About Us

RPC is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), in the Presbytery of Chicago and the Synod of Lincoln Trails.  We are affiliated with the Covenant Network of Presbyterians and the Matthew 25 Initiative.  The church was established in 1872 and has now been serving the greater Riverside area for over 150 years!

To get a general sense of our theology, check out “A Brief Statement of Faith,” from Part 1 of our denomination’s constitution, the Book of Confessions.  Other labels that sometimes apply to our church include mainline, protestant, reformed, ecumenical, progressive, democratic, biblical, and spirit-filled.  We are unapologetically both spiritual and religious. The motto of the PC(USA) is semper reformanda, which is a reminder that our community is always evolving – being reformed according to the Word of God and the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Our Core Values & Commitments

Hospitality

As followers of Jesus, we seek to welcome everyone with humility and grace, fostering an open and inclusive community of faith.  We invite people of all backgrounds and identities to be a part of our fellowship, valuing and respecting each person as a beloved child of God, treating every visitor with kindness and compassion, creating a space where all feel truly welcome.  One of our core ministries is refugee resettlement, working in partnership with other local groups and neighbors to support and embrace newcomers to our country.

Community  

We believe that God has called us together to be the Body of Christ in the world, which includes following Jesus’ command to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).  With the help of the Holy Spirit, we seek to support and encourage one another, to share with and listen to one another, to forgive one another, and to cultivate a sense of beloved community where everyone belongs. 

Lifelong Spiritual Formation

We seek to help everyone in our community, as God’s children, to grow into the fullness of Christ Jesus through a lifelong journey of Christian education and practice (Ephesians 4:13).  This journey begins with our many ministries for children and youth and continues throughout adulthood with bible studies, potluck conversations, retreats, and gatherings at retirement homes.  Our intergenerational weekly worship ties our spiritual practices together with biblical preaching, prayer, fellowship, sacraments, and musical offerings.  

Service

RPC is a “Matthew 25” congregation, committed to serving “the least of these” as Jesus commanded (Matt 25:34-45). As we follow Jesus, we strive to serve neighbors both locally and globally by sharing our time, talents and treasure. We find a special mission in feeding the hungry, which we do each day through our own Little Food Pantry and local partnerships.   Our Green Team also helps us create opportunities to care for God’s world, and we intentionally share our beautiful church building with other service-oriented organizations.