Each local church has a unique sense of calling, passion, and expressions of the Kingdom of God. Here at Jericho Ridge, we have sensed since our inception in 2005 that God has a unique calling for us in the community of Willoughby and beyond.
Our heart is not to be a religious club, or a place that is focused on meeting the needs of the already committed, or cooking up new programs for people who share our values. On the contrary, our heart is for people who are far from God - to walk with them together as we take meaningful steps of faith and to see people who have come to know Jesus growing as disciples (followers / apprentices) in maturity and ministry.
Our theme for 2009 to move us in this direction will be “[GROW], [GROW], [GROW].”
This comes from the admonition to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:14-15a).
- Grow in the Grace of God.
• Learning how to receive grace from God.
• Regularly extending grace to one another.
• Living it out before a watching world.
- Grow in our Knowledge of God.
• Discipleship as a core reality. Learning to self-feed.
• Depth in spiritual friendships and small groups. Our goal is to see everyone connected with JRCC involved in small groups or transformative friendships.
• Developing and cultivating a biblical outlook or worldview.
• The image to keep in mind here is that different nutrients are required for different plants and different stages (and the same is true with spiritual maturity).
- Grow in Capacity.
• We will continue to examine our growing needs for physical space in 2009 - particularly office space - but also space for activities and perhaps a more permanent home for JRCC.
• Growth in the area of equipping each other and strengthing our teams.
• Growing our capacity for children’s ministry and student ministriesy. We will continue to examine and plan for current and future needs here in the church and the community.
As we move through 2009, we want to be people who plan for the future with faith and live with the confidence of knowing that whatever good we are able to accomplish, we will always remember that “all glory [goes] to God, both now and forever!” (2 Peter 3:18).
For more information on any of these items, please connect with Pastor Brad or a member of our elders team.
