The River at Tampa Bay Church – 28 Years
Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 12/01/2024
Foundation Scriptures:
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Psalms 127:1 KJV
1. The River Church.
a. In 1996, the Lord spoke to us about the River at Tampa Bay.
b. To have a place where we can prepare people for eternity.
c. He told us, “I want Sunday mornings back.”
d. We need to have these three main ingredients to be predominant in every service:
- Dynamic praise and worship.
- Powerful testimonies.
- Powerful stewardship messages.
- Anointed preaching and teaching.
- Powerful demonstrations of the Holy Spirit and power.
- Souls—altar calls.
- Baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire.
- Water baptism.
- Ministering by the Holy Spirit and praying for needs.
2. A Church for the Whole Family.
a. Ministering to the whole family: Babies; children; teens; young adults; couples; seniors.
b. Raising up people to fulfill the call of God on their lives.
c. Raising up children in revival and the anointing.
d. Winning souls and reaching the city.
e. Kingdom business—teaching people to walk in the blessings of God, by prioritizing Him and His Kingdom.
f. Out of this church is birthed River University with all its subsidiaries and divisions:
- R.B.I.
- R.B.I.E.
- School of Worship.
- School of Government.
- Culinary; Broadcasting; Media.
3. Conferences.
a. All the conferences that are part of this great church.
b. Summer and Winter Campmeetings.
c. Spring and Fall Ministers and Leaders Conferences.
d. Kids and Youth Conference.
e. Ladies and Men’s Conference.
f. Christmas Productions.
g. Outreaches: Easter; Thanksgiving; Christmas.
h. The outreaches across Central Florida and the nation, and then the world.
4. Obeying the Great Commission.
a. Our commission and commitment is to preach the Gospel.
b. Mark 16:15b NKJV –– Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
c. 2 Corinthians 4:5 KJV –– For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
d. To feed the flock of God—the sheep and the lambs (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2).
e. To preach the full counsel of God.
f. Acts 20:27 AMPC –– For I never shrank or kept back or fell short from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan and counsel of God.
g. To consistently preach the Word; reprove, rebuke, and exhort.
h. To bring correction but also to encourage.
i. 2 Timothy 4:2 KJV –– Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
j. To show grace and to speak the truth in love, so you can grow up in Him.
k. Ephesians 4:15 KJV –– But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.
l. To pray for you and to minister the Word to you, so that you may not only grow in God but be fruitful in every good work.
m. Colossians 1:10 NKJV –– That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.