The River Church Community

Dear friends,

I’ve been meditating the old proverb:  “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained; but, happy is he who keeps the law.” (Proverbs 29:18)  The scripture tells us that we desperately need vision – not any vision, but God’s vision.  The Hebrew word used for vision is also translated “prophecy” (ESV) or “revelation” (NKJV).  Absent God’s vision, our energies and resources dissipate like a river with no riverbanks.  That’s why we’re offering vision seminars throughout the fall.  They are an investment in you - in your community of friends and in your family.  In my prayer time, I found it inspiring to ponder the proverb in it’s inverse form.  I think it might say something like this: “where there is clarity of vision, the people will thrive; their lives will be sharp and focused, fruitful and satisfying.” This is my prayer for my own life . . . and for us all as well.

There are two seminars remaining this fall.  The first is on Saturday, October 10; it’s a repeat of last Saturday’s seminar.  The second, specifically designed for families, is on Sunday, October 18.  As Jill announced on Sunday, these two seminars will be covering different material. I hope I’ll see many of you at one of the seminars.

Peace,
Brad Wong, Lead Pastor

P.S.  I spoke to a number of people who were convicted by this past Sunday’s message.  If you would enjoy further exploration of the story of the temptations, I’ve found In the Name of Jesus (Henri Nouwen) to be very powerful.

Hello Everyone,

We praise God for all the ways we have been experiencing His goodness this past week.

- The River women enjoyed great fellowship and great food last Sunday at the Women's BBQ at the Bauer residence. Thank you to Molly Meyer and all the ladies on the planning team for organizing this event. Click here to view some photos, courtesy of Laurie Butler.

- Earth Ethics is now underway on Wednesday nights. Tony reported that the first meeting last week was full of great discussion as people were able to share about their "green" experiences and learn from one another. The next meeting is tonight.

- Over 50 people spent their Saturday reflecting on the story God has been writing in their lives at the first Vision Seminar. If you missed it, be sure to catch the next seminar on Saturday, October 10.

- River Softball (just like the NFL) is about to enter Week 4. Everyone is welcome to come watch the games starting at 1 pm at Camden Park (near Camden and Union Ave in San Jose). Also, mark your calendars for October 18th - there will be a BBQ during the games hosted by several River small groups.

Heads up for this Sunday, October 4th -  The Rock 'n Roll half-marathon is taking place in downtown San Jose.  Downtown residents will want to check out the planned road closures.  Those of you coming from outside of downtown are unlikely to be affected.

Giving Team - we introduced the team (Warren Collier, Dave Cullom, Joyce Murata, Brian Perronne, and Tony Traback) on Sunday. Brian was featured in a Flow video too. We will post that link once it becomes available.

Parent Vision Event - Sunday, October 18th from 6 to 8 pm at The River Ministry Center. God has given some of us the special joy and challenge of raising a family.  This 2 hour event will build off of the church-wide vision seminars on 9/26 and 10/10 that are more focused on individual vision.  We will center our time around receiving a vision about how to live as families of faith and our unique roles as parents. Childcare provided (maximum of 20 children) and light refreshments will be available.  Please note the ages of your child/ren when you RSVP.

Engaging Mission at The River - This is a monthly opportunity for you to ask questions and dialogue with Tony about what The River is doing around mission. Last Sunday's meeting focused on our local partners. Just this week we learned that one of our partners, Emergency Housing Consortium, will be closing half of it's emergency shelter beds for the homeless. Click here for an article in the Mercury News about it. Tony has already begun to talk to city officials and others about the impications of this closure. If you would like to join him in figuring out some steps forward, please contact him at .