Church on the Ridge started on Easter Sunday 2004.

We had a vibrant group of young families, brought together by the vision of Pastor Charlie Salmon to bring the hope of Jesus to the new community of Snoqualmie Ridge.

Twenty years later…

• We are utilizing a beautiful, multi-million dollar building to share the love of Jesus every week. We are right next to The Trailside Building where we began.
• The vision of God through Pastor Charlie has impacted thousands of lives.
• We are still the only church… on the ridge.

Without Charlie and Sandy’s visionary leadership, none of this would exist. Now, it’s time for a rest.

With the full blessing of the Church on the Ridge Advisory Council and Elders, Charlie is taking a four-month sabbatical, his first in twenty years of ministry in Snoqualmie.

What is a sabbatical?  We are glad you asked. 

The concept of a sabbatical is rooted in the biblical concept of Sabbath, which God modeled (Genesis 2:1-4a) and commanded (Exodus 20:8-11). In Leviticus 25:1-7, the Lord says that after the sixth year the people were not supposed to sow the fields or harvest a crop. The land was allowed to rest, and therefore, so were the people.

Church sabbaticals provide a time of rest, recovery, renewal, and re-education for an individual staff member.  Many businesses are now providing paid sabbaticals for employees. We believe that our pastor should model God’s design for Sabbath rest.  We believe that a time of sabbatical is important both in the sharpening and renewal of the pastor and for the health and strength of Church on the Ridge. The NW Ministry Network encourages churches to give pastors sabbaticals every five to seven years as a best practice. While we can’t make up for the years when Charlie should have been given a sabbatical, we can honor him at this significant milestone as we celebrate twenty years of his faithful ministry as the founding pastor of Church on the Ridge.

What should we expect while Pastor Charlie is away?
We want to ensure limited contact with Charlie. The teaching team (Kevin, Kay, Stephen, Tom) will be bringing God’s heart to us each week through His Word. We will also utilize guest pastors and speakers.  Pastor Kevin will lead the adult ministries along with the Elders. Siri will oversee the operations along with the Advisory Council, and Pastor Stephen will continue to guide our student ministries. Charlie’s last Sunday will be April 14. He is scheduled to return August 15, in time for our twenty-year celebration as a church.

If you have any questions please let Siri or the team know. We want to serve you well. This is God’s Church, and we will thrive.  

God Bless,
The team at Church on the Ridge