Every church has a philosophy of ministry (i.e. how to carry out your vision and purpose to Christians and not yet Christians) whether it is written or unwritten. So as you desire to get to know Sandy Ridge we wanted to share with you some key convictions and practices.

They are:

• People Over Programs
• 7 Over 1
• Belong before Believe Over Believe Before Belong
• Cultural Renewal Over Assimilation or Isolation
• Transformation Over Information
• Kingdom Focused Over “Us” Mentality
• Sacrifice Over Entitlement
• Christ-Center Community Over Affinity

People Over Programs

The idea is this: instead of having a strategic vision that focuses on programs, you have a strategic vision of a people-process - a pathway that takes people from where they are now, to where you want them to be. Yet to practice this is tough because in the 21st Century American church there is much pressure to buy in to a “menu philosophy approach” which is to have lots of programs and activities to satisfy the needs of the people who you want to come to church and those that already attend church. Topical studies, support groups, age-based ministries, specialize ministries were created so everyone could find something for them at their local church. Yet in most situations this programatic approach becomes difficult to maintain long-term and they have many things going on but since all churches are limited in time and resources some to many of them are not done well.

So at Sandy Ridge we want people to live and love more like Jesus by allowing Him to live His life through them, so the question becomes how can you how do you move people in their relationship with Jesus? And simply, meeting felt needs won’t do that. They may feel like it does for days or weeks or months but Jesus is after transformation, not information or emotional experiences. So Sandy Ridge is not against programs but we want our few programs that we do have to move people to a growing relationship with God through Jesus. So people living and loving more like Jesus is our end goal/target and not having lots of programs and activities.

For example, Jesus’ commands all Christians to make disciples. And there are many paths a church can take to accomplish this yet the leadership team at Sandy Ridge concluded that discipleship happens most naturally in the context of meaningful relationships. And these relationships are most likely to develop through the dynamic of an active small group. We are not suggesting that a small group is the only place for discipleship or if you particpate then you are guaranteed to grow and be transformed. It just seems that discipleship happens when like-minded people who partner together to practice the presence, power, and purpose of Jesus Christ here on earth. Now Sandy Ridge nor any other church can force people to grow relationally with other people, force them to connect and live out all the “one another commands” that are found in the Bible. The only thing we can do is to create environments that will faciliate that process of seeing people move to where they need to be. That is why we invest more of our time and resources in these ongoing gatherings vs. one-time events or big events. For example, our main thrust of serving our community is through our community groups even though a few times a year we will have a churchwide service project day (i.e. Sandy Pride Day or once a year we have church by serving in the community to highlight the reality that serving God is just as much worship as singing or hearing God’s Word being taught or communion that would happen in a traditional church service).

7 Over 1

We believe that 7 days of the week have more potential than just one. Far too many people describe church as a service they attend or a building that they visit. We long for God’s One church (Sandy Ridge is just one of the many locations here in Utah) to have an incarnational impact (theological word for being Jesus’ hands and feet) on our family and community every day of the week. Our prayer is that the city rejoices over our presence and partnership in bringing renewal and restoration. One day is good but seven days are better. Sandy Ridge is committed to being the church seven days a week in our homes, offices, and neighborhoods rather than something to do one day a week. Imagine a church being known for what it does seven days a week than just one day a week. That is how you change a community. 7 is greater than 1.

Belong Before Believe over Believe before Belong

At Sandy Ridge, we believe a healthy church is a place where seekers, skeptics, whoever can find this a safe place to ask questions, work out what they really believe as they seek to know Truth. This may take weeks, months, or years. For many people in our culture will want to join a community before affirming the beliefs of that faith community and through their involvement in that community that is what God uses to transforms their whole lives to Jesus. This is in contrast that some churches set up fences that unless a person can subscribe to a certain beliefs, they are not welcomed.

Practically speaking, belonging at Sandy Ridge means one can participate in a community group, serve in several capacities, depending on the purpose go on short-term missions trips while still working out what they really believe. At the same time, through relationships and messages they will be challenged to give themselves fully and without hesitation to Jesus, to embrace His terms. We see this modeled by the life of Jesus where He invited thousands of people into the community of Jesus and once they joined the community, He challenged them to not just be part of the community but to commit themselves to Him (see John 6:26-29, 43, 53, 66).

So creating a sense of belonging is important, but at some point to become a child of God one has to believe. So we don’t downplay belief at all for it is essential yet by having this practice in our philosophy of ministry we want to love and welcome people who are not like us in beliefs or lifestyles into the broad community of Sandy Ridge.

Cultural Renewal over Assimilation or Isolation

How does a Christian live in a city that is so filled with all kinds of people with differing values, beliefs, lifestyles, and worldviews? How do they respond in a way that reflects God’s heart and vision? This question gets at the heart of one’s view of culture. Every Christian has one and it can be avoid the culture altogether or let’s only use the culture to make our lives better, safe, and more comfortable. In other words, the city is there to benefit me and my family. Others just assimilated to the culture for social, political, economic reasons. Others confronted the culture telling it how bad it is. Yet others believe many of the aspects of culture ought to be redeemed and renewed despite how likely it would be because that reflected God’s vision and heart. Historically, there has been Christians who have adopted all of these approaches. The confusion and disagreements came over the usages of the word “world.” On one hand, the Bible warns against in 1 John 2:15 “do not love the world.” Yet on the other hand, God has created the world and deemed it at one time “good” (Genesis 1). And John 3:16 says, God loves the world. How do these two apparent conflicting ideas go together? Can they go together?

We believe at Sandy Ridge without any hesitation that they both of them reflect God’s heart. God doesn’t want His people to embrace thinking and ways of living that stand in opposition to the kingdom of God. Yet God also wants His One Church to be the hope of the world, to be the hope of a city. The church was created to be the people of God to join God in His redemptive mission in the world. The church was never intended to exist for itself. This leads to cultural renewal or as some in the Christian church say, “community transformation.”

One key place where we see God’s heart for His people to renew the city is in Jeremiah 29 where God tells His people to go into a wicked city in every aspect and seek the peace of the city. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom and means total well-being, total flourishment in every way. That would include relationally, physically, politically, economically, and spiritually. This is astounding, how can this be that God would want us to root for a wicked city filled with false teaching, ungodly systems and governments? The answer in God’s authoritative letter through the prophet Jeremiah calls His people to serve the city for the sake of seeing an alternate city of God growing and developing in the earthly city in which they live.

If that is a bit confusing or new then we need to understand God’s theology of the city which God contrasted through the Old Testament by two types of cities: the city of God and the city of man. In Isaiah 26 the city of God is called the strong city and the city of man is called the lofty city. Psalm 48 and 87 talks of the city of God like a holy mountain. Other times like in the Micah or Zechariah the city of God is referred to Zion and the city of man as Babylon. The city of man can be characterized by pride, power, trying to make a name for yourself and therefore a by-product of this city is exhaustion. People are so tired by striving for money, love, power, recognition so that they can feel good about themselves. Another way to describe the city man is: the city and others are there to benefit me and my family. The city, it’s structures, systems; people are just to be used to further your own agenda and desires. Yet the heavenly city, the city of God, operates on shalom not pride. God’s grace not human efforts. Joy not exhaustion. People in the city of God look to give not to get because you already know who you are in relationship to Your Creator. The city of God can be put this way: my life is to serve you and the city. Jesus affirms this when He tells His followers in Matthew 5 that they are the city of God on a hill. So Jesus is saying what God said to the Jews that the city of God isn’t future or a geographical place but that every city that His people dwell in it actually has 2 cities within it: the city of man and the city of God.

So if you are here and profess to know Jesus, then you are called to seek the shalom of the city in prayer as well as serve the city. And we can serve and pray for the city for many different motives like I want to feel good or better, I want to show my kids that serving is important; I want to serve so that more people will come to my church. But none of that ought to be our true motive but rather for the sake of the city of God being made more visible in the earthly city in which you reside. And don’t think as your pray and serve the city that you don’t need the prayers and accountability of others because there will always be that temptation to lose your distinction and be assimilated or just serve the city for your sake or the sake of your tribe.

Transformation Over Information

The quote that says, “It is not what you believe that counts; it is what you believe enough to do” communicates this idea of transformation over information which actually goes right along with what James says in Chapter 1 about being a doer not a hearer. The goal of the Christian life is not knowledge but action. It is allowing Jesus to live His life in and through you by the power of the Holy Spirit. That will result in a changing life which is transformation. So if a Christian is studying the Bible, has knowledge of God, but they or others cannot see life-change then they are just being informed. They just have information. In fact, they may have more of a relationship with a set of beliefs (albeit the right and true beliefs) than with the person of Jesus Christ. And some may not even have a relationship with God through Jesus is there is no sustained transformation going on.

Philippians 1:9-11 is a great example of this ministry practice. Paul prays for the church of Philippi and he begins with love and not knowledge. I think for many Christians we want to start off experiencing God with knowledge. If we only knew more then I would make better and wiser decisions, if I only knew more then I would be a better spouse, parent, friend, employee, or Christian. So what I need is a class to take, a Bible study to attend, a book to read to build up my information and knowledge in a particular topic and then as I grow this knowledge then somehow I will be changed, but Paul in this God inspired prayer says no it begins with love. But it’s not a love that’s all warm and fuzzy. Actually, it is a love that is built on this relational knowledge of God that is applied to your life. And this growing love, rooted in a relationship with God, leads to greater knowledge of who God is and leads to depth of insight or some English translation say discernment which in the Greek communicates a moral compass to navigate through all the fears we face and the pulling influences that leads us away from following Jesus wholeheartedly. Paul knew and maybe you know this already is that believing in information no matter how much it is true doesn’t change us. We need the Holy Spirit to take that true information and apply it to our lives.

Here at Sandy Ridge we realize just listening to messages, going to community groups, reading your Bible, etc will absorb the right information but that doesn’t mean they are growing. How much information you know cannot be a measurement of spiritual maturity and formation. Rather transformation is what it is all about. And why this is so important to keep at the forefront of our lives is that if we are not continually being personally transformed then others will not see God at work in us.

Kingdom Focused Over "Us" Mentality

Salt Lake City will not be changed by any single congregation or denomination or leader. Instead, it will be redeemed and renewed when God’s people band together in prayer, serving, giving, fasting for the community persistently. This practice/conviction understands that unity of the larger body is essential in seeing more people come to know Jesus in the community. In fact, Jesus prayed this in John 17 when He said in v. 21, “may they all be one as You are in Me and I am in You so that they world may believe that You have sent Me.” And the result of biblical unity isn’t just individual people coming to Jesus but God’s favor and blessings being poured out on the rest of the community in areas of education, politics, economics, marriages, parents, reduction of crime and homelessness, etc. People will see themselves, their local church as apart of a larger kingdom family.

Practically speaking, how this gets played out is when a person/family has a need that Sandy Ridge is not meeting then they will not think I need to leave and find a church that meets that need but will go to the larger body of Christ to meet that particular need. There is beauty in that. Another way this gets played out is every year there are certain events where churches gather together to pray, praise God through singing, volunteer for an event that churches come together to carry out, or fight for injustice. Those are the times when we see that as a priority to come and participate.

Sacrifice Over Entitlement

A deep and pervasive sense of entitlement exists in much of the Christian community. Those who have such an attitude, though they might not articulate it, assume that the church exists merely to meet their own or family needs. Therefore, the church that caters to such an ideology is forced to create all different kinds of programs to meet those ever-changing desires. A person or family might be happy for years but as soon as they or a family member grows into a different stage of life which has different needs then they expect that local church to provide it. If not, then they will leave. This happens all the time today.

Yet the Bible teaches not that the church exists to meet your needs, but rather that you exist to meet the needs of others. A heart of humility does not say “meet my needs,” but instead “do not cater to me. I am here to serve” attitude. In the end, the greatest need, felt or not, is for the gospel of Jesus Christ. And a community of people who embrace this practice/conviction between each other experience a partnership. In fact, Paul commends the Philippian Church (see Phil. 1:4-5) for this where as other churches like the Corinthian church definitely could not. Chapter 12 of Paul’s first letter definitely stressed the idea that God saves you to be apart of a larger family. Certainly we at Sandy Ridge recognize the legitimacy of needs and are here to serve those in need, but an attitude of entitlement, consumerism, self-serving definitely is at odds with true biblical service.

Christ-Centered Community Over Affinity

What is Community? A key question that has many different answers as a result of people’s expectations. Even among Christians there are different answers. Some view it to be a bible study, prayer group, serving together, find a friend as some of the varying answers. Yet biblical community is a partnership between other like-minded Jesus followers that practices the presence, power, and purpose of Jesus Christ. So the common attitude of I need to find people that are like me/my family and have the same interests is not Christ-centered community. Practically speaking, this looks like finding someone who like to run, golf, fish, shop, have play dates with kids of close age, etc that just so happens to be a Christian as well. This is called affinity.

Now experiencing affinity is not wrong but it is not Christ-centered community. Jesus did not die so that we could have affinity with other people. He didn’t die so that we could have a ‘hang out buddy who just so happens to profess to know Jesus as well.’ He didn’t die so that we would have friends that we could call and say can you pray for me w/o them exploring our motives or is the request even legitimate. Jesus died so that He Himself, His presence would not only be the focus but be the power in which we experience life in community. After all, Galatians 3:28 simply says, “Whether you are Jew or Greek, salve or free, male or female – you are all one in Christ.” And just to make sure you understand what Paul is saying we could safely say single or married, kids or no kids, young or old, white or black, sports lover or sports hater, Neil Diamond fans or U2 fans – you are all one in Jesus. So the truth that Paul is reminding Christians of is biblical community is looking at another person and saying to them, “It appears we do not have much in common, except we have and want to know Christ more, and that is what is going to unite us in the deepest way”.

And the solution is not to find people who have similar interest and then add bible study, prayer, service – all great things that ought to be apart of Christ-centered community but that doesn’t guarantee people will experience biblical community. After all, you can pray for other people w/o sharing what you are really struggling with by just sharing prayer requests of your kids, family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors or by sharing general prayer requests of wisdom for a decision or patience for a certain situation. Likewise you can study the Bible together without intersecting His truth with your life by sharing how what God is teaching you is actually being implemented into your beliefs, decisions, behavior. Likewise you can serve with others without sharing how those experiences impacted you. The question we must answer is: are we going to let human experience and schedule determine my participation in Christ-centered community? OR will I let God’s divine instruction dictate my schedule, relationships, actions and behaviors?