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River Christian Church finds permanent home on Fleming Island

By Wesley LeBlanc Staff Writer
Posted 8/21/19

FLEMING ISLAND – A new church on U.S. Highway 17 calls its Sunday services a taste to what it offers.

If you’ve driven on Fleming Island recently, you may have noticed the building at 5900 …

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River Christian Church finds permanent home on Fleming Island


Posted

FLEMING ISLAND – A new church on U.S. Highway 17 calls its Sunday services a taste to what it offers.

If you’ve driven on Fleming Island recently, you may have noticed the building at 5900 U.S. 17 has been adorned with a new logo and sign. What used to be Christ’s Church officially became River Christian Church in July, and RCC celebrated its grand opening last Sunday.

Pastor Nathan Freeman said the church is an intergenerational home base for families to grow and connect through God’s word.

“Everything we do here is to help families grow and connect with each other and other families through the word of God and by uplifting Jesus,” Freeman said.

RCC began as a small congregation of 30 people who wanted to share their worship each week. They used to meet at the Eagle Harbor Pool until Spring of 2015 before they moved to Russell Haven of Rest, a funeral home located on Sandridge Road in Lake Asbury where the flock grew to more than 100.

From there the church moved to a building on College Drive for a little more than a year in 2018, before the church, and its growing congregation of 500, moved to St. John’s Classical Academy last June this year.

RCC held service there for seven weeks before purchasing the building on U.S. 17.

After three weeks of soft openings in July with an average of 850 people, the church’s doors officially opened for what Freeman calls a unique and biblical experience.

“Our Sunday services are appetizers of everything else this church offers and is about,” Freeman said.

The church holds a Grief Share at 6:30 p.m. after services on Tuesdays. People grieving over a loss can share their feelings and look for spiritual guidance. Another service called Celebrate Recovery happens on Thursdays at 6:15 p.m. for those struggling with addiction, hurt, habit or hang-up of any kind.

Many of the church’s members hold bible studies at their houses throughout the week, too.

“There’s almost always something going on where you can be involved,” Freeman said.

One service that’s unique to RCC is their weekly domestic violence prevention class. Freeman said those guilty of domestic violence can get the help they need.

“I think that’s extremely unique for us,” Freeman said. “These are people who (may be guilty of domestic violence) and while other places might turn them away, we welcome them in. We can’t ignore them because they need help, too.”

Freeman admires how the church is welcoming.

“We might have someone who’s gone to jail sitting in our sanctuary next to the judge that put them in jail, and they would embrace like family,” Freeman said. “This church accepts everyone. No matter who they are, we will make them feel welcome and like a part of the body of Jesus Christ because that’s what all of this is about at the end of the day.

“Nobody is above anyone here and nobody is below anyone here.”

Freeman said RCC is also involved in local soup kitchens, holiday food drives and district schools. There’s no limit on what can be done, according to Freeman.

Services are on Sunday mornings at 9 and 10:30.

“We don’t want to just toss a bunch of verses at you that might fly over your head,” Freeman said. “We’re going to teach from the Bible and show you how God’s word can be applied to your life. We’re giving you guidance that you can take into your life after you leave our doors.”

Freeman said that the core purpose of the church lies in one question: If this church was no more, would people miss it?

“If the answer to that question isn’t yes, then we’ve failed as a church,” he said.