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Our History
Mercy Ridge was planted in 2015 in hopes of doing church differently. There are many opportunities for people who want pews, steeples, and hymnals. We love those things, but that approach didn't seem to be yielding the kind of results that the Great Commission calls for. In 2020, we refined our vision to: leading the broken in our community to God's perfect design through the Gospel of Jesus.
Knowing Jesus, and Making Him Known
Our Team
Josh & Kristen Hildebrand
Lead Pastor & Children/Youth Team Lead
Josh Hildebrand earned the Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. In 2015, after having served as Senior Pastor for many years, the Lord led in the establishment of a new work in Grant County. Sponsored by Florence Baptist Mt. Zion, Josh planted Mercy Ridge Community Church in Dry Ridge, KY. Kristen oversees the children's ministries at Mercy Ridge and serves at Team Leader. Her focus is leading a well-organized caring ministry to the children at Mercy Ridge, for God's glory.
Josh & Dina Bergstrom
Worship Leader & Children's Instructor
Josh Bergstrom graduated from Berea College in Berea, KY with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education. For almost 20 years he has been leading worship in various capacities; from college organizations to different churches and events. He works for a local ministry dedicated to rescuing Christian men entrenched in life-altering addictions through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God, where he serves as a videographer, video editor, and worship team member. Dina assists Kristen in the administration and teaching functions of the children's ministries at Mercy Ridge.
Steve Solomon
Kid's Ridge Instructor
Steve is the primary teacher at Kid's Ridge. He is committed to teaching the whole counsel of God to this next generation of Christians.
Our Core Values
Christ Centered
We seek to honor the Lord Jesus with everything that we say or do.
People Focused
We are here for the purpose of ministering to people and declaring the hope that we have in Jesus.
Biblically Grounded
We believe in the inerrancy of scripture and look to it as our sole source of doctrine.
Generosity Committed
The Lord has blessed us greatly and we desire to be a blessing to others.
Intentionally Discipled
We believe that disciples are made, via teaching, mentor-ship, and actively participating in ministry.
Kingdom Oriented
Everything belongs to the Lord and we are here for the purpose of glorifying Him and expanding the Kingdom.
About Baptism
An outward expression of an inward change.
What is Baptism?
Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. In baptism, the believer identifies with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Baptism doesn't save a person, it simply points others to the new life to be found in saving faith in Jesus. We believe that baptism occurs after salvation, and that it involves the immersion of the believer into the water - a picture of entering a watery grave and proceeding up out of the waters. There is no magic in the water - it's just water - the glory of baptism is obedience to the Lord and finding identity in Jesus.
Romans 6: 1-11 (ESV)
"1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."
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