Views from The Ridge 12.08.2024
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This Week
Saturday, December 14 Second Saturday
9am Donation-based Yoga with Nyx Wellness
9AM-1PM Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
10AM-11:30PM - Kids Yoga & Christmas Craft, Fellowship Hall
10:15am Storytime
Sunday, December 15 Scott Heare preaching: John 3:16-17
9am Worship in the Chapel
Additional contribution for budget shortfall
10:15am Classes for all ages
Adult Class: Advent Conspiracy, Fellowship Hall
Women’s Group: Advent Conspiracy, Chapel Classroom
Youth Group: Advent Conspiracy, Rm 218
Roots PK-K, Rm 102
Roots 1-2, Roots Room
Roots 3-6, Rm 203
11am Worship in the Chapel
Additional contribution for budget shortfall
To view recorded sermons from Sunset Ridge Church, please make sure to add us to your subscriptions on YouTube.
Coming Up…
December 21 Sunset Ridge Farmers Market 9am-1pm Charis Park
December 24 Christmas Eve Service 4:30pm in the Sanctuary
Offices Closed for Christmas Dec 25th-Jan 1st
Around Our Community
Thanks to your donations and gifts, over 40 volunteers were able to come together Friday evening to serve 107 Camelot Elementary students and their families. School staff and cheerful volunteers served a meal, decorated cookies, and played games with the students while the adults went upstairs to purchase and wrap Christmas presents in our toy shop. This event is a true joy for our community, and we want to thank every single person who was involved for giving us another year of hosting.
This Sunday, December 15, is the deadline to turn in Poinsettia orders to remember loved ones, honor family members or friends, or recognize occasions. To participate, fill out the designation form (available in the office and chapel) and return it along with $30 per poinsettia (cash or check payable to Sunset Ridge). On December 22, a special insert will be included in the worship program with the names of those being honored; those who designated poinsettias are asked to take them home that day after worship.
Overwhelming Overconsumption
Taylor Bates, Deputy Director, Sunset Ridge Collective
This week’s message is adapted from Goodness Weekly.
In our community, we’ve been having meaningful conversations about how to resist the pull of materialism during this holiday season. Many of us in the church have been reading Advent Conspiracy, a book that challenges us to reconsider how we approach Christmas and its cultural trappings.
Personally, I’ve been feeling the weight of consumer culture’s relentless messaging. Hyper-targeted advertising and tantalizing deals seem to know exactly how to draw me in. As someone who strives for sustainability, I’m not immune—many ads even appeal to my eco-conscious values, tempting me with “green” products.
Recently, I watched the Netflix documentary Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy and was shocked by the statistics on consumer waste. Did you know that a majority of products purchased on Black Friday end up in landfills?
I also learned that in fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated approximately $166.4 billion to food and nutrition assistance programs aimed at reducing hunger. In comparison, U.S. holiday retail sales during the Christmas season are projected to reach between $979.5 billion and $989 billion in 2024.
Our pastor, Scott Heare, reminded us on Sunday that these conversations aren’t about guilt or shame. No single person can dismantle the cultural systems that drive consumerism. Instead, we’re called to thoughtful, hopeful action.
Yesterday, I shared my own frustrations with a group of women in our church, and their insights gave me some much-needed perspective. Here are three shifts I’m working on that might resonate with you too:
Make Instead of Buy
Instead of purchasing a gift, take the time to make something personal and meaningful. Consumable gifts, like homemade treats, candles, or soaps, are not only thoughtful but also sustainable. One family I know makes homemade vanilla in decorated jars—simple and also makes your house smell good!
Meditate on Gratitude
While making or choosing a gift, use the time to reflect on what you love and appreciate about the recipient. This practice transforms the act of giving into something deeply connected and stress-reducing.
Focus on the Positive
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the overconsumption of the season, but dwelling on the negative can leave us feeling more burdened than inspired. By shifting focus to the things we love about this season—like community, generosity, and joy—we can embody the light and optimism that inspire real change. After all, a hopeful attitude is far more contagious than a critical one.
So here’s my challenge for you this week: Explore these ideas yourself. Read Advent Conspiracy. Watch Buy Now. Try making a gift or practicing gratitude. Let’s shift our focus this season, not out of guilt, but out of a desire to bring light into the world.
Annoucement from Our Leaders
This coming Sunday, December 15, is the final special contribution of the year designated to help offset this year’s budget deficit.
Currently the deficit amount is $160,744.
You will also find our 2025 Annual Budget posted on the bulletin board outside the church kitchen. We are anticipating 2025 to be a year of continued growth and have prayerfully developed a budget to accomplish what we believe God is calling us to do in this next year.
Thank you for your faithfulness to our community and God’s Kingdom. We look forward to the new year with great anticipation.
Praises & Prayers
Janie Corona, Theresa Whigham’s sister, has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and is hospitalized awaiting heart surgery.
We express sympathy to the Webb family on the deaths of Cody’s aunt, Nancy Gibson, in November, and uncle, Charles Draper, on December 3.
Congratulations to Debbie Beck and Ronald Holder on their marriage December 6th.
