What is a Facilities Study and Why are We Doing One?

The River’s Edge Church was planted in Iowa Falls in November of 2005.

Since that time our church has grown each year. For the first 3 years we were

a portable church which set-up and tore-down each week in Hamilton

Auditorium at Ellsworth Community College. In 2008 God enabled us to

purchase the main worship building we have today. In 2015 we added the

Riverbank Building which allowed us to have proper offices and more space

for children’s ministry and other ministries.

While our church has grown each year, we have experienced

accelerated growth over the last two years. While this growth is wonderful,

the pressures it places on our facilities to host current and future ministries

must be addressed.

As a first step in this process, a Facilities Study Team has been formed.

Currently serving on this team are Pastor Mike Mentzer, Pastor Barrett

Hansen, Pastor TJ Norman, John Robbins (former School Superintendent), Dan

Versteeg (former school superintendent), and Jason Jedele (local realtor).

This team has been tasked with identifying the current challenges our

growth has created on our facilities and ministries. It is also identifying future

challenges to ministries that would be difficult if not impossible to perform with

our current facilities. We feel strongly that we must understand these specific

challenges and problems so that future plans will actually move toward

solving them and thus set up The River’s Edge for future mission d ministry

in the greater Greenbelt area.

This team will also be using the information and data gathered to

explore and present possible options that could be pursued in order to set up

The River’s Edge for the next 5-50 years. Each viable option needs to be

researched thoroughly in order to understand the associated costs, timelines,

ministry impact, risks, advantages, disadvantages, and long-term

sustainability.

Please be in prayer for the Facilities Study Team, the Board of Servant

Leaders, Ministry Leaders, and our church as we embark on this journey

together. May the Lord bless us with wisdom and discernment over these

challenges and opportunities. And through it all, may He guide us strongly by

the power of his Holy Spirit, to keep us focused on the mission He’s given us to

make disciples.

Pastor Mike Mentzer

Quick Links: Surveys and Data

• Survey #1 ends 9/6/26
• Survey #1 Results: Coming Soon
• Data & Charts: Coming Soon
• Survey #2: Coming Soon

Quick Links: Meetings and Presentations

• Facilities Update to Congregation (8/23/26)
• Agenda for 1st Congregational Facilities Meeting: Coming Soon
• Facilities Update to Congregation (TBA)
• Agenda for 2nd Congregational Meeting (TBA)

Quick Links: FAQ's (Coming Soon)

Submit Comments, Suggestions, and/or Questions To Pastor Barrett @_ pastorbarrett@rechurch.us

Schedule:

• 5/13/2026: Board empowers Pastor Mike to form a Facilities Study Team.
• 6/3/26: Facilities Team is formed and holds its first meeting
• 7/7/26: Survey #1 is given and discussed at a Board of Servant Leaders meeting.
• 7/11/26: Survey #1 is given and discussed at a “CREW” meeting with ministry leaders and volunteers.
• 7/19/26: Survey #1 is made available to the congregation.
• 8/23/26: John Robbins gives first update to congregation at both services.
• 9/20/26: First congregational meeting on Facilities Study between services (10:15-11:00)

o Survey Results and other relevant data will be presented.

• TBD: Church update #2 at both services.
• TBD: Second congregational Facilities meeting.

o Plan to present more data and information gathered.

o Hope to present 4 options and Survey #2 which will give the team guidance on which of the

options we should continue to purse at a deeper level.