Good question! You may be wondering if we are actually beside a river. So, while we are not technically beside a river, part of why we chose this name is because the key geographical feature of Tuscarawas county is the river! And we are near the Sugar Creek which flows into the Tuscarawas River. But the biggest reason we chose this name is because of what it means to us spiritually. While praying and seeking the Lord about the new name, Psalm 1 stood out to our leadership because it describes the way of the righteous...

Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in season, and it does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Jeremiah 17 again uses this imagery of a tree planted by water to describe the righteous in verses 7 & 8, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Both of these Biblical references are why we chose to be called Riverside. We want to be a church full of people who delight in the law of the Lord and who trust the Lord—who bear fruit.

Community is also an important part of our name. Community has long been a part of who we are as a church. We believe that God’s people can come together to love, serve, and grow as a community of Christ followers and share the highs and lows of life together. We want to be a community of people who care for each other and have a heart to impact our own towns, cities, villages and neighbors, taking the good news of Jesus to all we encounter.