Would This Be A Good Church?

[GraceSaved]

Would anyone mind looking at this church's website and let me know what you think?  Would you recommend it?  

 

Thanks. 

 

http://www.theridgecc.com/what-we-

[John81]

From what I read and from watching the video I know this wouldn't be my first choice for a church. Unless there were absolutely no other choices, I doubt I would consider this for a home church. I would visit the church, but unless I was greatly surprised by the preaching, I doubt this would be a church I would recommend.

 

Now, all this is said from only knowing a little which was gleaned from a short video and very short statements on their webpage (which I didn't care for their wording in many cases nor for the brevity). There may be more to this church, but from the website it seems like a rather modernistic, social club, entertainment, casual living style church.

[GraceSaved]

John:  What wording were you concerned with?  I want to re-read it and see what I missed.  Thanks.

[GraceSaved]

Also, which video did you look at?  I only saw online sermons but I didn't listen to any of them as of yet.     

[John81]

The video on the "What To Expect" page.

 

What I read was their "What We Believe" section, which is broke down into 7 small parts.

[GraceSaved]

What concerned you about the "What We Believe" section?

[John81]

Mainly it seemed very weak, too general.

[Miss Daisy]

First, it's called a "community" church. Everything about that "church" is all about the "community". New evangelisms key word. Seem to focus on relationship more between you and the "community" vs. your relationship with Jesus.

I agree with John81, everything description is way to brief. Way to short to include any doctrines to be wary of.

Also, there is the statement under Humanity, that says there is nothing we can do to re-establish our relationship with God. Sounds like Calvinism. 

[HappyChristian]

Actually, they are correct - there is nothing we can do on our own to re-establish a relationship with God.  If there were, it would be works, not calvinism.

 

Looking at the home page would cause me concern about the church. I realize that music is subjective, but worship teams usually indicate a church that has questionable music at the very least.  JMO.

[ThePilgrim]

Looks to me like the typical modern "lets go have fun" church.  Okay, I may be showing my age, but the pictures of the crew that runs the place give me a bad feeling.  The only mature looking guy in the bunch is the maintenance man.  While it is a good idea to have a mature individual to keep the building from falling apart, isnt it also important to have some mature individuals to keep the church from falling apart?  I think you can count it the services and "groups" to be hip and up to date.  Contemporariness shows on the faces of the staff.  Even the way their articles of faith are stated is an attempt to be contempory instead of "old fashioned".  In with the new - out with the old.  

 

Signed,

The Old Curmudgeon

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Listened to part of the sermon "That's Crazy!"

Preacher sounds contemporary.  Not preaching from King James Bible.

Said that no one was expecting God to dwell among them in the flesh.

Sorry, I disagree.  Isiah 9 gives the prophecy, and both Anna and Simeon anounced they baby Jesus as their long-expected Savior.

[Alimantado]

It's a rock concert! Gotta say, even if a church was ideal in every other way I'd struggle if it did worship in a darkened concert setting with an amplified band, stage lights and PAs etc, as depicted in the vid. Realise that's down to taste, though. :-)

[2bLikeJesus]

An entire "Statement of Faith" without a single solitary scripture reference.  The only scripture reference I could find on the entire website was at the end of this statement:

 

We believe that life-change happens best in community. Ridge Groups are a great place to take next steps with God no matter where you are at in your journey. When Jesus was given the mission of reaching the world with the message of His love and grace, Jesus modeled a life-changing strategy: he poured his life into a small group (his disciples).

The early church also provided a model of life-changing community – meeting and sharing together daily in the course of their everyday lives. "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Every day they continued to meet together... they broke bread in their homes and ate together... And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42, 44, 46-47

Acts 2:46-47 (KJV)
⁴⁶  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
⁴⁷  Praising God, and having favour with all the people.

 

The only scripture they felt important to mention on the site was about "having favour with all the people in the breaking of bread and feasting." A social, feel good church if I ever saw one.  

 

I go to a church to be fed, but that food is not from bread and meats but, but by the word of God.

Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
⁴  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 

Bro. Garry

[GraceSaved]

How about this one?  Never came across this when I searched before.

  

http://www.firstbaptistchurchoc.org/beliefs.htm

[HappyChristian]

Well, gotta say after a quick skim it looks good to me!  I read their youth information. The name at the end - Jerub Metham. If that is who works with the youth, I know him a little. I know  his brother better.  Jerub came here to college (as did his brother).