Hey! Hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day Weekend! I know I did. It was tiring, but good! I also learned that it's hard to drive 10 hours in 2 days with your 6-month old little girl. Lesson learned!
Thanks to those of you who prayed for Hugo and Emily. Their wedding in Charlotte went off just fine... Nobody objected to the marriage, so that was good! We also got to visit the church where Emily and I served in student ministry there for 6 years, and have a special Sunday lunch (at Bojangles!) with some of our "old" students there... They are growing up so fast! Many of them just graduated college, and one of them just bought a house! How time flies...
We have a great week of Ridge Church ministry going on this week! Wednesday and Thursday, we have our two small group meetings. Pick one and come see us! Our Wednesday night small group is led by Emily and me, and meets at our house in Gibbs at 7 pm. Our Thursday night group is led by Bill and Sue Irving, and meets at the "Irving Estate" in the Alice Bell community at 6:30 pm.
Small groups are where we study God's Word in a small group setting, some really great relationships are built, we pray for each other, and we have fun together! For more info call me at 865.244.7279 or email me.
We have a Ridge Church service project this weekend! Meet us at Fountain City Park Saturday at 9 am as we participate with Keep Knoxville Beautiful in cleaning up First Creek. We'll be working in the park area, so this is a great opportunity to serve our city with your kids as we live out our value of Serving Others! Come on out and work those muscles improving our community. Email Emily if you have questions.
See ya at one of our small groups, on Saturday, and Sunday morning at Panache!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
No Worship Gathering This Weekend...
Hey, everybody! Just wanted to remind you that we're not having a worship gathering this weekend. Emily and I are about to leave to go to Charlotte for a wedding today... It's a young man who I had the privilege to lead to Christ several years ago. It's very exciting for us to be part of it and see old friends!
It just so happens that it's also Memorial Day Weekend, so we made the decision to hold off on a worship gathering this week. That way, folks can travel, hang out, or visit another place of worship if they like. Enjoy your time! We'll be back at the same bat channel and same bat time next week, May 31, at 10 a.m. at Panache.
By the way, feel free to pray for the young man and his new wife. They are Hugo Muraco and Emily (Newton) Muraco. Thanks!
It just so happens that it's also Memorial Day Weekend, so we made the decision to hold off on a worship gathering this week. That way, folks can travel, hang out, or visit another place of worship if they like. Enjoy your time! We'll be back at the same bat channel and same bat time next week, May 31, at 10 a.m. at Panache.
By the way, feel free to pray for the young man and his new wife. They are Hugo Muraco and Emily (Newton) Muraco. Thanks!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Awesome Child Dedication Last Sunday, Communion/Lord's Supper This Sunday!
Hey! We had a great time Sunday at our first Ridge Church child dedication. Our daughter Chloe and Kahlan Carter were dedicated to God by their parents. It was a great time of worshiping God for the gifts of our children. It was also a great time of community, as the Christ-followers in attendance all committed to pray for the children and their parents, and provide any assistance possible in helping the parents to raise their kids in a way that glorifies God.
As part of a Christian community, we all have a responsibility to each other. The Bible refers to us as all parts of the "body of Christ" with Him as the head. Paul talks about this alot... Check out 1 Corinthians 12 for one cool passage on the topic.
Here's a pic of our child dedication... My prayer is that there are many to follow!
The parents all thanked God publicly for their children, praising Him for His gift. They all also publicly committed to raising their kids in God's paths, teaching them about Him and Christ's gift for us on the cross. The parents' prayers are that their kids would some day make their parents faith their own, and will become Christ-followers who in turn will raise their children to follow God. Cool stuff!
This Sunday, we are enjoying another worshipful Sunday gathering. We are going to share Communion or the Lord's Supper together. At Ridge Church, all Christ-followers are welcome to share in Communion with us. Anyone who has placed their faith in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins and committed to follow Him all their days is welcome to participate. This is a wonderful time of community and sharing together the grace that God gave us in sending His son to die for us. This is a great time to teach your children about Jesus and His love for us, and an awesome time to praise God for Jesus' victory over death.
So, join us this Sunday at Panache at 10 a.m.! We look forward to seeing you there!
As part of a Christian community, we all have a responsibility to each other. The Bible refers to us as all parts of the "body of Christ" with Him as the head. Paul talks about this alot... Check out 1 Corinthians 12 for one cool passage on the topic.
Here's a pic of our child dedication... My prayer is that there are many to follow!
The parents all thanked God publicly for their children, praising Him for His gift. They all also publicly committed to raising their kids in God's paths, teaching them about Him and Christ's gift for us on the cross. The parents' prayers are that their kids would some day make their parents faith their own, and will become Christ-followers who in turn will raise their children to follow God. Cool stuff!
This Sunday, we are enjoying another worshipful Sunday gathering. We are going to share Communion or the Lord's Supper together. At Ridge Church, all Christ-followers are welcome to share in Communion with us. Anyone who has placed their faith in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins and committed to follow Him all their days is welcome to participate. This is a wonderful time of community and sharing together the grace that God gave us in sending His son to die for us. This is a great time to teach your children about Jesus and His love for us, and an awesome time to praise God for Jesus' victory over death.
So, join us this Sunday at Panache at 10 a.m.! We look forward to seeing you there!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Mother's Day this Sunday!
Hey! Mother's Day is this Sunday. This is a cool holiday for Moms to be celebrated and encouraged for all the hard work they do. But, it's also a cool holiday to recognize our kids and what a huge responsibility we parents have toward them.
This week at our worship gathering, we'll be dedicating several children to God. What does that mean? It simply means that we recognize that our children are a blessing from God, and they belong to God entirely. If we are followers of Christ, then we want to raise our kids in a way that would honor God. But, that's no easy task!
Sunday is an opportunity for parents to dedicate themselves to raising their children God's way, with the dual gifts of Grace and Faith. Of course, parenting isn't easy, which is something Emily and I have already learned... and today is just Chloe's six-month "birthday!"
So, here's how it goes: On Sunday, our parents will acknowledge publicly that their children belong to God. They will commit to striving to honor God in their parenting, and ask for His help in doing that. We will pray for them, encourage them, and thank God for their children. Then, we will also, as a church, commit to encouraging and supporting the folks in our midst who are raising the kids. This is a great picture of the body of Christ working in harmony!
So, be sure to be there on Sunday and encourage our parents (Emily and I included!). It will be a great experience.
Of course, not everyone is a Mom, and not everyone has kids. And, that is OK! Emily and I didn't have kids for the first 10 years of our marriage; God just chose to bless us in other ways!
Because Moms are important, and because we value everyone at The Ridge, we want you to come even if you're not a parent. Get behind our parents and support them, and praise God for all the kids at Ridge Church. Again, it's a great picture of the Body of Christ!
Speaking of Chloe, she finally had ear tubes put in this morning! And, she seems to be feeling much better. Will this result in less crying on Sundays? Come this weekend and find out! Hahaha!
This week at our worship gathering, we'll be dedicating several children to God. What does that mean? It simply means that we recognize that our children are a blessing from God, and they belong to God entirely. If we are followers of Christ, then we want to raise our kids in a way that would honor God. But, that's no easy task!
Sunday is an opportunity for parents to dedicate themselves to raising their children God's way, with the dual gifts of Grace and Faith. Of course, parenting isn't easy, which is something Emily and I have already learned... and today is just Chloe's six-month "birthday!"
So, here's how it goes: On Sunday, our parents will acknowledge publicly that their children belong to God. They will commit to striving to honor God in their parenting, and ask for His help in doing that. We will pray for them, encourage them, and thank God for their children. Then, we will also, as a church, commit to encouraging and supporting the folks in our midst who are raising the kids. This is a great picture of the body of Christ working in harmony!
So, be sure to be there on Sunday and encourage our parents (Emily and I included!). It will be a great experience.
Of course, not everyone is a Mom, and not everyone has kids. And, that is OK! Emily and I didn't have kids for the first 10 years of our marriage; God just chose to bless us in other ways!
Because Moms are important, and because we value everyone at The Ridge, we want you to come even if you're not a parent. Get behind our parents and support them, and praise God for all the kids at Ridge Church. Again, it's a great picture of the Body of Christ!
Speaking of Chloe, she finally had ear tubes put in this morning! And, she seems to be feeling much better. Will this result in less crying on Sundays? Come this weekend and find out! Hahaha!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
A Prayer Request from Fountain City's Firemen
Hey! I hope you all are having a great day today... Hope you're staying dry in this rain!
I have a minute to post a blog update, and was reminded of a visit I had earlier this week with some guys at the Knoxville Fire Department's Station 15 in Fountain City. I've driven by the fire house at the corner of Jacksboro Pike and Essary Road alot lately. God put it on my heart more and more each time to stop by and ask the firemen (firepeople?) there if The Ridge could serve them in any way.
So, this week, after a visit to our dentist (praise report: "Look Ma, no cavities!"), I stopped by the fire house at about 4:30 in the afternoon. The guys in the kitchen were making Sloppy Joes for supper and just hanging out. I introduced myself, mentioned that we were a new church in the area, and asked if there was any way that we could support them in their dangerous work to protect our families and property from perhaps the most feared manmade scourge: fire.
The guys were a little surprised: 1) to see me enter the firehouse (I assume it's kinda rare for a civilian to roll up in there), 2) to have a local pastor ask if there was any way his church could pray for them.
This is sad, but beside the point, I guess. The main point is that the guys took a couple minutes to come up with an answer to my question, but when they did, they simply asked for prayer. They mentioned the dangers of their jobs, and that their families worry for their safety. I told them I would pray for them, which I have. I also told them I'd pass the request along and that they could ask for us to support them anytime.
This is a really simple thing to do, but it means alot to folks! So, next time God tells you to pray for someone or speak a kind word of encouragement to them, do so! The guys were curious where we met, and I told them. You never know, you may get to meet one of them some Sunday at Panache! Inviting the guys to our worship gathering was not the reason I went to visit the fire house, but God opened a door. He may do the same for you to present Jesus' love to someone in a special way.
People are curious when they hear of a new church where God is worshiped and the people are serious about serving others. So, keep all this in mind, pray for the fire"people" and have a great Saturday! See you tomorrow at 10 am!
I have a minute to post a blog update, and was reminded of a visit I had earlier this week with some guys at the Knoxville Fire Department's Station 15 in Fountain City. I've driven by the fire house at the corner of Jacksboro Pike and Essary Road alot lately. God put it on my heart more and more each time to stop by and ask the firemen (firepeople?) there if The Ridge could serve them in any way.
So, this week, after a visit to our dentist (praise report: "Look Ma, no cavities!"), I stopped by the fire house at about 4:30 in the afternoon. The guys in the kitchen were making Sloppy Joes for supper and just hanging out. I introduced myself, mentioned that we were a new church in the area, and asked if there was any way that we could support them in their dangerous work to protect our families and property from perhaps the most feared manmade scourge: fire.
The guys were a little surprised: 1) to see me enter the firehouse (I assume it's kinda rare for a civilian to roll up in there), 2) to have a local pastor ask if there was any way his church could pray for them.
This is sad, but beside the point, I guess. The main point is that the guys took a couple minutes to come up with an answer to my question, but when they did, they simply asked for prayer. They mentioned the dangers of their jobs, and that their families worry for their safety. I told them I would pray for them, which I have. I also told them I'd pass the request along and that they could ask for us to support them anytime.
This is a really simple thing to do, but it means alot to folks! So, next time God tells you to pray for someone or speak a kind word of encouragement to them, do so! The guys were curious where we met, and I told them. You never know, you may get to meet one of them some Sunday at Panache! Inviting the guys to our worship gathering was not the reason I went to visit the fire house, but God opened a door. He may do the same for you to present Jesus' love to someone in a special way.
People are curious when they hear of a new church where God is worshiped and the people are serious about serving others. So, keep all this in mind, pray for the fire"people" and have a great Saturday! See you tomorrow at 10 am!
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