The River Community Church, Ventura, CA

What The River Community Church, Ventura, CA does

The River Community Church is an independent Foursquare-affiliated Christian congregation headquartered at 889 E. Santa Clara St. in Ventura, California, founded in 2003-2004 by Lead Pastor Jim Duran and his wife Pam. The church operates a wide ministry portfolio that combines weekly Sunday worship (English at 10:00 AM and Spanish at 1:00 PM) with demographic-specific programs: youth group "The Current" (ages 12-18), young adults Bible study, women's Bible study on Zoom, midweek worship and prayer nights, Living Water small groups dispersed across Ventura and Oxnard, baptism, and the SOAP journaling discipleship method.

A defining feature of the organization is the integration of spiritual ministry with material community service. The church runs a Monday food pantry plus Wednesday homebound deliveries and daily hot meals for the homeless, serving over 600 people weekly, and operates (or houses) housing programs including the Foul Weather Shelter with the City of Ventura and the RAIN Bridge Housing Program with Ventura County. Lead Pastor Jim Duran also serves as Executive Director of two affiliated nonprofits — The City Center Transitional Living (homeless families with children under 12; reports near-100% non-recidivism) and Tender Life Maternity Home — while Worship Pastor Troy Jones leads the YWAM Ventura missions base.

Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary tithes, monetary offerings processed via Fellowship One Giving, and in-kind donations of clothing, household goods, and food supplies. The church has 7 employees and a Board of Directors. Its technology footprint is intentionally lean: a bloqs-platform website, live streaming on YouTube and Facebook, and email marketing via Mailchimp and SignupGenius. The church has earned multiple Ventura civic awards (Legacy Award 2020, Heroes Among Us, Golden Triangle, Hometown Hero) and is recognized locally as a faith-and-social-services anchor in Ventura County.

Name

The River Community Church, Ventura, CA

Legal name

The River Community Church

Website

https://therivercommunity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The River Community Church is a Ventura, CA-based Foursquare-affiliated Christian congregation that runs weekly worship (English and Spanish), youth, women, and small-group ministries alongside a food pantry (600+ people weekly) and partnerships with the City and County on homeless shelter and bridge housing programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Community worship services
• Faith formation programs
• Food pantry ministry
• Youth ministry programs
• Biblical small groups

Headquarters

HQ city

Ventura

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: The church accepts voluntary tithes and financial offerings from congregants during worship services and through online giving portals (Fellowship One Giving). Donations support the general operating budget and ministry programs.
2. Donations of Goods: The church accepts donations of gently used or new items including clothing, household items, small furniture, kitchenware, and toys during designated hours (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays 11am-5pm). These donated goods support the food pantry and community outreach programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The River Community Church is a Christian nonprofit church that delivers weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and live-streamed in English and Spanish), faith formation ministries (small groups, Bible studies, youth and women's ministries, baptism), and community outreach programs including a food pantry serving over 600 people weekly, housing resource partnerships, and emergency shelter support for the Ventura community. All services and programs are provided free of charge and funded by voluntary tithes and donations.

Product overview

The River Community Church offers a unified portfolio of spiritual and community services centered on Christian worship and community outreach. Core offerings include Sunday worship services (in-person and live-streamed), Spanish-language services, youth ministry (The Current), young adults Bible study, women's ministry, and Living Water Groups for small group fellowship. The church operates a significant community outreach program featuring a Food Pantry serving over 600 people weekly, housing resources partnerships including seasonal Foul Weather Shelter, and donations processing. Additional services include water baptism, SOAP journaling spiritual discipline, midweek worship and prayer nights, and volunteer Serve Teams. The church was established in 2003-2004 and is led by Lead Pastor Jim Duran with pastoral staff including associate pastors and Spanish pastors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services (English)
• Spanish-Language Worship Service
• Online Live Streaming
• Food Pantry and Distribution Ministry
• Housing Resources Program
• The Current Youth Group
• Young Adults Bible Study
• Women's Ministry
• Living Water Groups (Small Groups)
• Midweek Worship and Prayer Night
• Water Baptism
• Serve Teams (Volunteer Ministry)
• Tuesday Prayer

Quantifiable outcome

• Food distribution reaches over 600 people every week
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of Ventura (Foul Weather Shelter Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe River Community Church partners with the City of Ventura to operate the Foul Weather Shelter Program, providing emergency shelter and stay warm packs for individuals experiencing homelessness during severe weather conditions (December 1 – March 31). The church serves as the shelter location (859 E. Santa Clara St.) where individuals without motel vouchers can receive emergency overnight accommodation from 5:00–6:00 PM on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Ventura County (RAIN Bridge Housing Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe River Community Church serves as a housing provider in the County's RAIN Bridge Housing Program, providing safe and furnished apartment units and case management for county-selected families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. The church's role is to house and support families who have been selected and referred by the Ventura County Human Services Agency.
• Community Food donors and partnersminorOthersThe church relies on partnerships with various food donors and community organizations to support its food distribution ministry that reaches over 600 people weekly. The specific donor/partners are not individually named in the source material.
• Tender Life Maternity HomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTender Life Maternity Home is a faith-based program for pregnant women aged 18+ at 871 E Thompson Blvd, Ventura. Lead Pastor Jim Duran serves as Executive Director of Tender Life. The church staff (including Terry Long on the advisory board and Cynthia Long who previously worked there) maintain close operational ties. The church also directs volunteers and resources to support Tender Life residents.
• The City Center Transitional LivingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City Center is a transitional living center for homeless families with children under 12 at 837 E Thompson Blvd, Ventura. Lead Pastor Jim Duran serves as Executive Director. The church maintains close ties through shared leadership and community outreach collaboration. The City Center reports that almost 100% of its graduates do not return to homelessness.
• New Life Church, OxnardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe River Community Church promotes the VIVE Women's Conference hosted at New Life Church in Oxnard (May 1–2, 2026) to its women members. The church actively encourages its women's ministry participants to attend this regional faith event.
• YWAM University of the Nations (YWAM Ventura)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTroy Jones, Worship/Missional Pastor at The River, is pioneering YWAM Ventura, a missions and training base operating Discipleship Training Schools (DTS), a YWAM Bible School (DBS), and a School of Worship, Intercession, Spiritual Warfare & Evangelism (WISE). This extends the church's reach into global missions.
• Marriage Well (Non-profit)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJim and Pam Duran serve on the board of Marriage Well, a non-profit organization providing support for couples to achieve excellence in marriages. This represents a leadership-level involvement in a faith-based marriage support organization.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harbor Church Ventura: Community-focused church in the Ventura area with comparable programming including youth, small groups, and community outreach. A like-sized direct peer in the same local market.
• The City Center Transitional Living: Transitional living center for homeless families in Ventura whose Executive Director is The River's Lead Pastor. Closely affiliated organization sharing leadership, volunteers, and mission.
• East Ventura Foursquare Church: The Foursquare church in Ventura where The River originated as a Bible study in 2003. Same denomination, same city, and overlapping faith-community mission, making it a direct comparably-scaled peer.
• Tender Life Maternity Home: Faith-based maternity home in Ventura led by The River's Lead Pastor as Executive Director. Sister organization providing targeted residential services to the same vulnerable population.
• The Rock Church Ventura: Ventura-area community church offering comparable Sunday services, youth programs, and small groups. Direct local peer competing for the same congregants and volunteers.
• New Life Church, Oxnard: Community church in nearby Oxnard that partners with The River on the VIVE Women's Conference. Comparable scale, denomination-adjacent Protestant congregation, and serves the same Ventura County demographic.

Regional players

• Interface Children & Family Services: Ventura County nonprofit providing housing, counseling, and family services. Comparable on the social-services axis and serves overlapping vulnerable populations in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• Ventura County Rescue Mission: Established Ventura County nonprofit providing meals, shelter, and recovery services. Larger incumbent offering overlapping food and homeless services to the same community as The River's food pantry and shelter ministries.
• Catholic Charities of Ventura County: Regional social services arm of the Catholic Church serving Ventura County with food, housing, and family support. A broader-scope incumbent with comparable social-service programs.
• Food Share Ventura County: Regional food bank serving Ventura County. Directly comparable for The River's food pantry operations, though at materially larger scale and as a food-bank rather than a congregation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7VbGK5sO1-n1dyLqK1qZ5g
• Facebookfacebook.com/therivercommunitychurch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-river-community-church-ventura-ca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The River Community Church, Ventura, CA