sundayservices

the details

The River Church building is located at 70 S Hamilton St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.

Meeting Time:

Sundays, 11pm - 12:30pm

Learn more about the schedule in our news & calendar section.

sunday school

Room 12: Nursery for infants and Toddlers
Room 23: Age 3 through grade 1
Room 24: Grades 2-3
Room 21: Grades 4-5
Room 11: Grades 6-8

Nursery begins at 10am. Sunday School for older kids begins at 11am. Maps of the church building are available, and Ushers are always on hand to help you find your way around.

where to enter

First-time visitors might be confused by the fenced-off disaster zone at our address. While we recover from the October 2008 fire that destroyed our old auditorium, we've renovated and moved into the remaining portion of our building. Look for the double doors with our logo above them.

Where to Enter

how to get here & where to park

If you're a visitor, meaning that you've been coming to our church for less than a month, please feel free to use our Guest Parking lot (a) across the street from our building on South Hamilton. Because parking space is limited, we ask that regular attenders of The River use one the other parking options available:

The Darrow Funeral Home (b) kindly allows us to use their parking lot on Sundays. The funeral home is a large red building located between Church St and Montgomery St. If you are coming from the direction of Main St, it will be on your right.

A Public Parking Garage (c) can be found at the intersection of Church St and S Hamilton, two blocks away from our church building. Keep in mind that Church St is one-way, so you'll have to be traveling Eastbound. If you're coming from another direction, it can be accessed from Canon St, which is between Main and S Hamilton.

Parking is also available along S Hamilton St and other nearby streets. We really appreciate your willingness to take a short walk for the sake of visitors!

ServicesF.A.Q.

Q: Where can I park to leave room for other visitors?

A:Please take a look at the parking map on this page.

Q:How do I find a seat?

A:An usher will help you to find a seat when you arrive. When you find a seat, please 'pack in' as tightly as possible to leave space for others. Don't take up empty chairs with personal belongings.

Q:When do I pick up my kids from Sunday school?

A:Our service generally ends by 12:30. Please be considerate to the Sunday School teachers and retrieve your children as quickly as possible.

Q: What do the ushers do?

A: Our ushers are here to help you! Their job is to make sure you are feel at home. Don't hesitate to ask them how to get around, or to introduce you to one of the pastors or elders.

Q: Do you take Communion at The River?

A: Yes! The River takes Communion 3-4 times per year as a congregation. However, you can partake of the Lord's Supper at any time during the musical portion of the service using the Communion table to the right of the stage, behind the stairwell.

Q: I'm inspired by all the ways people are expressing themselves in worship! Can I do anything I want?

A: We encourage you to enjoy the freedom Jesus gives us, but please be considerate to those who feel less free—and don't be offended if a leader respectfully asks you to take it down a notch.

Q: I'm frightened by all the ways people are expressing themselves in worship. Is it only a matter of time before someone pulls out a bucket of snakes?

A: When people get caught up in praising Jesus, it sometimes leads them to raise their hands, clap, shout, or even dance to show their love and appreciation for Him. That being said, we do have rules and boundaries here at The River to make sure that worship is orderly, even at its most colorful. Not everyone agrees on where to draw the line, but we do our best to make sure that The River is a comfortable place for almost anyone.

Q: I'm interested in coming to The River Church because someone said or did something at the last church I went to that offended me. Will I be offended by someone here too?

A: Yes.