| River's Edge ministries
shaped by its mission
By CAROLYN CARY
ccary@thecitizennews.com
The River's Edge Community
Church is approaching its tenth year and has not lost its original view,
that is, being a church for anyone wishing to come.
Situated on 20 acres on South Jeff Davis Drive, it conducted its first
church service on this site in December 1995.
Prior to that, services were in a restaurant, an old theater and in a
retail space behind a chicken restaurant.
River's Edge has established as its purpose "...to celebrate our
faith in Jesus Christ through worship that is saint-satisfying and seeker-sensitive;
to build relationships for reason of the gospel; to grow spiritually and
numerically; to give with generosity and cheerfulness to support the work
of the church; and to develop and implement effective programs and ministries
that exalt the Lord Jesus Christ."
Believing this with all its heart, it has a viable Spanish membership.
A Sunday School class is offered each Sunday morning at 9 a.m. and at
the worship service a simulcast of the service in Spanish is delivered
through headphones.
Six deacons have just been ordained and they are the first to do so at
River's Edge.
Perhaps reaching out to become a major transitional church is due to the
background of its senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. John Hatcher.
He is Georgia born and reared and was graduated from the University of
Georgia with a degree in political science. He worked as a writer at the
Columbus (Ga.) Ledger, was a federal program coordinator for the Sumter
County School System and served two years in the Army as a writer.
He finally heeded the calling that had been in his soul since the age
of 10 and graduated with a master of divinity at Southern Seminary in
Louisville, Ky. in 1975. He completed his doctorate of ministry in 1988.
Sunday morning services begin at 9 a.m. with Sunday School and worship
services are at 10:30 a.m. Bible classes are offered for all ages beginning
at 7 p.m.
The church is at 1091 South Jeff Davis Drive and can be reached at 770-719-0303.
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