General We are a non-traditional, Southern Baptist church. We are non-traditional because we know a lot of people who saw the traditions of the church and mistakenly thought they saw God. They also knew "church people" and decided their friends were a lot more fun. We have discovered those things just aren't true, and we want to help you shift your paradigm, like we have. We simply believe it is important for everyone to develop a clear picture of who they are and why they are here! We are Southern Baptist because we believe in the biblical correctness of the statement of faith (hyper link), the powerful organization of missions, and the autonomy of the local church. Our name and mission River Cross is a name derived from two incredibly important symbols of the Bible. A river is often used to represent the source of life. Psalm 1:3 says a godly person "is like a tree planted by a river, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." The cross represents the way to the abundant life (see John 10:10). Our hope is that we will be the place where you will "plant", yield, prosper, and live the abundant life. As an added bonus, members will learn more about river crossing in the membership class. "Leading people to think eternally and act presently" is our mission. We believe when someone understands what it means to truly be a follower of Christ, they will see things from a godly perspective and their life will be transformed into His likeness. Unfortunately, many Christians never reach that understanding, and we are committed to do everything we can to help change that. Our values Our values are the core beliefs that drive everything we do as a church. Our vision may need to be updated from time to time, and our strategy will certainly change throughout time. However, our values will remain constant. It is critical that every member embrace them in order for us to function together in unity. 1. Biblical authority - "All Scripture is given by God"; 2 Tim 3:16 (NCV) The Bible is the ultimate authority for everything. It is critical that we understand and adhere to It. It is also critical that we do not add to God's Word, as others before and around us have done. For more specifics, please refer to the Baptist statement of faith. (hyper link) 2. Service - "…through love serve one another"; Gal 5.13 (NKJ) The Bible is filled with "one another's". We must learn them and apply them in our lives. We were created to love one another (John 13:34), accept one another (Romans 15:7), build up one another (Romans 14:19), greet one another (Romans 16:16), care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25), be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32a), forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32b), teach one another (Colossians 3:16), comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18), pray for one another (James 5:16), not judge one another (Romans 14:13), not envy one another (Galatians 5:26), not speak against one another (James 4:11), and not complain against one another (James 5:9). Just to name a few. 3. Character - "their good character will shine through their actions"; Titus 2:9 (Message) The Bible is clear that we are to be transformed into Christlike character (Romans 8:29), and we are to be God's ambassadors in this world (2 Corinthians 5:20). 4. Cultural relevance - "…to those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law…"; 1 Cor 9:19-23 (NRSV) God is always relevant, even though the Church has not been at times. We are committed to removing every barrier we can between people and God. Like Jesus, we must be attractive to the world around us, without compromising any of our other values. 5. Teaching - "Follow the pattern of true teachings"; 2 Tim 1:13 (NCV) People do not usually learn by accident, nor in isolation. Learning is intentional, and it is one of the primary responsibilities of the church. 6. Teamwork - "We are God's workers, working together"; 1 Cor 3:9 (NCV) We are created to work together as part of an overall effort to fulfill the vision. Our vision … is to be a church where people feel welcomed. … is to be a church where people get biblical answers to their questions about life. … is to be a church where believers are equipped to achieve their potential. … is to be a church where people are sent on mission at home and abroad. … is to be a church where God fulfills His purpose for our time and place. Our strategy Not programs. Not numbers. Not facilities. Not goals and objectives. None of these characterize our strategy for leading people to think eternally and act presently. Caring for people at all levels of spiritual development, in every age group, at all socio-economic levels, and from different races and cultures is our desire and commitment. We want to create an environment where people can see God in an uncluttered way through worship, teaching, and other people. To accomplish this, we breakdown our efforts between those geared towards people who are already believers and those who are not. For believers, we have developed classes (see Sunday college) that will allow you to grow spiritually, and train you in areas of service that you are gifted to do. For people who just aren't quite sure about this whole "religion thing", we have done everything we can think of to allow you to check it out without any strings attached. Specifically, we have removed man-made institutions from everything we do. If you ever find anything offensive at our church, any of our pastors really want to hear from you via e-mail, phone, in person, whatever makes you most comfortable. This issue of eternity is far too important to us to just blow it off. You see, we really believe there is a heaven and hell, and we think everyone must take it seriously. We certainly do! Our ordinances Christ gave two special commands (or ordinances) for the church: baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is an outward sign of person's commitment to follow Jesus Christ. The Lord's Supper is a memorial service for Jesus and the sacrifice He made for mankind. Both ordinances are important acts of obedience in the life of a believer. o Special services will be held for The Lord's Supper on a regular basis. o Most baptisms will be held in public venues, like a swimming pool, on a regular basis in the warmer months. They will be videotaped, along with the new believer's testimony, and shown at the church on Sunday mornings. Our leadership David Patterson is the lead pastor. He has a mechanical engineering degree from Georgia Tech, and a masters degree from Luther Rice Baptist Seminary. He has more than 20 years of engineering and management experience with start-up, small, and Fortune 500 companies. David is sports nut, especially the Atlanta Braves, and Florida and Georgia Tech teams. He also loves playing golf and tennis, so if you're looking for someone to whup-up-on, he's your guy - just give him a call.