Mission & Vision

What are we called to do?

Our Mission: Equip people to be full-grown followers of Christ.


What kind of church do we see ourselves becoming?

Our Vision: To be a fellowship of believers who bring the light, love, and hope of Christ to our neighbors so they can do the same.


Our General Ministry Plan: To equip and encourage people to live the balanced three-dimentional life of Christ (Upreach, Inreach, Outreach), and to provide contexts and opportunities for them to do so.



We are a Baptist church associated with Mission Northeast.

Practical Beliefs

We Believe ...

  • that God loves people
  • that he wants people to live truly meaningful and satisfying lives
  • that he told us how we can do that in the BIble
  • that we need Christian fellowship to help us to do it

We Believe in ...

  • accepting people as they are, while encouraging growth
  • cultivating loving, supportive friendships
  • making a difference in the community
  • helping families and individuals meet the challenges of living in the 21st century

Abbreviated Doctrinal Statement

  1. The Bible is God's inerrant, infallible word.
  2. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal.
  3. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh and our only Savior.
  4. The Holy Spirit is at work in salvation and sanctification.
  5. All people have sinned and need to be forgiven.
  6. Jesus Christ is our substitutionary sacrifice.
  7. Salvation is by grace through faith alone, and believers are eternally secure.
  8. Jesus Christ was resurrected bodily, and his return is imminent.
  9. Everyone will be resurrected bodily and spend eternity in either heaven or hell.
  10. Believers baptism by immersion is the condition for local church membership.
  11. The Lord's Supper is symbolic of Christ's body and shed blood.

Full_RVFC_Doctrinal_Beliefs.pdf

Our Story

River Valley Fellowship Church (RVFC) came into existence on June 25, 2006 at the Windsor Locks Senior Center when a group of believers voted to accept the name and Constitution and By-laws of the church. 

 

Those believers had been members of Immanuel Baptist Church of Suffield, Connecticut, and so RVFC has an earlier history.

  

In 1981 a group of people in Suffield, CT committed themselves to learn more about Jesus and to sharing the gospel of Christ with people. Pastor Len Waterman, who was a Conservative Baptist Church Planter led the original Bible Study, which consisted of 6 people. The group soon grew. The first church service of Immanuel Baptist Church was held in July, 1982 with 14 people in attendance. David Johnson was called as the pastor of IBC for that first service. Pastor Dave and his wife Christina served for 11 years at IBC. The church grew numerically and in the knowledge of God’s Word under his leadership. In 1994 the church called Pastor Alan Graffam, who brought a new vision for a cell church ministry to IBC. Pastor Al and his wife Paula served at IBC for 9 years growing the church spiritually through his preaching ministry, focus on practical application of God’s Word and oversight of the cells of the church. In November 2005 the church then called Dr. Edward Moser as the pastor of IBC with an understanding that the church was looking for a new start. Within a few months Pastor Ed had established a Transition Team, which selected a new church name, wrote a new Constitution and By-Laws, and detailed a new mission and ministry style for the church. All of the recommendations of the Transition Team were accepted by vote of members of the church and River Valley Fellowship Church came into existence on June 25, 2006.