Dear River Friends,

With humble hearts, we write to inform you of the decision to bring TheRiver to a close. We have spent much time in prayer and discernment and have sensed the Holy Spirit’s leading to gently dissolve all formalized aspects of TheRiver.

As we worked through this decision as a team, we took encouragement and confirmation from the words of Jesus in Mark 2:22. “No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins”. There is a season of New Wine coming and  retiring of this particular “wineskin” is an act of obedience that, moving forward, will allow the Holy Spirit and the essence of TheRiver to flow more organically and freely. 

We want to emphasize that the essence of TheRiver goes well beyond the established structure. TheRiver is about the interconnectedness of people who share a heart for inviting travelers to explore and experience Jesus through community and hospitality. The relationships that have been formed within TheRiver are what truly define us, and these relationships will continue to thrive and bear fruit, even as the structure is laid to rest. 

This news is tender and may come as a shock. We offer you our support and invite you to reach out to any of us on the team if you need someone to listen and help you process. In order to facilitate continuing connections, the WhatsApp groups, email and website will remain open for two weeks to allow everyone to exchange contact information with those they wish to stay in touch with. 

We honour and bless George, who held the original vision of TheRiver, Heather, who labored to birth this network, and all those who rose up to garden and advise along the way. We sense the Holy Spirit’s affirmation regarding every hand and heart that gave time, energy, resources, and prayer to this ministry and see those efforts as precious acts of love and obedience. And, to all of the many communities and individuals who have participated in the journey with TheRiver, we honour and bless you and your love for Jesus and for travelers. We pray that all of you and your communities will experience new freedom and freshness in your hearts and calling. 

So, as we release TheRiver back into the Lord’s hands, we are confident that springs of living water will continue to flow out of the relationships established within TheRiver, just as it was in the beginning.

Many blessings 

Steve, Jana, Felix, Allison and Tiina