In the spring of 1979, the city of Port Coquitlam and surrounding areas were blessed with a gift in the form of a new church called Northside Chapel. Over the next 30 years, using a simple agricultural model (given the right conditions, a healthy plant will always grow), this church grew substantially, at home and around the world. With further growth in mind, in early 2011, church leadership decided to take the 'farming' model to the next level and 'graft' a new plant from the original one - and so it was that this new church was begun.
As for the name of this new church, we sensed a 'water' theme very early on. Every pertinent sign, illustration or encouragement seemed to point to that imagery. PoCo's motto (the city of rivers & rails), our proximity to the Pitt River, the choosing of a lifelong church growth theme - "Deeper Life" - it all had to do with 'water". The suggestion of 'Riverside Community Church" came timidly, from a quietly influental family, who sensed the same direction.
Final confirmation came in an explosive moment in a local Starbucks, when a specific Bible verse popped into my mind: Jeremiah 17:8 "They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." And that is where we find ourselves today - looking ahead to the future, trusting God and inviting anyone who wants; to join us as we..."get into the flow".
