News

Hey there “Ridgers”! 

Kara and I are incredibly excited to be joining you in pursuit of “Loving God, Loving People and Living Life Together”. This God-sized mission is all about bringing the Gospel to our community and building a healthy and dynamic church that Jesus is proud of.  I can’t wait to get after it with you!

In the short time we’ve known you, it has become abundantly clear that you are a part of this church because you believe in this mission. In fact, it is because of your passion, commitment, and sacrifice that I am able to join you in the role of Lead Pastor. I am incredibly impressed, and immensely thankful, that you have stood in the gap the way you have in the absence of a Lead Pastor. You have done so much more than “hold the place together”, you have established a healthy church that is well positioned to advance the gospel and impact thousands of lives with the love of Jesus.

I look forward to getting to know you in the coming days and weeks. There is much to do. I plan to hit the ground running by collaborating with the elders and staff to lay out a vision for building a healthy church that has a significant presence in, and profound impact on, our community. We will be inviting you to participate in mapping out our next steps in the near future!

To help you get to know me a bit better I’ll share the values I shared with the elders the other night. These values are both my personal values and my values for developing a healthy, winsome, and Jesus-like church culture.

Values:

Simplicity – Focus on what matters so that our ministries always align with our mission. Don’t let “good things” distract from the “best things”.

Strategy – Be intentional and on mission in everything we do.

Curiosity – Ask questions, there is always more to the story. Don’t make assumptions.

Humility – This is not about any one of us, it’s about what God wants to do through all of us.

Transparency – We never have anything to hide. No Secrets. No surprises.

Surrender – We are driven by the Gospel and Led by the Holy Spirit. No personal agendas.

Believe the Best – Choose trust over skepticism or fear, every time.

I hope you are encouraged by what you’ve read. I hope you are excited to be a part of what God will do in our lives and through our church as He uses our collective gifting to bring the love of Jesus to people who don’t yet know how desperately they are loved and pursued by the God who created them.

In it with you,

Todd

Hello Ridge Family, 

As Memorial Day approaches on Monday, May 29th, we would like to take a moment to honor and remember the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the armed forces. We would like to share an excerpt from a timeless message given in 1955 by Billy Graham. To view the full message, please click this link.

A Timeless Memorial Day Message From Billy Graham

Some months ago when President Eisenhower was touring the Battlefield at Valley Forge and was being shown from one historic spot to another, he made this statement at the conclusion of the tour: “This is where they got it for us.” 

What did he mean? He meant that those men, and thousands of others in all the wars that America has fought, purchased by their blood the freedoms that we enjoy today in “the land of the free, and the home of the brave.” That terse statement from the lips of our president has rung in my ears for many months. 

My mind goes back 2,000 years to another battle which was fought on a hill called Calvary. It was a battle of one young man against all the forces of evil. It seemed like a futile, hopeless struggle as Jesus Christ took on Satan’s task force single-handed. The jeers of the rabble, the spittle of the soldiers and the sneering of the people were incidental compared to the inner struggle which was taking place in His soul. But I watch Him, in fancy, as one hand is stretched out toward God and the other toward rebellious man, and He makes the connection and says: “It is finished.” He got through for us! 

If we are to be strong spiritually, it will be through Him. Thousands today are finding a fresh, new meaning of life through Him. They are learning to say with confidence, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthened me.” We can best keep faith with those who have gone before by keeping faith with ourselves, with our highest ideals and with God.  

Billy Graham

Hello Ridge Family!

We are super excited and blessed to have Chris Strovas back to guest speak the next two Sundays (5/21 and 5/28) at the Ridge Community Church. You do not want to miss it!

Chris Strovas is a native to the Pacific Northwest and resides in Monroe with his high-school-sweetheart-turned-wife of almost 25 years and their 7 wonderful children ages 6-20. He can be found hauling hay for his kids 4H goat projects, teaching at a homeschool co-op, and working in sales.  After over a decade on staff at two local churches, these days he enjoys serving various Converge churches with Sunday teaching support.

See you this Sunday at 10AM!

Jake 

Dear Mom's,

On this special day, we want to take a moment to honor and celebrate you. You are amazing! Your unconditional love and unwavering dedication to your family are truly awe-inspiring. It is evident that loving comes so naturally to you, as you bandage all kinds of wounds - physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational. Through your display of love, we are able to catch a glimpse of God's love. Your compassion, tenderness, consistency, sacrifice, and selflessness point us to the incredible love of our Heavenly Father. 

Despite what our culture may say about motherhood, we want you to know that your mothering ministry is extremely important. It is a courageous choice that you have made, and we celebrate you for it. So, on this Mother's Day, we ask that God reveals His love to you in a special way. Thank you for being a reflection of God's love to us. We appreciate and honor you for all that you do.

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed." Proverbs 31:25-28a

Happy Mother's Day!

Jake