The River is the third "daughter" church of Faith Community Church in Hudson, Wisconsin.  In 1997, Faith Community Church in New Richmond was started by a team led by Mike Evans, who is currently the pastor. Two years later, in Stillwater, Minnesota, Crosswinds Community Church was planted by a team led by Tim Caspers.

In February, 2000, Pastors Gregg Heinsch and Larry Szyman of FCC Hudson met Jason Harris and began corresponding about the possibility of starting a new church in River Falls.  The St. Croix Valley LEAD team felt and observed a need for a new church in the River Falls area that would help to advance God’s Kingdom in the St. Croix Valley.   A number of FCC families from the River Falls area were attending FCC and were given opportunity to help invest in planting this new church.  In February and March of 2002, the first "vision casting meetings" were given to communicate the vision, values and purpose for beginning a new work in River Falls.

A "launch team" of over 40 adults and their children committed to the goal and began meeting regularly for training. The mutual desire was to see a fresh, new work aimed at "River Falls Robert and Rhonda," our target audience, each 35 years old with three children, one with a Lutheran background and the other with a Catholic background, both of whom have just about "given up on church, but not on God." The name of this new work was given: "The River." Real. Refreshing. Current.

The dream continued to take form and grew into six ministry teams led by enthusiastic visionary volunteers. Services are designed to engage people with enthusiastic and meaningful songs of worship and thought-provoking drama with undiluted Truth from God's Word presented in messages that relate to real life!

The River’s official "launch date" was September 8, 2002.  Ministry teams were formed and offered many opportunities for families to get involved and help serve one another. In the summer of 2005, the leadership of The River evaluated staffing needs in the church and came to the conclusion of adding a full-time Associate Pastor. 

Travis Albrecht, who has attended The River since its launch, a recent seminary graduate, and involved in The River’s ministries from the beginning was interviewed and hired to fulfill the roles of Administration, Leadership Development, Youth, Recreation, and Small Groups.