What an incredible, action-packed summer it has been thus far for the youth at River Valley! God is moving in the hearts of our young people, and we are so grateful for a community that steps up to support, encourage, and invest in the next generation.

From the classrooms of VBS to the hills of Pipestem, here is a look back at what our youth have been up to so far—and a glimpse at what’s coming next.

June: Wonders of Creation & Fun at Pipestem

We kicked off the summer in June with our Wonder VBS (by Bogard Press), and the turnout was fantastic! Throughout the week, our kids dove deep into the wonders of God’s creation, learning that they are His ultimate masterpiece.

Focusing on the six days of creation, the lessons emphasized just how incredibly valuable every single child is in God’s sight. Our anchor verse for the week reminded us of the grand design behind everything:

“All things were created by him, and for him.” — Colossians 1:16 (KJV)

The summer fun continued with our “Anchored at Pipestem State Park” youth event. The kids had a blast playing wiffle ball and volleyball before wrapping up the day with a pizza party. While the youth were burning off energy, our parents gathered to brainstorm, discuss ideas for the youth group, and map out the vision for our future ministries, and we are excited about what is ahead for RVBC Youth.

July: Leading the Way at John Henry Days

July brought an incredible moment of spiritual leadership for our church. We were so proud to see 18 of our youth lead the John Henry Days Church Service.

They took care of the entire service from start to finish—leading the congregation in singing and worship, and concluding with a powerful sermon preached by our own youth member, Dakota Pettry. We had a wonderful turnout from the community, and everyone enjoyed checking out the awesome cars and monster trucks at the car show afterward! Special thanks to the John Henry Days Committee for allowing us to provide this service again.

Investing in the Future: Church Camp & What’s Next

Right now, the blessings are continuing at church camp! We have 26 youth from our church currently attending, along with four additional children who wanted to go but lacked the funding. Thanks to the immense generosity of our congregation, an offering at the John Henry Service, and VBS offering collection, the church was able to provide $6,000 to cover the costs so that our 26 campers, as well as four more campers, could experience camp together. Thank you for making this life-changing week possible!

Hinton Waterslide Trip: Thursday, July 16th

We haven’t forgotten about our younger crowd! While the older kids are away at camp, we are taking our youth who are too young for camp to the Hinton Waterslide this Thursday, July 16th for a fun-filled evening of splashing and fellowship.

Mark Your Calendars: Sunday, July 19th

The camp week may end, but the impact lasts a lifetime. We invite everyone to join us for our service on July 19th, where our youth will be sharing their personal testimonies and camp experiences with the church.

Parents & Youth Note: Immediately following the service, we will host a meeting for all youth and their parents to discuss future plans and upcoming ministries.

Thank you, River Valley family, for your prayers, your financial support, and your dedication to our youth. God is doing big things this summer!