Southridge Community Church

Like turning on your cell phone after getting off a plane, we\'re all searching for connection; for a true experience of authenticity and belonging with the people we love. But too many of our relationships skim across the surface or slowly dissolve, leaving us lonely and isolated. But what if there\'s a different way to relate? What if the invitation of Jesus could transform our sense of connection?

Deep inside, we all long for something more: a feeling of transcendence, a sense of the divine, a connection to God. But in reality, God often seems far away, out of reach and out of touch, obscured by confusing ideas and religious activities. So is this all there is to a life of faith and religion? Or are we meant for something more? How does the invitation of Jesus change the way we experience God?

If someone asked you what it means to have faith in Jesus, what would you say? That it\'s based on outdated rules and religious routines? That it\'s nothing more than a \"get out of jail free card\" for after you die? That it usually seems to do more harm than good? But what if the so-called \"good news\" of Jesus is even better than most of us imagine? What if a life of faith is actually an invitation to a new kind of life? What if this invitation is something you\'ve always been looking for?

September marks the end of summer, but a new season at Southridge. You won\'t want to miss Vision Sunday on September 10th as we come together to be inspired and ignited around God\'s vision for our church.

Have you ever felt helpless? Like you\'re too small, too weak, or too insignificant? Maybe when you think about God, you feel this even more. But what if God sees something different in us? What if he wants to use our weakness as his greatest strength?

Sometimes life has more questions than answers leaving you full of doubt and confusion. So where can we turn when we get pushed out of our comfort zone? How can we stay full of faith when life wants to suck it right out of you?

Busy, anxious, and stressful. Sound familiar? Our world moves at a pace that makes stress seem like a necessity. But does it have to be this way? Are stress-balls our only hope?! How can we find peace that rises above our anxious lives?

Life can throw a lot of curve balls. It isn\'t always a pleasant experience. So are we destined to sadness and sorrow? Or is it possible to find contentment and joy, even when things aren\'t easy?

As part of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, Aaron Niequist has had a lot of exposure to what it takes to inspire a large church on Sunday mornings. But recently, he\'s been on a journey of asking why we go to church in the first place. What\'s the point? Why should we do it? What should we expect to get out of it (and what shouldn\'t we)? If you\'ve ever wondered, \"why would or should someone go to church\", we think this conversation will be extremely worthwhile.

As a prominent church leader in Canada and a teaching pastor for over 30 years, Tim Schroeder knows a thing or two about the Bible and how it relates to normal life. But sometimes it feels like the Bible is losing its relevancy. If you\'ve ever felt that, you don\'t want to miss this conversation.

Ted Mouradian has been a good friend of our church for a number of years and a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community in Niagara for even longer. As we continue to navigate what it means for the church to become the safest place in the world, join us as Ted shares his own story, how he and Jeff Lockyer have developed a meaningful friendship, and what Southridge needs to know in order to keep growing as a safe space.

Krista DuChene was the one of the first Canadian women to run the Olympic Marathon in 20 years when she qualified for and competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. But running isn\'t her first passion. For Krista, faith and family come first. Join us as she shares what marathoning has taught her about running the race of life and faith.

We kick off our \"It Takes a Village\" series with a conversation between Jeff Lockyer and St. Catharines, Mayor, Walter Sendzik discussing what it means to be a compassionate city and how the community of faith plays an important role. As part of the Canada Day long weekend and Canada 150 celebrations, this will make for a great conversation about how we can follow Jesus as citizens in Niagara.

They say anything worth doing isn\'t easy. So what about our relationships? What happens when it gets tough? When it\'s harder than we expected? Can we hold on? Can we hang in there? What if messier than expected could mean better than expected too?

Despite what we learned on the school yard, sticks and stones seem to cause less harm than words for most of us. It goes to show that our words matters. So what\'s the language of togetherness? How must we speak if we we\'re in it for the long haul?

There\'s something magical about \"forever friendships\". But can our relationships only survive until the magic wears off? What if there\'s more to being the kind of person who hangs in there? What\'s at the heart of staying together?

Our world seems more divided than ever. From politics, to platforms, to pulpits, lines get drawn and sides get taken. But it doesn\'t stop there. Our friendships drift, our marriages split, our teams fold, and our neighbours move. Is this just how life works? Or is there another way? What if we could stick it out? What does it take to stay together?

Things can get pretty messy when people claim to \"speak for God\". So how does Jesus invite us to handle these situations? How can we know who God is speaking through today? And how do we discern what he might be trying to say?

Has Christianity ever felt like a pyramid scheme, rather than a genuine invitation? That if you would just buy in, everything will go well with your health, wealth, and relationships? Is this really what Jesus offers? Or is there something deeper to be discovered?  

Why does it sometimes seem like all God wants is our money? Could Jesus just tell us how much we really have to give? But what if Jesus is more concerned with \"how\" than \"how much\"?