt every time I walked into this church.  The other thing is the sermons.  Each week they taught me things I could do to improve my relationship with God.  It was amazing!  Then of course, it’s the people.  I’ve formed a lot of good relationships that have lasted.

How has RVC impacted your life? 
RVC has helped me build my relationship with God.  I kind of lost it for a while and RVC is the thing that helped me get it back.

What Small Group do you belong to? 
Gather together – a group where we go and visit seniors and do crafts with them. 

How have Small Groups @ RVC impacted your life? 
I’ve learned a lot and have developed relationships with people and they are relationships I don’t want to loose!  Each Small Group I have been involved in I’ve met friends and have kept them even when the group ended.

LANA P.
married | 2 kids | attending since 2005.

What’s in your CD player? 
RVC’s worship CD

What is your favorite movie? 
My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

What’s your idea of a perfect day? 
Getting the kids off to school, going for a walk with my dog, setting aside time for devotion, getting a massage and going out for lunch.

What was your first step in getting involved at RVC? 
I joined two small groups and felt like I got connected right away. 

What kept you here? 
It’s real.  The pastors are real - they are imperfect like us.  They want to make a difference and I felt like I wanted to be a part of that.

How has RVC impacted your life? 
It’s been awesome!  I love River Valley Church, my family loves the church, it’s made a difference in my marriage, it made a difference in how we survived a very difficult time in our lives with my son having leukemia, it’s made a difference in my own faith, my husband’s faith and my children’s faith.  What more can you ask!

How have Small Groups @ RVC impacted your life? 
Hugely!  We have recently moved from Canada and shortly after the move my son was diagnosed with leukemia.  Because all of our families were so far way, it was the connections we had made with people in our small groups that became our support system.  These people knew me, my husband, my kids and our family – that was just huge!

MAGGIE C.
widowed | 4 kids |  attending since 2003.

What’s in your CD player?
Music for Life from KTIS.

What was your first job? 
Paper girl.

What has God been showing you lately that has surprised you? 
I can do a lot more than I ever thought I could or wanted to.  I am leading a small group, talking in front of people and answering this question for the RVC website!

What kept you here? 
The people, the message and the love.

What did you want to be growing up? 
A million things!  A reporter, a detective, a nun and a nurse. 

What is your favorite movie? 
You’ve Got Mail.

What was your last purchase? 
Two books.

What’s your idea of a perfect day? 
Being with family, especially my grandkids.  Then spending time quilting.

What do you look for in a friend?
A good listener and someone I know will help me out when I need it and are in tune with my needs.

How has RVC impacted your life? 
In many ways!  RVC is one of my main priorities.  What goes on at RVC comes first in my life. 

How have Small Groups @ RVC impacted your life? 
They have had a great impact on my life.  I was never a person to be involved in group functions.  But when I came to RVC, I joined a small group and it brought new meaning to my life.  To think that people actually listened and care about what I have to think and say.  Small Groups are a must-have!

JEREMY G.
single | attending since 1997.

What’s in your CD player? 
RVC worship CD and a mix CD I made.

What was your first job? 
Mowing lawns and then I worked in a grocery store.

What’s your greatest indulgence? 
Going to eBay every day.

What is your favorite movie? 
The Shawshank Redemption, Italian Job and Miracle.

What was your last purchase? 
Lunch.

Why did you come to RVC? 
In October of 1997 I was looking for a new church.  I gave RVC a shot and have been coming here ever since.

What kept you here? 
It has a lot to do with the pastoral staff and the way Pastor Rob presents the messages, along with the members of the church.

What Small Group do you belong to? 
I belong to Foreign to Familiar.  It’s a group where we discuss different countries and cultures and what missionaries we are supporting there and then we indulge in foods from the culture. 

How has RVC impacted your life? 
It’s hard to describe.  It’s something that is more personal, it’s deep down inside, something that I know and I feel and I see going on.  It’s a place I know I want to come to every weekend and it’s something I want to do and don’t feel I have to do.

How have Small Groups @ RVC impacted your life? 
You build friendships.  You are in a small setting and you build relationships and get to know people better that way.