faith foundations
family ministry Discipleship Path
At Riverstone, we believe that keeping Christ at the center of our relationships is extremely important. We believe going to God’s Word for His direction regarding a life of faith for us as individuals, families, and a congregation collectively is foundational to what we practice. We understand there are people with different faith backgrounds that prefer to pursue their journey of faith in line with their denominational heritage. So long as we are obeying Scripture and understanding the Lord’s character as described in His Word, we believe that we are called to partner with families and pursue God’s heart together in recognizing and appreciating the varying differences in how that is done.
For additional information, please take a look at the informational brochures below.
Infant Baptism & Dedication, Confirmation, & Adult Baptism
Faith FOundations
Our goal is to lead each child at Riverstone into an authentic relationship with Christ that is firmly founded on Biblical truth. Each level of family ministry provides foundational faith education by engaging kids in developmentally appropriate lessons, activities, and experiences that build upon one another as a child grows.
Everything we do centers around Jesus’ response to the question asked of him in Matthew 22:36. Because of what Jesus said, we believe that the following are key to the development of life-long faith:
Relationship with God & knowledge of His Word & character.
“Teacher, what is the most important commandment?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
(Matthew 22:36-40)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
This God - his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (Psalm 18:30)
So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 11:18-20)
Relationship with other believers for the purposes of fellowship, growth, and refinement.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (Thessalonians 5:11)
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts. Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body. The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy. You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)
Seeing yourself as God’s see you.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Preschoolers begin with a basic understanding of essential Bible stories that are cycled through over the course of two years. The “preschool scope” lays out the specific scripture covered over a child’s time in preschool. We’ve found that preschoolers tend to retain more of what they’re taught when we introduce sensory elements into a lesson, so we strive to include multi-sensory activities, games, and crafts every week. Preschoolers also begin to explore the concept of memorizing scripture through a monthly Bible verse.
Elementary is our widest age group which covers children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Not only do we continue to cover all of the Bible stories we learned in preschool, we also start to build on Biblical knowledge through additional stories and scripture. Our “elementary scope” includes the specific content taught in the three year elementary cycle. That means that kids are getting the same stories twice in the elementary stage - which serves as great reinforcement! Elementary kids tend to be very hands-on so our lesson plans include a wide variety of crafts, STEM activities, and games.
Fifth graders also receive a special course on the history and meaning of communion before we celebrate their first communion on Maundy Thursday. If parents feel their child is ready for communion prior to receiving the church’s instruction, we also support them in that decision.
faith foundations in preschool
In order to instill these three truths, we recommend that students participate in congregational life through regular attendance at worship services, large group programs, and bible studies in small groups. We also encourage students to engage in mission trips and service projects inside and outside the church.
faith foundations in Elementary
faith foundations in Middle SChool
In middle school, we move from a focus on repeating specific Bible stories in a 3-year cycle to giving students the knowledge and tools needed to practically apply scripture to their everyday lives. Please see the “student ministry scope” to view the specific topics we aim to cover with middle schoolers (often more than once) over the course of three years. Each of these topics is covered using scripture from the Old or New Testament, and sometimes a combination of the two. In addition to our topical scope, we encourage faith growth through verse memorization, bible study, and involvement in middle school targeted activities and events.
faith foundations in High SChool
High schoolers move through a topical scope similar to that of middle schoolers, but they begin to explore scripture on a deeper level. As we prepare high schoolers for adulthood, we encourage them to grow their faith roots deep by being involved in congregational life. Research shows that the more connections a teen has to adults of faith who care for and connect with them (aside from their immediate family), the more likely they are to stay connected to the church and their faith in the long run. We aim to provide opportunities for those relationships to form through small groups, bible studies, trips, events, and more.
