staff and team leaders

Mark Cleaveland

Lead Pastor

Mark serves as the Founding and Lead Pastor of The River.  Mark and his wife, Carmen, began The River with a few close friends in the spring of 2006 believing that “wherever The River flows, it brings life to dead places.” Mark earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Cincinnati Christian University in Church Leadership and has been leading churches for over 20 years.  He loves to teach people Biblical truth in a fresh and practical way. He believes that the local church is the hope of the world and he has a heart for helping the church be all that God intended it to be. He loves the refreshingly radical, simple and authentic culture at The River.
 
Mark loves his family and he and his wife, Carmen, enjoy spending time with their four children watching movies or just goofing off.  He’s a sports junkie (Ohio State variety) and he loves the outdoors. You might catch him out on the golf course, on a lake in his kayak, cruising the Indiana roads on his motorcycle or maybe even riding one of his horses. (He’s a cowboy under that pastor veneer!)

Phone: 260.227.0227

Email:

Jim Leinbaugh

Creative Arts Pastor

Jim Leinbaugh serves as our Worship & Creative Arts Pastor. The majority of his time is spent making sure that Sunday services are relevant and focused on "The Big Idea." Along with his wife, Jolene, he is responsible for making sure that everyone knows what's going on at The River, whether it's here on the web, e-mail, printed materials or up on the big screens every Sunday.

Prior to being full-time with The River, Jim and Jolene ran their own video production company and use that experience to relate the Good News of the Gospel and keep everyone informed about activities at The River. From the beginning, we wanted The River to be relevant, and we live in a media-driven society.

Phone: 260.348.5067

Email:

Tim Ritter

RiverKids Director

Tim Ritter leads our RiverKids areas, making the experience for kids fun, safe, and full of creative biblical teaching.  His other passion is for helping re-connect families through their spiritual growth together.  Tim is married to Angie, who is equally passionate about the fact that kids and families matter to God – and they have two children in their own family, Katie and Alec. They are hosting an exchange student from Denmark this year, so we hope you get to meet Anna on Sunday morning as well.

Tim has graduate degrees in Education and Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri, so you might notice a ‘Show-Me’ attitude when kids learn about Jesus – not just knowing God’s way but living it out is a daily challenge we all connect through at every age!

Phone: 260.494.0873

Email:

CJ and Andrea Mills

Worship Leaders

CJ and Andrea began leading worship together while in middle school, and have continued to do so even after they married. They work closely with Jim and Mark to help prepare the hearts of those who attend The River through creative, passionate and authentic worship.

CJ's full time job is at American Specialty, where he serves as Vice President. Andrea, who has the harder job of the two, stays at home with their three kids, Jadyn, Asher and Selah. While not working or leading worship, you'll find the Mills family at the family lake cottage with a wakeboard or surfboard in hand. Other interests include reading, songwriting and enjoying their backyard with the kids.

Phone: 260.255.5065

Email:

Chris and Laura Swymeler

The Drop - Middle School Leaders

Middle School is a transition time for all young adults. Navigating the waters of good decisions can be difficult as youth begin to explore what it can mean to grow up. Chris and Laura are excited to walk along this journey with our 6th-8th graders, helping to instill basic biblical values to help guide our youth as the mature into strong christians. They hope "The Drop" will be a safe place for our middle schoolers to have fun, learn about Jesus, and build lifelong relationships.

Both Chris and Laura have a long history of teaching both elementary and middle school classes. On the weekends, the Swymelers love to rummage through antique shops, watch old movies and play their current addiction, "Ticket to Ride". Chris is part owner of a local video and web programming business, Crash 31. Laura is a stay-at-home mom and aspiring family photographer. They have 3 children: Joe, Ryan and Carl.

Email:

Brandon and April Meyer

MERGE - High School Youth Leaders

Brandon and April have a special place in their hearts for students and remember how incredibly crucial those high school years are in the development of a young adult. That's why they are excited to walk alongside our youth as they process all that comes with being a teen today. They hope to create an atmosphere in which the students feel safe to ask questions, discuss tough topics, hold each other accountable, and dig deeper into scripture in order to ultimately grow in their faith. Simply put, they want to connect our students to Christ and to each other.

Brandon's full time job is production manager of the family business while April stays home with their 8 month old son Roman. They enjoy boating with family and friends, biking, and pretty much anything that keeps them active in the outdoors.

Email:

Angie Penrose

Administrative Assistant

Angie Penrose serves as Administrative Assistant. Angie, her husband Rich, and their children Ben and Chloe have been attending The River for several years. Besides normal office tasks, it is Angie’s goal to help get River members connected. Whether in our online community, service opportunities, or small groups, she believes that each member has the ability to make a difference for the River and to strengthen the bond we have as a church.

Prior to serving the River community, Angie worked as an Office Assistant for a small law firm in Fort Wayne and was very involved in PTA for many years. In her spare time, Angie enjoys cooking, decorating, crafts, the outdoors, but most of all spending time with her family.

Phone: 260.452.7555

Email:

Melisa Landgraf

Guest Services

Melisa Landgraf is the leader of our Guest Services Team.  She wants all of our guests to experience that personal touch.  She wants you to know that when you come to The River, several members of our Guest Services Team will be there to warmly greet you and happily assist you in finding a seat in our worship area, helping you check your kids into RiverKids and inviting you to a cup of coffee at our Dockside Cafe. 
 
Melisa and her husband, Andrew, thank the Lord for their beautiful blended family of 7.  Together, they enjoy weekends of family fun.  Melisa is graduate from IPFW with a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.  She works dually part-time as both a Behavioral Consultant and Therapist.  Melisa is a people-lover.  If you catch her in her spare time, she'd love to have you join her for a run on one of the local trails or on the soccer field for a quick pick-up game.

Email:

Jane Sheley

Hospitality Director

Jane Sheley heads up our Hospitality area. Jane and her husband Dale have been a part of the River since the very beginning. Jane would like everyone to feel at home at the River whether that is with a cup of coffee and a donut hole or a warm smile and some conversation at the Dockside cafe.

Conversation topics may include but are not limited to IU basketball (and their lack of an inside presence) as well as her grandchildren that she loves to spend time with. Jane is always looking for friendly outgoing people to help.

Scott LaRue

Missions Liaison & Partner

Scott LaRue serves as our Missions Liaison. He focuses on The River's efforts to transform lives around the globe. Since graduating from Cincinnati Christian University with B.A. and M.A. degrees in church leadership, he has helped plant and serve churches overseas and in the U.S.

Scott also serves as our Mission Partner with Russian Outreach Network where he is the Executive Director. This international ministry is committed to planting churches, training leaders and transforming lives by depending on God and partnering with others. You can learn more about this at www.russianoutreach.net

Scott has a heart for missions having initially grown up in Ontario, Canada, and having served with his wife, Carmen, as missionaries in Japan and Russia. In his free time, Scott loves to play with his kids, bike, play pickup basketball and follow his teams, the Buckeyes and Steelers.

Phone: 260.415.2261

Email:

Sergio and Holly Alvarado

Missionaries in Pachuca Mexico

Sergio and Holly Alvarado serve as an international extension of The River as ministry partners in Pachuca, Mexico. They are a vital part of the Impacto Latino church planting team under New Mission Systems International (NMSi). Sergio came to Christ in Pachuca and felt a call to ministry. Holly grew up in Mexico in a missionary home and so leading others to Christ is a part of her DNA. Sergio and Holly both graduated from Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, KY.

Currently, they serve on the leadership team with the Jubilee Christian Church focusing their efforts on youth, outreach and media. They have three beautiful children. You can learn more about them at www.impactolatino.org

Email: