God answers prayers & He continues to do so!
In the fall of 2009, a small group of couples met and prayed earnestly for God’s will to be revealed. Riverview Baptist Church was formed, and the first service was held November 8. Our people met at the Crump Community Center between January and May 2010. A building on Wayne Road was purchased and renovations were made to create a home base for the new church. Not long after the church became an establishment in the city of Savannah, more space was needed for the growing congregation. The church again prayed for direction. More than eight acres of land with two houses was purchased on Airport Road. The houses served as places for the children and youth to call their own. Also, a bus was purchased to reach more children in the Savannah area, as well as provide accommodations for the youth and senior adult ministries. As space became tighter at the Wayne Road location, the church prayed and took a leap of faith to begin building a new sanctuary on the Airport Road land, with a groundbreaking ceremony in May 2016. In June of 2016, over 200 volunteers from Baptist Church Builders of Texas, along with our church family, flooded the Airport Road location, and within two weeks, erected the building in which we are now residing. In September of 2016, and again in early 2017, a team from the Carpenters for Christ came to help with interior details of the building. On November 12, 2017, Riverview Baptist Church held our first worship service in the building on Airport Road.
We all know the Church is so much more than buildings and building projects. They are essential tools to be used to minister and serve and that’s exactly what has been happening at Riverview. Over a ten–year span, we have seen numerous people saved. We broadcast Sunday services on Facebook Live to reach people around the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our influence also goes beyond these walls through missions and outreach, such as Operation Christmas Child and Jerry Spencer Ministries. By giving to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention, we combine with other churches to support missionaries around the world. We impact our community with Loving God Loving Others Day, Bible clubs for children, Christian ministries within Hardin County Schools, and weekly Bible studies at the Hardin County Jail and Savannah’s assisted living facilities. Each year, during the third week of June, a team from Riverview works alongside Baptist Church Builders of Texas to construct a building for a church family. This team has already served churches in New Mexico, Georgia and Texas, and they look forward to where God leads them next. The youth ministry takes a mission trip each summer to be the hands and feet of Jesus to people in Tennessee, Alabama and Ohio. The Riverview Celebration Choir serves each Sunday and reaches out to serve other churches through music.
It is clear God has answered those first humble prayers for direction, favor and wisdom. But we haven’t reached the end! Our work is not finished! There are people who still need to hear the gospel! As we look forward in obedience to the vision God has given us, we know He will continue to answer our prayers for direction, favor and wisdom in the future!