River NYC Church

Have you ever been disappointed and hurt by the church, afraid that you would be hurt and judged again, but you are still seeking for a loving community and wanting to reconnect with God?
Then, you should try this one!
I’ve been searching for a church that I can find a supportive and accepting community in New York City for a while. Tried out +10 churches in Manhattan and found the River.
It is a place you can ask difficult question without being afraid of getting judged or reprimanded. You don’t have to hide your authentic self. You can discover a new way to approach the faith and realize God’s deep love and presence for you. You can find a very diverse and friendly community and hang out with them during many events. Would highly recommend!

The members of this church are welcoming and genuine. I had never been more welcomed as a first time visitor than my first time at the River. The lessons are easily accessible and I appreciate that the pastoral staff is available to discuss complex ideas. The River is an all-inclusive and non-judgmental space for people to learn about and grow in Christ together.

The River is a very warm and welcoming place. I hadn’t been to church in a long time… I was always thinking about it, but I was never quite sure. A friend invited me to The River, and I’m glad I came. From the very beginning, I felt welcomed and included. The music is very uplifting, and the sermons are thoughtful and in-depth.

Every time that I attend I am so moved by the powerful message of inclusiveness and hope for all people, the warmness and love of the members, and the remarkable diversity among everyone involved with The River. The sermons are smart, practical, and especially relevant for today’s NYC, and the choir is truly spectacular. This church is outstanding and on a mission to love and love and love.

Our family has attended this wonderful church for several years. I've made deeply meaningful friendships here who have helped & cared for me in the ups and downs of life. The community and talks are always nourishing and thought provoking; I often come away with, "I never thought of it that way, or "I never heard of XYZ explained like that", etc. The atmosphere is relaxed, warm and welcoming and I truly miss it when I'm out of town.

The River is a great church filled with friendly people and positive uplifting spirituality. Every time I go the I meet friendly people and the sermons are informative and thought provoking. The staff are always there for you to answer any questions and even pray for you.
The community is open and affirming so all are welcome here in the presence of God. There is time to socialize after service and mingle with people over lunch. The diversity here is incredible. I highly recommend this church!

I have been attending the River with my family for over 15 years. This church is for any person looking to grow in their relationship with God, while also being in a welcoming community that centers itself around loving others. Through the years I’ve learned that nothing is more important than spreading God’s love, and this church does that in such an amazing way!

Have been going to this place for about 6 months consistently now and it has been a very big part of my journey in feeling spiritually healed after the pandemic. I highly recommend this church to people who have been in the church and have a lot of questions about issues like LGBTQ rights, abortion, and theology but feel like they can’t explore them or get them answered in church. This is such an open and inviting place for you to bring your questions about God. The River was how I felt I could keep following Jesus but still find somewhere that will hold space for the way I was growing and hurting as a person.

I began attending this church via YouTube a few months ago. I live in Philadelphia so I cannot attend in person. This church community feels very safe and loving even through a computer screen. Also the sermons are engaging and offer interpretations of scripture that I have never heard nor considered.

I am so thankful to have found the River - the community, message, space, and events have contributed immensely to my wellbeing. It's a cozy, welcoming, no-pressure environment with wonderful people. Highly recommend visiting and/or watching the sermons online :)

I love this church. It is the first religious place where I have felt at home, felt comfortable to cry, and been so very welcomed. If you're looking to reconnect with God and want to explore your religious beliefs in a comfortable and welcoming environment, there's no better place to go

A wonderful church that’s warm, open, and authentic. There’s also lots of church events, so I feel like it’s really helped me feel connected to local community. The leaders are open-minded, and are willing to wrestle with the tough questions in Christian faith in a Biblically grounded perspective.

Joined the church 2 weeks ago, and this community has been so radically and positively different from my previous worship spaces. I would recommend River to anyone that’s looking for a LGBTQ+ affirming with a strong biblical foundation church.

Sometimes I look around during service and I think to myself, “do we (LGBTQ+ folk) outnumber the straight allies?”. And then, Pastor Charles and the rest of the pastoral staff apologize on behalf of the church for the pain and hurt inflicted upon us. I mean are we God’s favorite??? Even with my skeptical eye, I’m grateful for my community at The River.

River is the best church I’ve found in NYC that truly lives the message of love. If you want a place where you can both think and laugh, it’s the place to be. My kids love it, too.

The River invites people of all backgrounds. It's a very welcoming and non-judgmental environment for all. The sermons are relevant to the lives of New Yorkers in the 21st century, there is no denial of common sense, no hypocrisy which is really refreshing. I would recommend for everyone to try this church.

A beautiful space to worship and an even more beautiful community that is warm and welcoming, a treat in Lower Manhattan for years and hopefully for years to come! One of the best for young families and kids too!

Hello My Name is Parminder Singh from India. My religion is Sikhism. I am personalised towards the christian religion. Regarding having so much faith towards Jesus our family members are very much upset with us. So i am deciding to convert ourselfs to Christian religion but the main reason is that i am not safe here in India regarding this i cant promote Christian religion. After becoming Christian i will promote this religion. In different state and country and i want to serve Jesus all our life. So i request you to provide any authority contact number so that i can contact him and share my problems. So the authority members can help me.
I can share my personal details with authority members like Passport photos etc.

People are very welcomeing and friendly at the river church it's a progressive church it's lgbtq inclusive the sermons are really good if your looking for a church where the core main focus is to apply in your daily life to practice loving one self and others unconditionally then i recommend checking out the river nyc church where you can be your self and not be judge by others and make good connections and learn more about god and continue to love your self and others agape unconditionally then i recommend THE RIVER NYC CHURCH.

This is an amazing place where you can find a diverse community that is accepting and Jesus-centered! Women are allowed to lead and the LGBTQ community is accepted. In the current political state of the U.S. where there is so much polarization, hate, and division, it is so refreshing to witness a spirituality that truly embraces ALL.