If we were very honest with ourselves, every single person on this planet would have to admit that he or she longs for a place to belong. We search all our lives for a place to call home. Although we may not always be aware of it, even the most introverted and private person still longs for somewhere to belong. This yearning for a family, whether blood-related or not, becomes even more pronounced during certain times of the year. Holidays that focus on family closeness such as Thanksgiving and Christmas cast light on the deep yearning in the human heart for genuine connections with other people.

For most of us, the idea of a second family calls to mind our close friends or those we work with or see on a daily basis. Even if you are sitting in a cubicle eight hours a day, chances are you know the people in the cubicles adjacent to yours. Yet often the relationships at work tend to stay at work. If we consider our relationships with other people carefully, we must admit that when we need help the first person we think of is typically not a coworker. So who can we turn to in order to meet this deep need in our lives for family?

Our hope at River Oak Grace is that you would feel drawn to turn to Christ and our church family. This may come as a shock to many of you, but the church was designed to be our second family. In the book of Acts, the church is often referred to as "brothers in Christ." Those who believe and put their faith in Jesus Christ are part of the Family of God. Now this may sound foreign to you if you are a new believer and did not grow up in a church, but the truth is that God wants us to be part of His family.  So what does that mean for you? It means that if you choose to believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive you of you sins, you are now part of God's Family, the church.

However taking the step to be part of the local church is daunting for most people.  Every church family is unique. River Oak Grace may not be quite like any other church you have been a part of. However, we also believe we are quite like many other churches that have passionate worship, practical preaching, a deep love for Jesus and a desire to see people’s lives transformed by Jesus.  We’re excited about what God is doing, but ROG is not the only place He is at work.       

If God leads you to join hands with the church family at River Oak Grace, then the story of your journey will become a part of the unique story of this church. We look forward to hearing about your journey. Whether you’re a new Christian or you’ve been following Jesus for years, plugging into the local church will challenge and inspire you on your journey to becoming whom God created you to be.

To better understand what this step in your spiritual journey looks like we invite you to take our Connections Class at River Oak Grace.  This class is designed to encourage your in your spiritual journey and help you understand what it looks like to take another step in your faith.  To find out more about the Connections Class simply provide your information and one of our pastors will follow up with you.  We’re excited to partner with you in your walk with Christ.