• Covenant Kids Club: Meets on Sunday nights at 6:00pm for ages 5-12. This is a time of games, a light meal, and learning from God’s Word.

• Catechism Class: Students ages 5-12 meet on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-5:00pm to play games, eat snacks, and learn the catechism. Beginning on September 6th.

• Sunday School: Meets on Sunday mornings at 9:45am. We have classes for everyone and wonderful teachers.

  • Ages 2-3: Janalie Graham
  • Ages 4-5: Mary Kathryn McHale
  • Grades 1-3: Monica Urban
  • Grades 4-6: Steve Nippert

• Events
• Bible Studies - There are no summer college Bible studies. Students who remain in town over the summer are encouraged to join a fellowship group.
• Sunday School - The college students are currently joining with the adult class to learn about the life of Peter. The class is taught by Jimmy Hopper, one of our elders, and meets at 9:45 in the Sanctuary.
• RUF
• Adopt a student - Each year families in Riverwood adopt college students for the year. There is a big lunch at the beginning of the fall semester where you can meet your adoptive parents. This is a great way for college students to get to know some of the Riverwood families…and have a family to be a part of while you are away from home. If you are interested in being adopted please contact us. The fall lunch is scheduled for Sunday, September 9th at 12:00pm.
• Internship - Each semester Riverwood hirers two college interns (one male and one female) to work with the youth group as well as serve the church in various capacities. The internship is paid and requires an average of 10hrs per week. For more information please contact us.
• Fellowship Groups - There are various fellowship groups with in Riverwood that meet every other Sunday night. This is a great chance for college students to get involved with the church community. The location for these groups varies. If you are interested in joining a fellowship group please contact us.
• Contact

Rev. Tim Lien
Head Pastor

Riverwood’s Pastor, Tim Lien was born in Texas and grew up in Southern California in Los Angeles. He attended Bryan College in Tennessee and graduated with a degree in Biblical Studies. Tim came to West Alabama for the first time as an intern for the Aliceville PCA church after which he attended Covenant Theological Seminary. He was ordained in June of 2004 and came to Riverwood as Assistant Pastor. He became the Head Pastor in 2006. Tim is married to Melissa and they have two children; a daughter, Laurian Kate and a son, Anderson Martin. Tim enjoys reading and sports, and is a self confessed computer nerd.

Jeff Miller
Minister of Music

Riverwood is blessed to have Jeff Miller as our Minister of Music. Jeff is a graduate of the University of Montevallo with a BA in Music and did post graduate work in music at the University of Alabama. Jeff is a very talented musician who plays several instruments, composes, and has a superb tenor voice. He is married to Dana and they have one daughter, Gracen. Jeff has a wide range of interests but his avocations of choice are music, books, and spending time with his wife, daughter and friends.

Peggy Drinkard
Director of Children’s Ministries

Our Director of Children’s Ministries is Peggy Drinkard. Peggy is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Fine Arts. Her creativity, commitment and very obvious love of children has been a great blessing to Riverwood. Peggy is married to David, a retired Air Force officer who is now in business in Tuscaloosa. They have three sons, Vic, Caleb and Sam, all of whom were home-schooled by Peggy. In addition to her work with our children’s ministries, Peggy teaches Latin and consults for the Riverwood Classical School.

Blake Johnson
Pastoral Intern

Blake Johnson serves as a Pastoral Intern working with Riverwood Youth and College. Blake has a BA in Classics from the University of Alabama and an MA in Classics from the University of Kentucky. He is currently attending Beeson College at Samford University working toward a Divinity degree. Blake is married to Mary Ann. Blake has a wide range of interests that include reading, music, golf, University of Alabama sports, and grilling. Blake teaches a Latin course for adults at Riverwood and is very involved with the Riverwood Classical School.

Jimmy Hopper
Pastoral Administrator

Jimmy is an Elder at Riverwood and serves as a Pastoral Administrator, assisting the Pastor in several areas. He was educated at the University of Alabama in Business Administrator and retired after many years as a manager for a utility. Jimmy is married to Carolyn and they have four adult children and seven grandchildren. Jimmy enjoys reading and talking about books and professes to a deep love of poetry. He is also an avid fan of Alabama athletics. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Riverwood Classical School.

Mary Ann Johnson
Office Manager

Mary Ann serves Riverwood as Office Manager. Her degree is from the University of Alabama in Human Environmental Science with a specialty in Interior Decorating. She enjoys Alabama football, especially the social aspect, reading (C. S. Lewis and Jane Austen) entertaining friends and working with pre-school children. She loves the beach and goes whenever she can.

For a detailed information about our Korean congregation (in Korean), please click here.

• Pam Thornton, President
• Kristina Hopton-Jones, Vice-President
• Prathima Hancock, Secretary/Treasurer
• Ginny Nippert, Spiritual Growth
• Amelia Nolen, Missions
• Sandra Patterson, Historian

The WIC provide:

• Service
• Fellowship
• Training
• Bible Studies
• Mentoring
• Hospitality
• Integration of families

• Sunday School: Youth Sunday School meets in the Barn starting at 9:45.
• Calendar
• Pictures
• Contact

We want to do all things in a Godly and Christian manner. Particularly, we wish to be as creative and as hospitable as possible in reaching people from all walks of life. We desire to grow numerically as large as God would have us to be. It is for our reliance upon the life-changing message of grace, however, that we wish to be defined, so that we may do all things for the glory of God.

GOSPEL DISTINCTIONS

Too often Christians go through life with very little sense of closeness with God. Rather than enjoying freedom in Christ, the lives of Christians are often governed by man-made rules that they cannot follow. When this is the case, Christians have lost contact with the gospel which gives us the message of grace. Here are some “gospel distinctions” which characterize us at Riverwood Presbyterian.

WHAT IS GOSPEL?

Entering the Kingdom
The gospel means “good news.” It is the message that “God made Christ who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The gospel tells us that our root sin is not just failing in our obedience to God, but relying on our obedience to save us. Only trusting in Christ’s finished work, plus nothing, can save us and allow us to enter into God’s Kingdom forever.

Growing in the Kingdom
The gospel is not just the way to enter the kingdom of God, but is the way to address every problem and grow spiritually at every step. It tells us that we are more wicked than we ever dared to believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared to hope—at the same time! This knowledge of our acceptance in Christ, as if we had never sinned or been a sinner, makes God’s law a beauty instead of a burden.

Living out the Gospel
The gospel challenges us to think Biblically, to work with excellence in our daily walk, to collaborate and interact with people whom God places in our lives, and to show respect and service for the whole world through our work. Everything we do should be done for God’s glory.

A Place to Belong
The gospel creates a new community of the people of God who support, encourage, and love one another as the collective body of Christ. We at Riverwood Presbyterian Church are a part of that community of believers. We seek to fulfill our roles in the family of God, even as we enjoy the gifts, talents, and presence of the Holy Spirit distributed among the body of Christ at our church. In-depth, thoughtful Bible teaching is at the heart of our philosophy and ministry. We want to help adults and children grow in their ability to evaluate the world around them with a Biblical mindset. Riverwood is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America, which is national in scope.

RIVERWOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH—WHAT WE OFFER

Worship and Spiritual Growth
Riverwood Presbyterian meets for worship every Sunday morning at 11:00. In addition to the worship service, we offer Sunday School classes from 9:45-10:30 for adults, youth, and children. We welcome families with babies and young children! A nursery is available for almost every function. We maintain clean and well-staffed nurseries—one for infants and one for toddlers. An active youth fellowship meets on Sunday evenings. The youth group also participates in special functions including retreats, lock-ins, and other social and service activities.

Fellowship
Fellowship groups are absolutely vital to the spiritual growth and development of Riverwood’s members. These groups not only provide an opportunity for members to get to know each other well, but also foster a loving accountability among members and a practical way that we can bear one another’s burdens as we break bread and pray together. Fellowship groups meet twice a month in various homes. Fellowship groups allow us to see what God is doing in our midst, and we encourage every member to be involved in one.

It is our desire at Riverwood Presbyterian Church to bring a fresh expression of our Reformation heritage into the 21st century. Riverwood values everything that brings honor to God and enables people to enjoy Him and know Him better. If you aren’t already part of a local church where the Bible is taught and loved, we would love to have you worship with us on Sundays!