Prayer is the engine room for the church. As we pray we are choosing to trust God and step forwards in faith for what he has called us to.

We would love for at least one person from each household to join our monthly Prayer & Worship Gatherings. The next gathering will be on Sunday 26 June. You will be able to join either in-person or online.

Click here for more information.

Did you know?: We have a dedicated Prayer Page on our website. 

Published: Friday 26 June
Last Updated: Friday 26 June

We are really excited to announce that we are planning a church-wide Weekend Away next year: Friday 19 May to Sunday 21 May 2023.

For al the details and to book your tickets please visit the events page. If you have any questions please contact us.

Watch the trailer video.

GET INVOLVED:
If you would like to join the Planning Team for the weekend please contact us via our website or e-mail info@riverside-church.org.uk

Published: Friday 13 May
Last Updated: Friday 10 June (Booking link added).

Riverside Academy is a dynamic leadership focused gap year programme for 18-30’s who want to give a year to discover God’s purpose for their lives. Specialising in a chosen track of either Performing Arts, Children’s Work, Youth Work, Worship or Administration trainees will be able to develop and use their gifts and talents within a focussed area of church life.

Alongside their specialist track trainees also have weekly discipleship and leadership training and a mentor from within Riverside Church who will journey with you throughout the year.

We encourage you to watch and share this video.

Applications are now open to join the Academy 2022-23 programme. For further information and to apply online please visit our website.

Additionally, for further information or for a prospectus and application pack you can also e-mail Sarah Auger: saraha@riverside-church.org.uk.

UPDATE: Accommodation Needed
We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new 2022-23 Riverside Academy trainee cohort in September 2022, including trainees for both the Performing Arts and the Youth Work track. Whilst the Academy programme does not officially provide accommodation as part of the programme, we’d love to hear from you if you would like to consider hosting one of the trainees for their year here with us at Riverside Church. The programme runs from the middle of September 2022 until the end of July 2023 with 3-week holidays given at Christmas and Easter where most trainees will leave Birmingham to go back to family or friends. It has been wonderful seeing our current Academy cohort thriving during their time on the Academy programme and making such a difference in so many areas of church life all whilst developing their own personal faith and leadership. If you have a spare room and could consider being a part of this journey for someone then we’d love to hear from you. We’d also be happy to advise you on pricing etc based on previous hosts rates and practicalities. Contact Sarah Auger on saraha@riverside-church.org.uk or phone 0121 442 4484.

Published: 7 January
Last Updated: 22 April

As we continue to pray together we are united in praying with churches all over the world for peace in Ukraine. To assist you as you  pray either on your own or with your group, we have included some resources from 24/7 prayer on our prayer page, or you can click here.

Published: 1 March
Last Updated: 4 March

We run Kids Church groups for 0-11s during Sunday gatherings as well as Life Groups for school years 3-6 during the week. We play games, worship together, make things, pray, do activities, read stories from the Bible and have lots of fun!

We would be thrilled to have you on our Kids Team! You can choose which age group you’d like to work with – from babies to 11 year olds, and you are likely to serve just once a month. You’ll be part of a fantastically supportive team, any training you need will be provided and you can try it and see how it goes with committing long term. You don’t need to be a parent, or a teacher, or have had any experience with children at all.  You can’t be too old, or too young, or too new. Just be yourself and see what happens!

 To find out more click here and select ‘Children’s Ministry’ or contact our Head of Children’s Ministry (Sarah Thomson) directly via: saraht@riverside-church.org.uk

Published: Friday 24 June
Last Updated: Friday 24 June

Join us for two helpful evenings to discuss Sexuality, as part of our current series ‘The Story of US’ on Sunday 10 July & Sunday 17 July (7:30pm to 9.30pm).

The evenings, which are both in-person at Riverside House or Online on Zoom, will contain a mixture of input and discussion. They are ticketed events for the Riverside Church family only, and so please reserve your free ticket below. Once you reserve your ticket you will receive an email with the Zoom links if you need them.

*N.B. It is important that you attend BOTH evenings, as either evening will be incomplete without the other!

Inevitably, due to the subject matter, not all of the content will be appropriate for all ages. As such, we leave it to the discretion of parents and guardians.

Book Your Tickets

Published: Friday 24 June
Last Updated: Friday 24 June

Although Healing On The Streets (HOTS) had to stop because of Covid we are restarting HOTS specifically for the Commonwealth Games with the aim to be a welcoming presence on the streets and to offer prayer to anyone who would like it.

If anyone wants to be involved in a small or large way you’d be very welcome. We are running a two day training event at St Martins in the Bullring for anyone new who wants to be involved. The training will be 9am to 3pm on Saturday 25th June and Saturday 23rd July.

We hope then to have enough people to cover the two weeks of the Commonwealth Games (28th July to the 8th August), meeting to pray around 11am and then going out from 12pm each day if possible.

Please complete this form if you want to join us for one of the training days.

You can also watch this video update from David & Linda. 

Published: Friday 25 June
Last Updated: Monday 27 June (Video link added). 

Thanks to the Celebrating Communities Fund and funding from Birmingham City Council, Riverside Performing Arts present FREE performances and sports day activities afterwards for the whole family to enjoy on Saturday 9th July and Saturday 23 July. Tickets are free but there is a maximum capacity. Click links below for more information.

Event Page – Saturday 9 July (Church of Columba, Moseley)

Event Page – Saturday 23 July (Selly Manor Museum, Bournville)

Did you know? All the latest event infomration is available 24/7 via the Events Page on our website. 

Published: Friday 17 June
Last Updated: Friday 17 June

Riverside Performing Arts, after successfully receiving funding of a grant under Creative City Projects as part of Birmingham 2022 Festival, have spent the month of May working in four local primary schools. St Francis, Percy Shurmer, Moor Green Academy and Allenscroft received weekly training from artists in musical theatre, dance, artwork and drama and came together on 26th May to perform at Midlands Art Centre in their main theatre space. Watching as 120 children from different backgrounds and faiths walked into the theatre space, bright eyed and excited to perform was a highlight of their year. Part of the funding allowed for an original song to be written for the show by amazing Birmingham songwriters that we then choreographed a dance to. Every member of each school was invited to learn the song and dance which we then filmed out in each schools playground allowing us to produce an incredible music video of every student from each school. It’s really worth a watching and at 3minutes will definitely put a smile on your face for the rest of the day.

Watch video here. 

Published: Friday 17 June
Last Updated: Friday 17 June

Enjoy a dazzling evening of musical numbers from the classics such as Fiddler on the Roof and Phantom of the Opera as well as some modern hits including Hamilton and The Greatest Showman that will spark fun for the whole family. Performances from the RPA team alongside a host of special guests! Upon arrival, you will be gifted a free glass of wine (or non-alcoholic fizz) as well as some food nibbles for you to sit back, relax and be swept away into your favourite songs from the shows.

All of the money raised is going towards the vital work Riverside Performing Arts do in local schools and communities – raising awareness and tackling issues of internet safety, sex and healthy relationships, modern slavery, county lines, bullying, the topic of mental health and more.

Invite your family and friends as this promises to be a night to remember!

When: Friday 15 July (7pm to 10pm).
Cost: £10 – Book Here.

See you there!

Published: Fri 10 June
Last Updated: Fri 10 June

RMA have just rolled a huge debt off the shoulders of a young family. But was the cost in doing so? 

You can read the full story in this month’s RMA Newsbite.

Subscribe to RMA Newsbites

Published: Fri 10 June
Last Updated: Fri 10 June

The Bereavement Journey is a 6-session online course for anyone who has been bereaved at any time and in any way. By means of a series of films and online discussion groups the course will gently guide you through the most common aspects of grief, enabling you to process the implications and discern next steps.

The 6th session is an optional session where faith questions are addressed, where the first 5 sessions are about different aspects of bereavement.

Sarah’s Story – Watch Video. 

Megan’s Story – Watch video. 

More information can be found from The Bereavement Journey website or please do contact us.

To sign-up please click below or you can sign-up and ask any questions directly with the event organiser (Lindsay Lucas) via: 07815 759 035. 

Note: The deadline to sign-up for this course is 9am on 22 June. 

Published: Fridday 10 June
Last Updated: Friday 10 June

We will be celebrating with members of our church family who have decided to get baptised during our Monthly Joint Sunday Gathering on 12 June.

If you are interested in getting baptised and would like to know more please contact us, we would love to here from you. Alternatively you could e-mail Judy Moore, our Associate Pastor, directly: judym@riverside-church.org.uk

Published: Friday 27 May
Last Updated: Friday 27 May

Science & Faith In The Second City | Who Am I? Am I Just My Brain?

Way back, the Nobel prize winner Francis Crick commented that we are “nothing but a pack of neurons” and it is a view that has gained traction in some scientific circles. But what if it’s true? It means that we are nothing other than machines and everything we do is pre-programmed. Our free-will is an illusion and any religious experience is simply activity in the brain.

Come and hear neuroscientist Dr Sharon Dircks explain why there are exiting and positive Christian responses to such a depressing analysis of human identity.

When: Wednesday 15 June
Lunchtime (12.30 to 13.30) – St Martins in the Bullring Café;
Evening (19.30 to 21:00)  – Millennium Point

Book now at: https://sciencendfaith.co.uk

Published: Fri 10 June
Last Updated: Fri 10 June

There are loads of things happening this Summer for the children and young people at Riverside:

Riverside Performing Arts: Elmer’s Walk Show & Sports Days – Sat 9 July & Sat 23 July.
ReAct Summer Week 1 – Sorry, Fully Booked.
React Summer Week 2 – Mon 1 Aug to Fri 5 Aug
Generations Service – Sun 28 Aug
ReAct Xtra – (Summer Intensive Performance Club) – Tue 30 Aug to Thu 1 Sep.

And don’t forget…

Riverside Stay & Play
Mondays & Tuesdays during term time. (10am to 11:30am). Read more.

Youth Activities:
Every Friday. Read more.

Published: Friday 10 June
Last Updated: Friday 10 June

We’re going to Limitless Festival!

Miff and those finishing year 9 are invited to join with others from all over the country to have fun, learn more about God, and worship together. The theme for this year’s Limitless Festival is COMMUNITY // CONNECTION // CHANGE, with a packed programme of activities, sports, events, seminars, workshops, and after-hours venues.

When? Sat 6 Aug to Thur 11 Aug

 For more information and to book your tickets please visit the event page.

Published: Friday 10 June
Last Updated: Friday 10 June

A few weeks ago the youth at Riverside, during Roc Solid and Miff, were challenged to raise as much money as possible in a month for us to donate to Ukrainian refugees. The youth have led amazing projects including a bake sale, a mini triathlon and a group have done a sponsored walk. During the May half term a group will also be doing a sponsored bike ride to Stratford and back; you can donate to this bike ride via this link. 

On behalf of all of us a Riverside, well done Riverside Youth!

Published: Friday 27 May
Last Updated: Fruday 27 May

Riverside is being invited by Sparkhill Foodbank to become a satellite delivery point alongside our existing provision of Open Lunch, Money Advice, Stay & Play and Café.

We are very excited about this opportunity and a small team is forming to spearhead this. If you would like to be involved, please contact us (and selected ‘Foodbank’ from the list of options).

Published: Friday 27 May
Last Updated: Friday 27 May

On Sunday 6 February, The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. As part of the celebrations, there will be a 4 day bank holiday weekend. The bank holidays being on:

Thursday 2 June | Spring Bank Holiday
Friday 3 June | Queens Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday

Our Opportunity:
For many of us this will be a fun packed weekend. Within your groups or on your own, we encourage you to think about the opportunities we all have to share the love and hope we have in Jesus with your friends and family during this weekend. As you are celebrating you may wish to simply invite people to church. On Sunday 5 June we will be gathering together at Riverside House and on Sunday 12 June we will be at Tally Ho. See: https://riverside-church.org.uk/gatherings/

Resources:
You may find some of these resources from Churches Together useful. In particular, you may wish to order some copies of ‘A Life of Devotion’; a special 30-day Bible-based reading book created by UCB. It looks at subjects such as faithfulness, service and honour, and can be used for personal Bible study or Jubilee-themed events and street parties.

Published: Friday 6 May
Last Updated: Friday 27 May

There are now over 500 talks that have been uploads to our church podcast!

Since launching the podcast on 13 September 2015 our Sunday talks have been played over 80 thousand times and are continuing to be listened to by people all over the world. Beyond the UK, our podcast is most listened to in the United States, China, Germany, Australia and Rwanda!

We would like to take this opportunity to say a particular thank you to Pete Hunt-Sealey who, since the very first day of us launching the podcast, has given a few hours of his time each Monday morning to edit and upload the podcasts to our Soundcloud channel. Thank you Pete for all the ways you contiue to serve the Lord within our church family!

If you would like to join our Communications Team (Podcast, Social Media, Website Design, Writing Blog Posts, Photography etc) please contact us.

You can access the poscast via the ‘Resources’ menu on our website or you can click here. 

Published: Friday 27 May
Last Updated: Friday 27 May

God has blessed our city with over 400,000 Muslims. They are to be found across all the wards of the city. Christians now have the opportunity to encounter Muslims and form relationships … at school, college and university; at the school gate; in the workplace; in a restaurant; at the bus stop; in the gym; out and about.

A few people at Riverside meet to pray for our Muslim neighbours for 1 hour every 2 months. If you would like to get involved, please visit the events page of our website for further information (navigate to ‘Upcoming Events’). The next prayer meeting is on Monday 6 June, 7.30-8.30 pm.

Reminder: You can also keep up-to-date with all prayer activity within our church family via the Prayer Page on our website.

Published: Friday 27 May
Last Updated: Friday 27 May

Riverside Performing Arts are looking for the role ‘Lead Actor’. The role will include performing and directing as part of Riverside Performing Arts, leading and planning workshop-based projects. The successful candidate will oversee the promotion and bookings relating to these shows. Within the team role, responsibilities are shared for grant and support raising, set design and writing shows and material.

For further information and to apply visit our website.

Published: Friday 20 May
Last Updated: Friday 20 May

Our Production Team Nights are for anyone who serves (or is interested in serving) as a part of our Tech & Production Team. Whether it be sound, visuals or cameras this evening is for you! This is a great opportunity for those wanting to trial being on one of these teams and by coming along it doesn’t mean you’re making a commitment to being on team. Just come along, have fun and check it out!

We are so aware of just how crucial the work of our Production Team is in enabling us fulfil our mission in helping people get to know Jesus, and we are just so grateful for all the individuals who pour out so much serving in this way.

We look very much forward to welcoming you. The next Production Team Night will be on Wednesday 15 June. For further information please visit the event page.

Published: Friday 20 May
Last Updated: Friday 27 May

A warm welcome and a time for refreshments at our Sunday Gatherings creates space for people to feel at home in our church family. It can allow a few minutes for:

# A newcomer to decide that they would like to visit again.
# Someone to be invited to join a join a group; that then changes the course of their life!
# An encouragement from a friend.
# A parent or guardian to enjoy a few minutes of calm and adult conversation.
… and so much more!

None of this could be possible without our incredible Welcome and Refreshments Teams who serve as part of our Hospitality Ministry. We need more people to join these teams so if this sounds like something you would like to get involved with, please sign-up using this link. Someone will then contact you to provide further information etc.

Reminder:
Starting on Sunday 5th June, for the weeks we gather together at Riverside House, refreshments will be served in the small courtyard from 11am until 11.45am (between the two services). Everyone is welcome to stay after the first service or come early to the second service to have a drink, biscuit and catch up with friends and family. We look forward to seeing you there.

Published: Friday 22 April
Last Updated: Monday 16 May

We are recruiting for a Finance Manager. If you or someone you know may be interested please pass on the details that are available from our website.

The deadline for applications is midnight on Thursday 2 June.

The role of the Finance Manager is to provide our bookkeeping and financial reporting functions, supervising volunteers recruited to our team and adding support to colleagues in their service. Financial and personnel management promotes the stability and accountability of the church as it grows. The Finance Manager works closely with the Operations Director to maintain financial controls and the effective flow of transactions and resources where they are needed across the church.

Published: Friday 22 April
Last Updated: Monday 16 May (Deadline updated)

Due to unforeseen circumstances we have had to change the date of our Monthly Joint Sunday Gatherings in May and June:

# 1 May has changed to 15 May 

# 5 June has changed to 12 June

Please make sure to share these changes with everyone in your group.

Published: 18 March
Last Updated: 18 March