The Ridge Church - Leslie, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 25.202 W 091° 13.677
15S E 654695 N 4253907
The First Baptist church in Villa Rica, MO changed it's name to The Ridge, and bought up failing small churches in small towns and spread their wings
Waymark Code: WM148G1
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 05/16/2021
Views: 1
County of church: Franklin County
Location of church: US-50, center of town, Leslie
Phone: (636) 584-9428
"A coffee shop with a ministry for bikers will be opening soon in an old church building along Highway 50 in Leslie.
"If that sounds like a crazy idea, members of The Ridge Church, which is opening the shop, are familiar with that reaction.
"Since then, membership has grown so much that the church, previously known as First Baptist Church of Villa Ridge, twice needed to expand, adding Sunday school classrooms in 1998 and 2004. Then in 2009, the church built a second building that includes a gym, cafe, youth area and walking track.
"Today, as The Ridge Church prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary, it’s still focused on expansion, but in a different sense, said Roger Johnson, who’s been the pastor here since 1994.
"Rather than keep making the church building in Villa Ridge bigger to accommodate more people, members are looking for new ways of outreach, like the coffee shop.
"The Ridge Coffee Shop, which will be located at 4611 Highway 50, Leslie, is an idea that came out of a weekly meeting of the Christian Motorcycle Association, which meets at The Ridge on Tuesday mornings.
"A couple of former bikers who are now ordained ministers will lead the ministry.
"Looking ahead to the future of The Ridge Church, Pastor Johnson said he doesn’t expect growth to look like it has for the last 100 years.
'“I see it spreading out to other locations and not building any bigger buildings, but more locations,” he said." ~ The Missourian, By Karen Cernich, July 5, 2017