Why does our church Exist?

Everyone needs a clear “why.” It's true of every person, family, system, or organization. A clear “why” is what helps you endure the dentist’s chair, lace up your shoes for exercise, or get out of bed when life is heavy. A “why” can strengthen you for anything.

What about our church? Why does Ridgewood exist?

Years ago, our elders spent months praying, asking, and wrestling with this very question: What’s Ridgewood’s why? Why did God put this church on the face of the earth?

We found our answer in a brilliant passage in Ephesians.

The Grand Vision Of Ephesians

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is packed with encouragement. Written from prison in Rome, Paul’s aim was to strengthen churches in and around Ephesus (modern-day Turkey). The book is rich, beautiful, and breathtaking in scope.

Right at the beginning, Paul erupts in praise. In one long sentence—over 200 Greek words—he piles truth upon truth about God’s plan in Christ. Listen to how he begins:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing…” (Eph. 1:3).

Notice the key phrase: in Christ. Paul uses it over 160 times in his letters. It’s not just Christ in us—it’s us in Christ. That’s the center of his gospel.

And here’s the stunning reality: if you’re in Christ, what’s true of Him becomes true of you. His righteousness, His life, His Spirit, His Father—all of it is ours in Him. Paul says we’ve been chosen, adopted, forgiven, and lavished with grace. Given every blessing of the Spirit in Him.

But then, in verse 10, Paul pulls back the curtain on the grand, mysterious plan of God, previously hidden but now made known. In Christ, He's unveiled his plan:

“…a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Eph. 1:10)

That’s it. The big reveal. The purpose of history. The destiny of creation. God’s plan is to sum up everything in Christ.

The Point of It ALL

The New Testament teaches that all things, all creation exists by Christ and for Christ. Redemption exists for Christ. History is moving towards its ultimate end in Christ.

Or to say it more simply: The point of it all has always been Jesus.

The mountains and microbes, lions and galaxies, your life and mine—it’s all destined to be brought under His headship.

And here’s the wild part: the church is at the center of this plan. Paul says in Ephesians 3:10 that God’s wisdom is made known “through the church.” Ordinary prayers, songs, meals, tears, reconciliations, and acts of hospitality are God’s chosen way of showing the universe the glory of Christ.

So Why Does Ridgewood Exist?

Our answer is simple: Ridgewood exists to make Jesus known.

We’re not inventing our own mission—we’re joining God’s. We’re stepping into the grain of reality itself, aligning ourselves with what God is doing in Christ to unite all things in Him. Ed Stetzer put it like this:

The church doesn’t have a mission; God’s mission has a church.

That means everything we do—opening our Bibles, teaching our children, setting up chairs, bearing burdens, praying together, eating together, evangelizing neighbors, baptizing new believers—comes back to one point: the glory of Jesus.

And it doesn’t stop in our own community. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said His followers would be His witnesses starting in Jerusalem and then to the ends of the earth. For us, that’s Greer to the nations. We make Him known here, but it doesn’t stay here.

How Do We Live This Out?

Two ways stand out.

First, we make Jesus known through church planting.
From the beginning, Ridgewood was planted by people who stepped out in faith. Now, we’re joining God’s work in sending out others, like Bridge City Church. Planting is risky, costly, and requires sacrifice—but it’s the natural outflow of our why.
Second, we make Jesus known through vibrant life together.
That means forgiveness, hospitality, generosity, warmth. It means overlapping lives, open tables, shared burdens, and one voice glorifying God. The church is a living organism, not a loose association of individuals.

These two—sending and staying—aren’t at odds. Deep roots give way to wide-reaching fruit. The healthier we are here, the more we can give ourselves away.

Join Us

So why do we exist? Why do we gather, sing, pray, and send? Why do we plant and why do we stay?

The answer is the same: the glory of Jesus.

That’s our why. And we’d love for you to join us in it—here in Greer, and to the ends of the earth.