What to expect

What happens in a typical Sunday Service?

There's always a welcome from one of our ministry team.

We then spend some time in worship together, giving you an opportunity to thank and appreciate God through singing and reflection. At this point, our kids usually go to Kids' Church.

Each Sunday we have a relevant message which is designed to draw you closer to God by reflecting on the gospel of Jesus or a particular theme from the Bible. The sermon lasts about 35 minutes and we like to leave you with something to act on each week.

Sometimes, we have a time of ministry where we pray for people after the message; particularly if they want to respond to something they feel convicted about.

Each Sunday of the month, we change the focus of our service to include an extended time of prayer, worship or communion. This gives us an opportunity to go deeper in our appreciation of who God is and show our gratitude to Him.

Most Sundays, after the service finishes, there are complimentary drinks and cakes for everyone to enjoy as they catch up with others.

On the last Sunday of each month,we send a street team out into our town of Westbury on Trym to share the gospel of Jesus and to pray for people. This is followed by a meal, back in the church.

Frequently Asked Questions

Westbury Hill Car Park, 3 minutes walk from the church. Check out the ‘Find Us’ page on the NEW HERE menu for directions.text

We have a Kids’ Church programme that runs in our Sunday morning service for children of primary school age. We also have a creche room with a ‘live feed’ and this is also staffed by our Kid’s Team. Our Youth have their own sessions on the first and second Sundays of each month and stay in the service on the other Sundays.

Our services run for about 90 minutes. The doors are open from 10:00am and we start at 10:30am. Following the service, we always have drinks and cakes and spend time catching up with each other. On the last Sunday of each month, we have a slightly shorter service followed by a church meal which is open to anyone who enjoys lots of food from all over the world!

We are an independent church although we are connected with other local church groups. It is our intention to become part of a larger network in the future but we will always retain our independence and governance over our own church beliefs and practices.

We are a work in progress. Since Covid and a change of Leadership, our church has deliberately taken time to find its feet, establish its core Biblical principles and establish a leadership team who are united in their vision. The team is made up of people from all walks of life who are committed to God, our church, community and each other. They meet fortnightly to pray, encourage each other and seek God’s direction for our church.

We don’t have a formal church membership as such. Our revelation of who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross is what binds us together and not a formal membership programme. We’re just a group of people who have committed to worship and serve God together - anyone is welcome. We also understand that people move churches for different reasons. However, we believe it’s important to tread carefully on God’s Kingdom because it is precious to Him. If this is you, we would encourage you to be Biblical, loving and open with your current pastor about your reasons for moving on before committing to our church family.

When you visit, speak to one of our Hospitality Team who can help you to find a local group. You can also look under the COMMUNITY menu on the homepage to find out ways to connect with others and get involved.

When you visit, speak to one of our Hospitality Team who can help you to find a local group. You can also look under the COMMUNITY menu on the homepage to find out ways to connect with others and get involved.

We believe that giving our finances is an act of worship to God and we practise this by tithing and being generous with our giving. We don’t explicitly teach about this on Sundays but we do explore it in smaller groups. If you are a guest or visitor, it’s our desire to bless you and so we don’t expect you to give, unless you feel a desire to do so. We just ask that you let the offering containers pass you by at that point in the service.

We have a safeguarding policy which is available upon request. We are a member of thirtyone:eight - a safeguarding organisation who we use for advice, guidance and support for all issues around safeguarding. All of our team who work with vulnerable people, including children, youth and young adults, have an enhanced DBS check.ext

River of Life Church has charitable status and is registered and accountable to The Charity Commission. As a consequence, we have three trustees who are responsible for oversight of all governance aspects of the charity. Further details are available on the Charity Commission's website.