Sunday Newsletter
Tired of the view? Experience The Ridge!
Weekly Newsletter
What T o Expect This Sunday
Opening Songs : Fierce
Welcome : Stewart McWhorter
Worship Songs : Salvation Is Here // Like A Lion // Hosanna
Announcements/Offering
Message : The Reverend Jimmy McIlrath
Message Title: Spiritual Apathy
Series: Transformed
Prayer and Dismissal
Cleaning Up Before We Show Up

"Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and my God!" Psalm 42:11, NLT

There’s something funny about having guests over. Most of us clean our houses from top to bottom until it looks like a model home: perfect and unused. 

And while that might be fine to do for parties, sometimes we try to do the same thing with our worship. 

We try to get everything in order before we have God over. We spend our time dusting off our shelves and hiding what we don’t want Him to see. We think that once our place is perfect, then it’s time to worship Him and invite Him in. 

We feel that if we get the promotion, fix up our finances, get our kids to do what we say, and repair our relationships, then we’ll finally be able to get into a good place with God. 

Our lives are messy — and it’s easy to feel like God can’t do anything with a mess. But in Exodus 20:25, God tells His people that, “If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.” 

“Dressed stones” meant stones that were cut and shined — stones that were nearly perfect. 

God actually asked for imperfection. He could have told His people to worship Him with an altar of perfect, solid gold bricks. Instead, He asked for undressed stones. 

Even if our altar is made of imperfect stones, God still delights in our offering. Struggling, hurting, broken — it’s what He asked for. 

He is knocking at the door of your home. Let Him in, mess and all. 

*Elevation Worship Devotional Series
Hurricane Michael
A note from Allison Lindsey
Connection Ministries - South Georgia Annual Conference

The Conference Disaster Response Team is monitoring this storm closely. Here are some things to be aware of as we navigate the days ahead. The latest disaster response information will be posted at www.sgaumc.org/disasterresponse. 

Keeping in Contact
We have asked pastors whose congregations are impacted to contact their District Superintendent to let him or her know of the condition of their community, church, and immediate needs. The District Superintendent will then be in contact with the Conference Disaster Response team, which will be coordinating our conference-wide response.

Resources
Storm Updates: Reliable storm updates can be found at the NOAA Hurricane Center website, www.nhc.noaa.gov.

Ready Georgia Mobile App : A great resource to stay connected is the Ready Georgia mobile app, http://ready.ga.gov/be-informed/alerts-and-warnings/mobileapp/. This includes shelter maps, ready kit, alerts, and an I AM SAFE feature which notifies your emergency contacts that you are safe after an emergency.

Things to Do Now
For those in the path of Hurricane Michael, we offer the following information to help you as you prepare.

The Red Cross provides information on personally preparing for a disaster. For more information, visit www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.

Additionally, this is a good time to check on your neighbors and let them know that they do not need to weather the storms of life alone. There will be great opportunity to serve people who are directly impacted by this storm.

Relief Kits
Our churches have been overwhelming in their generosity in collecting cleaning kits. We encourage you to continue to put these together. They will be needed in the weeks and months ahead. When it is safe to travel you can continue to drop relief kits off at the churches listed here.

Early Response Teams
We will be disseminating information as to if and when Early Response Teams are needed as soon as we can. These teams work in coordination with county Emergency Management officials and local disaster response groups. They will be activated as soon as it is necessary and safe to do so.

Monetary Gifts
Special offerings to help with storm recovery needs may be sent to the South Georgia Conference Storm Recovery efforts.

Ways to give:
*Mail a check to the Administrative Services Office. Please use Conference Advance Special #6796 - South Georgia Storm Recovery (Disaster Response). Address: PO Box 13145; Macon, GA 31208

*Give online: Click Here

Thank you for all you are doing to support our response efforts across South Georgia and extending throughout the connection. We are already seeing incredible ways that our local churches are "Alive Together in Christ."

For Disaster Response related questions, please do not hesitate to reach out:

Allison Lindsey
Associate Director, Office of Connectional Ministries
allison@sgaumc.com / (912) 393-5524
Registration is now open!

The Ridge "Hootenanny" will be held on October 28th (Sunday evening) on The Ridge property. Join us for a great time of music (featuring Neal Lucas), chili dogs, trick-or-treating and much more!! It'll make you say "Yee-Haw!"

We had a great time last year and can't wait for this year!

You can sign up this Sunday at the "Hootenanny" table after church to provide a trick-or-treating booth for the kids. You can also register online (link below). You can also register to bring some chili and compete in this year's cook-off!

To register for this event: Click Here


Ridge Student Volunteers!

The Ridge "Hootenanny" is also our one big student ministry fundraiser. Our 6th - 12th graders are encouraged to sign up to work a shift the evening of our event and help out with the bake sale.

Students who want to register to volunteer: Click Here
You Can't Do Life Alone!

God made you to be connected in a church family. A healthy family shares common beliefs, purposes and commitment. We'd like to share with you our values and future goals. Membership 101 is designed to explain what it means to be in membership at The Ridge. At the end of this class, you will be given an opportunity to join our church family.

Registration link: Click Here
Marriage Retreat 2019

No matter how happy a couple is, everyone can think of something they want to be different. Maybe you wish he would come home at 5pm or she would spend less time on the phone. Maybe your differences run so deep they seem irreconcilable. Maybe you’ve gotten into such a routine that you hardly remember what it was like to “date” each other.
 
For all the reasons to break the knot, there’s always a reason to tighten it.
 
Our Marriage Retreats are focused on just that, learning how to tighten the knot that binds us together.
 
Our past three marriage retreats have been amazing, and I have every reason to believe that the next one is going to be the best yet!

Dates: January 25-27, 2019
Place : Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
9300 Emerald Coast Parkway
Miramar Beach, FL 32550
Cost: $360/couple.
$200 non-refundable deposit is required at registration.
Registration link: Click Here
Beast Feast

Here's what you can expect:  

*Lunch at 12pm (location TBD)
*Golf scramble at 1pm (for those who enjoy playing)
*BBQ dinner at 6:30pm at Maple Ridge Golf Club
*A great guest speaker!  
*A lot of grunting, burping and scratching...

Registration: Click Here
This Saturday!

If you are free this Saturday, October 13th, come hang out with us at the Farm House in Ellerslie. If you’ve never been to the Farm House, it’s one of my favorite places. They have the best home cooking (menu - http://www.thefarmhousega.com/menu/) and a really cute gift shop and animals (goats, chickens, a donkey, bunnies, the occasional roaming turkey) for the kids to see. They also have a pumpkin patch! $6 covers a hayride and a pumpkin from the patch. 

Let’s meet for lunch at 11:30 am and then explore the farm and pumpkin patch. Please let me know if you can come, and how many kids you will be bringing. I’ll try to either make a reservation or get there early to save a table. Since they are only open on the weekend, it gets crowded pretty quickly. 

Here’s the info for the Farm House: 469 Farmhouse Road, Ellerslie, Georgia 31807

-Allison Bowden

Allison's email: click here
Volunteer Registration

Did you know that God has gifted you to serve him? Did you know that the church can't possibly live into its potential without your help?

Scripture says that just as each part of our body plays a specific role, the members of a church are vitally important. (1 Cor. 12)

Are you willing to do "Whatever It Takes" to reach people for Jesus? If so, join one of our volunteer teams and help us reach more!

Registration link: Click Here
Upcoming Series

In Jesus’ time on earth, He wasn’t interested in token gestures. He shook up anyone whose faith was lukewarm, and He brought hope to the broken, the lost, and those tangled in sin by showing them what true worship could be.

In this series, we’ll talk about what it means to follow Christ, and open ourselves up to transform certain areas of our lives so that we can live an authentic faith. We’ll look for Jesus to transform us as well as give us a renewed passion for a growing relationship with Him.
RidgeRunners
October Theme - Self Control!

Hey Parents!
We know kids can be naturally impulsive and don't always realize the consequences of their actions until it's too late. This month we'll show them how God wants us to "slow our roll" so we have time to make the wise choice!

October Verse: James 1:19
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."
Student Disciple Ski Trip
Registration is OPEN
Students in 6th - 12th grade are invited to join us for a ski trip to Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters over MLK weekend. The cost of the trip is $265 to ski and $215 if you are not skiing.

To register, click here .

Space is limited! We have 15 spots currently available so don't delay! Deadline to register is October 20th.
Current Series: Arrows
Week #1: You Can't Do Life Alone Click Here
Week #2: Saved People Serve People Click Here
Week #3: Found People Find People Click Here
Week #4: Worship Is A Lifestyle Click Here
Week #5: Growing People Change Click Here

Saved People Serve People

Are you interested in being a part of a serving team on Sunday mornings? Here are some of the ways to get plugged in:
 
*Safety Team. *Greeters. *Parking Lot Party. *RidgeRunners. *Student Ministry. *Worship. 
*Setup/Teardown Team. 

Registration: Click Here
Rose Hill Ministry

The Ridge is in charge of feeding the homeless every second Tuesday of the month. All meals are served at Rose Hill Church on Hamilton Road.

Our next service date is October 9th at 5pm.

Please email us if you would like more information: info@theridgecolumbus.com .
The Ridge Church | info@theridgecolumbus.com | theridgecolumbus.com
The Ridge Sunday Worship | Brookstone School Auditorium | 440 Bradley Park Dr. 31904
The Ridge Office | 5624B Whitesville Rd. | Columbus, GA 31904