The Story
Matt & Sharon Jeffreys moved to the Murrieta-Temecula area in March of 2008. They came with a dream to start a church that would be unique in its heart for those who are far from God and its commitment to helping people experience spiritual transformation and empowerment. That dream would become Ridgeline Community Church. Their first six months in the Inland Empire was spent getting to know the people, the culture, and the prevailing attitudes toward religion in general and Christianity in particular. In addition to getting embedded in the culture, Matt was working to lay the financial, legal, and administrative foundations for a new church.
In the late summer of 2008 Gavin & Nicole Papit and Jay & Jen Haugh moved to the valley to join what God was doing with Ridgeline. Once the “team” was together they began to build relationships with anyone and everyone they could…focusing primarily on those who were unchurched. As relationships deepened and people began responding to a culture of authenticity & acceptance, small groups began gathering in homes to discuss the validity of church and the claims of Christ. In February, 2009 Nathan Mitchell joined the Ridgeline team bringing a special heart for compassion and servanthood.
Ridgeline baptized its first new believers on Easter of ’09, grateful to see the fruit of the Gospel being realized. While small groups (called“community groups”) continue to meet and the Lead Team continues seeking ways to build relationships with unchurched people…the leadership at Ridgeline is now working to develop new leaders, multiply its groups and resources, and run weekly worship gatherings.