Ridge Church Value #4: Serving Others

The fourth core value of Ridge Church is "Serving Others."

Here's what our Launch Proposal says about Serving Others:

"We believe that serving others is a natural lifestyle of committed believers in Christ. Christ-followers should seek to serve both those we encounter in our community and those at the far ends of the earth as a means of sharing the Gospel with all people."

This value flows forward from our third value, Community. There is one very foundational difference between the two values, however. We use the words "serving others" instead of just the word "serving" because our fourth value, Serving, is not aimed at those who are already part of our church or fellowship.

Serving Others means serving those outside of our current group, church, or fellowship (you pick the word you like best). Serving Others means serving people in our neighborhoods, communities, schools, and workplaces. It means serving those in other cities, states, and countries. It is a way to show the world that those who follow Christ care about them, love them, and are representatives of Jesus Christ. It is a way to bring the truth of the Gospel to ears who have learned that they can trust us.

It is important to remember, however, that Community and Serving Others are related. Those who are part of the Ridge Church family should serve each other; we should just remember that serving each other and Serving Others are two different and equally valid expressions of love. One is love for a brother or sister who is in Christ with us, the other is love for a neighbor or friend who may not know Christ. Matthew 20:25-28 links the serving found in our value of Community and the serving found in our value of Serving Others very well.

Proverbs 14:21, Matthew 28:19-20, Isaiah 49:6, Acts 1:8 are just a few of the many verses that support our value of Serving Others.

We have a great opportunity for you to practice this Ridge Church value next weekend! We are helping to set up the new Knox Area Rescue Ministries Thrift Store at 314 Merchants Drive (the shopping center with Outback Steakhouse and the Mandarin House restaurant) on Saturday, September 27 from 12 to 2 pm. Everyone is welcome to join us as we serve our community together. Bring your friends if you like--it will be a great time to meet people who are interested in The Ridge. Kids are welcome, and we'll be done well before game time!

If you'd like to chat about Serving Others or have questions about our service project, just email kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com. Have a great week!