“A church of all generations, valuing the diversity of life together”

We love our family at Riverside. We are made up of a diverse and vibrant group of people who all share the love of Jesus as our common ground. Riverside believes that family values and the family unit is as important today as it was in Biblical times. We love to welcome people of all nations, ages, backgrounds and experiences to worship with us - together we are a strong body - come and join us!

‘Family Matters’ is one of two vision areas for the church that supports our pastoral care ethos. Under this banner, we encourage the inclusion and development of a wide range of ‘people groups’ in the life of Riverside, including:

Children

Our children’s ministry serves and nurtures the youngest members of our ‘Riverside family’ from creche and parents and toddlers to fun activities for our children up to the age of 11. All you need to know is here.

Youth

The Youth at Riverside are an energetic, committed and growing group from all around Exeter and the surrounding area. We have a number of different activities and programs for our Youth. Check out what they’re doing here.

Students

Exeter is City has a significant student population from the University and Further Education College. Students need a lively and relevant experience of Church and they form a significant part of the Riverside family. Our Overdrive service is particularly popular with our students.

Overdrive

Overdrive is especially for the 18-30’s in our church, reaching out to students and young professionals across the city and beyond. We have a clear vision to create an energetic, pulsating service, full of people who are enthusiastic and passionate about living a spirit-filled life, glorifying to God. Overdrive has a ‘no fail’ culture that encourages, mentors and empowers you to reach your God given destiny.
There is so much happening in Overdrive that you can get involved with and we would love to connect with you here.

Families

Living a Christian lifestyle is of ultimate importance and we know that life is not always easy. Riverside is developing specific programs and activities to support and build family life in a way that is honouring and glorifying to God and that underpins the importance of family values. We have close links with organisations that work specifically in this area of ministry, including Care for the Family and the Exeter Community & Family Trust.

For more information on support for families, please contact our Assistant Pastor (Pastoral Care & Community).

International Communities

We love the multicultural dynamic of our church and we currently have over 40 different nationalities represented within our family. It is a great thing to be able to celebrate the diversity and flavour of God’s people and learn about each others cultures and different ways of worshipping our God. Come along and share in a spectrum of style, colour, humour, praise and worship!
Who knows, you may even have the opportunity to join us in our ‘International Evening’ and see our Youth Pastor dancing African style or get involved in one of our international mission activities.

Children, Young People and Adults with Additional Needs

Riverside aims to be inclusive of all people, especially where this requires us to be extra thoughtful to enable others to fully participate in church life due to a variety of additional needs. We acknowledge that this is not always easy for some and if there are barriers that make particularly hard, we would very much like to know and put in place all reasonable steps to enable and promote access and full inclusion in our activities and programs.

If you or a member of your family has additional needs that require any specific arrangements, please contact us to let us know. Our building at Okehampton Street is fully accessible for those with mobility difficulties.

Births, Marriages and Deaths

We regard it a privilege to share in the lives of so many people in and around Exeter. It is a particular honour for us to be able to share in the significant events in people lives also; from the celebration and dedication of new life to the celebration of significant lives and the mourning of those who have left us.

‘But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God’. (1 Timothy 5:4)