David and Kristy Neufeld

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Like Paul, we believe our mission is simple: to deliver the gospel as of first importance. We are just tools in God's hands. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

After planting River Valley Bible Church in Mesquite and pastoring it for seven years, we sensed the Lord calling us to a different kind of ministry. When I first planted the church I was on my own and not yet married, with much to do and few mature believers to share the load. Out of that season we came to believe God was calling us to a ministry of help and encouragement.

We now come alongside the church plants across southern Nevada and Utah, committing to help each new church planter through their first year with whatever is needed: music, Sunday school, children's church, preaching, and more. We are involved in the area camp ministry at Cedar Mountain Retreat, and once a year we gather the region's pastors and their wives for a night to relax and enjoy fellowship. There is no tidy job description for what we do. We simply want to be a help and an encouragement to those on this field.

Dave
I was born and raised in small towns across southern Alberta, Canada. Mesquite is the largest place I have ever lived. After high school I took a year off before heading to Frontier School of the Bible (FSB) in Wyoming. I expected to stay a semester, maybe a year, but three years later I was on my way to a pastoral internship in southern Utah. There the Lord gave me a burden for Mesquite, Nevada, and on February 20, 2000, I started River Valley Bible Church.

In 2002 the Lord tested my faith. While finishing my green card paperwork, I was told on re-entry that I had been in the States illegally for six months and would not be allowed back for three years. It was a hard test for me and for the church. We prayed and trusted God to work it out, and three weeks later I was on my way home to Nevada. One year and one day after that, I married Kristy. Life is never boring when we let God direct it. The Lord has since blessed Kristy and me with three children: Noah, Austin, and Faith.

Kristy
I grew up in Santa Rosa, California, raised in a Christian home and a Christian school through high school. I came to know the Lord at five. My great desires after high school were simple: to know the Lord more, and to marry a godly man and raise a family. God led me to The Master's College, where the classes and friendships drew me closer to Him, and I spent the next five years working and serving in ministry in southern California. On August 23, 2003, God granted my desire for marriage. He used those years of waiting to teach me patience and to prepare me for the flexibility that church planting requires. I love where God has put us.