Views from The Ridge 6.13.23
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This Week…
Tuesday, June 13:
9:30-10:30am— Storytime on the lawn
6:30-7:45pm— Life Group - John & Linda Tuller (facilitators), meets in the Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, June 14, 7-8:30pm: Youth Group hosted by the Stirmans (232 Harmon)
Sunday, June 18:
9:15am— Roots Children’s Gathering and Life Groups (see hall signs for current offerings and meeting locations)
10:30am— Worship in the Sanctuary
Sermon: “In The Weeds”
Text: Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43
NO Sunday afternoon worship service this week
Upcoming…
Monday, June 19: Church Office will be CLOSED
Tuesday, June 20, 9:30am: Storytime on the lawn
Wednesday, June 21, 6:30pm: Sunset Series: Summer Outdoor Evening Worship
Saturday, June 24: Young Adult Group (TBD)
June 25-28: Youth Service Week - All incoming 6th-12th graders are encouraged to participate
Measure What Matters
Riley Stirman
In 1975, business professor Steven Kerr coined the phrase, "It is folly to hope for A while rewarding B." In an article, he described where most systems miss the point when it comes to shifting culture. Many organizations have leaders who are hoping for specific changes while their system is set up to reward the exact opposite thing.
I've seen examples of this in my own life over and over again. At home, we have a dog who refuses to leave Chelsea and me alone when we're sitting down to a meal. I have often tried to correct this behavior so that our dinner guests are able to eat a meal without a giant dog head in their laps. However, a certain wife-who-will-remain-nameless will often slip him a little piece of food at the end of the meal. I'm hoping for a change of behavior, instead his patience and perseverance have been rewarded, so the behavior continues.
I think this is the case in churches as well (the misplaced rewarding, not the dog drool in your lap). It's very difficult to measure how you're doing as a church. Can you quantify how much more loving or "rooted in the spirit" members have gotten? Can you graph Christlikeness as a function over time? Instead, we often resort to measuring - and, very often, rewarding - things like attendance, number of baptisms, or weekly contributions.
Let me be clear, keeping track of these things is not a bad thing. We should absolutely budget, and it never hurts to stay informed about who is and isn't coming around as regularly as they once did. The problem is when these things become the ultimate goal. The problem is assuming that the church functions only to aggressively expand, to fatten the bottom line, and to get as many people to consume its content as it possibly can. The problem comes in treating a human being like just another number in the system instead of as someone who bears the image of God.
Our budgets cannot save us. Tripling our membership cannot save us. Baptizing a new believer every week - though an amazing thing! - cannot save us. We are called to worship with our lives the God whose kingdom is breaking into our world. That means committing to things that cannot be easily measured: patience, perseverance, wisdom, and faithfulness. It is the responsibility of the church to constantly re-evaluate how we define success - is it God's definition or is it ours? Maybe we need to start thinking about how to reward - and then hope for and expect - the kind of growth that God cares about.
Daily Bible Readings
These passages supplement the upcoming Sunday sermon:
Monday: Matthew 6:28-29
Tuesday: Daniel 12:2-3
Wednesday: Psalm 103:15-16
Thursday: Isaiah 40:1,5
Friday: Isaiah 40:6b-8
Saturday: Ephesians 6:13
Sunset Worship Series
This summer we will move our monthly outdoor worship service from the third Sunday to the following Wednesday evening. Join us for our music-focused worship experience inspired by the week’s liturgy. It’s easy, relaxed, and especially kid-friendly. We’ll start at 6:30pm and as an added bonus, Scott’s Pizza will be open!
There will be no 4:30pm Sunday service on: June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17
Wednesday Outdoor Worship dates (6:30pm): June 21, July 19, August 23, September 20
Prayers & Praises
Please pray for our Trustees and Shepherds as they assume new roles and responsibilities of leadership.
Our Trek group returned home safely after a week of backpacking and hiking in the southern Rocky Mountains. What an amazing experience to kick-off summer! (Front, Left to right: Chelsea Stirman, Sarah Stone, Shelby Nyman, Whitney Webb, and Byron Stone. Back, Left to right: Noelle Lowry, Jacob Saylors, Charles Bogart, Luke Nyman, Luca Lowry, and Ryder Mankins)
God, we gather in gratitude, thankful for the ways you seek to revive us! Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts work together to praise you in this hour. Grant your Spirit to move our hearts and inspire each of us to share your steadfast love with all whom we encounter. Help us to join in giving only what is good, not only today, but every day. Amen
