Join Us!
Sundays @ 9:30-10:30am

4401 A Street

Sacramento, CA

95819


Email: info@riverlife.org

Office: 916.456.2489

Who is River Life?

Chances are, you're here because you just Googled, "Church + Sacramento", and that probably means you're wondering, "Will this church welcome me?" 


The answer is, "Yes!" Whether you are a longtime follower of Jesus, or have never stepped foot into a church before, you are welcome here! You don't need to know all the answers or have your life perfectly put together in order to attend. None of us are perfect. We'd love to meet you.


Located in East Sacramento, River Life Covenant Church is a community church with a core of 65+ families. About one-third of our members reside in East Sac, while the rest come from all around the Sacramento area. Our members tend to reflect the easy-going, family-oriented nature of the neighborhood. We are a community of folks of various ethnicities, and we have several families with significant immigrant stories. At the center of our faith and life together is Jesus Christ. Read more about our beliefs.


Both new and longtime attendees find us to be a friendly and welcoming congregation. Ingrained in River Life’s DNA is a strong sense of community. We are a group that likes to hang out with each other, and we tend to rally around needs as they arise, whether they be for church members or the wider community. Members of our congregation take a genuine interest in one another’s lives. When something needs to be done, you’ll find people willing to roll up their sleeves and pitch in. 


Our church is a thriving intergenerational community. When there are service projects and church work days, you find children, teens, adults, and seniors working side by side. Over the years, we have had adults - both parents and those without children - volunteer in our children’s ministry and our youth group. During our church’s annual Advent Night, members of all ages gather to anticipate the arrival of Christ’s birth.


Scroll down for more information about our staff, beliefs, and missional directives and commitments.

Staff

We'd love to hear from you! Click on our names to email us.

  • TED BURROWS

    LEAD PASTOR

    I am originally from the San Francisco Peninsula. After studying International Business Management at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, I served overseas in places like Morocco, China, Italy, England, and France. Along the way, I completed an MDiv from Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. It was at Regent where I met my English wife, Christina. We have two daughters. 


    I love... life! I love celebrating God's goodness and creativity in nature and in food. I love spending time with people, listening to them and laughing with them. Helping people become who God created them to be is one of my very favorite things.

    I also love exploring new places, discovering new cultures, and learning new languages. Right here in Sacramento, I've enjoyed walking around the neighborhood, getting down to the river, and eating at some of the amazing restaurants around town. I am a life-long fan of the 49ers and SF Giants.



  • Sara Fisher

    FAMILY MINISTRIES Pastor


    Hi! I serve kids, teens and their families here at River Life and love it! My own faith was encouraged and grew from a young age, and as a teenager I began serving in the church with kids and have never looked back. I love seeing the way God uses young people to bring joy, wisdom and leadership to the church, even while they are growing in their faith in Jesus. I've been pastoring around the Sacramento area for 10 years. My husband and I have 2 boys, a mini schnauzer and a new kitten! In my free time I love being with friends, getting to know new people, hiking, and listening to music. I have a bachelors in Human Development and a Masters in Divinity, and love to see how those two combine well in this role. 

  • Jackie Grubb

    Administrative assistant

    "Jackie is amazing!" Pastor Ted

What We Believe

We are part of the Evangelical Covenant Church. For Covenant people, our essential beliefs are summed up in what we call Covenant Affirmations: 


We affirm the centrality of the word of God. 

We believe the Bible is the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct. The dynamic, transforming power of the word of God directs the church and the life of each Christian. 


We affirm the necessity of the new birth. 

The Apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). New birth in Christ means committing ourselves to him and receiving forgiveness, acceptance, and eternal life. It means being alive in Christ, and this life has the qualities of love and righteousness, joy and peace. New birth is only the beginning. Growing to maturity in Christ is a lifelong process for both individuals and communities of believers. God forms and transforms us—and it is through people transformed by Christ that God transforms the world. 


We affirm a commitment to the whole mission of the Church. 

The early Covenanters were known as “Mission Friends”—people of shared faith who came together to carry out God’s mission both far and near. Mission for them and for us includes evangelism, Christian formation, and ministries of compassion, mercy, and justice. We follow Christ’s two central calls. The Great Commission sends us out into all the world to make disciples. The Great Commandment calls us to love the Lord our God and our neighbors as ourselves. 


We affirm the Church as a fellowship of believers. 

Membership in the Covenant Church is by confession of personal faith in Jesus Christ and is open to all believers. We observe baptism and Holy Communion as sacraments commanded by Jesus. We practice both infant and believer baptism. We believe in the priesthood of all believers—that is, we all share in the ministry of the church. We also affirm that God calls some men and women into professional, full-time ministry. The church is not an institution, organization, or building. It is a grace-filled fellowship of believers who participate in the life and mission of Jesus Christ. It is a family of equals: as the New Testament teaches that within Christian community there is to be neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, but all are one in Christ Jesus, (Galatians 3:28). 


We affirm a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit. 

The Covenant Church affirms the Trinitarian understanding of one God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The New Testament tells us that the Holy Spirit works both within individuals and among them. We believe it is the Holy Spirit who instills in our hearts a desire to turn to Christ, and who assures us that Christ dwells within us. It is the Holy Spirit who enables our obedience to Christ and conforms us to his image, and it is the Spirit in us that enables us to continue Christ’s mission in the world. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to us as individuals and binds us together as Christ’s body. 


We affirm the reality of freedom in Christ. 

The Apostle Paul wrote, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1). This freedom is a gift of God in Christ, and it manifests itself in a right relationship with God and others. It is not a private gift to be used selfishly, but is given to serve the community and the world. For Paul, this freedom means that we are set free from the power of those things that on their own tend to divide. United in Christ, we offer freedom to one another to differ on issues of belief or practice where the biblical and historical record seems to allow for a variety of interpretations of the will and purposes of God. We in the Covenant Church seek to focus on what unites us as followers of Christ, rather than on what divides us.

Missional Directives and Commitments

Purpose Statement


Joining God in the renewal of all things! 


Vision Statement


River Life Covenant Church exists to cultivate healthy, grace filled relationships with God and one another, so that all may experience the Kingdom of God. 


Missional Directives


To live in and live out the love of God through our worship, fellowship, witness, and service. To equip individuals, families, and the whole church body to become all that God has created us to be. (Ephesians 1-3). 


To proclaim in word and deed, the good news of Jesus Christ as the hope of salvation for all people. To develop the spiritual practices of prayer and witness, to see friends, neighbors, and all people find new life in Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28: 17-20). 


To love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with our God, living out our calling as peacemakers and ambassadors of the Kingdom of God into our broken and fractured world. (Micah 6:8; II Corinthians 5). 


Missional Commitments


SUNDAY WORSHIP: It is our joy to glorify God, praising the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together at our weekly, communal gatherings. We seek to create a space where all may encounter God in Word and Spirit, discover a profound relationship with Jesus, and grow as his disciples. 


LIFE GROUPS: We create opportunities for people to connect and grow as followers of Jesus in emotionally healthy spirituality, fellowship, and partnership in ministry. 


WITNESS, LOCAL & GLOBAL OUTREACH: We are on mission together as God’s witnesses, desiring that all people would be transformed by the love of Jesus Christ. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we seek to play our part in the Great Commission through strategic partnerships with Alpha, our neighboring preschool, World Relief Sacramento, and Serve Globally, the global ministries of our Covenant denomination. 


CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRY: We create a fun and safe environment for children, youth, and families to grow in life and faith in God.

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