A few years ago, a survey caught our attention. The survey was about the church-going habits of Americans who are currently in their 20's & 30's. It turns out that 1 out of every 5 never went to church as a kid and still doesn't go. 1 out of every 5 went to church as a kid and still does go. And (here's the kicker) 3 out of every 5 went to church as a kid, but after high school didn't continue to go.

60% of American young adults used to go to church, but no longer do. What happened? Why? Is it the feeling that church is irrelevant, boring, legalistic, out-of-touch, old-fashioned, hypocritical, harsh? If this is what churches have become, it's quite a shame, because Jesus is none of these.

Shad Gilbert, Ryan Knepp, and Joseph Velarde are three youth pastors from the Lehigh Valley who started to see some of their students "graduate" from church at the same time they graduated from high school. They left never to return to the church they grew up in or any other. They fell out of fellowship and far away from a personal relationship with their Lord.

With heavy hearts for this current generation, the Lord brought Shad, Ryan, and Joe together and gave them a vision for a new kind of church. One that is relevant, interesting, fun, and Biblical. One that focuses on the awesome redeeming grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without living in some weird "church culture" bubble.

The reality is that living for Christ is an everyday lifestyle and not a compartmentalized moment on Sunday mornings. But, to live out our God-given passions and talents on a daily basis, we sure could use a good partner. What about a church? A Biblical kind of church. A church that you love and you find that you need.

This is a tall order, but this is the vision the Lord has put on our hearts. It will take His almighty power and strength to make it happen. But, we are eager to be used by Him and are marveling at the people and support he has gathered already.

As you look through the website, you may notice that Riverbend has been created with a simple model. There are only three components: Gatherings, Events, Communities. The vision is to provide opportunities for spiritual growth, praise & worship, and genuine friendships, but to also allow plenty of time for you to be out there in your neighborhoods, work places, schools, and homes, positively effecting your circles of influence.

We started serious prayer & planning for Riverbend Community Church in May 2008. During the first 15 months we held monthly Preview Gatherings, monthly Events, several weekly Community Groups. We also wrote down our beliefs, established by-laws, became incorporated, developed a children's ministry, got our finances in order, opened a checking account, and got a mailbox. And then we launched this new church on September 13, 2009.

The vision continues to be refined, and probably will continue to do so forever. We are depending on the Lord to cause effective ministry to be done, and we heartily welcome you to join us on this journey!