The Church of Christ is part of a larger American Christian tradition sometimes called the Restoration movement or the Stone-Campbell movement, after two of its founders. The original goal that the founders envisioned for their fledgling movement was Christian unity. They believed that when Christians came together under the power of the Holy Spirit, like what happened with the early church in Acts 2, amazing things would happen.

Today, the Churches of Christ remain as a sort of offshoot of the Restoration movement. One distinctive feature of our denomination is that every church is completely autonomous. There is no governing structure for how every church should operate. Instead, each church is typically run by a group of leaders who are chosen from among the members of that church. This can make it pretty difficult to know what to expect when walking into a Church of Christ, because every one may be a little bit different. Traditionally, the Churches have been defined by a cappella music, baptism by immersion, weekly communion, and a heavy emphasis on studying the Bible. However, many of our Churches have evolved over time in their beliefs and practices. If you have specific questions about who we are as a church, we’d be happy to talk with you. Feel free to reach out to us at hello@sunset-ridge.org.

Primarily, as a visitor we most want you to know how excited we are that you’re with us, and we’d love to see you again. We want to be a place of comfort that honors the beauty and dignity of every person that comes. Regardless of what anybody else may be doing, we trust that you know the parts of worship that are most important to you. We hope that you feel empowered and encouraged to worship as you see fit.

Almost all of our worship services include the same practices: singing, prayer, communion, scripture reading, and a sermon.

Each week we hear a reading from the Bible. Everyone is invited to stand for the reading. After it finishes, the reader will say, “This is the word of the Lord.” The people will respond, “Thanks be to God.” Following this reading, there will be a sermon to help us engage Scripture with our minds and hearts over the coming days.

We try to be an inviting and relational church. Chances are good that you’ll have lots of people come up to introduce themselves and possibly invite you to lunch. We know that can be a bit overwhelming for some, so feel free to engage at your comfort level.

There are many ways that we involve our children in our worship service. We currently have small tables at the front of our sanctuary that have activities to help our children engage with our worship services. If you are a guest with children, we reserve the three rows behind these tables for the parents to be close. Some weeks will feature a Kids’ Moment up on stage where children are invited to come participate in a special activity with one of our Children's Ministry leaders. Most weeks we also have a special worship service for kids that meets in our classrooms. Partway through the service, children are invited to attend if they feel comfortable. Guests are more than welcome to attend, provided you escort your child so that we can get your contact information for security purposes.

We have a blend of instrumental and a cappella worship songs that are led by our song leaders and our praise band. Everyone is invited to participate in a way that is meaningful to them, whether singing along or not.
At 9 am, you can expect a cappella songs lead by a group of talented singes that sit towards the front of the sanctuary. Sheet music is often projected on the screen for those who want to sing along.

At the 11 am service in the Chapel, our worship band performs classic hymns, traditional standards, and original songs. Lyrics to all of the songs are displayed on a tv monitor in the front of the chapel.

Yes!

We usually practice communion by passing around the bread and the cups in trays where people are seated. On some special Sundays we take communion together around the table or by the traditional method of intinction (dipping a piece of bread in one cup). Instead of the traditional wine, we use grape juice for the cup. Any and all people are invited to participate if they would like, including children, regardless of their level of familiarity with our church.

Accessibility is very important to us and we are aware that there are many barriers that our century old campus poses to our neighbors and friends. Part of our plans for the renovation of our space include full ADA compliance in all spaces with thoughtful design choices formed with care.

Currently, if you park in the designated parking spots, using the ramp up, you hve direct access to the sanctuary foyer. If you are trying to enter the chapel, it can be long path. Following the sidewalk around the sanctuary, bell tower, and fellowship hall, and chapel classroom you’ll find yourself at the entrance to the Chapel with a ramp.