Views from The Ridge 3.25.26
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 26:36–46
Wednesdays
You’re invited to Wednesday Nights at Sunset Ridge Church. Join us for a community 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.
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
Room 220
BOYS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Bryan Wolfe
GIRLS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Den Slater
Roots: The children’s ministry will move to the sanctuary to share in our worship for 5th Sunday! The nursery will remain open, and we will still offer a class for children in Pre-K and Kindergarten.
Room 102, PreK - Kindergarten
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
Reflecting on the Women’s Retreat
What a gift it was to gather again. Earlier this month, the Sunset Ridge Women's Retreat returned to Mo-Ranch for the first time in several years, and the weekend was everything we hoped it would be—shared meals, quiet mornings by the Guadalupe River, prayer, creativity, and the kind of unhurried connection that's hard to find in everyday life.
Women came as they were, rested or weary, and left having experienced something gentler and more spacious together. We're so grateful for everyone who made the trip and helped bring this retreat back to life. If you weren't able to join us this year, we'd love for you to catch a glimpse of the weekend—head over to the photo gallery and take a look!
Sunset Ridge Church of Christ Foundation
The Sunset Ridge Church of Christ Foundation is currently accepting nominations for the purpose of electing 1 additional Board member.
The Foundation is designed to extend the ministries of the congregation beyond its routine operations.
The nominating committee, comprised of Kelly Alba, Taylor Bates, Danny Campos, Sean Carlin, and Ryan Griffin, will accept nominations through Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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.
More information to come on the 2026 Sunset Ridge Church of Christ Foundation applications.
Upcoming Community Events
Every Saturday, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
Friday, March 27, 8 AM - 12 PM, Moral Injury in Combat Veterans Conference, Fellowship Hall
Saturday, March 28, 5:30 - 9 PM, Sprouts School Pasta Party Fundraiser, Fellowship Hall
Sunday, March 29, 5th Sunday: The children’s ministry will move to the sanctuary to share in our worship! The nursery will remain open, and we will still offer a class for children in Pre-K and Kindergarten.
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.)
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
Beyond Sunday
Rebuilt Through Grief
Taylor Bates, Deputy Director, Sunset Ridge Church & Collective
My 5-year-old son, JoJo, had his first T-ball game this past weekend. Hunter and I were a bit nervous going into it because his first practice the week before had not gone so well—he was intimidated by all the new people and the unfamiliar environment. At home, though, he was loving it.
Sure enough, at the first game, I was caught off guard by a wave of emotion—but not for the reasons I expected.
JoJo at his first T-ball game
As JoJo was waiting to bat, the couple next to me started cheering for the boy at the tee: “Go, Ellis!”
For those of you who may not know, Hunter and I lost our first baby to stillbirth eight years ago. His name was Ellis. This was the first time I’ve been in such close proximity to another little boy named Ellis—he is on the same team as JoJo.
I felt many emotions swirling within me, but most strongly a sense of warmth—an unexpected opportunity to remember our boy and to imagine what he might have been like, even though that imagining can carry its own kind of ache.
This past week, I’ve been dwelling on grief as we explored Nehemiah 8:1-12 in discipleship groups and in worship. In that passage, the people gather after the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, but the deeper work of rebuilding their life together is just beginning. As Ezra reads the Torah and the Levites help the people understand it, they begin to weep—perhaps grieving what had been lost in exile, recognizing how far they had wandered, or simply hearing God’s Word clearly, in language they could understand, perhaps for the first time.
And yet Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites tell them, “Do not mourn or weep…This day is holy to the Lord your God,” reminding them that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” They invite the people to celebrate, to share food, and to make sure no one is left out. Grief may still visit us, but doesn’t get the final word.
For me, now years removed from the acute grief of losing my baby, this passage is a kind of guiding light—a reminder to look for reasons to be joyful. It is all too easy to find reasons to mourn. And don’t get me wrong, mourning is normal, healthy, and good. And yet, we are also made to be people of hope—to seek out the reasons for joy.
As Den, our Pastor of Belonging, shared last week, “Renewal, in this moment, is rooted in grace and joy. In a way, such joy functions like streetlights along a dark road. It does not remove the night, but it helps people see where to walk.”
Standing there at the field, I could feel, after so many years, a smile beginning to emerge—alongside a deep gratitude for the present moment, for the children I now have, and for the family and life that have been slowly rebuilt through grief.
I watched as this little Ellis stood waiting in line to bat, beaming as his parents—standing right next to me—proudly called his name. I felt that familiar ache rise again. I wanted to tell them our story—to ask why they chose that name, to tell them that we chose it, too.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I simply stood there, smiling, sensing—however mysteriously—my Ellis’ presence.
Prayers of the People
We will celebrate the life of Wiley Hill with a reception in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, April 11th from 3 - 5 PM.
