2025 Ministry Reports
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SUBMITTED BY GREG RHODES
Overview
2025 was full of shifts and transitions. We replaced our 10-year-old mission and values with new ones, positioning ourselves for the next decade and the next generation. Our worship team changed leadership and added new members. Some long-time members left, while new ones joined or began attending more consistently. We also navigated an unexpected basement flooding repair that required significant coordination, insurance work, and ministry flexibility throughout the year.
Through every transition, God proved steady, reminding us that while seasons change, His faithfulness does not. Because of that steady faithfulness, we move into 2026 with confidence, clarity, and quiet hope for what He will continue to build among us.
Attendance
Our average weekly attendance in 2025 was 171, including 109 adults, 27 youth, and 34 kids—a 5% increase over 2024. Notably, 36% of our congregation is under 18, significantly higher than the national average of 20–25%, reflecting a strong next-generation presence at St. Paul. While we experienced a larger-than-typical summer dip, attendance rebounded in the fall and finished the year with healthy momentum.
Despite seasonal dips and monthly volatility, we continue our long-term pattern of growth. Since 2021, attendance at St. Paul has more than doubled, with an average annual growth rate of approximately 15% over the past three years. The long-term trajectory of this campus continues to show steady, multi-year growth and increasing engagement across generations.
Special Events
Once again, Easter proved to be a highlight of the year, with 360 people joining us for worship to celebrate our risen Lord and approximately 1,000 participating in our Egg Hunt, bringing smiles to kids and adults alike.
Other holidays also drew strong attendance, with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas among the highest-attended celebration services of the year.
Leadership
We were blessed to see several long-time volunteers step into new leadership roles:
Raynie Vang and Kenny Lee shared the role of Worship Director after Shong Vang stepped down following years of faithful service.
We were excited to welcome Shoua (Hills) Khang as our new Connections Director after a long vacancy in that position.
We also benefited from a wonderful college intern, Angeline Xiong, who after graduation was invited to join the Leadership Team as our Community Engagement Director.
Church Partnerships
We continue to rent space to two small congregations:
La Iglesia Apostólica de la Fe en Cristo Jesús – A small, first-generation Spanish-speaking church that meets on Sunday afternoons, as well as Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Family Bible Church – An older Black church that meets once a month on Saturdays for worship.
Both churches have expressed deep gratitude for our partnership and support of their congregations, especially La Iglesia, which was significantly impacted during periods of increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the Twin Cities.
Thank You
Thank you to every volunteer, leader, staff member, and faithful attender who served, gave, prayed, and showed up this year. Your steady faithfulness is what makes this campus strong and allows us to truly experience God together as a church family.
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SUBMITTED BY KONG MOUA
Overview
2025 felt like a year of preparation. While it may not have felt like a year of major accomplishments, it truly felt like we were getting ready for something special.
The most significant change in 2025 was changing our mission statement. RiverLife shifted from “hope, healing, and growth to next gen Hmong and beyond” to “be a next-gen Hmong church experience God together”. This change reflected a broader calling – one that encompassed all generations. We recognized that our previous mission statement resonated strongly with for 2nd-gen Hmong, but God wanted us to widen our reach.
With this shift came updated values to help us live out our new mission. At first, I felt uncertain about the change, but midway through 2025, I began to feel confident and excited as our kids and students continue to show a growing desire to follow Jesus.
Baptisms
We celebrated 7 baptisms in 2025 (2 adults, 3 youth, and 2 kids). While this was fewer than the 20 baptisms 2024, our students and kids continue to lead the way of responding to Jesus. In 2024, we had 6 adults get baptized whereas 11 students and 3 kids were baptized. For two years in a row, kids and youth double adults in baptisms. We are witnessing God moving in the hearts of the next generation.
Attendance
Our average attendance in 2025 was 124 (64 adults, 22 youth, 38 kids). This is a 3% increase from 2024’s average of 120 (60 adults, 19 youth, 41 kids). We continue to maintain our unique 1:1 ratio between adults and kids – something that reflects the strong presence of young families in our church. Our largest attended service in 2025 was Easter with 221.
Child Dedications
Two families dedicated a total of 3 kids in total in 2025. We are grateful for parents who are committed to raising their children to know and love God.
Special Events
Easter was our largest service in 2025 followed by an incredible egg hunt. We estimate that more than 1,200 people participated in the egg hunt.
Thank you to Pang, our Family Ministry Director, for leading the egg hunt. Pang implemented several new ideas including overflow parking and added security measures with support from Brooklyn Park Police Department. She also had an incredible team of 50 volunteers who ran the egg hunt flawlessly. Thank you to Angeline Xiong too, who partnered with local restaurants to provide free meal coupons for families. Her leadership strengthened our connection with the community.
Strengthening Our Leadership
We were blessed by several individuals steeping into important roles:
Max Baranyuk became our Connections Director. He has done an outstanding job welcoming and connecting with everyone who walks through our doors.
Angeline Xiong also took on the responsibility of Community Engagement Director. She brought tremendous value to our egg hunt and helped lead our annual school supply drive across both campuses.
Pajjar Thao established our relationship with our international workers, Tub and Gao-Jai who serve in Udon Thani, Thailand. Thank you to Pajjar for reminding us what God is around the world.
Personal Highlights
One of my personal highlights was participating in a mission trip to Spain. I was invited to join Dan Scarrow, our district superintendent, and Dave Manske, our mission mobilizer, along with 4 other pastors to experience God’s global work firsthand. This trip challenged me to think about how RiverLife can engage in missions.
I also began the ordination process, a 2-year journey of reading, studying, writing, and testing to help shape me as a pastor.
Partnerships with Faith Communities
We continue to partner with different churches and a mosque by providing space for their needs:
Local Covenant Church: Pastor Seth and his congregation continue to rent from us and regularly holds services on Sunday evenings.
Clarity Church: Pastor Phil leads a mobile church at Edinbrook Elementary. They park their trailer in our parking lot and rent our building several times throughout the year for special services.
Compassion Anoka: Pastor Rob and Pastor Ryan office at RiverLife. The church’s mission is to make Jesus visible in Anoka and serve those experiencing homelessness.
Foundations of Many Generations: Pastor Mulbah parks the church’s bus and trailer in our parking lot. Annually, they host an annual evangelism event on our fields during the summer to share Jesus with the community.
Masjid Ar-Rahim Islamic Community Center uses our parking lot as overflow parking during their major holidays. They continue to bless us by filling our tummies with Crumbl cookies.
New Story Church: Pastor David and his congregation are a newer church plant in our district. They use our building several times each year for their services and gatherings.
International Workers in Udon Thani: We partnered with Tub and Gao-Jai in 2025 and supported them by raising funds for volleyball jerseys for their sports ministry.
Thank You
I am deeply grateful for each of you who contribute to the life of the church. Your presence, love, and support make all this possible. I often describe RiverLife as the most fun thing I’ve ever done in ministry and it’s still true. Thank you for embracing a season of preparation in 2025. I believe God is positioning us for something special in 2026.
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SUBMITTED BY JEREMY GARLAND
In 2025, Riverkids experienced remarkable growth and success, all glory to God! We started, and finished, a new series about getting Back to Basics by searching for God in each and every story of the Bible.
Not only did we grow spiritually but we grew in size! With 25% growth in our average attendance among our kids, and also a 65% increase in our active volunteers. This all began with a big push at the beginning of the year that added 22 new volunteers to our team. We wouldn’t be able to do this without them!
At the end of 2024 we expanded our Riverkids leadership team with the addition of Vince Thao, Rhia Yang and Alicia Thoj! These three were exceptional in their respective roles, growing current ministries and launching new ones. Don’t take it from me, here are some of their take-aways from the year.
Nursery (Alicia Thoj)Babies and toddlers learned about the love of Jesus through music, bible stories, prayers, and craft activities gives space for God to be present in their own lives and allows for them to also practice their fine motor skills. It is truly a blessed time!
Pre-K (Rhia Yang)This past year in Pre-K, we focused on having faith-filled fun learning about Jesus, practicing being good friends, taking turns, praying together, learning classroom structure, and exploring creativity through crafts.
Elementary (Vince Thao)First and foremost, Glory to God! A big shout to the elementary kids for being flexible and trustworthy with our leadership team, while Pastor Jeremy took some time off to take care of his family. We learned a lot of stories from the bible, but more importantly we all had fun while learning. A good lesson we did was a strength test to see if we were as strong as Samson.
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SUBMITTED BY PANG MOUA
In 2025, RiverKids launched our Back to Basics series, returning to foundational stories from the Old Testament. Throughout the year, our lessons explored stories of conflict, courage, and faith, highlighting how God’s power and presence were revealed among God’s people. Little by little, the kids began to recognize key biblical stories and characters, building both familiarity and confidence in their faith.
This spring, we completed two meaningful community engagement projects led by Angeline Her. Our kids created over 200 handmade cards for patients at North Memorial Hospital in Maple Grove—an opportunity to practice compassion and kindness beyond our church walls.
2025 was also a year of exciting growth and transitions. Our Nursery and Big Kids ministries grew at an exceptional rate, with nine children turning three and “leveling up” to the Big Kids group in the back. In addition, seven fifth graders officially leveled up to Thrive Youth—woohoo!
During the fall and winter, we celebrated several beloved traditions, including costumes, the Kids’ Novembering service, and Advent. Through these experiences, children practiced both celebration and lament with creativity and authenticity. Alongside our growing community, these moments provided rich opportunities for RiverKids to grow spiritually and relationally.
Other highlights from the year include:Total volunteers: 42 (24 adults; 18 youth)
Average number of kids each Sunday: 40
Children’s Bibles disbursed to families: 15
We are deeply grateful for the many children who love their church and for the generous volunteers who faithfully serve and support them each week. Their consistency, patience, and joyful presence create a safe and welcoming space where children can learn, ask questions, and grow in faith. RiverKids would not be possible without the time, care, and commitment of these volunteers, and we are truly thankful for the way they pour into the lives of our kids and families.
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SUBMITTED BY TOMMY LOR
Thrive Youth Ministries exists to help 6th–12th grade students connect with the church, grow in their faith, and learn what it looks like to follow Jesus in everyday life. In 2025, we’re grateful for a year shaped by deeper relationships, meaningful faith conversations, and a growing sense of belonging among students.
One of the highlights of the year was the HLUB Conference, where nearly 90 students from both campuses traveled to Terre Haute, Indiana, for a weekend of worship, teaching, and community. Time away together strengthened friendships, opened space for honest conversations about faith, and encouraged many students to take intentional next steps in following Jesus.
We also celebrated 13 student baptisms this year, each representing a unique story of faith and the steady presence of caring adults who invest in students week after week. These moments were a meaningful celebration for students, families, and the wider church.
Throughout 2025, Thrive continued to be a steady and welcoming place for students to show up, connect, and grow. Weekly Friday gatherings at the STP campus typically saw 30–45 students, with peaks reaching 50+ students during high-engagement seasons. While attendance followed normal school and seasonal rhythms, a consistent core of students made Thrive a regular part of their week. As participation increased, the need for additional adult leaders became more evident in order to maintain relational care and healthy group dynamics. Moving forward, volunteer recruitment and sustainable rhythms of rest will remain key priorities.
We are deeply thankful for our Thrive Youth volunteers: Yeng Thao, Jerry Yang, Pachee Xiong, Shining Yang, Sebrina Xiong, Yuepheng Her, Gavin Wan, and Victor Xiong. Their faithfulness and care make this ministry possible, and we look ahead with gratitude and anticipation for what God will continue to do.
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SUBMITTED BY TIM THAO
2025 was a year full of both triumph and challenge for Thrive Youth at BP. It's hard to say whether it was a good or a bad year as we experienced our fair share of ebb and flow.
We found some great success this year as God continued to grow our youth group faithfully.
Our youth nights, called Plug'd, have grown significantly over the last year. We average between 20-25 students on any given Friday night. This means that we have now outgrown our youth room and instead of spending much of our time there, we consistently use the sanctuary here at BP for our activities and for worship.
We added Chandler and Makaiya to our Thrive Team to introduce worship consistently to our Plug'd youth nights. They have been building a core team and have started lessons to train up even more worship leaders!
In the summer, students in our community were moved to say "yes" to God and took the opportunity at our church picnic to be baptized. We joyfully witnessed two students (Grace and Madilyne) and one of our Thrive team members (Theo) say "yes" to God through baptism that day!
Earlier in the summer and in conjunction with the St. Paul campus, Thrive Youth took nearly 100 students to the HLUB Conference in Indiana. Together, we raised $25,566.17 to cover transportation costs, lodging for our drivers, and costs for our chaperones. Praise God!
But 2025 wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. We also experienced some deep hurt and immense challenges that took a toll on us all.
Our youth group (and BP campus as a whole) experienced a deep relational fracture that left many families and students hurting. Even now, our students are still processing things, and we are continuing to work through things as a youth community.
We lost two prominent ladies on our Thrive Team that put us in a little bind for our Plug'd youth nights. Instead of having 4 female small group leaders regularly, we are now down to 2 which means that our Middle School and High School girl small groups are often combined. While this isn't a deal breaker, it simply isn't ideal as our desire is for each age group to have their own respective space. It also creates some strain for our current lady volunteers as we ask more of them both.
Our budget has been a little tight which means that both myself (Pastor Tim) and other Thrive Team members have had to fund different components of the ministry. While it's usually small and we're more than happy to cover costs, it's not a healthy practice for ministry.
Overall, it doesn't feel like 2025 was substantially good or bad. It definitely had both its ups and downs. But we are confident that God is still Lord overall and that He will take all things and turn it for good. We are also confident that 2025 wasn't just a set-back; it's a set-up for what's to come.
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SUBMITTED BY RAYNIE VANG & KENNY LEE
2025 was a year of significant transition and growth for the St. Paul Worship Team.
After faithfully serving for three years as Worship Director—following five years of mentoring under our previous leader—Shong Vang stepped down to take a season of rest. We are deeply grateful for his leadership, investment, and spiritual guidance over the years.
In the months that followed, the rest of the St. Paul tem team navigated a temporary leadership gap. During that time, the church experimented with a variety of worship expressions, including pre-recorded sets, lyric videos, and even a cappella worship. While this season required flexibility, it also reminded us that worship is not dependent on a single person or format but on hearts oriented toward God.
Later in the year, two long-time team members, Raynie Vang &. Kenny Lee, stepped forward to serve as co-directors, transitioning the ministry into a shared leadership model. This shift has strengthened collaboration, deepened unity, and created a clearer sense of shared vision within the team.
Spiritual Growth
One of the most meaningful developments this year has been building a stronger spiritual foundation within the ministry. Volunteers were invited into the song selection and planning process, helping align worship more intentionally with the weekly sermons. As we discerned and planned together, we grew in unity and spiritual sensitivity.
We also introduced new songs into the rotation, expanding the church’s worship expression. While there were initial concerns about how familiar the congregation would be with new material, we saw that when worship is Spirit-led and closely aligned with the message, the congregation engages and responds with openness.
Logistical Growth
On the practical side, the team implemented backing tracks to improve rehearsal efficiency and musical consistency. This has helped us steward our time well while strengthening the overall quality of our Sunday worship experience.
Overall, 2025 was a year marked by both spiritual and logistical growth. Through leadership changes and new approaches, the Worship Team has developed a stronger sense of unity and shared purpose. As we look ahead, there is a collective desire to continue growing—in skill, in collaboration, and most importantly, in leading our church to encounter God together each week.
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SUBMITTED BY JOHAN YANG
Hello, my name is Johan Yang and I am the Worship Director at RiverLife Church’s Brooklyn Park campus. It is an honor to serve all of you and I am grateful that God continues to use me in this capacity. I pray that God continues to grow this ministry, both campuses, and your individual faith. The Brooklyn Park Worship Ministry’s mission is aligned with RiverLife’s mission to help you experience God through worship in a next-gen Hmong context.
God has continued to bless this ministry with talented volunteers who love to serve and lead us all into worship. This past year we had 15 unique volunteers, including ,some as young as 6th grade. My hope is to keep growing this team in their individual skills and calling. I also hope to increase the volunteer pool to over 20 individuals, so that every critical position is filled so that weekends continue to operate smoothly.
Over the past years, we intentionally kept a small song catalog of just 35 songs. These are the songs that we rotate through every week. This was done so that the church comes to learn these songs and they become more familiar with everyone. This has contributed to our powerful family worship services where we sing loudly and passionately together. I believe that it is now time to increase our song catalog and to transition some songs out, so this year we will slowly add about ten new songs into our rotation.
Thank you RiverLife for an amazing 2025! Thank you Pastor Kong, Teacher Pang, and Pastor Tim for your continued encouragement and guidance. I know that we will finish 2026 stronger than we started because our God has given the Leadership Team and Brooklyn Park Ministry Team an incredible vision and overflowing hearts to carry it forward. Thank you, RiverLife Brooklyn Park!
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SUBMITTED BY SHOUA (HILLS) KHANG
I began serving as Connections Director in May 2025, and it has truly been a joy to step into this role. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help shape the first impression people experience when they come to RiverLife St. Paul.
The Connections Ministry exists to create a welcoming and meaningful environment for everyone who walks through our doors. I oversee three key teams—Parking Lot, Greeters, and Café—working to ensure that each area functions together to help people feel seen, valued, and at home from the moment they arrive.
From the parking lot to the sanctuary, our goal is to cultivate a space that is warm, organized, safe, and relational. We want every member and guest to experience genuine hospitality and the love of Christ in tangible ways.
Ministry Areas
Parking Lot Team – The parking lot team plays an essential role in setting the tone for the morning. They provide safety, organization, and a friendly welcome from the very first interaction. Their presence helps families feel at ease before they even enter the building.
Greeters – Our greeters serve as the bridge between arrival and belonging. They intentionally welcome families, offer assistance, and help people feel comfortable navigating the space. A simple smile, handshake, or conversation often makes the difference between feeling like a visitor and feeling like part of the family.
Café Team – The Café creates a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where conversations can happen naturally. It has become a space where relationships grow and a deeper sense of belonging is formed. Hospitality continues beyond the sanctuary as people connect over coffee and refreshments.
Together, these teams help establish an atmosphere of security, trust, and loving relationships. Each volunteer plays a vital role in making Sundays inviting, safe, and life-giving.
Looking Ahead
As Connections Director, my heart moving forward is to continue cultivating a culture where all are truly welcome—where hospitality reflects the heart of Christ and every person who walks in feels noticed, cared for, and valued. I’m excited to continue strengthening our teams and growing in excellence and joy as we serve together.
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SUBMITTED BY MAX BARANAYUK
In mid-November, I fully stepped into the role of Connections Director at Brooklyn Park. Since then, I’ve spent time learning how our Café, greeters, and ushers currently function and identifying areas of strength and growth.
The Café team is doing very well and operates in a largely self-sufficient way. It has become an important part of our Sunday experience. Through conversations and observation, I’ve noticed that three things consistently draw both guests and regulars to RiverLife: friendliness, familiarity, and food. People often mention how welcoming our church feels, how they see friends and family here, and how much they appreciate the food and drinks. These are real strengths.
With that in mind, I introduced a goal for our greeters to aim for five points of contact with new and fairly new guests. The purpose is simple: we want visitors to connect with multiple people, not just one, so they begin building real relationships right away.
Ministry Areas
Café: Continues to be a strong and positive presence. The food and drinks are enjoyed by many, and occasional additions—like soup—help create a warm, homey atmosphere.
Greeters: Though our team is small, they do a great job making people feel welcome. We would love to build this team with more volunteers.
Ushers: With many people giving online, ushers are often finished quickly, but they remain an important part of the service flow and hospitality experience.
Looking Ahead to 2026
My goal for 2026 is to strengthen the qualities that already make BP special—friendliness, familiarity, and hospitality. I also hope to train at least three additional volunteers who embody these values.
I’m grateful for the strong foundation already in place and look forward to continuing to build a culture where everyone who walks through our doors feels seen, known, and welcomed.
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SUBMITTED BY PANG FOUA RHODES
Life Groups
The mission of Life Groups Ministry is to connect people in small groups for the purpose of spiritual growth, loving community, and sharing in the work of the church. In 2025, we had six groups (up from five the previous year), with two on the BP side of town and four on the SP side. Groups met on various evenings of the week, and even Saturday mornings! An average of eight people attended each meeting.
The overwhelming feedback from life group members is that they are getting to know other people at deeper levels and the Bible studies are helping them to grow spiritually. All the care, time, and energy the life group leaders put into their groups is greatly appreciated!
Prayer
The Prayer Gathering continues to meet on a weekly basis: at the SP campus on the first and third weeks of the month and at the BP Campus on the second and fourth weeks. Growing in spiritual authority was the hallmark of this past year, and I had the privilege of seeing prayer warriors grow in intimacy with God, boldness in their petitions, and power in living out their faith. It is the desire of my heart that prayer is the bedrock of our church, and I invite all of you to join us on Thursday evenings as we experience the power and presence of God together in prayer.
We are so grateful to have a new space at SP for prayer. Most Sundays after service, the prayer team is in the prayer room meeting with folks. The room also serves as a place for life groups to meet during the week.
Healing and Deliverance
Deliverance is the ministry of setting believers free from demonization--the presence and influence of demons in areas of bondage in a person’s soul and body. Deliverance from demonization was a core ministry for Jesus and his disciples, and it continues to be a ministry of the church. We have a team of folks who have been trained to do deliverance. This past year we were able to minister to a dozen people. Anyone needing deliverance can get in touch with me.
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SUBMITTED BY ANGELINE XIONG
God did wonderful things through us in 2025, helping our community feel seen, loved, and cared for. We witnessed God at work both inside our church walls and throughout our communities at both campuses. Through local partnerships and relationships, we continued our calling to love our community in tremendous ways.
Our annual Easter Egg Hunts drew 2,200 people from our local neighborhoods and all throughout the Twin Cities. This year, CE developed partnerships with local restaurants, including Texas Roadhouse, Rising Canes, Chick-fil-a, and Panda Express to give away $1,200 worth of free meals cards. Additionally, the BP campus enlisted the help of the Brooklyn Park Police Department to direct traffic and interact with participants.
During the Spring, Riverkids made 150 cards for elderly patients at North Memorial Hospital, sharing child-like messages of hope and joy through a new community partner, Friends & Co.
In August and September, we continued our tradition of collecting school supplies for Eastern Heights Elementary in St. Paul and Edinbrook Elementary in Brooklyn Park. Through our congregation’s generosity, we collected nearly 500 pounds of supplies to help students start the school year off strong.
Another successful event was our October Costume Carnival, where we were thankful to serve families with fun, candy, photo ops, and even more Raising Cane’s free meal coupons. With rising inflation, this event allowed us to support families facing food insecurity and social isolation.
Through each of these efforts, we saw God at work as we continue our calling to love our neighbors with compassion, creativity, and faithful presence.
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SUBMITTED BY PANG MOUA
In 2025, Family Ministry launched parenting workshops at each campus, welcoming parents with eager hearts and open minds. This session fostered meaningful dialogue and encouraged authentic expressions of hope for strengthening child–parent relationships.
We also hosted our annual Scholarship Talk event for high school students and their parents who are interested in making college more affordable. During this event, we shared local and national scholarship opportunities to empower families to make informed decisions about college and to reduce the stress often associated with the college planning process.
