RiverLife is
… EVANGELICAL
We emphasize the Bible as God’s final word to us. We preach the Good News of personal forgiveness and salvation into a new direction of life through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
… ENGLISH-SPEAKING
Though we come from many different countries and speak a variety of languages, we have chosen to worship God in our common tongue — English.
… INTERDENOMINATIONAL
As Christians, we come from a variety of church traditions, but we agree to concentrate on the basics of the Christian faith that unite rather than divide us.
Our
Story
Our History
RiverLife began in 1998 as a small Christian fellowship in Bern with a simple vision: to provide English-speaking internationals with a place to worship, grow and mature in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
As the fellowship developed, it became known as Bern International Evangelical Church—BIEC. In 2013, the name RiverLife was adopted, reflecting the vision of God's life flowing through His people to the nations.
The name changed, but the mission did not. Today, RiverLife continues to be a multinational, English-speaking church where people from different nations and Christian backgrounds come together to worship Jesus, grow through God's Word, experience the work of the Holy Spirit, serve others and take the Gospel beyond Bern.
We are, in many ways, still doing what the founders dreamed of doing: welcoming the nations, helping people encounter Jesus, and sending them out to make a difference wherever God takes them.