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| Children's time during the service. |
Worship is a vital part of the Communal life at Ridgecrest. When we gather on Sunday morning (or at other special times), we are in the presence of God. Our purpose is to give God our glory and praise.
Worship is a blend of contemporary and traditional. We begin our service with somewhat modern praise choruses, but we also sing the old time favorite hymns. We do some readings (both responsive and in unison), while other parts of the service are very laid back and informal.
Overall, the service has a feeling of comfort. If you join us as a visitor, you will feel right at home.
We celebrate Communion each month at Ridgecrest. Usually, it is on the 2nd Sunday of each month--but not always! There are many issues that relate to Communion--below are a few of them.
Who is welcome at Communion? In the United Methodist Church, everyone is welcome at the Lord's Table. No one is refused the elements based on age, church membership, race, sexual preference or any other factor.
What about children? Yes, children are welcome. All we ask is that the parent talk to the child about the significance of the event and explain its symbolic nature.
How do you celebrate Communion? Normally, celebrants come to the rail and kneel to receive the elements. On special occasions (Christmas Eve, for example) we do use intinction (where you take a piece of bread and dip it into the cup). Persons who need special assistance will be served in their pew.
What kinds of elements do you use? We use grape juice and bread. The juice is given in small cups for you to drink from and the bread is cut into small pieces for you to take.
What do you believe about Communion? We believe that Communion is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. In other words, communion is a symbolic act--while it is also a means of receiving God's grace. We do not believe that the elements are literally the body and blood of Jesus Christ. But we do believe that when we partake of the table, we are taking Christ into us in a spiritual way--thus, we receive His grace.
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| Rev. Jim Hill Sharing Joys and Concerns. |
The sermons at Ridgecrest are great opportunities to learn about God's work in the world. Reverend Hill does a great job relating things of today with the scriptures and circumstances within God's Word. His teachings are very moderate in belief structure, so whichever side of the fence you find yourself on, you will appreciate Jim's messages.
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| Travis Mullins (Piano), Sherri Alley (Organ), and Reid Mullins (Directing) |
Our music ministries are some of the best in Oklahoma City. Our Choir is very strong and Dr. Travis Mullins does a great job in leading them. The music they perform is always very powerful. Reid Mullins, our Praise leader also writes some of the best Christian music around. It is always a blessing to listen to him sing praises to God during the offertory, or at other special times. Our accompanist, Sherri Alley, is a music teacher in the Oklahoma City area, and has been teaching kids how to play the piano and to read music for a very long time. She works very hard each Sunday to help our choir make beautiful music.
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| The Choral Anthem. |
Cantatas are very important here at Ridgecrest, and Dr. Mullins has directed over 50. These are a big part of the Christmas and Easter seasons. Usually our cantata Sundays are our services with the highest attendance.
We also have the Joyful Noise Children's Choir. This is made up of some of the youngest members of our church, and it is always a special treat when they sing. It is led by Pastor Hill, and they sing about once a month during the worship service. They sing the most recently written praise choruses and they are just adorable.