River News

<b>Sunday Morning Community</b><br>Join one of our Sunday morning community groups for their new study through the book of Ephesians. This is a great way to connect with other people at The River and help your growing relationship with Jesus. The study starts TODAY and a group meets during each service at 9:45am or 11:15am.<br><br><b>Daniel Fast</b><br>Starting today we are challenging our River Church Family to fast for either 7 (5K), 14 (Half Marathon), or 21 (Marathon) days. We are using this time to deepen our relationship with God and center ourselves around what God is going to do in our church and in our lives during this time. Check out the posters near the fireplace and show your commitment to the fast.<br><br>During the fast, we will eliminate some common things from our daily diet. The diet is vegan based, eliminates caffeine, sugar, and artificial additives. A recipe and prayer guide is available on the credenza and online at https://hittheriver.com/events/daniel-fast-2018.<br><br><b>24 Hour Prayer</b><br>Join us for a time of prayer January 23-24. We have different time slots available starting on Tuesday, January 23 at 6:00pm and ending at 6:00pm on Wednesday, January 24. As you feel led, please sign up for a 30 minute time slot. Sign ups will be in the fireplace area.<br><br><b>New Kind Of Groups!</b><br>Connect with others who share similar interests in a fun and inviting way! Make new friends at The River while creating natural environments to engage those not yet connected to The River. Affinity Groups can form the basis of long-lasting friendships and community that point you and others to Jesus.<br><br>Want to start your own group?<br>You can apply to become a sponsor for a new Affinity Group! There are just a couple expectations for group sponsors:<br>• Be connected and committed to The River<br>• Represent Christ and The River well<br>• Serve under the direction and authority of Grace’s staff<br><br>Sign up on your connection card or email Todd at todd@HitTheRiver.com to start the process. We would like to launch the groups around the middle of February.<br><br><b>Compass</b><br>Looking for some direction in your life as you begin 2018? Learn how to prioritize what's important in life, and figure out the great plans God has for you. Join us for Compass -- a group of adults ages 18-30 -- on Wednesday nights starting January 11. We will meet to discuss Rick Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life," at 6:45 pm at Panera on Tylersville. While you are encouraged to dig deeper into the book, no homework is required. Grab some dinner or dessert. Your first coffee/hot chocolate is on us! <br><br>Also, save the date for Pancakes and a Puzzle at the Hilty house on Saturday, January 27. For more information contact Lindsey Hilty (513) 371-3566.<br><br><b>Men’s Community Group</b><br>A new Men’s Study by Patrick Morley titled “How God Makes Men” led by Joe Ethier started up on Thursday, January 18, but you can still join. The group will be meeting the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month at 6:00pm here at The River’s building. This study, goes through the stories of 10 pillars of our faith demonstrating God’s ability to use anyone willing to answer His Call. We trust you’ll find this study helpful in growing your relationship with Jesus and will help you learn how God can use ANYONE to further His Kingdom. To sign up, email Joe at joe_ethier@yahoo.com or sign up on your connection card.<br><br><b>Annual Business Meeting</b><br>We will be meeting on Sunday, January 28, at 3:00pm for our annual business meeting. This meeting is open to our regular attenders and members. However, only members of The River are eligible to vote. If you would like to become a member we would encourage you to sign up for our River 101 class. The next class is on Saturday, January 25 and you can sign up online at https://hittheriver.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/90613<br><br><b>Membership Commitment Renewal</b><br>Each year we ask members of The River Church to reaffirm their membership commitment by completing the annual renewal of membership commitment. Renewals can be done through the email sent on January 8 regarding membership renewal, or by completing the renewal form found on the credenza outside the worship center. Please turn in your renewal form at the Guest Center by Sunday January 28 so you can participate in voting on the 2018 budget, January 28 at 3:30pm in the Worship Center.<br><br><b>River 101</b><br>Interested in learning more about The River Church? Pastor Brad will be teaching our River 101 class on Monday, January 29, 6:15pm-8:30pm. This is a great way to learn what we believe, how we operate, and where we’re heading. If you are interested in membership, the class is a prerequisite. Sign up online at https://hittheriver.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/90613<br><br><b>SOUPer Bowl Sunday</b><br>On Sunday, February 4, lets celebrate the end of the fast on by bringing in canned soup for our friends at Serve City (They will accept other cans of food in addition to soup). To have a little fun celebrating, you are encouraged to wear your favorite sports or NFL jersey on Sunday. Serve City is a food pantry in Hamilton that provides food for those in need. <br><br><b>Elder Candidate</b><br>The Elders are excited to present Jeff Herman as a candidate to become an elder at The River Church. Per the constitution, his name is being presented for 30 days to the congregation should anyone have concerns about him serving in that role. Feel free to contact us at elders@HitTheRiver.com<br><br><b>Serve City</b><br>The River Church is scheduled to serve the fourth Saturday of every month. The next scheduled serving date is Saturday, January 27, from 9:45am-12:00pm. If you are interested in serving, all you need to do is arrive at 9:45am at Serve City and you will be shown how you can help. Serve City is a food pantry that reaches out to needy families in our area. They are located at 622 East Avenue, Hamilton. For more information contact Ginger Spence at (513) 720-7347 or email Spenceg3@netzero.net.<br><br><b>Kids Night Out</b><br>Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! Parents go out on a Valentine’s date on Friday, February 16 from 5:30pm-8:00pm and leave your cherub(s) with us. We will have pizza for dinner, decorate Valentine’s cookies, play games, and work on a special outreach project to show God’s love to others. The cost is $10 for your first child and $5 for each additional sibling. All proceeds go to The River Youth mission trip to Minnesota. We welcome all kids to join us who are preschool (potty trained and 3 year old) - 5th grade. Please sign up at https://hittheriver.churchcenteronline.com/registrations/events/93262 by Wednesday, February 14. To volunteer, email Tami at tami@HitTheRiver.com.<br><br><b>Sharing God’s Love</b><br>RiverBank Kids will be collecting items to make care bags for the homeless to share God’s love for Valentine’s. Donations can be dropped off at the RiverBank Kids check in area. The bags will be assembled by the kids at Kid’s Night Out on Friday, February 16. Please consider donating any of the following items to put in our bags: unisex gloves, chapstick, lotion (small), hand warmers, granola bars, or small packs of tissues.<br><br><b>Winter Jam</b><br>The River Youth are heading to the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular on Saturday, February 17. They will be leaving from The River’s building at 3:30pm for the concert and will be back at 11:00pm that evening. Artists include Kari Jobe, New Song, Building 429, Skillet, comedian John Crist and more. Cost is $15 at the door. Make sure to bring cash to the event. This event is open to students and their families. Register online for Winter Jam at https://hittheriver.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/95736.<br><br><b>Can We Pray for You?</b><br>We have an email network of people who are committed to pray for you wether it’s big or small. Email your prayer request to prayer@HitTheRiver.com. <br><br><b>Angels Among Us</b><br>There are times in life when we can be in a situation where a meal would be a blessing, such as after giving birth or when dealing with a medical situation. Through our Angels Among Us ministry, you can help people within our church by bringing them a meal. To join, send an email to info@HitTheRiver.com letting us know you’d like to be part of this ministry. When a need arises, you will receive an email asking if you can sign up to bring a meal. If you are in a situation where you could be blessed by a meal, please email us at info@HitTheRiver.com.