Who doesn't love a good year in review? I certainly enjoy seeing everyone's list of favorite books, music, memories, and moments from their year. I even love seeing your Spotify wrapped — though I still don't understand the Taylor Swift thing.

In the spirit of review, I wanted to offer some points of gratitude for how the Lord worked in our church over 2023.

1) Ministry at Ridgewood

2023 was our first full year in the building on Ridgewood Drive. We added 42 new members (!), baptized 14, launched new community groups (with plans to launch several more next year), and gave over $20,000 to missions.

Most notably, to me, however, was the launch of our Sunday night ministries back in January. This was a kind of experiment for us. Could we try some new ways of doing things and see how they go? The elders have been very encouraged by our two semesters of equip classes, RAs & GAs, and our student bible study. The excitement and investment in these ministries have just been so great to see (and, frankly, getting to volunteer with the RAs has been a blast).

2) Men of Ridgewood

Early one morning several months ago, I met one of our pastoral residents over coffee to discuss life and ministry plans. Midway through the conversation we looked up and spotted a Ridgewood guy. We offered a brief greeting, spoke for a few minutes, then let him go. A few minutes later, we spotted another, did the same thing, then continued our conversation. Then another Ridgewood guy came in. Then another. Then another. Over the course of the morning, we saw a dozen other Ridgewood men each coming in to meet with other Ridgewood men at that same coffee shop that very same morning. We couldn't help but laugh.

This was so encouraging to see; men taking the initiative to come together over God's word with other men! This year I have been absolutely blown away by the men of Ridgewood and their appetite for discipleship. From our Greenhouse residents to men who lead as elders to the men in the pews initiating with other men, we have been blessed with godly guys who want to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18). One sister said recently about our men, “you guys just make it so easy to follow your lead.” Praise the Lord!

3) Making Merry as Ridgewood

This could be a bit of recency bias speaking, but I was struck by how joyful this Advent & Christmas season was at Ridgewood. I always love this time of year, but this year felt unusually sweet. I loved singing of and celebrating Advent together, I loved getting to tell The True Story of the Whole World, (there's nothing better than getting to revel in the Second Coming on Christmas Eve), I loved our Christmas Eve service, and I personally loved celebrating with my family this year. My 10-year-old definitively pronounced on Christmas morning, “Best. Christmas. Ever.”

But part of what made this year's celebration so different was a sadness that seemed to hover over so many in our body. For whatever reason, we walked through an unusual number of hardships and disappointments with folks at our church this year. We could be tempted to be discouraged by that, to feel like our parties and treat trades were dampened by the sadness. But it actually seemed to make the season all the sweeter. Isn't that a perfect representation of what Christmas is, after all? The light coming into our darkness and the darkness not overcoming it (John 1:4). We are a people “sorrowful yet always rejoicing.”(2 Cor. 6:10) and Christmas is about the triumph of God's purposes over anything and everything the enemy intends for evil.

I was encouraged by the steadfastness displayed by the saints at Ridgewood to make merry even when things hurt this year.

Looking to 2024

As we look to a new year, I'm reminded of Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” We have lots of plans this year: our equip intensives, new community groups, and a discipleship weekend on gender & sexuality. I'm planning to cast vision for discipleship in 2024 next Sunday. We'll teach through 1 Peter over the spring. We're hopeful to expand the Greenhouse. We plan to do all this and more. But we know ultimately the future is in the hands of the Great Author, writing His story. We simply pray the Lord would continue to work in our midst as we labor to make Jesus known in 2024 and beyond.

The following is our prayer for Ridgewood this New Years Eve:

Father, Your Word tells us that Your steadfast love never ceases and Your mercy never comes to an end (Lam. 3:22). So many things end; relationships, lives, years. But not You. Neither Your love nor Your mercy. No, they follow us all the days of our lives (Psalm 23:6). Yours mercies are new every morning and every year! Great is your faithfulness. (Lam. 3:23)
As we reflect on 2023, we pray we would learn from mistakes, repent from sin, and continue to stumble upwards towards You. As we are tempted to fixate on regrets, give us deep rest in Your sovereign hand over our lives knowing that whatever happened this year is in accordance with Your good design for us. Help us fixate on neither yesterday nor tomorrow, but rather faithfulness today, as long as it's called today (Matt. 6:34).
Prepare us for the new year. Give us clarity on who You're calling us to be and the ministry You're calling us into. Give Ridgewood and her leaders wisdom Most of all, make us always people of hope, trusting in Your good, big, wise, sovereign care for us.
May we see and savor those newly minted daily, annual mercies. May Your faithfulness give us confidence to face whatever you have for us this upcoming year. May 2024 be filled with tasting and seeing your goodness in every area of our lives (Ps. 34:8). May Jesus be made known through us.
In the name of the Lord Jesus we pray, Amen.

Happy 2024, friends!

If you'd like to give to support the work of our church, you can do so here.