ABOUT RIVER OF LIFE
History, Beliefs, Staff, and Elders
Senior Pastor & Co-Founder
Rick Carlson
Pastor Rick has a vision in his heart for Wellington, Northern Colorado and the world. This vision requires a depth from God's word in every message, class, event, and activity that happens at River Of Life! The Holy Spirit touches people's hearts when truth is taught and brings Godly help, healing, and wholeness to every are of people's lives!
In his free time, Pastor Rick enjoys serving in the Wellington community. He coaches football and is in position to compete at the highest level in the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting.
Pastor Rick and his wife Julie Carlson Co-Founded River Of Life in October of 1995 with their four children and only twelve people in the church. River Of Life is now a spirit-filled, Word-based church empowered by a vision from God to connect with people and connect people with God!
In his free time, Pastor Rick enjoys serving in the Wellington community. He coaches football and is in position to compete at the highest level in the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting.
Pastor Rick and his wife Julie Carlson Co-Founded River Of Life in October of 1995 with their four children and only twelve people in the church. River Of Life is now a spirit-filled, Word-based church empowered by a vision from God to connect with people and connect people with God!
Senior Pastor's Wife & Women's Ministry Leader
Julie Carlson
Pastor Julie leads the Women's ministries of River Of Life, leading our Women's Bible study on Tuesday Mornings, organizing our women's retreat, and planning fun ladie's events throughout the year!
Pastor Julie is often the first smiling face you see when you walk into River Of Life and she serves in our Children's department, on our Hospitality Team, helps at the Welcome Center, and leads our Benevolence department, often bringing meals to families in the church who are sick, had a newborn, or need a little extra help.
For more information on all Julie is doing with our women's ministries, click the button below!
Women's MinistriesPastor Julie is often the first smiling face you see when you walk into River Of Life and she serves in our Children's department, on our Hospitality Team, helps at the Welcome Center, and leads our Benevolence department, often bringing meals to families in the church who are sick, had a newborn, or need a little extra help.
For more information on all Julie is doing with our women's ministries, click the button below!
Worship Pastor
Candace Bilkie
Pastor Candace leads our worship team, and all the music ministries at River of Life. She schedules all our band members for Sunday mornings and mid-week services, organizes practice times, selects our worship songs, prints the worship chord charts for our musicians, adds all our lyric slides, sermon slides, and intro videos into our soundbooth computer for our services, and helps to facilitate and run all our big events such as "The Fall Bash", "Unleashed", "Faith & Freedom", "Refresh", "Football Sundae" and more!
In her free time, Candace enjoies spending time with her family, cooking, baking, watching movies, playing games, and watching football.
The favorite part of her job is helping people enter into worship.
In her free time, Candace enjoies spending time with her family, cooking, baking, watching movies, playing games, and watching football.
The favorite part of her job is helping people enter into worship.
Associate Pastor & Young Adult's Group Leader
Isaac King
Pastor Isaac is our associate pastor here at River of Life. He preaches verse by verse at our mid-week service on Wednesday nights, and makes amazing fill-in-the-blanks notes for his sermons so everyone can easily follow along. Isaac also leads our Young Adult's group service on Fridays (age 18-30) at the Amp, films and edits our announcement videos, oversees our hospitality team and connection group leaders, and so much more!
For more information on all Isaac is doing with our young adult's group, click the button below!
Young AdultsFor more information on all Isaac is doing with our young adult's group, click the button below!
Children's Pastor & Missions Director
Kristel King
Pastor Kristel says, "My main job at River Of Life is the Children's Director. I love providing a great service every Sunday for your kids to attend. I help as well to organize our special events we do." (Such as the "Fish Fry", and "Unleashed.")
"As our Missions Director I help find missions trips our Church can go on that are both local here in the USA, and international around the world.
I serve pretty much anywhere else in the church that needs help! I am the Pastor's daughter, so I've worked at River Of Life a lot, but was actually officially hired in 2014 as our Missions Director. I have taken a few breaks from working here because of my kids, and moving out of Colorado for a short time. I've currently worked here since 2019. I love spending time with my volunteers and my church family. Kids are wonderful and I love nothing more than helping kids build a foundation for Jesus."
In her free time, Kristel enjoies spending time with her family, riding her horse, competing in Cowboy Mounted Shooting, being in the mountains, and going on adventures to new places.
For more information on all Kristel is doing with our River Kids Children's ministries, click the button below!
River Kids"As our Missions Director I help find missions trips our Church can go on that are both local here in the USA, and international around the world.
I serve pretty much anywhere else in the church that needs help! I am the Pastor's daughter, so I've worked at River Of Life a lot, but was actually officially hired in 2014 as our Missions Director. I have taken a few breaks from working here because of my kids, and moving out of Colorado for a short time. I've currently worked here since 2019. I love spending time with my volunteers and my church family. Kids are wonderful and I love nothing more than helping kids build a foundation for Jesus."
In her free time, Kristel enjoies spending time with her family, riding her horse, competing in Cowboy Mounted Shooting, being in the mountains, and going on adventures to new places.
For more information on all Kristel is doing with our River Kids Children's ministries, click the button below!
Youth Pastor
Nevin Olson
Pastor Nevin says, "I am the Youth Pastor here at River Of Life. I have the best job because I get to work with the youth. I love and believe in this next generation! I plan and run youth group services every week for both Junior High and High School youth, as well as plan events for the youth. I also teach a discipleship class on Sunday mornings to our middle school and high school students during third service.
In my free time I love to be outside fishing and camping, or riding my bike and hitting dirt jumps.
Outside of being a youth pastor at River Of Life, I am also a football coach for the Wellington High School Eagles!"
For more information on all Nevin is doing with our Youth ministries, click the button below!
Youth MinistriesIn my free time I love to be outside fishing and camping, or riding my bike and hitting dirt jumps.
Outside of being a youth pastor at River Of Life, I am also a football coach for the Wellington High School Eagles!"
For more information on all Nevin is doing with our Youth ministries, click the button below!
Missions Director Intern
Kailey Kahanek
Kailey is our Mission's Director Intern. She helps to schedule our volunteers on our hospitality team, plan local missions trips, assists Pastor Kristel in planning our international missions trips, and much more!
In her free time, Kailey enjoys being outside, paddle boarding, and serving in every area of River Of Life!
For more information on our missions team, current missions trip, past trips, and the missionaries we support, click the button below!
MissionsIn her free time, Kailey enjoys being outside, paddle boarding, and serving in every area of River Of Life!
For more information on our missions team, current missions trip, past trips, and the missionaries we support, click the button below!
Accountant
Gay'l Yocom
Gay'l is our accountant. She pays all our bills, (churches have to pay for heat and electricity too), writes all our checks, sends all our giving statements at the end of the year, and so much more!
In her free time, Gay'l enjoys spending time with her family, cheering her kids on in sports, painting and creating her own jewelry.
To visit our River Of Life giving page, click the button below!
GivingIn her free time, Gay'l enjoys spending time with her family, cheering her kids on in sports, painting and creating her own jewelry.
To visit our River Of Life giving page, click the button below!
Administrator & Graphic Designer
Brittney Bearly
Brittney is our administrator & graphic designer. She answers the phones, greets those who come in the door during office hours, designs all our announcement slides, creates, prints & cuts all of our handouts, brochures, signs, announcements, & sign up sheets, buys supplies for the church, updates the website, posts all our sermons on our app throughout week, and so much more.
In her free time, Brittney enjoys riding horses, painting, drawing, writing, playing piano, hiking, paddle boarding, swimming, taking walks, cooking, baking, studying the Bible, reading, and spending time with friends. She volunteers in our high school youth group, serves on the worship team, and is often found running slides in the sound booth for mid-week service.
In her free time, Brittney enjoys riding horses, painting, drawing, writing, playing piano, hiking, paddle boarding, swimming, taking walks, cooking, baking, studying the Bible, reading, and spending time with friends. She volunteers in our high school youth group, serves on the worship team, and is often found running slides in the sound booth for mid-week service.
The Month of October is pastor appreciation month.
Our pastoral staff do so much at River Of Life. Let's tell them how much we appreciate them! There will be a basket in the foyer for cards, gifts, and notes of encouragement during the month of October for our pastoral staff.
Make sure you check back to this page, and our facebook page during the month of October as we highlight the individual members of our pastoral staff and share fun videos with you showing what they do throughout the week!
Our pastoral staff include:
Our pastoral staff do so much at River Of Life. Let's tell them how much we appreciate them! There will be a basket in the foyer for cards, gifts, and notes of encouragement during the month of October for our pastoral staff.
Make sure you check back to this page, and our facebook page during the month of October as we highlight the individual members of our pastoral staff and share fun videos with you showing what they do throughout the week!
Our pastoral staff include:
- Rick Carlson - Senior Pastor
- Julie Carlson - Women's Pastor
- Isaac King - Associate Pastor
- Kristel King - Children's Pastor
- Candace Bilkie - Worship Pastor
- Nevin Olson - Youth Pastor
Pastor Appreciation Video
What to Expect
River of Life is a friendly church. We go out of our way to make you feel welcome. Our motto is:
Connecting with people and connecting people with God.
We believe in the literal teaching of the word of God and the demonstration of the Holy Spirit.
What we Believe
- WE BELIEVE...The Scriptures are Inspired by God and declare His design and plan for mankind. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- WE BELIEVE...There is only One True God–revealed in three persons...Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Trinity).
- WE BELIEVE...In the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. As God's son Jesus was both human and divine.
Elder / Deacons
The Elders/Deacons of River of Life Fellowship are selected by the Senior Pastor and ratified by the congregation during the annual business meeting, usually held at the end of February every year. The men currently serving in this capacity share the Senior Pastor's vision for River of Life Fellowship and have a heart to serve, and do so in other capacities within the church. Deacon/Elders are appointed for a 1, 2, 3, or 4 year term.