Views from The Ridge 11.08.23
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This Week
Saturday, November 11 Second Saturday on the front lawn
9am Yoga with @flowingwithkrystal
10am Storytime & crafts
Sunday, November 12
9:15am Life Groups, children’s Roots gathering, teen gathering (see website for more info)
10:30am Worship in the Chapel (Gratitude As Protest - II Corinthians 4)
4:30pm Chapel worship
5:30pm Dinner for evening gatherings
6-7pm Parent Group: Every Season Sacred
6-7pm Youth group gathering
Upcoming…
Friday, November 17 6-9pm Kids’ Night Out: Mark you calendars for a fun night for families before the holiday scramble! Shop for Christmas gifts, prep for Thanksgiving, or just take a night to relax while your little ones eat dinner, do crafts & games, and watch a fun Pixar movie together. Sign up here!
If you would be willing to volunteer for this activity, please reach out to Chelsea this week.
Saturday, November 18 11am-8pm Men’s Retreat: RSVP to Riley, cost is $30, theme: “Who am I?”
Friday, December 8 Camelot Christmas (shop the wishlist here!)
What’s in a Name?
-Riley Stirman
The book of I Samuel begins with a woman named Hannah longing to give birth to a child. She pleads with God to put an end to her waiting, and she prays so fervently that the temple priest even thinks she's drunk! Eventually God gives her what she's asked for. Hannah gives birth to a baby boy and names him Samuel, which means something like "heard by God."
I've read this story many times over the years, but this week I was particularly struck by Samuel's name. Because of Hannah's intense praying and - maybe more importantly - because of her willingness to recognize that her baby was a gift of God, his identity became centrally formed around gratitude.
Think about this with me for just a little bit. Every time he introduced himself to someone, Samuel was telling them that God hears us. Every time someone called his name when he entered a place, they were reminding him of the blessings God had given him and his mother. He went his entire life being continually shaped and formed by gratitude.
And what's even more incredible is that he was being shaped by someone else's gratitude. Samuel obviously didn't name himself. It was Hannah who faithfully looked to God for help. It was Hannah who praised God as the perfect gift-giver. And it was Hannah who poured out her gratitude to God by giving her son the only name her joyful heart could think to give: heard by God! Gratitude poured out of Hannah, so much so that it forever shaped her own life and her son's life.
I wonder if our gratitude can work like this for others. I wonder if there's a way to live such grateful lives that it's not just we who are changed but also those around us. If we regularly take the time to tell others what God has given us, it makes sense that others might begin looking around at what God has given them. As always, God's love for the individual is meant to be used to transform the community.
Gratitude is an act of worship, but it doesn't have to be a private act. Gratitude can be shared with others, and I believe this too is to the glory of God. When we invite others to look at the world through grateful eyes, we're calling them to step forward into God's open arms with us. Gratitude can be a way that we stretch God's Kingdom just a little wider here on earth.
Around Our Community
The Sunset Ridge Church of Christ Foundation is designed to extend the ministries of the congregation beyond its routine operations specifically in the Missions, Education and Benevolence ministries of Sunset Ridge Church of Christ. The Foundation is accepting nominations for the purpose of electing several additional Foundation Board members. The nominating committee, comprised of Taylor Bates, Warren Branch and Sean Carlin, will accept nominations through November 30, 2023.
Our nursery is in need of a double stroller; if you have a used one in good condition that you would like to donate, please contact Amber Hicks at amber@sunset-ridge.org .
This past Sunday, members from our church, neighborhood, and community came together to share a Thanksgiving feast for our November Supper Church. Prepared and served by Scott, Caroline, Kyle, Tony, Charlotte, Riley, Kelly, Gregg, Jess, Nathan, Luca & many more, the meal was shared around the table with new friends as we talked about the ways we’ve been grateful for God’s goodness this year. We are so grateful that these people would share this gift of food with us, and we look forward to our next gathering around the table!
From Our Leaders
This week’s update comes from Gregg Alba, our Trustee over stewardship and finance. Our October 8th special contribution was $2,507. This was a blessing from God and we appreciate the generosity from all of you. As mentioned previously, our HVAC system has been undergoing extensive work including installation of a new chiller and boiler system, with a cost of $148,000.
We will have another special contribution this Sunday November 12th. We ask every member to prayerfully consider how you might contribute to reduce our deficit and help mitigate the cost of the HVAC replacement.
Budget Update through November 5th:
Avg. Wkly. Contributions: $10,260
Weekly Budget: $11,489
Avg. Weekly (Deficit)/Surplus: ($1,229)
Praises & Prayers
Mark Perez, Maria Perry’s brother, wants to thank you all for your prayers. He is doing well.
