| What We Believe: |
The RiverPark Statement of Faith is contained in its entirety in our Membership Manual and summarizes our beliefs as a church. If you would like a copy of that summarization, please inquire at our Information Center desk. For the purposes of this shorter introduction to RiverPark, let us state that anyone familiar with historic Christian doctrine will find that our belief statements fall in the center of evangelical theology (evangelical means theology derived from the evangel or the Gospel; in other words, it’s biblical theology rather than speculative theology, or theology rooted in tradition). Our core beliefs are centered in Christ and His message as found in and supported by the clearest passages of Scripture.
In short:
1. The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament.
2. We believe that there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality.
3. The central purpose of God's revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Himself.
4. Jesus Christ is the eternal second person of the Trinity who was united with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
5. The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity.
6. The corollary of union with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members of His body, the Church.
7. Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
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It All Began When…..
In the spring of 1998, Pastors Jeff and Jeri Stupar began sensing that God was about to make some changes in their lives. As heads of Men’s and Women’s Ministries in the Assembly of God church they attended, they were completely content to be serving in those roles until they felt an unexpected inner “nudging” to resign their positions and wait to hear from God about what they should do next.
One morning while Jeff was praying, he felt that God interrupted his prayers with a question: “What if I want you to start a church?” Jeff dismissed this question as a strange thought but for three weeks this question invaded his thinking and prayers. After wrestling with this question for weeks, Jeff finally told God that he would be willing to do anything God asked him to do. He felt an instant sense of peace !
Jeff shared his experience with his wife, Jeri, who couldn’t conceive that God would ask them to do such a thing! She agreed to pray and just as had previously happened to Jeff, God began to present Jeri with the “call” to start a new church.
Colleen Schmitt, a gifted musician and experienced worship leader, along with her husband Tom, felt that God was leading them to join the team also. Colleen became Pastor of Music at RiverPark.
 DesAnne Hippe earned her doctorate from Marquette University in Theology and Society, an interdisciplinary specialization where she was able to focus her work in systematic theology, ethics, and philosophy. In addition to this focus, her interdisciplinary work in theology is informed by her Master's degree in Church Social Work and her time spent as a psychiatric social worker in the inner city.
DesAnne has taught theology for Marquette University, Bethel Seminary, and Elmbrook Christian Study Center. She resides in Waukesha with her husband and two daughters and considers it a joy to call RiverPark "home".
What continues to emerge is a body of believers who are coming together for the purpose of fulfilling Christ's mission in our community. We are a MULTI-CULTURAL, DIVERSE people who desire to BAND TOGETHER in UNITY in order to present the Gospel boldly, creatively, and faithfully in such a way as will express Christ's love for all those in need of redemption, healing and hope for the future.
RiverPark Community Church is a Waukesha Christian church serving Waukesha County - Waukesha, Pewaukee, Sussex, Brookfield, New Berlin. We are located in the city of Waukesha, on 210 Bank Street, downtown Waukesha. We are a Waukesha nondenominational Christian Church.
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