Eighty-Five Years on Federal Highway
Rio Vista Church sits on the southeast edge of Downtown Fort Lauderdale in the Rio Vista neighborhood, where it has gathered worshipers since 1941. The congregation's mission is simple and repeated in nearly every corner of its ministry: to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. From that single vision the church has grown into a multi-generational body with a Christian school, a Prayer House, a transitional home for women and children, and a regional network of mission partnerships reaching across Fort Lauderdale and around the world.
The church's identity is rooted in the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition. Its doctrinal commitments follow the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, and the Book of Church Order - the historic confessional standards of the Presbyterian Church in America. Everything from how members are received to how baptism is practiced reflects that heritage.
The main campus stands at 880 South Federal Highway. Parking is available on the north and south sides of the building. The grounds also house Bethany Christian School, the Ingram Center (with its Cafe and Theater), the Rio House (a transitional home for women and children), and a Prayer House at 700 SE 9th Street.
What to Expect on a Sunday Morning
Two identical services run at 9:00 and 11:00 AM, each lasting about an hour and fifteen minutes. Worship is described as friendly, encouraging, and full of hope, with dynamic music and a 30-minute message each week. The style aims to be both ancient and creative, blending traditional elements with fresh, expressive worship.
Dress is intentionally casual. Greeters are stationed at each entrance, and a Welcome Desk sits in the Fellowship Hall behind the sanctuary, next to the wall of photographs and near the restrooms. Visitors are invited to pick up a Visitor's Gift there, and a Hospitality Team member will answer questions. The phrase most often repeated from the platform is a simple come as you are.
Children are cared for at both services. Rio Kids Jr. (infants through preschool) and Rio Kids (kindergarten through fifth grade) run side-by-side with the services. Nursery and pre-K check-in is located near the south church entrance; each child receives a printed sticker with name, classroom, allergy information, and a security code matched to a parent's sticker for safe pickup. All children's workers complete Level 2 background checks, personal interviews, reference checks, and annual training specific to their age group.
The Rio Kids curriculum is The Gospel Project, a Christ-centered, chronological journey through Scripture. Family Worship extends that lesson through the week with a devotional plan that pairs Scripture, questions, and activities so parents and children can engage together throughout the week.
Middle and high schoolers begin with their families in the main worship service. Their own programs - Middle School Impact on Wednesday nights and High School Impact on Sunday nights - meet in The Attic, the student ministry space on campus.
A Reformed and Confessional Faith
Rio Vista describes itself as a community where skeptics can question, seekers can find answers, and believers can grow in grace. The church holds that the whole Gospel is the pure objective truth and ultimate reality for creation, rooted in the life, death, and resurrection patterning of Jesus Christ.
The doctrinal foundation is explicit. Rio Vista embraces Biblical and Historic Christianity as expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, and the Book of Church Order. The statement of belief covers the Bible as the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the basis for all essential belief; God as one in being yet existing in three equally loved and honored Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Jesus Christ as fully God and fully human and the sole mediator able to restore the broken relationship between God and people; the Holy Spirit as the indwelling presence who empowers believers for service and new life; human beings as created in God's image and called to be treated with dignity, honor, and respect; salvation as the Spirit-given restoration of a fallen humanity that comes by trusting in Jesus alone; good works as the fruit of authentic faith rather than the means of acceptance with God; and the Church as the family of God, in which every believer is called to active membership in a local congregation (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25).
Additional confessional statements cover the sanctity of life from conception to the grave, the Biblical definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and sexuality as the exclusive gift of the marriage relationship. The church holds that gender is biologically established by God at creation and that same-sex unions do not constitute biblical marriage.
The Path In: Discover Rio and Baptism
Membership at Rio Vista runs through Discover Rio, a six-week journey that meets on Sundays at 10:15 AM in the Ingram Cafe. The class teaches who the church is, where it is going, and why each member matters. It culminates, for those who wish, in formal membership - a public covenant promise to live according to Scripture and to support the work of the congregation. The church distinguishes membership from attendance: members are providers, not consumers, committed to encouraging, rebuking, correcting, and serving one another. Discover Rio runs each fall and spring, with childcare available during the class.
Baptism is called the front door to the faith at Rio Vista. Following the Presbyterian understanding, the church practices covenant baptism of the infant children of believers as well as adult baptism of those making a first profession of faith. All adults seeking baptism must first complete the membership process through Discover Rio. Children's baptism is administered to covenant children whose parents are communing members of the church.
From Nursery Through Graduation: Rio Kids and Rio Students
Rio Kids stretches from infants through fifth grade. The preschool ministry (Rio Kids Jr.) gathers infants through preschoolers for creative, dramatic storytelling of each week's Bible narrative. Elementary-age Rio Kids combines worship, games, large-group teaching, and small-group discussion, all designed to tell God's Big Story and apply His Word to daily life. Family Worship extends the lesson through the week, giving parents a tool to model personal worship at home.
Laura Kastensmidt directs Rio Kids, with Liz Lacy serving as coordinator. The team aims to equip children for a lifetime of worship and missional living where the love and truth of God is creative, relevant, and fun.
Rio Students gathers sixth through twelfth graders and exists to be a safe place where students can belong as they journey through their beliefs about life, faith, and God in community. Two large-group gatherings anchor the week: High School Impact on Sundays from 6:30 to 8:30 PM in The Attic, and Middle School Impact on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in The Attic. Student Discipleship offers regular one-on-one or small-group mentorship throughout the year. Will Buschmann directs the ministry, supported by coordinators Joel Lacy and Francesca Marrero. The social handle @riostudents keeps students and parents connected.
Rio Men, Rio Women, MOMs, and Rio Classics
Four adult ministries serve different stages of life.
Rio Men welcomes men of every age and season - single, married, young, old, Christian, or questioning. A monthly Men's Breakfast is held on the third Tuesday at 7:30 AM in The Attic, with food, a message, and fellowship. A retreat is offered each spring at Lake Placid Camp and Conference Center. Various men's community groups meet throughout the week in homes, coffee shops, and on campus, including two of Pastor Mason Brown's groups at Panera Bread (Imperial Point) at 7:30 AM on Mondays and Press & Grind (Victoria Park) at 8:00 AM on Mondays. Pure Desires, a recovery group for men dealing with sexual brokenness, meets Wednesdays at 7:00 PM.
Rio Women gathers women of all ages for multigenerational community. The weekly Bible study meets Thursdays at 9:00 AM at The Study; a monthly gathering brings women together for dinner, discussion, and discipleship. The current women's series is Therefore: A Journey through Romans, studying the life and words of Jesus through Paul's letter to the Romans. The ministry is directed by Sandy Ives.
Rio MOMs (Moms on a Mission) meets monthly on Fridays during the school year for breakfast, speakers, and friendship, connecting mothers from the toddler years through the empty-nest years. A separate MOMs Study meets Wednesdays at 8:00 AM before the Bethany Christian School chapel. The current theme is Gifts: From Him. Through You.
Rio Classics serves the 55-and-above community with a monthly gathering held on Sundays immediately following the second service (around 12:15 PM) in the Ingram Theater, featuring a shared meal and conversation. Lauri Johnson is the point of contact for the ministry.
Pastor David Richardson oversees a college and career ministry, and singles and young adults are integrated into community groups throughout Fort Lauderdale.
Groups for Life Together
The church describes small groups as a family inside the larger family of Rio Vista Church. Two kinds of groups meet:
- Community Groups gather at least twice a month for sermon-based discussion, prayer, and mutual care, and are scattered across Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods - from Victoria Park and Coral Ridge to Plantation, Davie, and Riverland.
- Learning Groups are organized around specific studies - marriage, finances, parenting, books of the Bible, and recovery topics.
Groups meet in two annual seasons, with most resuming in August and new series starting in September or February. Many offer childcare; several meet on the church campus in spaces like the Ingram Cafe, Fellowship Hall, The Study, or the Ingram Center Theater. The church invites anyone who is able to lead a group, and a Rio Group Leader pathway trains new leaders in the rhythms of multiplication.
Notable ongoing Learning Groups include Proverbs for Real Life, a men's study of selected themes in Proverbs meeting Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall every other week; the Wednesday Night Bible Study taught by Pastor Sam Kastensmidt in the Ingram Theater every other Wednesday at 6:30 PM, tying Scripture to historical and archaeological context; Alpha, a nine-week exploration of the Christian faith running Thursdays at 7:00 PM beginning September 10 in the Fellowship Hall; DivorceCare, a thirteen-week support program meeting Wednesdays at 6:30 PM at The Manse; Financial Peace University, the Dave Ramsey curriculum running Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the Ingram Cafe; and The Marriage Course, a seven-session video-based series for couples in committed relationships.
The Prayer House
A small house on campus, just east of the Ingram Center at 700 SE 9th Street, is given over entirely to prayer. The Prayer House operates in partnership with 24-7 Prayer and offers an eight-station prayer walk designed for individuals, families, and groups. Visitors are invited to take off their shoes on entering, make coffee, and move through the stations.
The Prayer House is open weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM to the broader community. Church and school community members can reserve a 7:00 AM time slot or use the space after 4:00 PM by obtaining an entrance code from the church office. Safety cameras monitor the building; sound is never recorded.
Several prayer rhythms gather there weekly:
- Saturday Prayer Group at 2:00 PM, a corporate gathering for intercession.
- Intercessory Prayer during both Sunday worship services (9:00 and 11:00 AM).
- Parent's Prayer on Tuesdays at 8:00 AM.
- Men's Prayer Group on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.
Beth Hendrikse coordinates the prayer ministry. Brittany Camp coordinates the broader Church United Prayer Network. Members may submit prayer requests online at any time.
Soul Care, Deacons, and Shepherding
The Soul Care team offers confidential, one-on-one Christian care to anyone in the congregation facing a difficult season. Each team member is a member of Rio Vista, trained to listen, encourage, pray, and walk with a person week after week for as long as the need persists. The team describes a process of Hope leading to Healing leading to Transformation, all rooted in the Bible and the disciplines Jesus modeled.
The Diaconate (Deacons) ministers to those inside the congregation in material or physical need through help and service. Elders shepherd the spiritual welfare of the church, walking alongside members through joys, trials, sins, and struggles, since shepherding is at the heart of what it looks like to be an elder.
DivorceCare runs as a thirteen-week support program, and Pure Desires serves men working through sexual brokenness. A confidential prayer request form on the church's website routes requests directly to the prayer team.
Serve at Rio, in the City, Around the World
Service is organized around three Platforms for Mission.
Serve at Rio includes hospitality, kids, students, production, group leadership, Alpha, and prayer. Weekly Sunday morning roles include greeting, coffee, and worship production (no technical experience required).
Serve the City expresses the conviction that God has placed Rio Vista on purpose in Fort Lauderdale for His glory. Annual Good Neighbor Day, held under the banner of Church United with other local churches, deploys hundreds of volunteers across the city from a 8:30 AM corporate gathering at Rio Vista Church to afternoon project sites. The church supports and partners with CarePortal (a technology platform connecting the Body of Christ to children at risk in the child welfare system); the Rio House and Peacock House (transitional housing for women and children operated within the Hope South Florida network); 4KIDS of South Florida, whose Family Advocacy Ministry (FAM) wraps around foster families; Hope Women's Center, which serves women and men facing unplanned pregnancies; Trees of Hope, which works to prevent sexual abuse and lead survivors toward healing; Strikeforce, a community of women serving through radical generosity; Love Bags, a Holiday Park outreach that assembles hygiene and survival kits for people experiencing homelessness; and Hope South Florida, which provides free shared meals, mobile showers, and help reconnecting with identification documents and housing. Each December, the church partners with Santa's Wish List to identify, purchase, wrap, and deliver Christmas gifts to children in need.
Serve the World includes a church-wide mission trip planned for April 11-16, 2027, to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, in partnership with Mission of Hope (involving home repair, sports camp, water filters, and strategic ministry), and a planned trip to Cusco, Peru, in June 2027 with 24-7 Prayer. Hurricane disaster relief partnerships with Samaritan's Purse provide additional opportunities as needs arise.
Rio Vista also operates a spiritual-gifts assessment called Discovering Who You Are, which walks members through a survey and connects their gifts to specific ministry opportunities throughout the church and its partners.
Tithing, Giving, and Generosity
Tithing - defined as ten percent of gross income - is taught as the biblical floor for Christian giving, drawn from Abraham and Jacob in Genesis and affirmed by Jesus in Matthew 23 and Luke 11. The church holds that the tithe belongs to the home church and funds the general operating budget: staff, ministry programming, missions of mercy, evangelism, church planting, the 4KIDS foster-care partnership, and the Hope South Florida homeless ministry.
Beyond the tithe the church encourages sacrificial and missional giving. Gifts can be made online by credit card, debit card, or ACH transfer (text GIVE to 954-522-2518); mailed to 620 SE 9th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316; or sent by wire transfer. Noncash gifts are accepted, including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, real estate, art, IRAs, 401(k)s, life insurance policies, and digital currency such as Bitcoin. Vehicles are not accepted. Estate-planning referrals are coordinated through JoAnne Daudt, a church member on the Finance Committee. Tax-strategy resources compiled by the Controller, David Legate, are available on the church's website. Annual giving statements can be accessed through the online portal.
Rio Vista Community Church is a recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization under IRS rules, and gifts are tax deductible.
Pastoral Leadership and the Team
Senior Pastor Tom Hendrikse leads the pastoral staff. Sam Kastensmidt serves as Education Pastor, teaching the Wednesday Night Bible Study and shaping Bible-centered teaching across the church. Mason Brown is the Ministry Operations Pastor, coordinating international trips and the men's ministry. Charlie Halleran pastors Community Care, and David Richardson oversees the College, Career, & Faith Exploration ministry. Will Buschmann directs Student Ministries.
Ministry directors include Laura Kastensmidt (Rio Kids), Sandy Ives (Women's & Soul Care), Beth Hendrikse (Prayer), and Lauri Johnson (Community Life, the point of contact for Rio Classics). Coordinators supporting the work include Liz Lacy in Rio Kids, Joel Lacy and Francesca Marrero in Student Ministries, Brittany Camp in the Church United Prayer Network, and Courtney Lalani in digital communications. Michelle Hartog leads Church Administration; David Legate is Controller; Karen Gual handles accounting; Ivelisse Suratt directs human resources; Charlie Truong leads Technology; and Ken Nordstrom, Mickey Looker, Andrew Halsey, Tom Snow, and Hector Camacho manage facilities.
Online, in Print, and on the Air
Worship services are livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook under the name Rio Vista Church Live, with recordings preserved in the Sermon Library and an expanding Digital Library on the website. The Bible Show podcast explores the week's text in greater depth. Each week the Personal Worship plan provides a self-directed daily devotional to prepare hearts for Sunday. Family Worship pairs with Rio Kids to extend the lesson through the week.
Rio Vista maintains a mobile app, an online portal for giving statements and profile management, and active social media accounts across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Vimeo. The church office is reached during business hours at 954-522-2518, mail is received at 620 SE 9th Street, and information@giovistachurch.com is the general inbox.