Views from The Ridge 4.2.25
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
Worship
Sunday, April 6, Chapel
9 AM Acapella
11 AM Instrumental
“I’ll Take The Shade”
Main Passage: Jonah 4:1-11
Continuing in Jonah as we observe Lent, we’ll be exploring the themes of:
Divine Compassion vs. Human Resentment: The tension between God’s boundless grace and human desires for retribution.
Self-Reflection: Encouraging introspection on personal biases.
Watch previous sermons here.
Discipleship
Sundays
10:15 AM Bible Class & Discipleship for All Ages
Adult Bible Classes: Open to all
Fellowship Hall: Bible Study, Jonah
Women’s Discipleship Group: Studying Jonah 4:1-10
Youth Group 7th-12th grade, Room 218, Studying Jonah 4:1-10
Roots: Children’s Discipleship through Godly Play
PreK - Kindergarten, Room 102
1st - 2nd Grade, Room 122
3rd - 6th Grade, Room 203
Bible Story Focus this Week: John 5:1-13, Matthew 4:23, Mark 1:32-34
Key Verse: Matthew 13:17
Tuesdays
Scott Heare’s Office
Limited spaces, Contact scott@sunset-ridge.org to join a group
7 AM Men’s Discipleship Group
8:30 AM Men’s Discipleship Group
A Look at April
April 12th, Second Saturday
April 18th, Office Closed for Good Friday
April 19th, Soil Blocking and Seed Starting Workshop
April 20th, Easter Celebration
Brunch 10 AM in Fellowship Hall (RSVP to attend or bring a dish)
Worship 11 AM in Sanctuary
Cascarone Egg Hunt in Charis Park
Daily
NYX Wellness Yoga & Fitness
Weekdays, 7 AM - 1 PM , One Another Coffee
Weekdays, 9 AM - 5 PM , Coworking
Weekends, 8 AM - 1 PM, One Another Coffee
Weekly
Tuesdays, Men’s Discipleship Group
Wednesdays, Mission Compost Pick Up
Thursday - Sunday, Scott’s Pizza
Saturdays, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market
Sundays, 9 AM & 11 AM, Worship at Sunset Ridge Church
Foundation News
Welcome to Our New Foundation Board Members
Congratulations to Drew Corbin, Mary Ann Franzke, James Iacuone, and Alicia Martinez, our newly appointed Sunset Ridge Church of Christ Foundation board members!
Grant Applications Now Open
The Foundation funds Missions, Education, and Benevolence Ministries beyond regular church operations. Applications are due by Friday, April 4, 2025.Pick up a 2025 application in the church office.
Beyond Sunday
Putting the Word into practice this week
WELCOME, DEN
Den Slater, Pastor of Belonging, Sunset Ridge Church of Christ
We're thrilled to welcome Den Slater as our first Pastoral Fellow, serving as Pastor of Belonging. In this new role, Den will primarily serve in Family Ministry while also growing and contributing across many areas of our church life. Please join me in welcoming Den and we thank God for her presence in our community and now on our team–Jess Lowry
My first visit to Sunset Ridge was during the Christmas Eve service. While there was much to love about this church, one of my favorite moments was turning around to greet a lovely woman named Gay. She took me by the hand and said, “We are so happy to have you with us, and I hope we see you again!” She was so kind and sincere that I couldn’t help but believe her words. That day marked the beginning of a beautiful journey, and with my deepest gratitude, I am honored to now be our church’s Pastor of Belonging.
While my title is new, pastoral life is not. I have happily spent the last fifteen years serving in Christian education. I have had the privilege of teaching multiple grade levels, but most of my career was spent with high schoolers because I teach dual-credit courses in literature and theology (whereby the students receive college credit). Working alongside so many children and families has been one of my greatest joys in life, and I am grateful that Jess recognized that my experience would be valuable in the church setting.
Last December, after completing my Doctor of Ministry from Abilene Christian University, I felt called to the world of family ministry—a place where I can serve with the youth, young adults, and their families. But why stop there? From our youngest kiddos to our sagest counselors, this church is filled with generations of wisdom. As I remember Gay’s warm greeting, I am reminded that Sunset Ridge’s culture of welcome, integration, and belonging is essential for every member of our church…and for every person surrounding our church.
As our Pastor of Belonging, I will be devoted to helping with the cultivation of our unique community in all its diversity. Sunset Ridge is truly a place of hope. Our church is more than a place; it is our people. We cherish our friendships with others, for it is through those bonds that we build our extended family together. Jesus called the church to be a living, breathing community that loves its neighbors, and Gay captured my heart the moment she welcomed me in that way. I was unknown to her, but now I am so pleased to know that we are bound by a shared mission of hospitality.
Such generous hospitality includes sharing stories of our lives with one another and finding places of connection. My life has been rather colorful. I grew up in Alaska, met my sweet husband (Todd) at a very young age, spent my 20s and 30s working in the fields of archaeology and genetics, had a surprise baby boy when I least expected any children, and then discovered God’s love at the age of forty. That’s when things really became interesting. So, let’s talk and wander through our lives together. I cannot wait to greet every one of you, and I look forward to meeting all our future family members as we continue to grow!
Grace & Gratitude
Prayers of the People
Kathy George is now home.
Joe Harber is in Coronado Rehab.
Shirley Hightower is now home.
Theresa Whigham is scheduled for surgery for her broken wrist on April 7.
Happy Birthday wishes to Mary Lee Embry, who will turn 90 on April 5th!
