A Pentecostal Church in the Heart of Downtown Peoria

Riverside Community Church has anchored itself at 207 NE Monroe Street in downtown Peoria, Illinois for more than two decades. The building sits just blocks from the riverfront in a part of the city where the church runs a community fridge, partners with local outreach organizations, and sends members out into some of the most overlooked neighborhoods with food and prayer. Riverside describes its ministry with four short pillars: Jesus is its pursuit, people are its passion, serving is its priority, and generosity is its privilege.

The church is Pentecostal in conviction, believing in the baptism in the Holy Spirit as a distinct experience available to every believer, accompanied by speaking in other tongues as the initial evidence. That conviction shapes its worship on Sundays, where a full band leads contemporary songs in a setting that gives room for the congregation to respond. It also shapes the calendar, which regularly includes nights of extended worship, prayer and fasting, and an annual women's conference built around teaching and the move of the Holy Spirit.

From the Holiday Inn to a Downtown Ministry

Riverside's story begins with Pastor John King, who dreamed of planting a church whose simple goal was to help people connect with God so they could reach their full potential. That dream became a reality on August 20, 2000, when Riverside Community Church opened its doors at the Holiday Inn in downtown Peoria. More than 500 people packed the first service.

From the beginning, Riverside focused on reaching people who were far from Jesus and helping them find their God-given purpose. In 2003 the church purchased the eight-story YMCA building in downtown Peoria, and that building today houses Dream Center Peoria, the heart of ministry to the poor and hurting in the city. Pastor John and his wife Letty continue to be part of the Riverside story, and in 2025 Pastor Sam Misigaro, who had served Riverside as worship pastor for many years, was elected and announced as lead pastor.

Sundays at 207 NE Monroe

Riverside holds two Sunday services every week, one at 9:00 AM and one at 11:00 AM, with services typically running about an hour and a half. Each service centers on a time of worship and a message aimed at leaving people encouraged, full of hope and with a deeper connection to Jesus. On months with a fifth Sunday, the two services combine into one gathering at 10:00 AM, and that combined service is the day the church celebrates baptisms together.

The atmosphere is come-as-you-are. There is no dress code. First-time guests, expectant mothers and people with disabilities are invited to use reserved spots in the side parking lot. A parking team is on hand to direct arrivals. Inside, a New Guest wall in the lobby offers a free gift and a simple way to share contact information so a team member can follow up. The lobby also has a resources wall staffed by volunteers ready to answer questions.

Parents check children in at the Riverside Kids desk in the lobby before each service. Students in grades 6 through 12 are welcome at the Riverside Youth service that meets in the lower level during the 9:00 service. For those unable to attend in person, services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel.

Midweek on Wednesdays and Connect Groups Across the City

Midweek happens every Wednesday from 6:45 to 8:00 PM at the main campus, with adult classes and Riverside Kids starting at the same time. The classes change throughout the year. Recent offerings have included Walking With Our Lord, Faith to Flourish with Christine Caine, The Big Picture, and a Manifestation of the Holy Spirit study taught by Pastor John King. A free meal is part of the evening. Sign-ups for each class are handled through the Church Center app.

Connect Groups are the small-group heartbeat of the church. Groups meet monthly or biweekly in homes and locations around Peoria and the surrounding communities, and cover stages of life from young adult Bible study to married couples, ladies Bible study and men's Bible study (the men's group works through a chapter of Proverbs each session). For anyone unsure where to start, Connect Ministry Director Megan Oetgen helps match people with a group.

Riverside Kids, Riverside Youth, and Riverside Young Adults

Riverside Kids uses kid-targeted praise and worship along with creative Bible teaching built on drama, hands-on projects and interactive media. The goal is to see children spiritually transformed through a life-long relationship with Jesus. The ministry runs its own social channel, sends home a Parent Cue app to extend the lessons through the week, and offers worksheets that kids can return for Riverside Kids bucks. Kids Camp, a weeklong summer day camp for incoming Kindergarten through fifth grade, is a highlight, with worship, interactive Bible stories, hands-on activities and a water slide.

Riverside Youth, for students in grades 6 through 12, meets Sundays at 9:00 AM in the lower level of the church and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Dream Center Peoria, 714 Hamilton Boulevard, just a block from the main campus. Both gatherings include worship and a message aimed at students. The youth calendar also includes an annual winter retreat called Abandon at Little Galilee Christian Camp in Clinton, Illinois, a summer camp at Lake Williamson Christian Center, a Thrive conference trip, lock-ins, and a new Bible Study podcast that walks through passages of scripture. Parent's Night Out events are hosted by the youth to help fund student camp scholarships.

Riverside Young Adults gathers every second Sunday of the month from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the church. The ministry is designed for ages 18 to 30, with the occasional retreat open to ages 18 to 35. The rhythm includes Bible study, fellowship, cookouts, parking-lot parties, Friendsgiving, a Super Bowl watch party, and a Trivia Night hosted by the young adults. The YA ministry keeps its calendar and sign-ups inside the Church Center app.

Riverside Men, Bloom Women, and the Freedom Ministry

Riverside Men, grounded in Galatians 6:2 - carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ - exists to help men lead their families well and love like Jesus. The calendar centers on a Fall Men's Breakfast, a Winter Gathering, a Worship and Prayer Night, a Spring Men's Breakfast and a Men's Bible Study Connect Group working through Proverbs. Events are open to any man who attends Riverside.

Bloom is the women's ministry, led by Pastor Rachel Ritchason. Bloom exists for women looking for a place to bloom, with the conviction that deep roots in who God is, what he says about them, and meaningful connection with other women are the foundation for thriving in every season of life. Bloom Conference is the ministry's annual two-day event, with worship, speakers, panels and fellowship. Bloom Night gatherings, retreats and seasonal events fill out the year.

The Freedom Ministry is a prayer-based inner-healing and deliverance ministry that walks people through a guided session to address strongholds, fear and other burdens. Testimonials describe breakthrough, release from long-held fear, deep forgiveness and a renewed sense of peace. Sessions are scheduled through the church.

The Riverside Peoria Fridge and Riverside Community Cares

Hunger relief is one of the most visible expressions of Riverside's faith in downtown Peoria. The Riverside Peoria Fridge provides free food to anyone who needs it, stocked by the generosity of individuals, community groups and businesses. The fridge is staffed by volunteers on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM and Thursdays at 6:00 PM (with some Mondays at 10:00 AM and Thursdays at 6:00 PM in particular weeks). Riverside estimates the fridge serves hundreds of guests each week.

Riverside Community Cares meets tangible needs in the city through transportation resources, moving help and home repairs. A street ministry team regularly goes into some of the most overlooked neighborhoods of Peoria to provide food, prayer and hope. Around Thanksgiving each year, the church hosts Fridgegiving, when volunteers serve a full Thanksgiving meal to fridge guests. The Awaken women's event, organized by Dream Center Peoria, raises awareness and support for women impacted by abuse.

A Missions-Minded Church from Peoria to the World

Riverside calls itself a missions-centered church and devotes a regular Sunday each year to missions, with a Missions Block Party the night before that includes food trucks, music and a bags tournament to raise funds. Local partners include Pathway Ministries, Dream Center Peoria, South Side Mission and Adult & Teen Challenge.

The global partners list reads like a small atlas: Morris and Neema Swai in Tanzania; Kerusso Perhay in Mozambique; Kyler and Aubri Austria in Hawaii; Vagner and Katie Oliveira in Texas; Aurino and Grace Bandeira in Brazil; Wilson and Lori Kannenberg in Brazil; Mariusz and Lidia Muszczynski in Poland; Sasha and Oksana Ozeruga in Ukraine; Arek and Julita Rachwalski in Poland; Jeremy and Tina Skinner in Indonesia; Tim and Marketa Southerland in the Dutch Caribbean; Jeff and Maryann Stone in Morocco; Jonathan and Melissa Lowrance in Japan; Jeremy and Mary Gin Palattao in the Philippines; Patrick and Gloria Reynolds in Brazil; Miriam Smith in Kenya; Ben and Kathleen Struss in Indonesia; and Sergay and Lena Ozeruga in Ukraine. Several of these missionaries serve through Assemblies of God mission organizations. Riverside also operates a podcast, Mission Moment, and shares monthly updates so the church can pray for its partners.

Riverside Worship and the Look at Our God EP

Music is a ministry in its own right at Riverside. Riverside Worship, the church's worship team, records original music and leads services, with Chayla Huerta serving as worship pastor and Savion Huerta serving as tech director. The team released an EP titled Look at Our God, available wherever music is streamed. Worship Nights, Bloom Nights of extended worship, and the annual Bloom Conference offer additional opportunities to sing together.

What Riverside Believes

Riverside's statement of faith is rooted in the Bible as the inspired, God-breathed word without error. The church teaches belief in one eternal God revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; in God as the creator of everything physical and spiritual; in the entrance of sin into the world through the fall and the universal need for salvation; in Jesus as fully God and fully man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, sinless, crucified in the place of sinners, buried and physically resurrected on the third day, then caught up into heaven where he awaits his second coming.

Salvation is by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus, received by admitting guilt, repenting and trusting Christ. The church practices two ordinances. Water baptism by full immersion is a public profession of faith and a symbol of new life, celebrated on Baptism Sundays several times a year. Communion, the Lord's Supper, is observed as a remembrance of Jesus' death and resurrection and a reminder of his return. In addition, Riverside teaches that every believer may receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit as a subsequent gift, with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.

Visiting Riverside

Anyone wanting to visit for the first time can text WELCOME to 309-518-1717 and stop by the New Guest wall in the lobby on Sunday for a free gift. The address is 207 NE Monroe Street, Peoria, IL 61602, with office hours Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sundays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The main phone number is (309) 676-7700, and the general inbox is info@riversidepeoria.com.

Parking is available on the street and in several lots around the block, with reserved spots for first-time guests, expectant mothers and people with disabilities in the side lot. The parking team will direct arrivals on Sunday mornings. Services run about an hour and a half. Riverside Kids is available for children during both services, Riverside Youth meets for students grades 6 through 12 during the 9:00 service, and Riverside Young Adults meets the second Sunday of the month at 6:00 PM. Giving is available online, by check, in the generosity boxes in the lobby or through the Church Center app, which is also the hub for event sign-ups, Connect Groups and the Riverside Peoria Fridge volunteer schedule.