Thanks to some special people!

This Sunday our Ridge Church gathering was a blast! I have to admit I was a little nervous about how things would go. We had several new things going on, and they were all important things that we were praying would go well. And they did! Our children's ministry's first week, our first musical and financial worship time (we had an offering) and our first interview with the first local missionary that we are supporting went great! It was a great week in general.

I want to thank a few people who helped make Sunday what it was. Obviously, we want to thank God for heading up this whole enterprise! It's also important that we thank the people who serve well at our church. Not because we want to puff anyone up with pride, but because we want to encourage those who humbly serve to continue to do so, and also encourage those who aren't serving to do so for God's glory.

There are a ton of Bible verses about serving others and the proper healthy interdependence of the people who are the church. 1 Peter 4:10-11 says, "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Just because I'm the "Lead Pastor" doesn't mean I'm any more important or valuable to The Ridge than any other person who calls our young church body home. We are all valuable in God's plan for the local church, we all need each other, and we all benefit from serving each other in our areas of gifting and expertise.

That said, I want to thank a few folks who served humbly and well as a way to honor God this week. First, my wife Emily, who is a great administrator and does a ton of stuff I stink at! She also sang as part of our worship time. Thanks to Tom Kerley, who led worship on his guitar and brought some of his own sound equipment, and Pat Norris who stepped up to the plate on Sunday morning and rocked the congas.

Thanks also go to Becca Thiele, who is a college freshman at Johnson Bible College and serves as our Children's Ministry Intern. She is serving because she comes from a church plant in Charlotte, she loves kids, and she is excited about gaining ministry experience. We are blessed to have her with us for this semester. Other children's ministry thanks goes to Sue Irving, Emily's mom, who is committed to doing what it takes to serve in our children's ministry and make it a safe place for kids to learn about God and be loved by caring adults. Karen Norris also assisted in the kids' area, and we thank her for her willingness to jump in and help with no notice!

Finally, we should thank Cris Patterson, who is part of the management team at Marli's, where we meet. She's part of our happy crew, and also is the one who locks up after us and arranged for us to meet at her place of employ. Leo Cooper, Jr., the owner of Marli's, is also a great guy, and he has given the OK for us to meet at his restaurant on Sundays out of the kindness of his heart.

There are other people who should be thanked, like Ken Garrison for being part of our offering counting team. Many of you also helped to clean up Marli's after we concluded our gathering. I don't even know who all of you were, but you know who you are. Thank you!

I'm sure I've missed someone, but I want to make an important point here. Our church is all about the Gospel and Jesus Christ. You're going to hear me say that so much it will seem to get old. That's fine by me. The Old Testament looks forward to Christ's coming to earth and crucifixion for our sins, and the New Testament explains His activities and looks forward to His return. The whole Bible is God's Word to us, and the most important message of all is how to be reconciled to God. And that can only happen through a relationship with Christ.

Our church is all about Christ, but the ministries of our church happen because of the humble hearts and devoted service of those whose lives are oriented around Jesus and work as part of our local church body, our team. It is a truly a team ministry!

For that reason, you will often read blog posts where I thank and encourage those who serve in our midst, those who serve those outside our midst, and those who make huge steps of faith and honor God in outstanding ways. Those folks are an inspiration to us all. The great thing is that many of you are those people! My prayer is that all of the folks that call The Ridge home will find their way onto the blog, because we are all seeking to honor God with our entire being.

Until next time...

A Good Remedy for Losing a Basketball Game

Well, the Vols lost to Memphis tonight. It was Chloe's first basketball game! It was close, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, as we used to say...

Anyhow, here's a great fixer-upper for those who feel down after the loss today. Come hang out with us Ridge Church people tomorrow! That's right, we're meeting tomorrow, Sunday January 25th, at Marli's Caribbean-American Cuisine in Fountain City at 10 a.m. (Check out the panel on the right of the main page for directions.)

Tomorrow is going to include several firsts for The Ridge:

• First opportunity to worship God with music and singing.
  
• First opportunity to worship God with a monetary offering.
  
• First time for our children to share a time of their own during our gathering (we're starting with ages 5 and under this week, it's the beginning of our children's ministry).
  
• First interview with a local missionary--Jimmie Hodges.
  
• First financial gift from Ridge Church to a local missionary (Jimmie).
  
• First financial gift from Ridge Church to an Acts29 church planter--Andy Hughes and Journey Church of the Highlands in Boone, North Carolina. (We're working on getting Andy here soon so you can get to know him.)
  

So, tomorrow should be pretty fun! (That's one of our Ridge Church Core Values). So, if you're looking for a place to worship God or investigate the claims of Christ tomorrow, please join us! We meet from 10 to 11:15 a.m.

By the way (I forgot to mention this) bring any extra baby clothes you may have tomorrow morning to our gathering. We'll give them to Jimmie for his ministry to the underprivileged people in the mountains of Kentucky.

Have a great night!

Last Week's Recap... Part Two

Last Sunday, we learned some very basic stuff about what worship is. God's Word tells us in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, English Standard Version)

In the New Testament, Jesus tells us that this commandment is actually the most important one we have from God: "And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28-31, ESV)

Worship of God is defined simply here. I especially like the last definition that Webster's gives: "extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem." When God is our object of worship, we are in good shape!

God has made us all differently... I'm sure you've heard since you were a little kid that people are like snowflakes? I guess it's true... And he's made us all to with different personalities and ways of connecting with Him.

At Ridge Church, we believe that however you worship God privately, if it finds its background in biblical practice and solid orthodox theology, is great. If you like to read the book of Psalms as a quiet reflection, swell. If you enjoy spending time outdoors and connecting with God there, great. If you paint or sculpt or enjoy other arts as a way of worship, awesome. If you like to read devotional books or theology books or listen to worship music, rock on!

A couple things to remember: God wants ALL of our being as our worship of Him. Romans chapter 12 verse one says, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Verse two goes on to say, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (ESV)

God wants all of us, body and mind and will. All of our life should be an act of worship of the One who made us and then loved us enough to send Christ as a sacrificial substitute to take the punishment for our sins. God has provided the only way to true life in His Son. When we place our faith in Christ, we become a permanent part of God's family and we are a totally new person forever. That's the Gospel in a nutshell.

God wants us to enjoy our relationship with Him and each other in community. Hebrews 10:24-25 states, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (ESV)

"No man is an island." We all need a relationship with God through Christ. As Christ-followers, we all need each other. (See 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 for a great discussion on the church as the Body of Christ). That is simply how God made humans.

So, connect with God often privately in ways that you enjoy. Also, remember to gather together with the rest of us regularly to worship God together corporately. We may or may not enjoy the mode of worship you practice privately when we gather on Sundays, but we will always be willing to consider different worship modes and practices, because we are all important members of Christ's body.

Want to learn more about how God wired you to worship? Check this out and do the simple survey on the website. Feel free to email me if you have questions.

Weekly Recap... Part One

Well, what a week it was!

Last Sunday, Ridge Church enjoyed our first Sunday morning Gathering at Marli's Caribbean American Cuisine in Fountain City. We really appreciate Leo Cooper allowing us to "borrow" his dining area on Sunday morning and Cris Patterson serving as our host!

Our Gathering went from about 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. last week. We were shooting for 10 to 11. So, we live and learn! This Sunday, we're meeting at the same place, but we'll aim for starting on time at 10 a.m. Doors will open at 9:45 a.m. so you can come in out of the cold to have a cup of coffee, hang out and meet some new friends!

We're not perfect people, so we're going to be learning each week as we grow into meeting on Sunday mornings... We'll be adding new experiences each week, as we discover together what type of Sunday morning gathering fits us best and is most honoring to God for our Ridge Church community. So, remember we haven't "arrived" and we'll be growing in lots of ways pretty much every time we meet. Isn't being part of a baby church interesting, fun, and exciting?! Just like having a real baby! (And boy, do I know that now!)

So, that said, make plans now to join us this Sunday at Marli's from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Since last Sunday didn't involve anything super embarrassing on my part that might make Jesus look bad, please feel free to invite a friend to come check things out and investigate The Ridge this Sunday!

By the way, this weekend we will be having some new opportunities that we have not enjoyed before. We are planning for a time of musical worship, as we work toward our goal of having a worship team. (If you're interested, please email Emily!)

We will also be providing a children's lesson for kids up to age 4 or 5 in a separate area of Marli's. Chloe will be there... Hopefully not crying! Our college student children's ministry intern, Becca Theile, will be in the children's area. So will Sue Irving. This is just the beginning of our Ridge Church children's ministry, and it will surely change a great deal over time. But, rest assured, our focus kid-wise is on providing a safe place for children to learn about Christ. Very simple, and very important.

We'll also have some other cool stuff on Sunday that will allow you to see, hear, and experience the Core Values of Ridge Church. Enough for today. More tomorrow!

Reminder: First Sunday Morning Meeting Tomorrow!

Hey, everyone! Just wanted to remind those of you who are still up and those of you who get up early to check your email on Sunday morning (Wow, those are usually two distinct types of people... Kind of like those who like Neil Diamond and those who don't...) that The Ridge is meeting for the first time on Sunday morning tomorrow at 10 am at Leo's restaurant in Fountain City! The restaurant is soon to be called Marli's.

For more info, check out this earlier blog post.

So, see you tomorrow! We're going to have an interesting day. We'll talk about Acts chapter 2, introduce an element of worship (not music, but we'll talk about why) and also talk about some special ministries that we'll be supporting with the money you give to Ridge Church. It's never too early to spread the Kingdom of God beyond ourselves!

Good stuff. See you tomorrow... Have a great night!

Thankfulness Train Keeps Rollin'...

Well, while we're talking about Thankfulness here at the start of the New Year, it's only appropriate that we publicly thank all the folks who have supported the Layne family prayerfully and financially for the past six months while we have been planting Ridge Church.

There are many folks who have donated their hard-earned funds to provide a way for Emily and me to pay the bills as we have been meeting folks and gathering people into The Ridge. We can't thank them enough! Although I have a part-time job at the HoneyBaked Ham Store near Knoxville Center, and I work with some really great people, that job isn't designed to supply the pay, hours, or benefits to provide for a family.

Our church is associated with the Acts29 Network, a group of churches that plant churches and agree on a common theology. A29 churches connect for prayer, advice, support and encouragement. However, The Ridge is not connected with a specific denomination. We are "nondenominational" or independent.

There are certain benefits from being nondenominational, like not having an outside entity tell you how to do everything or being forced to give your money to a certain fund. But, being nondenominational also means Emily and I don't get a "paycheck" like most people think of it.

All the funds that Emily and I get from Ridge Church while our church is young and small are funds that have been donated to The Ridge for our support. The donations come from friends, family, and churches. When we grow larger, Ridge Church will become financially independent... But that takes a little time.

So, for making life possible for us, we thank our supporters! And, we thank God for creating a spirit of generosity in your hearts.

Although I don't think it's appropriate to share the names of all the individuals and families who are supporting us financially, I'd love to share the names of the churches! Some are part of the Acts29 Network, and some aren't. But, all of them are important to us and we thank them very much for committing to us as a couple and to the vision God has for The Ridge!

Christ Community Church - Watkinsville, Georiga
Discovery Church - Evansville, Indiana
Exmore Baptist Church - Exmore, Virginia
Redeemer Community Church - Johnson City, Tennessee
Sojourn Church - Huntsville, Alabama

Thanks again to all our prayer and financial supporters. You rock! By the way, if you're reading this and would like to join the list of our supporters, please do not hesitate to let me know... We can find a way for you to help The Ridge get financially on our feet!

Yep, we're meeting on Sunday mornings now...

Hey! You read that correctly... We are moving our Sunday night Ridge Church gatherings to Sunday mornings from our usual Sunday evening time slot. We're also changing our location.

Christy Garrison of Panache hair salon at 3501 Tazewell Pike in Fountain City has been graciously allowing us to use her location for our gatherings. She's a great lady, and we're thankful to Christy for letting us use her facility!

Starting Sunday, January 11 from 10 to 11 a.m.., we will begin meeting at Leo's Cafe (soon to have a new name: Marli's) at 3029 Tazewell Pike in Fountain City. (Just down the road from Panache.) Leo and family have been great in allowing us to use their restaurant for our new location.

So, what does it mean that we are meeting on Sunday mornings now? A couple of things. First, it means that you need to come out a little bit earlier for our gatherings. Seven and a half hours, to be exact. Also, it means that several people who are part of our "launch team" but were unable to come on Sunday evenings will be able to come. Finally, it's closer to the meeting time we hope to have when we gather weekly on Sunday mornings.

That said, remember that we are still a "baby" church! Just because we are meeting on Sunday morning doesn't mean we have "arrived." We are still getting to know each other and what Ridge Church is all about. This is still a great time to bring a friend who is not so sure about what Jesus or church is all about. As a matter of fact, at Ridge Church, every week will be a good week to bring a friend who doesn't know Jesus. So, consider inviting a friend on Sunday!

Since we are a baby church (fortunately minus all the crying that Chloe's been doing), we won't be pulling out all the stops just yet with a sound system, worship team, and handouts! But, we will have friendly faces, name tags to wear so you can get to know each other, a great time to learn about Acts chapter 2 from God's Word, and a time of worship together. (Hint: Worship is NOT just singing!)

So, see you Sunday... Come at 10 am to Leo's/Marli's and come with expectation for all the great things God has done, is doing, and will do with our lives and Ridge Church.

More Thankfulness Action!

Hey! A bunch of you participated in the Ridge Church November service project. We helped Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) distribute hundreds of turkeys and food boxes to the less fortunate in the Knoxville area just before Thanksgiving (right after our little Chlo Chlo was born).

I didn't thank you all for participating in that yet, but I hope you know that you rock! Here's a cool email we got from KARM the other day. Thanks for loving folks in Knoxville in Jesus' name with us! You Ridge Church peeps are pretty cool...

Dear Thanksgiving Basket Volunteer,

2008's Basket Assembly was the fastest ever….and Basket Distribution allowed us to give away more than just food….

A great event was made even greater! Over 200 volunteers served with love and sacrifice by sorting and counting food, decorating all 1300 boxes with willing hands, filling them with meals for 1300 families (fastest year ever!), or being a face of hope at distribution. An extra 100 boxes were given away this year! Whatever your role in this year's event, you were a part of a successful effort to provide the Love of Christ to those in need.

We are thankful for your sincere efforts this season.

Have a great New Year!!

The KARM Volunteer Team

A Season of Thankfulness

I wrote in my last post that our family has just (hopefully!) come out of a very busy season, and we hope for a more restful one for a while. This is also a time for us to look around our lives and be thankful for what God is up to. The Laynes kind of missed that at Thanksgiving time due to all the insanity that has been our lives of late.

So, here's some things we're thankful for lately:

• Jesus coming down here to hang out with us in bodily form, and everything that follows His Incarnation.
  
• A healthy baby Chloe.
  
• A healthy Emily.
• A warm home when it's cold outside.
• The love of friends and family.
• All the Ridge Church folks we've met and reconnected with since June.
• The opportunities to serve our community in two service projects.
• The prayer and financial support Ridge Church has received from families and churches who are behind us, all over the country.
  
• The opportunity to support church planting and missions with the finances shared by Ridge Church folks (more info on that soon).
  
• All the help we've received with shower gifts for Chloe and all the babysitting offers.
• A "new to us" vehicle for Emily to drive when I'm at work that was given to us by a kind and caring Christ-follower here in Knoxville.
  

The list could go on, of course, because even when times are tough, God provides blessings. Life is like that... For all the tough things in this world, it is still God's world, and when He made it He said it was good. Check out Genesis 1 for more info there...

Have a great New Year!