About

Why we exist

Whether you're new to church, have been a Christian for many years, or are looking for a fresh start, you're welcome here. Our hope is to give you a place where you experience a fresh, enjoyable connection to God and a community of people.

We keep our focus simple so we can have the biggest impact possible. Everything we do as a church is filtered through our focus on helping every person live the full life for which God created all of us.

Leadership

Pastor Larry Ridenour is not new to the Cahokia area. He was raised in the Cahokia Church of God, went through the Cahokia District 187 school system, and is a 1987 Graduate of Cahokia High School. Ministry is nothing new to he and his wife of 32 years, Julie. They have served the local church faithfully as youth pastors, children pastors, worship leaders, and other various ministry roles. With three sons, Jacob and his wife Rebekah, Jordan and his wife Ashley and their children, Ava and Levi, and Caleb and his wife Cailyn, serving the Lord, loving family, and helping people was always their family mission. Pastor Larry has recently celebrated 37 years in active ministry and has dedicated his life to furthering the Truth and preaching the Gospel with passion and conviction.

Our Beliefs

CHRISTIAN

First and foremost, Eastbridge Fellowship is a determinedly Christian church. It is built upon the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The doctrines and practices of the church are based upon His teachings.

PROTESTANT

Eastbridge Fellowship is founded upon the principles of Protestantism, although it is not a traditional follower of any specific leader of the Protestant Reformation. Our denomination stands firmly for justification by faith, the priesthood of believers, the authority of the Bible, religious freedom, and the separation of church and state. It stands against abuses and extravagance of ecclesiastical ritualism and dogmatism.

FOUNDATIONAL

Eastbridge Fellowship subscribes to the following five foundational Christian doctrines:

The inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible.
The virgin birth and complete deity of Christ.
The atoning sacrifice of Christ’s death for the sins of the world.
The literal resurrection of the body.
Christ’s second coming in bodily form to earth.

PENTECOSTAL

In 1896, many members of the Church of God experienced a spiritual outpouring they identified as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Because it was so similar to the experience of the early Christians on the day of Pentecost, it came to be called a Pentecostal experience, an enrichment of the Christian life through the power of the Holy Spirit that empowered believers to be effective witnesses of Christ. The principle distinctive of the Church of God as a Pentecostal organization is its belief in speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance and that this is the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

CHARISMATIC

The charismata (Gk.) or gifts of the Spirit appeared early in the life and ministry of the Church of God. The gifts can be divided into three categories: the gifts of revelation, the gifts of power and the gifts of utterance or inspiration. The gifts of revelation are the gifts of the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge and the discerning of spirits. The gifts of power are faith, miracles, and gifts of healing. The gifts of utterance and inspiration are prophecy, tongues and interpretation. The Holy Spirit bestows these gifts and those who accept the validity of these gifts are called charismatic.

WORLD MISSIONS

The heart of World Missions ministry is the implementation of a global strategy of evangelism, church planting and training. Its scriptural purpose is to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ; share Christ’s love for the world; minister to the totality of human need; bring men and women to the knowledge of God and His redeeming grace; and obey Christ by confessing Him to the world. Today, Church of God missions is carried out in 157 countries organized in eight geographical regions.