River Point Community Church has a new home. RPCC held its first service this past Sunday at its new location in the former Rock church building at 350 Ansley Road in Demorest. The move more than doubles the size of RPCC’s facilities from 12,000 to nearly 30,000 square feet. It’s the latest bold step of faith by the church’s congregation and leaders in a series of bold steps they have taken through the years.
It’s been a journey of faith from the beginning. River Point Community Church formed in Habersham County 13 years ago. Founding member and church elder, Sidney Roland III, says it started when a small group of men answered God’s calling for them to “do something new for Him.” He says they leaned on two verses from the book of Isaiah in the Bible:
Isaiah 43:18-19
18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
“God definitely pulled us out of our comfort zone to do this,” Roland says recalling those early days of church planting. “Our goal was to create an atmosphere of worship that people couldn’t live without. A vision of something new and different for this area. Vision produces passion and, so, the journey began.”
That journey led a core group of faithful followers to leave behind the traditional church setting in pursuit of a new one. Early on, services were held in members’ living rooms. As the River Point congregation grew so did the church venues; from hotel meeting rooms to local schools, to the Habersham County Aquatic Center and the old Woods Furniture store in Cornelia, each location brought with it new opportunities for expanded fellowship and ministries. Roland describes the church’s overall ministry as one of “…reaching and growing people, celebrating life change in people and prioritizing relevance over tradition.”
Those early church planters came from different churches throughout Habersham and northeast Georgia but Roland insists it was never about where they came from but, rather, where they were going. “We were running to something not from something,” he explains. “It’s been an incredible journey.”
While River Point grew in numbers and outreach, it’s facilities were lacking. “We had explored many options over the last several years but kept reaching dead ends,” Roland says. “We didn’t understand then, but we do now. God had something better for us. He’s blessed our church with this new campus.”
River Point bought the abandoned Rock church property on Ansley Road in Demorest and began renovating it last September. Church members of all ages chipped in to help.
Roland calls it their “race to March Madness.” They crossed the finish line this past Sunday when the new River Point opened its doors to the public for the first time.
It was an emotional day in the church’s decade-long journey of faith. “The day brought so many tears of joy for everyone that has been so instrumental in making this happen,” Roland says. “As a host team member working the front door on Sunday I had a front row seat to watch people as they entered the building and the word most used Sunday to describe the new renovations and the worship experience was ‘WOW!”
That reaction was shared by former members of the Rock who used to attend services there. RPCC Children’s Pastor Hal Stinespring says, “The previous church was happy that their building was being used again. We are grateful to God to reopen this church for us.”
River Point Pastor Kevin Mangum says twenty guests showed up for the inaugural service. “We are excited about the move and the space,” says Mangum. “In our old location we were only capable of seating 300 people, we now have the capacity of 400+ seats.”
Mangum received his Doctor of Ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary and his Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Sherri have four children. Since coming to RPCC, Mangum has seen the church grow in attendance and number of services. “We have two services on Sunday morning. One at 9:15am and the other at 11am.” The 11am service is usually full.
River Point Community Church is a dynamic group of members who desire to “lead people into a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.” At RPCC, there is something for everyone. The Children’s Ministry, named Go!, provides Sunday morning as well as Wednesday night activities. From newborn through sixth grade, the Go! Ministry prepares children for discipleship and interaction with not only their peers but adults and the unchurched.
The Student Ministry is for young people 7th through 12th grade. Wednesday nights start with fellowship at 6:30pm and service at 7pm. The objective is to challenge students to become ‘difference makers’ in their communities, schools and families. River Point also has a College Ministry called Synergy. It meets on Wednesday nights at RPCC at 6:30pm and Tuesday nights at Toccoa Falls Campus in Toccoa.
The church also offers counseling services. The new facility is better equipped to provide those services and to accommodate small group functions. “With more room comes more privacy,” says counselor Alice Hoag. “We are a church built on small groups and we can now have them on Wednesdays and Sundays.”
From Small Groups to Missions, River Point offers everyone a chance to worship God. Mangum stresses, “We want to first Love God, second Love People and third Serve the World.”
Just as the river rolls ever onward so, too, does River Point’s journey of faith. Magnum says the old church property on North Main Street in Cornelia will either be leased or sold. There’s a possibility it may continue to serve the community through ministry. There’s been discussion for some time about the need for a central location for charitable services in Habersham. As part of that discussion, Habersham United Believers (HUB) has arranged an informational meeting on March 19 at the old River Point church to discuss possible uses for that facility with Pastor Mangum.
Possibilities. Bold steps of faith. Those are the hallmarks and history of River Point Community Church. While much has changed through the years, Nursery Coordinator Kristin Walls insists at least one thing will not. “This new church doesn’t change who we are. We are a church that loves to love people.”
Find out for yourself. Visit River Point Community Church in person or online at www.riverpointchurch.com. The church phone number is (706) 778-5000.
More pictures (click to enlarge)
