Thirty years ago, on Sunday January 10, 1993, North River Alliance Church held its first service in a rented store front in the strip mall at 5741 Hwy 153, Hixson, TN 37343.  A seasoned pastor, missionary, and former district superintendent, Bill Nabors, guided the new little congregation through those early days.  Many who are here today are grateful recipients of his leadership and mentoring.

A lot has happened since then, and we thank God for the many ways He has ministered to and through this congregation.  We need to celebrate the things God did in this context that would not have happened in any other place or in any other way.  People came to know the Lord as their Savior, were baptized, discipled and sent out as salt and light in many parts of the country and the world.  Missionaries around the world were supported through finances, prayer and encouragement. 

On that first Sunday, Pastor Nabors wrote the following words to the congregation. 

We welcome you to the first Service of North River Alliance Church.  It is with great joy and anticipation that we look forward to seeing a strong Alliance Church on the north side of Chattanooga for the glory of God.

…Our great desire is that we of the North River Alliance Church will be heralds of the gospel of Jesus Christ until HE comes again.

Christ hasn’t come back yet, so as we celebrate thirty years of ministry, we also need to look forward to what God still wants to do through this congregation.  The past should inform us and encourage us as we seek God for a renewed vision for our ministry. 

Things have changed in 30 years.  The headquarters are no longer in Colorado.  Methods of ministry are different now.  We use new technologies and sing different songs, and that’s all OK.  Afterall the songs we sang and the methods we used 30 years ago were all new at one point, too.  But the mission is still the same.  We exist to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ until He comes again.  Our challenge is to figure out how to do that best in today’s environment. 

Happy 30^th anniversary.  Let’s press on into the next 30 years of ministry.