Views from The Ridge 2.11.26
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: Acts 2:42–47
Wednesdays
You’re invited to Wednesday Nights at Sunset Ridge Church. Join us for a catered supper at 6:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall, followed by programming for children and high school students and a communal Scripture study for adults beginning at 6:30 PM. We wrap up by 8:00 PM. Come be part of our midweek rhythm. Contact Den with questions.
*There will be no Wednesday supper, scripture study, or BLESSING Group on February 18th as we gather for Ash Wednesday service in the Chapel at 6:30 PM.
Sundays
Worship
9 AM, Chapel, Acapella
11 AM, Sanctuary, Instrumental
10:15 AM, Bible Class & Discipleship for All Ages
Fellowship Hall
Between the Words: A gathering between our community’s two worship times where we unfold the facets of weekly Scripture together. Join us from 10:15 - 10:45 each Sunday in the Fellowship Hall. Each week stands on its own; come as you’re able. Adults and teens welcome.
BEMA Podcast Discussion group
Chapel Classroom
Preparing for Rest: A free, optional pre-retreat class exploring different kinds of rest, connected to our upcoming women’s retreat. No registration required. Sundays through February 22. You’re welcome to attend the class, the retreat, or both.
Room 220
BOYS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Bryan Wolfe
GIRLS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Den Slater
Roots: Children’s Discipleship through Godly Play
Bible Story Focus this Week: The Fellowship of the Believers
Key Verse: Acts 2:42–47
Room 102, PreK - Kindergarten
Room 122, 1st - 2nd Grade
Room 209, 3rd - 4th Grade
Community Connections
Community in Action
A couple of weekends ago, freezing temperatures moved both our Farmers Market and One Another Coffee’s Thrift Pop-Up indoors, filling the Fellowship Hall with warmth, energy, and community. What could have been a quiet winter weekend became a beautiful expression of connection and care.
Through the thrift pop-up, we raised over $750 for Nuevos Vecinos, supporting neighbors in meaningful and tangible ways. We’re grateful to everyone who came out to shop, sip, and give—and to the volunteers who helped make the day possible.
Moments like this remind us that even when plans change, the mission doesn’t. Gatherings and initiatives like these are small but powerful ways we live out our commitment to hospitality, generosity, and loving our neighbors well.
Upcoming Community Events
Every Saturday, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
Sundays through February 22nd, 10:15 AM, Preparing for Rest Class, Chapel Classroom
Wednesday, February 18th, 6:30 PM, Ash Wednesday Service, Chapel, Childcare provided. This quiet, reflective gathering will include Scripture, prayer, worship, and the imposition of ashes as we begin the season of Lent together.
Saturday, February 21st, 9 AM - 1 PM, Community Garden Work Day, Charis Park
Friday, February 27 - Sunday, March 1, Sunset Ridge Women’s Retreat, Mo-Ranch
Beyond Sunday
How Far Can You Reach?
Den Slater, Pastor of Belonging, Sunset Ridge Church
This week’s Scripture invites us to consider the way that we reach, and I gave that some serious thought after reading last week’s reflection in Views from the Ridge. I loved the article—Jess’s words, Whitney’s haiku, and the beauty of Morgan’s dedication. It made me reflect on the dance between communication, beauty, and action. And then, somewhere in my mind, I caught a hint of an old ache that whispers, Den, are you really “doing” enough? This time, though, I began to wonder if a better question might be, How carefully are you listening to Jesus’ words?
So, I listened again.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus speaks of promised power and names the scope of the apostles’ mission with remarkable specificity. As Scott noted, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth imply a diverse and widening mission field. Through Spirit-given power, the disciples are equipped to share the story of Jesus—in familiar places and deeply uncomfortable ones alike. They are to declare what God has done wherever they are sent.
We, too, are expected to bear witness to God’s mission and transformation. Witnessing—sharing God’s story—is our superpower. We all receive that power, but it doesn’t manifest in identical ways. Some bear witness through activism and advocacy. Some by hospitality and presence. Some with writing, beauty-making, listening, or quiet faithfulness. Some visit the incarcerated and the sick. Some care for children. Some hold communities together through prayer and attention. Each of us participates in multiple ways, but none of us can carry the fullness of the mission alone. Perhaps that is why God gifts us with community. Through many hands and hearts, the Spirit creates a home of radical hospitality.
Still, I do want to do more. I think many of us feel that same desire. Author James Finley once described walking past a homeless woman and noticing that she was carrying a birdcage. Inside was a small, colorful bird. What struck him was the metaphor of that image—a living jewel caged with no hope of freedom. The woman, he thought, was like that bird. She was an eternal treasure trapped in poverty. He felt the emotional tug many of us recognize: the desire to do, to fix, and to rescue. It’s part of our Christian way of seeing. The Spirit who dwells within us retrains our sight. We begin to notice how circumstances—upbringing, finances, trauma, illness, fear—can constrict people from living into the fullness God intends.
And yet, God never intended the fullness of the mission to be carried by any one of us. Reach is not about doing more; it is about trusting that Spirit-empowered presence is already at work through the diversity of gifts in our communities. We cannot open every cage, but we are called to see clearly, point faithfully, and bear witness to our God, the one already fully working in the world. Whatever God has entrusted to you, then, receive it without comparison.
If it is art, then create.
If it is words, then speak and write.
If it is service, then serve with care.
If it is a quiet presence, then remain.
We can each be fully devoted and trust that the Spirit gathers the work of the many into something breathtakingly whole. In our shared witness, God’s church reaches.
Prayers of the People
Member note received:
“To all those who have sent me cards and calls to encourage me during this very long ordeal – they have been such a blessing and a joy to receive. It is so encouraging to know that so many of you are praying for me. That gets me through my days. I still have a long road ahead of me, but I am encouraged by the love that I feel from all of you. Even though I haven't been to many of the services in the last couple of years, Sunset Ridge is my home.”
—Lynn Rutland
