The Ridge Community Church

In todays episode, we are joined the Greenfield Worship Pastor at The Ridge, Evan Schwartz and his wife Carrie. This conversation is going to be a two part episode. During the first half of the conversation Evan and Carrie share their story of how they got to The Ridge and how they knew God was calling them to come here. 

Week 2 of our "Lost Cause" series.

Mark & Donna Weigt share their journey of struggling to have biological children and deciding to adopt. They discuss how they walk couples through the process, advice for how to communicate well, and more.

Week 1 of our "Lost Cause" series.

Week 5 of "The Struggle is Real" series.

Week 4 of "The Struggle Is Real" series.

Week 3 of "The Struggle Is Real " series.

LPC Ryan Worley joins the podcast to talk about shame. In part one, he shares what shame is, how its different from guilt, and how it can affect us.

Week 2 of "The Struggle Is Real" series.

Week 1 of "The Struggle Is Real" series.

The Care Pastor at The Ridge, Dave Dodge, joins the podcast to share why its important to pray for others how to start doing it.

The message from "Easter at the Ridge 2023."

Week 7 of our "Against the Grain" series.

Ridge Kids Directors, Amanda Zins at our Oak Creek Franklin Campus and Victor Vilar at our Greenfield campus. Chat about making unpopular parenting choices, feeling the pressure to make certain decisions as a parent, and how to talk to your kids about a rule that may be different from another families.

Week 6 of our "Against the Grain" series.

Tyler Volkers is one of our pastors on staff at The Ridge. Whether its from his time in student ministry, his time as Ridge Families Director, to lots of premarital counseling he has done for couples, he has had a lot conversations with couples in all different stages of their relationships. In today's episode he shares some of the most common issues that he has seen in romantic relationships.

Week 5 of our "Against the Grain" series.

Oak Creek - Franklin Campus Pastor Forrest Anderson joins the podcast to talk about leadership and how his view on leadership has shifted over time.

Week 4 of our "Against the Grain" series. 

Week 3 of our "Against the Grain" series.

Week 2 of our "Against the Grain" series.

Week 1 of our “Against the Grain” series.

The lead pastor of The Ridge, Mark Weigt, joins the podcast to talk about culture, how it affects us, and more!

A special "Super Showdown" message.

Week 5 of our "Rewire" series.

Week 4 of our "Rewire" series.

Week 3 of our "Rewire" series.

Licensed Professional Counselor Amber Wirth joins the podcast for part 2 of her conversation with John. In this half of the conversation she shares some helpful practices when talking with anyone going through a mental health challenge, including a partner.

Week 2 of our "Rewire" series.

Week 1 of our "Rewire" series.

The Serenity prayer is often used in 12 step programs and recovery groups, but it can help anyone. Jeff Petersen joins the podcast to share how he has seen its impact in the lives of others and how the work of recovery isn't just for those with an addiction.

A message from Mark to kick off the new year.

The message from "Christmas at the Ridge" service.

Week 3 of our “It Is Well” series.

You've been encouraged to invite someone to Christmas Eve Service, but you are not really sure how to do it? Forrest Anderson shares some helpful and practical tips that have helped him.  

For invites to Christmas, visit theridgecc.com/christmas

Week 2 of our "It Is Well" series.

Week 1 of our "It Is Well" series.

Week 4 of our “Live Big” series.

Week 3 of our "Live Big" series.  We hear from special guest, Pastor Oleg.

Week 2 of "Live Big" series.

The mission of Safe Families Wisconsin is to protect children from potential neglect or abuse arising from a crisis, by providing them with a safe, stable, temporary home and reuniting the family as quickly as possible when the crisis is resolved. They are one of The Ridge’s local partners. Laura Leigh is the Milwaukee Area Director and she joins Nate and John to share what Safe Families is all about, the work they do in keeping families together, and what her experience has been like as a safe family host.

For more about Live Big go to theridgecc.com/livebig

For more about Safe Families visit safefamilieswi.org

Week 1 of our "Live Big 2022" series.

Week 3 of “How to Pray” series.

Week 2 of our "How to Pray" series.

Week 1 of "How to Pray" series.

Week 6 of "The Great Disconnect" series.

Week 5 of "The Great Disconnect" series.

Week 4 of "The Great Disconnect" series.

How do we take steps to get healthy? Tyler shares practical things you can do today!

Week 3 of "The Great Disconnect" series.

Week 2 of "The Great Disconnect" series.

There are a lot of opinions when it comes to politics and it is easy to lose sight of what's most important. In this special message, Mark shares how we can interact with politics in a more impactful way.   Make sure to subscribe to this channel so that you don't miss any of the hopeful and helpful content we release every week..

In a special conversation on The Ridge Podcast, Mark talks about sending kids to college, the importance of reflection, & wrestling tough faith questions.

Week 1 of "The Great Disconnect" series.

Week 4 of "The Most Important Thing" series.

Week 3 of "The Most Important Thing" series.

Week 2 of "The Most Important Thing" series.

Ben Pape is a physical therapist and Ridge attender and over the last year or so has really taken a deep dive into personal growth and development. Our conversation really focuses on the types of habits that Ben has added to help him grow, why this has made an impact in his life, and how he reflects on the things he learns to put them into practice.

Week 1 of our "The Most Important Thing" series.

We all have some rather strange questions about faith and spirituality. Like What happens after we die? Are we living in the end times? Are demogorgons real? Okay, maybe not that last one, but these are fascinating topics we all think about from time to time, so we're bringing back a revamped series favorite to our online community called Strange Things, and we hope you can join us! This is a YouTube and podcast only series during our In-person series, At the Movies 2022.

In the final week of Strange Things, guest speaker John Burke discusses near death experiences and the question what happens when you die?

We all have some rather strange questions about faith and spirituality. Like What happens after we die? Are we living in the end times? Are demogorgons real? Okay, maybe not that last one, but these are fascinating topics we all think about from time to time, so we're bringing back a revamped series favorite to our online community called Strange Things, and we hope you can join us! This is a YouTube and podcast only series during our In-person series, At the Movies 2022.

In week three Mark Weigt talks about the question are we living in the end times?

We all have some rather strange questions about faith and spirituality. Like What happens after we die? Are we living in the end times? Are demogorgons real? Okay, maybe not that last one, but these are fascinating topics we all think about from time to time, so we're bringing back a revamped series favorite to our online community called Strange Things, and we hope you can join us! This is a YouTube and podcast only series during our In-person series, At the Movies 2022.

In week two Tyler Volkers shares a message about the spiritual world.

How do you know if you can trust a church? What are helpful things to look for in a church? How do I begin to heal if a church has hurt me in the past? Tyler Volkers, the Online Campus Pastor of the Ridge joins the podcast to talk about these questions and more!

We all have some rather strange questions about faith and spirituality. Like What happens after we die? Are we living in the end times? Are demogorgons real? Okay, maybe not that last one, but these are fascinating topics we all think about from time to time, so we're bringing back a revamped series favorite to our online community called Strange Things, and we hope you can join us! This is a YouTube and podcast only series during our In-person series, At the Movies 2022.

In week one Tyler Volkers shares the thing about the story of Jesus that you would never expect.

Week 2 of our "Ambushed" series.

Week 1 of our "Ambushed" series.

A special message from Mark Weigt for Father's Day.

Week 4 of our "5 Ways to Love Your Neighbor" series.

The Chief Storyteller at Canvas Creative, Kyle Zehr, joins the podcast to talk about helping people tell their stories. Kyle and John talk about some of the most impactful stories that he has gotten to tell, how he helps people think through their stories, and you can share your story with others.

Week 3 of our "5 Ways to Love Your Neighbor" series.

Week 2 of our "5 Ways to Love Your Neighbor" series.

How do I make decisions that I won’t regret? How can I be more honest with myself? Tyler, Online Campus Pastor and Family Ministry Director, joins the podcast to have a discussion about wise decision making.

Week 1 of our "5 Ways To Love Your Neighbor" series.

Why is forgiveness important and how do we do it? Samantha Weber joins the podcast to share how she learned to forgive someone who had hurt her deeply. Samantha and John chat about how this has helped her life, what she has realized about forgiveness, and practical things that you can do to forgive someone in your life.

Week 4 of our "Detours" series.

Erin Nevicosi joins the podcast to talk with John about how our perspective affects our life. They chat about why its important, how we can practically take steps to see challenges as opportunities and more.

Week 3 of our "Detours" series. 

What is depression? How can you tell if you or a loved one may have depression? How can you address it? John and Mike, a Licensed Profession Counselor, have a conversation about depression that centers on these questions and more.

Week 2 of our "Detours" series. 

Week 1 of our "Detours" series.

The lead Pastor of The Ridge, Mark Weigt, joins the podcast to have a conversation about investing in people to help them find Jesus. Mark and John chat about how you can help someone become open to change in their life. Mark shares about burping the baby (listen to find out), when to be patient vs when to challenge someone, and how to share your story in a way that helps.

The message from "Easter at the Ridge."

Ridge Kids Director Victor Vilar joins the podcast to talk about praying in front of others, praying with your significant other, and how to teach your kids how to pray.

Week 8 of our "Here and Now" series.

Today, we have a conversation for you with Peter and Colleen Kraker. They have been married for 46 years, and have so much wisdom to share. In our conversation they are going to share what they would tell the NewlyWed Version of themselves, skills that help can your marriage that they have had to work on, and how to help resolve conflict.

Week 7 of our "Here and Now" series.  Text JESUS to 414-509-0339

Week 6 of our "Here and Now" series.

Week 5 of our "Here and Now" series.

Week 4 of our "Here and Now" series. 

Week 3 of our "Here and Now" series.

Tim Eger leads the Financial peace University course at The Ridge and he joins the podcast to share how we can have healthier money habits. In todays conversation he is going to continue sharing some general guidelines that he has taken to heart, misconceptions around money habits, and just for fun, his favorite way to cook chicken.

Week 2 of our "Here and Now" series.

Tim Eger leads the Financial peace University course at The Ridge and he joins the podcast to share how we can have healthier money habits.

Week 1 of our "Here and Now" series.

In part 2 of her conversation with John, Jodi shares what she has learned from over 20 thousand interviews during her time as a journalist.

a special message from Mark Weigt. 

Week 5 of our "How To Love Your Life" series.

This weeks episode was recorded on Twitter Spaces where Mark, Tyler, & John chatted about the series How to Love Your Life. Mark and Tyler share about why this is so important, how they deal with the challenges that come with trying to slow down, and what they wish they had more time to talk about in the series. 

What's your favorite song lyric? How do lyrics help us connect better with God? Nate is the Arts Director at The Ridge and he shares his thoughts!

Week 3 of our "How To Love Your Life" series.

Why should your family have goals? How do you make goals as a family? What types of goals are there? Here is a conversation with Shelby Bierwagen (Ridge Students Director) and Victor Vilar (Ridge Kids Director).

Week 2 of our "How To Love Your Life" series. 

Why should your family have goals? How do you make goals as a family? What types of goals are there? Here is a conversation with Shelby Bierwagen (Ridge Students Director) and Victor Vilar (Ridge Kids Director).

Week 1 of our “How To Love Your Life” series.

Joel De Witt and John have a conversation about anger. Joel is licensed professional counselor who has spent many years working in correctional facilities as a counselor for inmates. He brings a unique voice to the conversation and we talk about how to know if your anger is unhealthy, different anger styles, how to handle your anger in the appropriate way and more.

The message from "First Things First."

The message from "Christmas at the Ridge" service.

Molly is a college student who is on staff at the Ridge working with our online campus. She has a close group of friends that has made it a priority to stay connected. We talk about how they use digital things to stay connected, her perspective as someone in Gen Z, what it's like to be a digital native and more. 

Week 2 of our "Classic Christmas" series.

During Christmas Time, people are significantly more open to an invite to come to church service. So, Forrest and John chat about Christmas, how to invite someone to church, and why Christmas is a great time to do it. And for those of you who love food, we also talk about what Forrest will be cooking for Christmas dinner.

Week 1 of our "Classic Christmas" series.

Week 4 of our "Live Big" series.

Week 3 of our "Live Big" series.

Week 2 of our “Live Big” series.

Victor Vilar is the Kids Director at The Ridge. He and John have a conversation about how parents can help their children become generous and compassionate. Victor shares some really good insight into why this is important, how to help your kids become generous, practical questions to ask your kids, and more.

Week 1 of our "Live Big" series.

Week 5 of our "Hot Topics" series.

We asked for questions and you delivered! In part 2, Mark and John talk about how you can determine whether something is a sin or not, what the bible is useful for, and miracles.

Week 4 of our "Hot Topics" series.

Week 3 of our "Hot Topics" series.

Week 2 of our "Hot Topics" series.

Week 1 of our "Hot Topics" series. 

Week 4 of our "Reboot" series.

Mike and Ashley Vander Molen are a couple who joined a Ridge Group and made faith building friends. They shared with John their hesitations about joining a group, the difference it has made in their lives, and their advice if you are considering joining a small group.

Week 3 of our "Reboot" series.

Week 2 of our "Reboot" series.

Tyler is the Executive Director of Ministries and Online Campus Pastor at The Ridge. He and John have a conversation about one of the big misconceptions about God and how it might affect some of our life decisions.

Week 1 of our "Reboot" series. 

Lisa Zwagerman is a professional counselor and therapist that helps kids, students, and adults improve their mental health. She has a first hand look at trends developing in mental health and the types of tools and behaviors that can set kids and students up for success. In part 2 of their conversation, Lisa and John have a conversation about how to healthier thought processes and then Lisa answers some listener questions like how to prepare your child with anxiety for school.

Week 3 of our "You Know What They Say" series.

Lisa Zwagerman is a professional counselor and therapist that helps kids, students, and adults improve their mental health. She has a first hand look at trends developing in mental health and the types of tools and behaviors that can set kids and students up for success. Lisa and John have a conversation about some of those trends, daily habits that affect mental health, how to have weekly check-ins that reveal where a kid or student’s mental health is trending, and what parents can do about it.

Week 2 of our "You Know What They Say" series.

Week 1 of our "You Know What They Say" series.

Kelly Eger is the Director of Compassion at The Ridge and leads our Global Missions strategy. In this conversation about mission trips, she shares on the importance of relationships in missions, breaking poverty cycles, and more.

You can contact Kelly via email at keger@theridgecc.com.

This week we have a really fun conversation about music for you. Specifically, music that helps you connect with God whether that is during a church service or throughout the week. Felicia and Nate, who help make the Music at the Ridge happen, share some thoughts on music. In Part 2 we talk about why it's called worship, being a first time visitor in a music experience, and how we pick songs at the Ridge.

This week we have a really fun conversation about music for you. Specifically, music that helps you connect with God whether that is during a church service or throughout the week. Felicia and Nate, who help make the Music at the Ridge happen, share some thoughts on music. We talk about what you can do to better connect with God through music, whether that’s something you’ve never really experienced before or if it comes really natural to you.

Erin manages a lot of the social media at the Ridge and has been active through blogs, posts and many other social media channels over the last 15 years. In their conversation, Erin and John chat about how to how to keep things positive, what she has learned about posting over the years, how to share your faith on social media in a meaningful way and more.

Stacia Luedtke joins the podcast for a conversation about how to help students in school. We chat about pressure students face, how to help a student get motivated, tips for struggling students, and what to do in the summer to prepare for the school year.

Weekend services are amazing, but Jesus calls us to connect with him more than just once a week. Peter Kraker shares his journey to developing a personal relationship with Jesus and how he grows his faith throughout the week.

Week 4 of "The Blessed Life" series.

Want to know how to make an impact with your life? Mark shares what you can do to make an impact right where you live! 

Week 3 of "The Blessed Life" series.

Dave Dodge is the Care Pastor at the Ridge and has a lot of experience walking alongside people during their difficult moments. John and Dave chat about what that is like and how you can help others experiencing tragedy.

Week 2 of "The Blessed Life" series.

Maddy is a senior in college and started following Jesus in high school. Her parents didn't know how to respond when she started making Jesus a priority, but that didn't stop Maddy from wanting them to get to know God. Here is John's conversation with Maddy, where she talks about her experience sharing her faith with her parents, what is was like to go to church alone, and more.

Week 1 of "The Blessed Life" series.

Forrest is the Director of Leadership Development at the Ridge. He has a wealth of experience in the the restaurant business and loves to connect and host people. John and him chat about food, why investing in people is so important, and how to throw a great party. A great resource that Forrest mentioned he enjoys is the book Happy Hour by Hugh Halter.

Guest Speaker Ken Lock.

John sits down with the Lead Pastor at the Ridge, Mark Weigt, to discuss the Ridge's vision to bring the hope of Jesus into every home. Mark shares where the vision came from, why it's important, and what our community could look like if we get it right.

Week 2 of our "Love Where You Live" series.

Week 1 of our "Love Where You Live" series.

Week 3 of our "Less This, More That" series.

Week 2 of our "Less This, More That" series.

Week 1 of our "Less This, More That" series.

Week 4 of our "Empowered" series. 

Week 3 of our "Empowered" series.

Week 2 of our "Empowered" series.

Easter message and Week 1 of our "Empowered" series.

Week 6 of our "GOAT" series.

Week 5 of our "GOAT" series.

Week 4 of our "GOAT" series.

Week 3 of our "GOAT" series.

"Why is this such a difficult conversation to have?"   This question begins a special conversation in honor of Black History Month that happened this week between The Ridge's founding and lead pastor, Mark Weight, and two Milwaukee pastors and friends of The Ridge, Kurt Owens and Ken Lock.  In this video, they discuss how the church can and should lead the way when it comes to improving race relations and building meaningful connections between people of different backgrounds in Milwaukee and beyond.   Find more resources at theridgecc.com/listen

Week 2 of our "GOAT" series.

Week 1 of our "GOAT" series.

A special message from Mark Weigt.

Week 5 of our "Let's Talk About It" series.

Week 4 of our "Let's Talk About It" series.

Week 3 of our "Let's Talk About It" series.

Week 2 of our “Let’s Talk About It” series.

Week 1 of our "Let's Talk About It" series.

Experience is not the best teacher; Evaluated experience is.  A message about 3 ways we can evaluate our experiences from 2020 so that we can truly turn the page and begin a new year.

From our Christmas at The Ridge services.

Week 2 of our " It's All Good" series.

Week 1 of our "It's All Good" series.

Week 3 of our "Dangerous Prayers" series.

Week 2 of our "Dangerous Prayers" series.

Week 1 of our "Dangerous Prayers" series.

Week 4 of our "Live Big" series.

Week 3 of our "Live Big" series.

Week 2 of our "Live Big" series.

Week 1 of our "Live Big" series. 

A special message from Mark from our "Get in the Ring" weekend.

Week 5 of our "Eye of the Storm" series.

Week 4 of our "Eye of the Storm" series.

Week 3 of our "Eye of the Storm" series.

Week 2 of our "Eye of the Storm" series.

Week 1 of our "Eye of the Storm" series.

Week 3 of our "Dark Horses" series.

Week 2 of our "Dark Horses" series.

Week 1 of our "Dark Horses" series.

Week 5 of our "Go For It" series.

Week 4 of our "Go For It" series.

Week 3 of our "Go For It" series.

Week 2 of our "Go For It" series.

Week 1 of our "Go For It!" series.

Week 3 of our "Head Games" series.

Week 2 of our "Head Games" series.

Week 1 of our "Head Games" series.

Week 5 of our "Crazy, Stupid Love" series.

Week 4 of our "Crazy, Stupid Love" series. 

Week 3 of our "Crazy, Stupid Love" series.

Week 2 of our "Crazy, Stupid Love" series.

Week 1 of our "Crazy, Stupid Love" series.

Easter at the Ridge 2020 message.

Week 3 of our "Fear Not" series.

Week 2 of our "Fear Not" series.

Week 1 of our "Fear Not" series.

Week 3 of our "Signs" series.

Week 2 of our "Signs" series.

Week 1 of our "Signs" series.

The message from our stand alone week on February 23.

Week 4 of our "Anxious for Nothing" series.

Week 3 of our "Anxious for Nothing" series.

Week 2 of our "Anxious for Nothing" series.