A 70-Year-Old Church Between River and Ocean

Riverside Presbyterian Church sits at 3400 North Atlantic Avenue in Cocoa Beach, Florida, in a stained-glass sanctuary placed, in the words of its interim pastor, "beautifully between the Banana River and the Atlantic." The congregation marks its official beginning on October 6, 1956, the same year that the town's Starlite motel first opened its doors, and in 2026 it is celebrating seventy years on the Space Coast with a yearlong retrospective, a monthly newsletter series called Down By The Riverside, and a time capsule.

The congregation identifies as part of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is linked to the Central Florida Presbytery. Its identity statement is direct: "As a body, we are unashamedly Christian. We believe our Christian identity calls us to build bridges, not walls. Thus, our nature is to welcome all people, regardless of tribe." Members describe themselves as a "family by choice" who share five rhythms together: worship, serve, study, eat, and play. That blend of commitments shapes everything from Sunday morning to midweek gatherings and the music series that has earned the church a reputation across Brevard County.

What a Sunday Morning Looks Like

Worship takes place every Sunday at 10:00 AM, and the church uses a Thanksgiving meal as its favorite image for the gathering. Multiple generations come together. Teenagers huddle in corners. Younger elementary children play while the older ones try to keep up. Toddlers squirm in the arms of parents or "parents-in-faith." Coffee, cookies, and conversation flow freely before and after the service, and the dress is varied: some in coats and ties, others in jeans and T-shirts, with no one noticing the difference.

The order of service moves from praise to the Word and back to praise. Music opens the gathering, the sermon grounds it in scripture, and the congregation is sent out again to offer themselves to the Divine. On the first Sunday of each month, the church celebrates the Lord's Supper by intinction: worshippers come to the Table, and as they partake they give thanks, anticipate the kingdom Christ proclaimed, and are renewed and sustained in grace. Communion Sundays feel especially full, with a benediction that has become a hallmark of the interim pastor's ministry.

For visitors who want a preview, Sunday services are livestreamed and a library of recent services is available online. Worshippers who have trouble hearing low voices or soft music can borrow help through Audiofetch, an app that connects Android or iPhone earphones or hearing aids to the sanctuary's sound system. Volunteers staff the sound booth fifteen minutes before each service to help anyone get signed on.

The Music Church in Brevard County

Riverside has earned the unofficial title "The Music Church in Brevard County." Music carries the Sunday service in two complementary forms. The Praise Band, which began at Riverside in 2005, leads contemporary songs that "reflect the current season of our lives as Christians." The current lineup features Keaton Belliveau on guitar and vocals as band leader, Collin Morrison on bass, Ryan Perez on drums, Andrey Plata on keyboard, and backup vocalists Madalynn Pearson and Jordan Boggs. The Chancel Choir, led by Traditional Music Director Diana Amtower, anchors the hymns, anthems, and choral offerings. Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM and are open to anyone who would like to join.

The signature offering is the Dr. Vernon Boushell Concert Series, named for the late Riverside choir member who organized performances of classical oratorios from Handel's Messiah to Verdi's Requiem. The series runs from October through June and has featured the Riverside Chamber Orchestra, the Riverside Community Chorale, the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, the Indialantic Chamber Singers, and the Brevard Youth Chorus, with conductors and chorusmasters including Richard Sabino, Aaron Collins, and Beth Green. Recent seasons have included a Christmas concert, a New Orleans-style Dixieland afternoon with the Oh Golly Dixieland Band from the Melbourne Municipal Band, an interactive "Duel of the Decades" with the NY NY Dueling Pianos, and an island-themed tribute to Jimmy Buffett. Most concerts are free with a required ticket, and supporters can become season sponsors at levels ranging from Soloist ($100) to Orchestra ($3,000).

Children, Youth, and Sunday School

Sunday School meets at 9:00 AM during the school year, before the worship service. The K through 5 class focuses on Bible stories, crafts, and songs, with a stated goal of helping children "think and act like Jesus" and experience God through age-appropriate activities. The 6th through 12th grade ministry is called Fusion Youth and walks with young people through the pivotal years of middle and high school, helping them find God's story of hope in their own lives and a place to serve.

The older youth ministry is known as ANCHOR Youth, for students ages 12 to 18. It meets every Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 PM in Calvin Hall and centers on three values: Fellowship, Growth, and Giving. Evenings include games, conversation, and guided discussions about real-life topics that matter to students today, alongside service projects and occasional youth-led Sundays. The ministry is led by Anda Ray and Karen Ward, with a stated welcome to students "no matter where you're coming from." Special events include a community Trunk or Treat each October, complete with free hotdogs, costumes, and decorated car trunks.

Bible Studies and Women's Circles

Adults can dig deeper in three weekly rhythms. The Men's Bible Study meets on Wednesday mornings at 8:30 AM, both in person and via Zoom, and is open to men of all ages. Two adult Sunday School classes meet at 9:00 AM in Knox Parlor and the Galilee Room, exploring books of the Bible and contemporary studies to help members apply scripture to daily life. Pastor's Class, a seven-week series on contemporary social issues, is offered periodically in Knox Hall, with recent topics including pluralism, economics, war, capital punishment, addiction, bioethics, and questions about same-sex marriage.

Presbyterian Women Circles give women three additional small-group settings. The Hannah/Ruth/Rebecca Circle meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 1:00 PM. The Deborah Circle meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM. Stitchin' Sisters gathers on the first, third, and fifth Wednesdays of the month at 9:30 AM in Calvin Hall to sew quilts, afghans, and other items that are donated to Family Promise, the Salvation Army Domestic Violence program, Genesis House, Serene Harbor, and other missions requested by the presbytery. All three circles are open to new participants and meet in person and online.

The Children's Hunger Project

Mission work at Riverside flows outward as well as inward. The church partners financially with The Children's Hunger Project, a local ministry that provides weekend meals so that children in Brevard County do not go without food during school breaks. More than half of the county's students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and at some elementary schools that figure reaches 80 percent or higher. Riverside collects and delivers food that feeds children at two local schools, Cape View Elementary and Lewis Carroll Elementary. In the first half of 2022, the church hosted the project's operations while its facility was under construction, an experience that gave members a firsthand look at the work of packing weekend bags for hungry neighbors.

A Family by Choice: Worship, Serve, Study, Eat, Play

Riverside returns often to the language of family. Worship unites the congregation. Service sends it outward. Study enables it to grow deeper in faith and to remember whose it is. Eating together, whether after worship, in small groups, or at a monthly study gathering, reminds the body that communion is one of God's hopes for humanity. Play and fellowship, from potlucks and Taco Bars to Soup Sundays and the annual Old Fashioned Christmas and Bourbon Street concerts, hold the rest together. Members serve on a Session and Deaconate, on commissions such as Congregational Life, Community Engagement, Worship and Sacrament, Missions, Stewardship and Finance, Communications, Staff Resources, and Property, and in practical roles such as greeters, ushers, liturgists, fellowship hosts, concert support, and the audio/visual booth.

An Interim Season and a Pastoral Search

Riverside is currently in a pastoral transition, served by Rev. Dr. William (Bill) Teng as Interim Pastor. Dr. Teng was born and raised in Hong Kong and is a fourth-generation Presbyterian minister. After forty years of active ministry, teaching at the Alliance Bible Seminary in Hong Kong and serving congregations in New York, Texas, Hong Kong (twice), Florida (twice), Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Virginia, he retired from called ministry in 2019 to enter transitional ministry. He has since served as interim pastor at Ardmore Presbyterian Church near Philadelphia, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Venice, Florida, and Covenant Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers. A Pastor Nominating Committee is actively discerning the next installed pastor.

The pastoral staff is supported by Diana Amtower (Traditional Music Director), Keaton Belliveau (Praise Band Leader), and the youth leaders Anda Ray and Karen Ward. The church also relies on an Audio/Visual team led by Bob Howard, who has been a member since 1972 and has served in multiple branches of the Armed Forces and as a NASA design engineer for thirty years on the shuttle program.

Beliefs and Worship Style

Riverside worships in a blended style, drawing on both the Praise Band's contemporary songs and the Chancel Choir's traditional hymns and anthems. The congregation frames its beliefs in classical Reformed and Presbyterian terms. Members describe themselves as "Priesthood of All Believers," drawing on 1 Peter 2:9 and 10 and 1 Corinthians 12, and they hold that every Christian is called to minister. As the interim pastor has written, "Our challenge then is to know in our heart and mind that God is always with us." The church also embraces a theology of stewardship that reaches beyond money to include all of a person's time, talent, and treasure, and a missional identity summarized by Heinrich Bullinger's words: "The church is God's vineyard."

Visiting and Getting Connected

Sunday worship begins at 10:00 AM at 3400 N. Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931. Sunday School for all ages starts at 9:00 AM during the school year. Dress is whatever makes a visitor comfortable. The sanctuary offers Audiofetch hearing assistance, and greeters and ushers are on hand each Sunday to provide bulletins, help with seating, and collect the offering. Services are livestreamed online, and recordings of recent Sundays are archived on the church's YouTube channel.

Visitors who want to get involved can serve on one of the church's commissions, join a Presbyterian Women Circle, sing with the Chancel Choir, or volunteer with the Children's Hunger Project. Giving is available online or during worship. The church office can be reached at 321-783-6085 or office@riversidepresbyterianchurch.org, and the interim pastor at pastorbill@riversidepresbyterianchurch.org. Riverside also maintains an active Facebook page and Instagram account for ongoing updates, and its monthly newsletter, Down By The Riverside, keeps members and friends informed about programs, service opportunities, and the unfolding anniversary year.