Welcome to the family

“My vision is to see generation after generation passionately pursuing God’s manifest presence and being filled with a desire to unleash unprecedented levels of compassion to the world.” You might say I was born and bred in this church… well nearly. I grew up here from my pre-teen years, but if you happened to be […]

Mark Hodg­son is the Riverlife Administrator. Mark joined the Riverlife staff team in Feb­ru­ary 2008 and is enjoy­ing the chal­lenges presen­ted in his role as Admin­is­trator. He is mar­ried to Louise and has three chil­dren — Laura, Jacob and Daniel.

“I want kids to understand that Jesus is not just a ‘Sunday God’, but a Saviour who is passionate about them.” I remember the first time I led at Kids Church. I was 16 years old and very excited to be teaching a Grade 3 class. I had all my materials prepared and I was […]

“I love seeing people encounter Jesus for who He truly is! Nothing compares to it.” A few things about me: I love whenever I get to travel and explore different cultures I love my wife Paula and our dog/fur-child Koda I love ministry! I’ll never forget seeing a blind eye healed while praying for someone […]

“I long to see people discover that God loves them and likes them, and they bring something of worth and importance to the world.” If you told my 13-year-old self I’d be a pastor one day… I don’t think I’d believe you. I’ve been coming to this church since I was born, but honestly, I […]

“I am passionate about seeing mission as a lifestyle, and not a mission trip once a year.” If there’s one word that sums up my life, it’s probably ‘obedience’. If I hear God giving me a clear word, I follow it… whatever the cost. When my parents disowned me for being a pastor, I followed […]

“I dream of a time when all Christians sense the heartbeat to ‘go’ – to share the good news of God’s reign, wherever they are!” My main passions in life are Jesus, burritos, and puppies (though not all equally). I was 17 years old when I felt like God opened my eyes to what the […]

“I am passionate about seeing the Kingdom grow as people grow in their faith.” I’ve been coming to our church since I was 14 years old, back when we used to meet in a small hall. Over the years, I feel like I’ve been part of pretty much every ministry in our church. I was […]

“I love seeing people develop and grow, both spiritually and mentally.” I’m known around here as ‘that Scottish woman’. It’s taken everyone about a year, but I’d say most people now understand my accent… kind of. I became a Christian when I was 19 years old after a friend shared the gospel with me over […]

“I long to draw closer to God and experience fresh peace from Him every day.” Sometimes in life, we can be afraid to walk through the doors of opportunity that appear before us. That’s what it was like when God invited me to become a pastor at our church. It’s amazing what happens when you […]

“I am passionate about seeing people saved, healed, set free and empowered to live a joyous life.” It sounds funny to say this, but one of the best pieces of advice I ever got was this: “If you can do anything in the world other than be a pastor, and still feel fulfilled, then go […]

“I am passionate about my relationship with God, the local church, and the development of Christian leadership.” I served as our church’s Senior Pastor for 23 years, from January 1989 to July 2012… and what a ride that was! I had the privilege of leading our church as it transitioned from a mid-sized single-pastor conservative […]