RVCLC was able to celebrate Sheri's success and hear all the ways God had been working through her heart & life this past year with her mentor Rae Deal. Sheri has been an inspiration to us as she has been dedicated to invest in her relationship with the Lord and in herself. When we invest in God's guidance the benefits are eternal and everlasting. We are so thankful God is never done writing our stories and growing us. Every change leads us to grow closer to Him.
Speaking of change..... Susan Yates, one of RVCLC's alumni Site Coordinators from 1999, gave a word of encouragement about the changes the ministry experienced during her time serving. She said, "Every time there was a change, the good news reached new people and more people were offered tools to change their life". RVCLC is currently
experiencing new and exciting changes that will reach new people in the river valley. Like many residents and businesses in our area, RVCLC’s rent was also raised to an unsustainable amount. We began praying for God’s direction in light of our new need in December of 2022. As of April 12, 2023, God met our need through a new partnership with our local Great Commission Baptist Association.
Under the new partnership RVCLC will be adding to our mission in alignment with the great commission found in Matthew 28:18-20. RVCLC will be focused on reaching the river valley area churches and equipping small groups with skills to practice and apply the concepts of mentoring and discipleship for their own personal use, their families, and their community both inside and outside of their church. Part of reaching these churches means translating our materials to reach our Hispanic, Laos, and Vietnamese people groups. RVCLC will also be creating a new employment scholarship program partnering potential mentees with local business owners to assist mentees in obtaining work required clothing, job skills, and work history. This program will allow donations to directly assist mentees in changing their future. Lastly, RVCLC will continue to provide our community with one-on-one mentoring and discipleship at our new interim location, South Side Baptist Church, 2400 Dodson Avenue, Fort Smith. We will begin accepting new mentees at the South Side Baptist Church starting August 2023.
We pray you will continue to prayerfully support us during this time of great change as we undertake new challenges reaching more people groups in our community for the gospel and equip individuals with new employment possibilities. Please specifically pray for mentors from our local churches to join our team, Christian business owners to join the Employment Scholarship Program, and for new partnerships with our local churches. You can still contact RVCLC at the same P.O. Box and phone number.