A Church on Tierra Buena Road
River Valley Church sits on the corner of Tierra Buena Road and Butte House in Yuba City, California, a quiet stretch on the north edge of the Sacramento Valley. The building is easy to spot, the parking is easy to find, and the door is meant to feel easy to walk through. River Valley describes itself as "a Christ-centered, non-denominational church" and a "gathering of loving and welcoming believers who enjoy God and one another." The congregation partners with the Acts 29 Network, a church-planting movement that emphasizes the gospel, the authority of Scripture, and disciple-making across cultures.
Sundays at 10 AM
Worship gathers once a week at 10 AM on Sunday morning, and the service typically runs about 75 minutes. Each gathering includes singing, prayer, Scripture reading, and teaching through the Bible. The atmosphere is intentionally relaxed. The church invites newcomers to "dress comfortably and casually. Make yourself at home."
For families with children, RV Kids offers a safe and engaging environment every Sunday for children from 6 months through 5th grade, using the Wonder Ink curriculum that walks through the Bible as one unified story pointing to Jesus. On the first Sunday of each month, elementary-aged children are invited to join the whole congregation in worship. Kid's worship sheets and crayons are available, and parents are welcome to bring quiet toys, tablets, or other tools to help little ones settle in. Safety is taken seriously: every classroom follows safe ratios, every adult volunteer over 18 is background-checked and trained, and every child receives a name tag with a unique code that matches a parent tag for pickup.
Accessibility is built into the Sunday gathering. ASL translation is provided every week, ADA-compliant restrooms are on site, and a fragrance-free seating section is reserved for those with chemical sensitivities or allergies.
RV Kids and RV Teens
River Valley's view of children is shaped by Jesus' words: "Let the little children come to me." RV Kids is described not as a place to pass the time while adults gather, but as a space "designed with intention, joy and lots of care." Every Sunday, leaders open God's Word, have fun together, and remind each child that they are loved by the church and, more importantly, by the God who made them. Teachers model genuine, godly lives and pray for the Holy Spirit to work through faithful Bible teaching in the children's hearts.
RV Teens, the youth ministry, carries the same heartbeat for students in middle and high school. Two weekly rhythms anchor the ministry: middle schoolers (6th through 8th grade) meet on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 7:45 PM in the Youth Loft above the Worship Center, led by Matt Arden and Leslie Wells; high schoolers (9th through 12th grade) gather every other Sunday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the home of David and Tyla Gagnon. Both groups are designed to help students move from simply hearing about God on Sundays to genuinely walking with Jesus and sharing their faith with friends.
Gospel Communities: Smaller Tables, Bigger Stories
Beyond Sunday morning, life at River Valley happens in small groups called Gospel Communities, or "GCs." These weekly or biweekly gatherings are built on the conviction that real discipleship requires more than a seat in a worship center; it requires being known and knowing others in a circle that prays, studies, eats together, and shares life.
The current roster of groups includes a junior high group, a senior high group, a women's group studying 1 and 2 Peter every other Sunday evening at the church, a Sunday morning men's group through 1 John, a Tuesday morning men's group through Ken Sande's "The Peacemaker," a Friday morning men's group meeting at Panera, a Sunday morning co-ed group led by Dan and Kathy Abken that walks through Faith Foundations, a Sunday evening group for new or growing believers using the NavPress study "Growing in Christ," and a Thursday evening group meeting at the home of Pastor Robert and Angela Choate. Groups generally follow a school-year rhythm, though many run year-round, and visitors are welcome to try a group to see if it fits.
Worship That Honors the Past and Embraces the New
The music team at River Valley is made up of vocalists, instrumentalists, sound engineers, lyric and visual operators, and those who record sermons. The team anchors its philosophy in John 1:29 - "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" - pointing away from themselves and toward Jesus. The church seeks worship that has God's Word as its foundation, that gives space for God to speak and for people to respond, that is rooted in the gospel, that honors God's people gathered in redemption of community, and that reaches outward in service and witness.
Stylistically, the church describes itself as enjoying the rich heritage of the faith in beautiful hymns and writings from the past while also looking for fresh and deep expressions from the present. Services are also livestreamed on Sundays at 10 AM, with a sermon archive available for those who want to catch up on recent messages.
Faith Foundations, Baptism, and Membership
River Valley lays out a clear set of next steps for anyone wanting to grow in faith. Faith Foundations is a conversational class taught each spring and fall by Pastor Robert Choate and his wife Angela. It walks through the Lord's Prayer as a kind of "theological education in miniature," exploring the core teachings of Christ and the meaning of the gospel. Baptism is described as "more than a religious ritual": a beautiful, biblical picture of God's saving work through Jesus, an outward sign of an inward reality, and a public declaration that Jesus Christ is one's personal Lord and Savior.
Membership is treated as belonging to the body of Christ, not joining a club. The membership class is offered two to three times a year on Saturday mornings at 9 AM, led by Pastor Matt, and covers the purpose of the church, the mission of disciple-makers, River Valley's beliefs and organizational structure, the church's culture and philosophy, and the membership covenant. Childcare is provided for children through elementary age, and teens are welcome to become members, with members aged 16 and older eligible to participate in major church-wide decisions.
The Care Team and Walking With Each Other
The Care Team exists to walk with people through difficult seasons. Led by Pastor Dan, the team offers prayer, presence, and practical support during crises, as well as guidance through grief and addiction. The team also oversees the mentoring ministry, which pairs mature believers with others in a process of pointing people to Jesus, rooting them in Scripture, and growing together in faith.
A Place for Everyone to Serve
River Valley teaches that service is a Spirit-empowered outflow of God's love. The church lists a wide range of serving opportunities: helping with events (contact Pam Blacksten), caring for others inside a Gospel Community (contact Pastor Dan), maintaining buildings and grounds (contact Pastor Matt), serving in RV Kids (contact Vanessa Cisneros), serving in RV Teens (contact Pastor Matt), welcoming guests and serving coffee and homemade pastries (contact Marisa Banuelos), joining the audio/visual team (contact Steve Davis), singing or playing on the music team (contact Jared Thornton), communications and outreach (contact Grace Thornton), and the Missions Team (contact Pastor Matt). Each role is described as an adventure of equipping, growth, and joy.
Reaching Yuba City and Beyond
Missions at River Valley is rooted in the conviction that "every person matters to God - and that includes people from every culture, language, and part of the world." The team partners with a handful of local and global ministries. Church planting is supported through the Acts 29 Network. A Woman's Friend Pregnancy Resource Clinic in Yuba City provides medical consultations, pregnancy testing, ultrasound exams, STI education, prenatal and nutrition education, and referrals. The Regional Emergency Shelter Team (REST) partners with area churches to provide cold-weather shelter and meals for people who are homeless in the Yuba-Sutter community. The DIG (Deeper Into God) student-led ministry meets at Yuba City High School. Globally, the church supports Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse and disciple-making initiatives through Fidelis International Seminary.
What the Church Believes
River Valley's message centers on the good news of Jesus: His love, life, death, and resurrection rescue a broken and rebellious creation, and the invitation is open to become part of that story through repentance and trust. The church is organized around three convictions: worship, in which God's love in Christ is the message and the hope; community, in which humans are created in God's image to live in intimate, connected relationship with Him and with each other; and mission, in which God's Spirit sends believers into the world to love, serve, and make disciples. The church partners with Acts 29 and articulates its beliefs through its Statement of Faith and Values.
Getting Connected
Beyond Sunday, newcomers are encouraged to join a Gospel Community and to consider Faith Foundations, baptism, and membership as next steps. Those sensing a call to leadership enter a structured pathway of mentorship, biblical assessment, and real ministry experience.