River Oaks History

River Oaks Community Church began in the minds of a handful of people in 1988. Their desire was to build a church in Elkhart County that expressed Christianity in relevant ways, while impacting and appealing to the community. Nearly two dozen adults met in a Bible study for almost one year before Sunday morning services began at Mary Beck School in Elkhart, in June of 1989. The congregation moved its services to the Elkhart YM/YWCA in early 1992.

Originally named the First Evangelical Free Church of Elkhart, the name was changed to River Oaks Community Church when a parcel of land on County Road 115 was purchased in August 1991. The property was purchased to serve as future home to the church's own facility, while the name was chosen to reflect the nature of the property and the church's desire to serve those in the community. The move to the new site was completed in September of 1993. River Oaks is now a multi-staffed body with a typical Sunday morning attendance between 800 and 1,300.