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Summer 2015
N O R T H W E S T N E T W O R K F O U N D AT I O N
T H E M I N I S T RY O F S T E V E R I D G WAY
“The cause of Christ is best served when you allow God to create,
measure and control, and you give yourself, by faith, to the task of investing
in the lives of others.”
Walt Henrichsen
The Reverend Billy Graham when asked what was the most
surprising thing in life, responded by saying, “Its’ brevity.”
Life is short.
I received an email several months ago that opened with
the headline:
Hell is real.
Time is short.
Jesus says, “Go.”
But do we? Do we enter each day knowing that this day is a gift and
It is a day to give and to love and to sacrifice selfishness for what is
sacred and pure and lovely. It is an opportunity to find fulfillment
in Jesus and ALL He has to offer to us. We speak little of obedience
today because we would rather serve ourselves and love ourselves
first, but if we press into obedience Oswald Chambers said this:
“If I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random
circumstances of life, they become pinholes through
which I see the face of God.”
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that this day is mine to steward appropriately and then “GO?”
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Summer 2015
TACOMA, WA
PERMIT NO. 356
Nor thwest Network Foundation
Steve Ridgway
The Destruction of War: Gaza 2014
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N O R T H W E S T N E T W O R K F O U N D AT I O N
Summer 2015
Would it not be worth it to see, in part, the face of God and experience His smile than to give our lives to what is empty and selfserving and temporal?
For six years I have faithfully and consistently been in communication with those living under persecution. I know their stories
intimately.
I have held the dying and I have fed the poor. I have stood in the
pulpits of their congregations and seen their hunger for God’s Word.
I have been under gunfire and bombings and I have faced the interrogations. I have embraced my “enemies” and I have grown to see
the power of the Gospel among these “enemies” by simply having a
presence amongst them.
In Mark 3 Jesus “called 12 to be with Him…” What does it mean to
be “with Him,” to be with others, to be with them? We give little
attention to the power of presence and the resulting affect it has on
people, places, and cultures. We are driven by immediate results
rather than patiently pursuing the heart of the person, the places, or
the cultures. If you allow God to create, measure and control,
and you give yourself, by faith, to the task of investing in
the lives of others, then you are free to just be “with them.”
No agendas, no preconceived notions and no expectations of outcomes. BUT there are. People are changed, places are transformed,
and cultures experience renewal by simply being with them and
leaving all the rest up to God.
Whenever I take a trip I always have a plan, but I am always looking
for the real reason that I am on the trip. It is the unknown reason(s)–
the mystery and wonder of God unfolding before us that is almost
magical. Was it the Muslim taxi driver who I asked to tell me his
story and after 20 minutes he was smiling and hugging me?
Was it the two hours I had with two brothers, Rami and Nashat,
who love Jesus and are doing amazing and daring things in The
Middle East to show Muslims that Jesus is worthy to follow and at
the same time, empowering and encouraging Jesus followers to
live by faith and not by fear? Or was it the unexpected hour with
Matthew from Wichita who is studying at The Hebrew University
and longing to follow Jesus more closely? So much of the unknown
reasons remain just that, unknown. But in the unknown there is
a plan. Whether we see the fruit or fulfillment of that plan is less
important than if we are willing to step into it. Usually it begins with
a “hello” and a willingness to be interruptible.
A few months ago I was reminded of one’s willingness to be
interrupted and one’s decision to be a presence while on a visit to
Jerusalem. I awoke very early to travel to the Yahuda Hotel to meet
with my friend who is from the Chicago area. He was in town for a
gathering of church leaders who deeply care about that part of the
world. He is a doctor not a pastor. But he takes the time to travel
across the globe to make his passion(s) a reality. It is a sacrifice of
time and a sacrifice of family and a sacrifice of finances and a
T H E M I N I S T RY O F S T E V E R I D G WAY
sacrifice of soul and spirit because in each case he is giving
something away. Or is he? There is no promise that he will be
compensated for his sacrifice of time, family, or money, but there is
a continual promise that God will renew his soul and his spirit. It is
endless... So why do we hesitate to make our passions a reality? Is
it because we value what will not last more than what is eternal? Is
it because we have replaced what was our identity for what we think
should be our identity? Is it the fear of the unknown or is it that we
forgot how precious and deep and overflowing Jesus’ love really is?
I think that if we would simply obey God in the random circumstances of life we would find a world open up before us that is
breathtaking because we would “see the face of God.”
“Our work should not be a distraction from time
with Jesus, but a reflection of our time with Him.”
I am going to venture down a road that I have really never gone before
in writing these newsletters/updates. A number of people that I highly
respect have encouraged and admonished me to invite people into the
financial stewardship of this work/ministry. This is not about shaming or
manipulating, but rather encouraging and shining a light upon what may
not always be the obvious and that is the fact that there are financial needs
and opportunities. My request is that you would pray. Are you willing
to ask God if you should be a part of this work? Over these past 30 years
there are thousands of lives locally and globally who have encountered
the message of Jesus. For those outcomes to continue I would invite you
to ask this question: “Jesus, would you want me to participate financially
in this ministry?”
I recently spoke at The Kiwanis Good Friday Prayer Breakfast in my
hometown. I would encourage you to watch:
http://tinyurl.com/p59lk8m
Here is what others had to say of that time:
“Steve’s talk at the prayer breakfast was powerful and motivating. Using
personal stories, he brought home his central message that we should live
boldly for Jesus.” State Rep. Hans Zeiger
“Outstanding, touching, inspirational, awesome! I am so blessed to be able
to know who you are and understand more of what you do.”
Dr Jack Cloonan
“Great Job, Steve! Your message was Spirit led. I don’t think I have
seen anyone connect so quickly with the audience. The message
and love of Jesus Christ could not be missed.” Pastor Al Hoenhous
“The prayer breakfast was a great success! ‘Why tiptoe through life to
arrive at death safely’ was a theme we will never forget.”
Dan & Andi McClung, Kiwanis
“I didn’t want his talk to end; I wanted more.”
Krista Cooly, Mortgage Professional
Pray with me…
Friends with cancer:
· Bob Lord
· Billy Lord (son of Bob)
· Gay Austin
· Germaine Korum
· Magnolia Goetze (granddaughter
of dear friends, Jill and Dave Swenson)
· Christi Thomas (my friends Jerry
and Ann North’s daughter)
· Gov. Judy Martz (former Governor
of Montana)
Wisdom as I counsel, disciple and
mentor the many…
The Persecuted Church throughout
the world:
www.opendoorsusa.org
The financial position of this ministry.
My Board of Directors (friends) as they
advocate for me and encourage me…
P.O. Box 158 Puyallup, WA 98371
Steve’s ministry is supported solely by your
financial gifts and prayers. If you would like
to make a financial gift or join Steve’s monthly
supporters, please send your name, email
address and tax deductible contribution to
the address above.
Medical supplies
delivered to Jack Sara
(center), President of The
Bethlehem Bible College
just before Christmas.
My friend, Stephen
Brown, is a medical
student in San Francisco
and secured these with
the help of two fellow
classmates: one a
Muslim and the other
a Jew. Stephen is a
follower of Jesus. What
a classy way to show
unity in the midst of a
very difficult time in
The Middle East.