Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Sometimes I have a t-rex "god"

It's both interesting and embarrassing how many times I edit my prayers before offering them to God. I truly believe He is capable of answering and addressing any and every situation, emotion, and challenge that I find myself bumping up against on any given day (not to be confused with what He decides is best or what is the best timing but that's another discussion for later). I often try to solve things for God rather than surrendering things to him in their jacked up seemingly impossible state. Simply stated: I edit...and I bet some of you do as well. Today I believe God allowed Numbers 11:23 to reverberate in my conscience like a thunderous cloud. Go back and read the context for yourself, but Moses was facing an impossible situation and he essentially told God it wasn't possible. God's response, "Is the LORD's arm too short?" I appreciate my Creators sarcasm! God was saying, I'm not limited by your inability to see the solution. My version, "Moses, Do you think I have t-rex arms?" Just because you and I can see our way through it doesn't mean we shouldn't pray our way through it. I'm still learning, but if you, like me, at times have a t-rex "god" I would suggest that you pick a new God. Maybe we should consider the One that was talking to Moses in Numbers 11:23!

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Whirlwind of a year!

2013 has been a whirlwind of a year for Ridge Church. Christmas Eve was a fitting exclamation point on what was a year full of growth and life change. Our church doubled in attendance the past year and so did our Christmas Eve service. The highlight of Christmas Eve was seeing people engage in the service and respond to the Gospel. Crowd Hero wasn't too shabby either! And, while standing room only for over 70 adults was exciting on one hand it was an indication that we need to rethink our strategy next year:) Thanks for a great year! Thanks to each of you that have INVITED friends, CONNECTED in groups, SERVED at Ridge and Piney Grove, and GIVEN of your resources to this mission. Leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus is our mission but each of you are the fuel pushing it forward. I can't wait to see what God does through all of us collectively throughout 2014!

Here's our last E-News blast of 2013 with important info concerning the next few weeks: Ridge E-News

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Have you ever been owned?

There are just some people or some things that have our number. They own us. And there are days we feel just as powerless by the challenges we face in life. Some of us are owned by our past regrets. For others it's the uncertainty of the future. Regardless of what owns us, we all want to be free. That's what this new 2-part series is all about. Join us at Ridge Church  as myself and Patrick Mitchell dive into this concept. Spread the word!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Having fun at Church!

One of our core values as an organization is "Fun". Our filter for this is the question, "How are we creating memorable experiences?" In our creative and planning meetings we often talk about that one moment that people will want to tweet about or tell their co-worker about. Fun is disarming and typically engaging. We did a free, fun, family, photo booth in our foyer during our recent "Future Family" series. It turned out incredible. It was so fun watching families "have fun" together. Check out the highlight video!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Creating a Place where people can belong before they believe

We have two phrases that we've adopted/crafted over time that capture the full heart and intentions of our church. One of those phrases is that, "We want to create a place where people can belong even before they believe." It sounds good on paper and makes for a good tweet or facebook status but to be completely honest, in reality it's messy. When you create an environment that actively pursues this you can no longer make broad sweeping agenda statements about categories of people---instead you are forced to have conversations with "friends". Sometimes the conversations are hard and emotional! It's messy, but when you get it right---It's powerful and the result is epic life change. We have embraced our destiny to move toward the messes. As a result We've seen a lot of life change in the last 5 years. Can't wait to see what the next 5 years hold in store. Here's a snap shot of our 5 years of since our first Sunday morning service at Ridge Church:

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Celebrating 5 years of life change!

It's surreal looking back to our humble beginnings. We had 12-13 people at our very first interest meeting for Ridge Church in 2006 (we didn't even have a name yet). Between 2006-2007, through a series of about 40 evening pre-view services and worship gatherings, we developed a core team of about 30-40 people to help launch Ridge Church. Then in 2008 we had our very first Sunday morning worship service. Since that time our people have truly committed themselves to doing literally all that they could do to support this mission AND we have watched God do what only he can do...over and over again. This Sunday we'll celebrate 5 years of life change. It is literally remarkable how much things have grown and changed. This will be an epic celebration. Don't miss out! The next chapter is yet to be written. We would love for you to be part of it...show up early if you want a good parking spot. The opener will be too good to miss!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Prepare to be overwhelmed!

One of our distinctives at Ridge Church is our commitment to partnering with families. We leverage significant staff and budget resources toward what we call our "family ministries" (birth-12th grade). This summer we threw the biggest celebration in our history as we baptized 8 teenagers. It was an epic night. Prepare to be blown away as you watch this video. It's 18 minutes long and was embedded in a night of celebration with an overflowing, energy filled auditorium. Trust me...it will be the best 18 minutes of your day! This is our mission in motion: