This week's sermon:
"The Meaning of the Magi"
Matthew 2:1-12
Rev. Russ Boyd preaching
This Sunday we celebrate Epiphany, the church's observance of the magi bringing gifts for the Christ child some time after his birth. We actually know very little about these mysterious visitors, though church traditions have attempted to fill in some of the blanks over the years. So what exactly does their appearance mean? Find out this Sunday as we celebrate their arrival!
Click here for a preview of Sunday's worship bulletin
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Christmas Clean Up
Saturday, January 8 at 10:00 am
The shepherds have returned to the fields, the magi have headed home, and it's time for us to clean up our Christmas decorations as we prepare to follow the living Christ! Many hands will make the work go fast (and be more fun!) so come join us! We will have donuts, sausage rolls, and Starbucks coffee to brighten your morning.
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Church COVID Precautions for Omicron
As the spread of COVID-19 in our community increases dramatically due to the omicron variant, we remember that our calling as Christians is to love our neighbors and care for the sick. In order to do that we will continue doing what we have done throughout the pandemic: help the most vulnerable among us and do our part to reduce the pressure on our healthcare workers.
This past week, our church's staff and lay leaders evaluated our programs to determine what changes or additional safety precautions might be appropriate. Based on that discussion, they reached a consensus on several updates, considerations, and encouragement for our church community. Click here to read a detailed summary in a letter from our Senior Minister, Rev. Russ Boyd, sent on December 31.
Remember: If you feel sick, have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID, or have vulnerable people in your home or in your care, we encourage you to stay connected by worshipping virtually.
Thank you for always choosing to live out your faith by doing whatever you can to love your neighbors!
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Reverse Advent Boxes
Thanks to everyone who collected items for WestAid Pantry with a Purpose during Advent and brought them as your gift to the Christ child on Christmas Eve! Gerald, Russ, Alex, and Allison delivered them to WestAid yesterday and the food will be shared with our neighbors next week. Thank you for following Jesus' call to feed our neighbors!
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Angel Tree
Church! Thanks to you we were able to personally sponsor 25 newly-arrived refugee kids with gifts, clothes, and school supplies for the holidays! Thanks to you, our church was able to be the base site to get gifts wrapped and delivered for 197 refugee kids! Thank you for helping us to follow the biblical call to welcome the stranger and love our neighbors!
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Youth Group Returns
Sunday January 16
4:00-5:30 pm
Happy New Year, Ridglea Youth! Save the date for Sunday, January 16 when we are kicking off the new year of youth group with messy games and art. Come in clothes you can get dirty and get ready for great fun!
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Camp Winter Retreats
Save the date for these winter retreats at
Disciples Crossing Church Camp
DC Kids Mid-Winter Retreat
1st-5th grade
Friday, January 28, 8 PM - Sunday, January 30 11 AM
DC Middle School Mid-Winter Retreat
6th-8th grade
Friday, February 4, 8 PM - Sunday, February 6, 11 AM
DC High School Mid-Winter Retreat
9th-12th grade
Friday, February 18, 8 PM - Sunday, February 20, 11 AM
Go to www.disciplescrossing.org to learn more and register. When you register, click "invoice Ridglea Christian Church" and we will help cover a portion of your costs through the Pointer Scholarship Fund.
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Throughout the pandemic our mission as a church has been to love God and love our neighbors in ways that keep each other safe. This has led us to learn how to be the church and worship in ways that we would have never imagined two years ago. We have learned that God is everywhere, and that nothing can stop us from sharing God's love!
Our Leadership Team met in late July to discuss updates to our current policies and precautions due to rising COVID numbers in our community. The group determined that while our current precautions are still appropriate, we should encourage people to carefully consider if participating in worship, classes, and meetings via our online options is a better choice - particularly for those who share a home or have regular close contact with individuals who are not vaccinated. To help everyone think through their options for participating in church life, we have put together a consolidated list of our current policies and precautions, as well as our online opportunities for participation.
Click here to read a summary of our current COVID precautions and online options
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Wednesday, January 12 at 7:00 pm on Zoom
So far over 30 people have been participating in a book study with our friends from Community Christian Church and South Hills Christian Church! Every other Wednesday we gather on Zoom and then split into breakout groups of 5-6 participants to discuss a chapter of the book Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation. After a break for the holidays, our next meeting will be on Wednesday, January 12 at 7:00 pm, and the pastors of the three churches discuss the reading for the week and share it as a podcast by the Monday before the meeting. On January 12 we will be discussing chapter 8. If you'd like to jump in and join the conversation, use the link below to log into the next Zoom meeting:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81658261772?pwd=N2wyM1hzdHM0YWI3SnpNZXl4MjZ3Zz09
Meeting ID: 816 5826 1772
Passcode: bridge
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The Open Door Sunday School Class is studying Bible passages related to the theme "Celebrating God" every Sunday morning at 10:00 am. All are welcome!
If you would like to join the class online via Zoom, please call the church at 817-738-0612 and let us know any time before 9:30 am on Sunday morning so that we can set up the Zoom meeting.
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88956846059?pwd=WXducitUV01JY1g4YlpRbG9wWlhuUT09
Meeting ID: 889 5684 6059
Passcode: opendoor
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The Work of Christmas
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.
- Howard Thurman
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