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 area 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 enjoys 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 enjoys 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, teaches and leads connection groups, helps with pre-marital counseling, building maintenance, special events, assists with hospital calls, weddings, and funerals, leads worship for RiverKids service and Young Adults group service, and so much more!
In his free time, Isaac enjoys spending time with his family, and loves doing woodworking, creating bridges, chairs, and benches for his yard.
His favorite part of his job at River of life is teaching God's word verse by verse.
For more information on all Isaac is doing with our young adult's group, click the button below!
Young AdultsIn his free time, Isaac enjoys spending time with his family, and loves doing woodworking, creating bridges, chairs, and benches for his yard.
His favorite part of his job at River of life is teaching God's word verse by verse.
For 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, a Gala event to pay off our youth building.")
"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.
For more information on missions, click here to visit our Missions Page!
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 enjoys 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 KidsI help as well to organize our special events we do." (Such as the "Fish Fry", and "Unleashed, a Gala event to pay off our youth building.")
"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.
For more information on missions, click here to visit our Missions Page!
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 enjoys 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!
Administrator Intern
Kailey Kahanek
Kailey is our Administrator Intern. She is currently assisting our office staff with any extra administrative work that needs done in each department.
In her free time, Kailey enjoys listening to podcasts or sermons and spending quality time with friends and family, especially in nature! She also rarely turns down some coffee/quality food from a good Café!
Kailey started this admin internship during the summer of 2022 and is so thankful for how God has used it to grow her. "I love being able to work among the spiritual giants that I do! It is very fulfilling to serve the Lord through administrative tasks and work for His kingdom!"
In her free time, Kailey enjoys listening to podcasts or sermons and spending quality time with friends and family, especially in nature! She also rarely turns down some coffee/quality food from a good Café!
Kailey started this admin internship during the summer of 2022 and is so thankful for how God has used it to grow her. "I love being able to work among the spiritual giants that I do! It is very fulfilling to serve the Lord through administrative tasks and work for His kingdom!"
Accountant
Gay'l Yocom
Gay'l is our accountant and takes care of all the accounting duties that go along with a church business. Some duties include entering all the tithes and offerings into the River Of Life's accounting software weekly, making bank deposits and paying all the necessary bills to keep the church running smoothly. She prints weekly reports for filing and for Pastor Rick to oversee, as well as compiling monthly Board Meeting reports. She is also responsible for the church staff payroll and all the tax responsibilities related, as well as many other tasks in the area of finance and accounting for the church.
In her free time, Gay'l loves spending time with her family, and cheering her kids on in sports and other endeavors. She is a maker/artist at heart and loves to paint and spend time in her silversmithing studio, creating jewelry for her personal small business.
To visit our River Of Life giving page, click the button below!
GivingIn her free time, Gay'l loves spending time with her family, and cheering her kids on in sports and other endeavors. She is a maker/artist at heart and loves to paint and spend time in her silversmithing studio, creating jewelry for her personal small business.
To visit our River Of Life giving page, click the button below!
Administrator & Graphic Designer
Brittney Bearly
Brittney is our administrator & graphic designer, and has been working at River Of Life since the spring of 2021. 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.
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.