Ben Kidder
Senior Pastor
ben@thinkriver.net
Mike Knox
Minong Site Pastor
mikek@thinkriver.net
Emma Guerra
Solon Site Pastor
emma@thinkriver.net
Frank Guerra
Solon Site Pastor
frank@thinkriver.net
Nancy Oostdyk
Counseling Pastor
nancy@thinkriver.net
Connie Strohman
Church Administrator
admin@thinkriver.net
Connie has been serving The River since 2009. She keeps our office working by answering phones, managing the financials, data entry and a host of other office tasks. She loves being able to serve our River church family in her role of secretary. You can find her everywhere at once, making sure everything runs smoothly. Connie has been married to Doug since 2012. In her free time you may find her enjoying the beautiful outdoors. Connie’s verse to live by Matthew 23:11 “The greatest among you must be a servant.”
Frank was born and raised in Rosenberg, TX. After living the first 22 years of his life without Christ, God found him and Frank gave his life completely to Jesus. He has been part-time with The River since the summer of 2022, and if he’s not at the church, he’s full-time with Solon Concrete. Ever since Frank accepted Jesus, he knew that God was calling him to be a pastor. It has not always been easy, but God has been making a way for him all this time. Frank is taking classes at Kingswood University in pursuit of ordination in The Wesleyan Church. His life verse is Psalm 37:4, “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”.
Emma is a licensed minister in The Wesleyan Church, with a Bachelors in Christian Ministry from Northwestern – Saint Paul. She joined The River staff in 2022 and is the Site Pastor for the Solon congregation. Emma is married to Frank, who is also on staff, and they are the proud parents of Frank IV (Frankie), born in October, 2023. Emma’s life verse is Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” No matter what has happened, or what will happen, Emma knows that God is faithful through it all.
Mike joined The River in 2021, as Site Pastor to the Minong congregation. With an M.Div. from Asbury Seminary, he’s been a pastor for over 25 years, including 11 years as a missionary to Nicaragua. With every passing year, Mike is more and more convinced that life with Jesus is the best possible life for all of us. God doesn’t promise a life free of hard things, but the Holy Spirit gives us everything we need to discover hope, wholeness, and purpose in Jesus Christ. Mike’s life verse is Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Mike and his wife, Amy, have 3 adult children and a passel of grandchildren. They are raising their grandson, Greyson, who keeps them young and makes them feel old all at the same time!
Nancy is the Counseling Pastor and Congregational Care Team Leader. She and her husband, Dan, have been part of The River since 2013, and were part of the core group that launched the Solon congregation. After retiring in 2016 from a career in banking, Nancy felt the Lord telling her, “Your life’s not over yet.” She went back to college, earning a degree in Biblical Studies from Kingswood University, and became a commissioned minister in 2020. Nancy has a strong burden for helping those who are hurting, and makes herself available any time for those in need. Her life verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Ben grew up on a small dairy farm west of Spooner. Graduating from Indiana Wesleyan with a degree in Christian Ministry, Ben earned an M.A. in Biblical and theological studies from Wheaton. Ben has been lead pastor and “visionary architect” at The River since it was planted in 2006. Ben and his wife, Ingrid, have four children.
A Scripture Ben really values is Titus 3:3-5. “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”