Serve Our City

Jesus is calling us to serve Him on mission for our city. Right here. Right now.

At River West, we believe that every follower of Christ is the recipient of a divine mission. Regardless of where your at in your spiritual journey, we believe you’ve been entrusted with unique gifts, abilities, passions, influence, and resources to serve others and advance Jesus' kingdom. Together, we will see lives changed in extraordinary ways as ordinary folks roll up their sleeves and serve! To find out more about you can get involved in local outreach, fill out a Serve Form or check out our list of ministries we partner with below.

Serve Form

5 Rock Ranch

5Rock Ranch is about restoring faith, hope, and love to the fatherless and the floundering through Jesus Christ in community. Their 108-acre ranch is located in the beautiful mountains of Yamhill, about 60 miles southwest of Portland. For more information, contact Scott and Christy Bradley at christy@5rockranch.com.

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Because People Matter

Because People Matter exists to provide relational environments that help homeless individuals experience love, support, and healing relationships. On the 2nd and 4th Thursday night of each month volunteers cook a meal in the River West kitchen that is served to homeless guests under the Burnside Bridge. For more information, contact Lesley Snider at lsnider@bpmpdx.org.

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First Image

First Image exists to live out the heart of God to renew His image in the lives of those who have been impacted by sexual brokenness and abortion. For more information, contact Rachel Francetich at rfrancetich@gmail.com.

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Foster Care

There are many ways to support children in foster care and the families who care for them:

EVERY CHILD OREGON | Every Child connects caring community members with vulnerable children and families in partnership with the Department of Human Services. For more information, email info@embraceoregon.org or visit everychildoregon.org.
WITH LOVE | With Love’s mission is to help foster families change the lives of children ages 0-6 by providing resources that nurture dignity, hope, and community. For more information, contact Krista Basis at kristabasis@withloveoregon.org or visit withloveoregon.org.

Hunger

At River West we’re partnering with a growing number of organizations dedicated to alleviating hunger in our city.

TAKE ACTION INC. | Hundreds of children in our communities do not have an adequate supply of food.to eat. While many students get lunch at school, they often don’t have food on the weekends. Take Action Inc. has created a low-cost, efficient way to insure children have weekend nourishment during the school year. For more information contact Janet Huber at janetdhuber@comcast.net or visit takeactioninc.org.
HUNGER FIGHTERS OREGON | Hunger Fighters operates a food pantry ministry and provides curbside grocery pickup and home delivery of goods to families in need in Lake Oswego. To find out how you can donate or volunteer visit hungerfightersoregon.org or contact Christina at cfisher@hungerfightersoregon.org.

HOTEL Ministry

Hotel Ministry exists to share Christ’s love in tangible ways with residents in Portland’s low-income hotels downtown. Volunteers coordinate monthly visitations, providing groceries, prayer support, and loving friendship to residents. For more information, contact Tanya Ross at aruntanya@yahoo.com or Pastor Christopher at chris@riverwest.org.

Lake Oswego Transitional Shelter Ministry

LOTSM operates two apartments right here in our community, providing families transitioning from homelessness the safety and shelter of a temporary home, where they receive the direct support and services needed to return to self-sufficient living. For more information, contact Luke Foster at lukeandchristie@gmail.com.

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Refugee Care

There are a number of ways to welcome, befriend, and care for the needs of refugees right here in our city:

PAMOJA HOUSE | Pamoja House serves the diverse immigrant community. They specialize in English as a Second Language (ESL), driver’s education, tutoring, and citizenship classes. For more information contact Mike Cook at mcookmj@gmail.com.
PDX FRIENDS OF REFUGEES | Come alongside newly-arriving refugees and help them navigate their lives in a new country. In partnership with local churches, PDX Friends of Refugees assists in furnishing apartments, registering children for school, cultural mentoring, teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), driver’s education, citizenship classes, and more. For more information, contact Donn Jones at donn@pdxfriendsofrefugees.com.
REFUGEE CARE COLLECTIVE | Refugee Care Collective equips refugees to adapt to life in their first year of entry to the United States in partnership with resettlement agencies, faith groups, businesses, non-profits, and the community. In an effort to make Portland a more welcoming place for incoming refugees, they provide Restart Kits, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and family mentoring. For more information, please contact Cindy Thomas at summergirlcindy@gmail.com.

Road to Hope Maternity Home

Road to Hope focuses on meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of pregnant young women who are caught in a cycle of abuse and poverty. For more information, contact Leona Bicknese at leona@road2hopepdx.org or visit road2hopepdx.org.

Safety Compass

Safety Compass helps survivors of sexual exploitation navigate the path to healing and justice. Their mission is to offer support for commercial sexual exploitation and sex-trafficking survivors navigating the criminal and social justice systems in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon. For more information visit safetycompass.org, or for general inquiries and volunteer application requests email esther@safetycompass.org.

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Young Life Lake Oswego

Lake Oswego Young Life exists to introduce the students of Lake Oswego to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. They believe in connecting kids with passionate leaders with the intention of building life-long, Christ-centered relationships. For more information, contact Jocelyn Day at jocelynday.yl@gmail.com or visit lakeoswegoyounglife.org.

Current E-Newsletter

Sign up for “Current,” our monthly email newsletter about what’s going on at River West Church and beyond. From time to time we’ll also send you special announcements and words of encouragement from our pastors.

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