Views from The Ridge 4.1.26
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This Week’s Scripture: Matthew 28:1–10
Wednesdays
Join us for Worship Lab tonight!
Dinner will be provided from 6 - 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall, followed by the Worship Lab from 6:30 - 8 PM in the Sanctuary. Childcare will be available.
In the middle of Holy Week, we invite you to pause. This will be a night of worship, prayer, reflection, and creative response, making space for the quieter, weightier moments of the story.
All are welcome. Please note that some elements of the gathering may be more contemplative and emotionally heavy, and may not be as accessible for young children.
Sundays
Worship
11 AM, Sanctuary, Instrumental
10 AM, Easter Brunch, Fellowship Hall
10:15 AM Roots: Children’s Discipleship through Godly Play
Bible Story Focus this Week: The Purpose of John's Gospel
Key Verses: Matthew 26:30–28:10; Mark 14:26–16:8; Luke 22:39–24:12; John 18:1–20:31
Room 102, PreK - Kindergarten
Room 122, 1st - 2nd Grade
Room 209, 3rd - 4th Grade
Sunday Setlists
What if worship started before Sunday morning? Listening to these songs during the week can help build familiarity and allow the words to begin forming our hearts before we sing them together.
This Week’s Setlist
All 2026 Songs
Community Connections
Easter Brunch
Sunday, April 5th | 10 - 11 AM | Fellowship Hall Join us for Easter brunch before the service! Sign up to let us know how many people are coming here.
Easter Service & Baptisms
Sunday, April 5th | 11 AM | SanctuaryOur Easter worship gathering will conclude with baptisms—a sacred moment in which the whole congregation celebrates God's grace and welcomes those entering new life in Christ. We joyfully invite those who desire to follow Christ to consider baptism.Learn more and register for baptism here.
Easter Egg Hunt
Sunday, April 5th | 12:30 PM | Charis Park Following the service and baptisms, families are invited to gather in Charis Park for an Easter egg hunt.
Sunset Ridge Church of Christ Foundation
The Annual Meeting of the Sunset Ridge Church of Christ Foundation will be held Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 11 AM in the Sanctuary for the purpose of electing 1 new board member. Watch for the name of the nominee.
The Sunset Ridge Church of Christ Foundation is designed to extend the ministries of the congregation beyond its routine operations. The Foundation will accept requests for funding through Thursday, April 30, 2026. Please note that requests made to the Foundation must be specific to Missions, Education, and Benevolence Ministries of the Sunset Ridge Church; no other requests will be considered.
To apply, please pick up a 2026 application in the church office (applications will not be mailed, emailed, or faxed). After completing the application, be sure to follow the submission instructions listed on the form. Application forms from prior years will not be accepted.
Upcoming Community Events
Every Saturday, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
Wednesday, April 1, 6:30 - 8 PM, Holy Week Worship Lab, Dinner from 6 - 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Childcare available. Pause with us for a reflective night of worship, prayer, and creative response. All are welcome. (Some elements may be heavier for young children.)
Friday, April 3, Office closed for Good Friday
Sunday, April 5, 10 - 11 AM, Easter Brunch, Fellowship Hall
Sunday, April 5, 11 AM, Easter Service & Baptisms, Fellowship Hall
Sunday, April 5, 12:30 PM, Easter Egg Hunt, Charis Park
Friday, April 24, Office closed for Battle of Flowers
Saturday, May 9, 8 AM - 1 PM One Another Coffee Birthday Celebration
Beyond Sunday
Awake in This Moment
Den Slater, Pastor of Belonging and Formation, Sunset Ridge Church
As we move toward Easter, many of us likely feel joy and anticipation. Resurrection is near. Hope is rising. And yet, just a few days ago, we were told of the people who cried out to Jesus, “Hosanna!” (Save us!). Jesus will do that, but first, he’ll face a dark night filled with a struggle that he puts language to: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). He makes that declaration in Gethsemane, and as a community, Scott helped us understand that the word gethsemane means oil press.
Jesus has come to the place where olives are crushed so that their oil might flow. He stands awake in the night, carrying a weight no one else can understand. In that quiet place, he is not pressed by crowds, but by sorrow, and he asks his friends to do something very simple, and very human: stay awake with him. They cannot. Maybe they are tired, overwhelmed, or just unsure what to do in the waiting.
I wonder if I would have stayed awake.
For me, this season carries the memory of losing someone deeply important to me. On Easter morning many years ago, an unexpected tragedy struck our family. In that moment, I did what many of us do. I carried my grief inside. I carried it quietly and tried to just keep moving through my daily life. I was a teacher then, and I remember that one day I just wasn’t able to hold myself together any longer. I broke down right in front of my biology class, but the most beautiful thing happened. A student, a young lady named Emily, stood up from her desk and walked right up to me. She took my hands and said, “Can I pray for you, Mrs. Slater?” That beautiful fifteen-year-old prayed for me. It felt so good to just have someone stay awake with me.
For whatever reason, the disciples of Jesus could not remain awake on Christ’s night of deep anxiety, but the invitation reveals something essential about our life of faith: sorrow is not meant to be borne alone. Even Jesus desired to keep his closest companions nearby. Scripture tells us that when one part of the body suffers, all suffer together. The pain of one person, even in some small way, ripples across the community. Yes, of course, we’d rather share the joy—and that comes very soon—but for now, let’s stay awake.
Let’s be awake to one another. There are people sitting beside us each week carrying more than we can see. There are families holding pain just under the surface. There are stories we may never fully know, but we are still called to be present, to listen, and to love one another.
As we approach Easter, we carry these two pieces: the memory of Gethsemane and the anticipation of a tomb that we know is empty on Sunday morning. For now, we stay in this space and we watch together, knowing that even in the pressing, new life is taking shape. Joy will come in the morning. Just stay awake and see.
Prayers of the People
We express sympathy to the family of Ed George, who passed away March 25th. Arrangements are pending.
We will celebrate the life of Wiley Hill with a reception in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, April 11th from 3 - 5 PM.
