Interested in God but not religion. Believe in God but don’t call yourself a religious person. Think Jesus is pretty cool but not too thrilled with church or church people. Looking for authentic community not membership in a religious institution. Looking for a real relationship with God and with other people who are looking for the same thing and not a Sunday morning religious service. Open to learning more about God’s Story but not too keen on being preached at — then you’ve come to the right place.

River of Grace isn’t church on Sunday. It’s not a building full of churchy events and programs. River of Grace is people looking to get real with God and with each other. It’s a community of people who are committed to following Jesus in normal, everyday life. No fake plastic halos. No holier than thou attitude. No warming a pew on Sunday morning.

River of Grace is a movement. We’re disciples, not church goers. We’re not about the holy huddle. We’re not about sitting behind church walls thanking Jesus that we’re not out there in the wilderness. No. We follow Jesus who intentionally groomed regular everyday people to be cross bearing, other-focused disciples for the express purpose of sending them out into the wilds of the world. As disciples of Jesus we want our lives to make a real and tangible difference in our communities, neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, families, and in all of our social orbits.

River of Grace is a Holy Spirt empowered community that serves in the name of Jesus Christ. We’re intentional about getting real with God and with each other which means that our community is made-up of cells or small groups of three to twelve people who meet weekly in various places and times in Huntley, IL and the surrounding suburbs to help each other deepen and strengthen our relationship with Jesus, for the purpose of reaching out in resurrection power to a lost and broken world.

River of Grace is organic. Each individual cell is a unique community of ministers who minister to each other and to the larger community outside of the cell, as the Holy Spirit calls and leads them. We believe that the Holy Spirit adds to our numbers as we intentionally build positive and life-giving relationships with people outside of the River of Grace community and as we proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ by both our words and actions.

River of Grace is a living breathing community of people who know God’s Story, who live it, and who share it. As Jesus’ disciples we know that we are part of God’s unfolding Story. We know the beginning and the end of this one true Story and we actively seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance, relying on his spiritual gifts, as we live out our place and our role in this Story on both a personal and a corporate level. Committed to God’s Kingdom agenda we actively strive to share God’s Story with others and for the benefit of others through what we say and what we do.
River of Grace is all about authentic worship. We, all the individual cells, regularly gather together as one community not to hold a religious service but to celebrate God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We celebrate who God is, what he has done and what he will yet do. We celebrate God’s Story and our place in it. We celebrate the cross and the river of grace that flows from it. We celebrate our identity as God’s beloved sons and daughters. We praise, we remember, we testify, we give thanks—we really celebrate—you could say, we’re a loud and rowdy bunch.

So, if you’re tired of church and are seeking an authentic relationship with God and a genuine community of disciples—if you’re looking for true personal transformation and making a real difference in the real world, I invite you to check us out. Feel free to contact me, Pastor Sue, fellow disciple, and I’ll get you connected with a cell.

And if you’re interested in knowing more about God’s Story. Have tough questions about Christianity, or want to learn more about what it means to be a disciple and to follow Jesus— I invite you to go to GodsStoryYourIdentity.org to listen to a series of engaging, conversational podcasts designed to help you on your journey. No churchy lingo. No being preached at. Just tell it like it is, informative straight talk to help you connect and go deeper with God.