West Side Presbyterian Church Ridgewood, NJ

West Side Presbyterian Church Ridgewood, NJ West Side is a welcoming church where people of all ages grow in faith and have fun while doing it!

The last HS barn of the year was this past weekend! In celebration the group took a "field trip" to Van Dyke's! 🍦
06/10/2026

The last HS barn of the year was this past weekend! In celebration the group took a "field trip" to Van Dyke's! 🍦

Having to know, which is akin to being in control, can be a stern taskmaster and rule our lives in insidious ways. Often...
06/10/2026

Having to know, which is akin to being in control, can be a stern taskmaster and rule our lives in insidious ways. Often, we find ourselves in a constant state of anxiety and fearfulness about what might happen if we do not have the answers. This can lead us to the relentless search for the answers or to grasping on to what we think is the truth, never questioning its validity.

"What has happened to our ability to dwell in unknowing, to live inside a question and coexist with the tensions of uncertainty? Where is our willingness to incubate pain and let it birth something new? What has happened to patient unfolding, to endurance? These things are what form the ground of waiting. And if you look carefully, you'll see that they're also the seedbed of creativity and growth—what allows us to do the daring and to break through to newness. . . ." — Sue Monk Kidd, When the Heart Waits

Patient unfolding, endurance, the ground of waiting, daring: all spiritual practices leading to the seedbed of creativity and growth. Those practices lead to the doorstep of Holy Surprise, inviting us in.

What must change to encourage and allow those spiritual practices? Perhaps a questioning and curious mind and heart coupled with a patient willingness to allow confusion could guide us.

"Creativity flourishes not in certainty but in questions. Growth germinates not in tent dwelling but in upheaval. Yet the seduction is always security rather than venturing, instant knowing rather than deliberate waiting." — Sue Monk Kidd, When the Heart Waits

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer." — Rainer Maria Rilke

In these early days of summer, the natural world gives us hints about nurturing our creativity to love a question and to be patient toward what is unsolved in our heart.
"What is here? What is now? Song sparrow ushers in a new day. Cardinal welcomes the day one note at a time. Steady. Sure. Present. Stay in the flow. Be present at every point. Be with what is changed and what is changing under our feet. Be with what is passing. Be with what is dying. Be with what is rising. Be present. Be."
— Glenn Mitchell

— Mollie Ledwith

Third Thursday: Good Food, Good Conversation, Real ConnectionLooking for a relaxed way to get connected? Each month, the...
06/09/2026

Third Thursday: Good Food, Good Conversation, Real Connection

Looking for a relaxed way to get connected? Each month, the men of West Side gather—either in someone’s home or at an off-site spot hosted by one of our members—for cocktails, appetizers, dinner, and a meaningful conversation on a spiritual theme. It’s warm, welcoming, fun, and a great way to meet people and go a little deeper.

Whether you’re new or have been around for years, you’re invited. Join us at the home of Dave Lindenmann in Wyckoff.

Sign Up on the Website!

Have you ever felt that electricity in the room when people come alive together? During a concert, a ball game, or durin...
06/09/2026

Have you ever felt that electricity in the room when people come alive together? During a concert, a ball game, or during worship? There is a palpable energy when we gather across generations and something stirs…not just emotionally, but spiritually. Sociologists call it collective effervescence. The apostle Paul might call it the body of Christ, each part doing its work, the whole becoming something none of us could be alone.

Sunday, we felt it as we worshipped and celebrated together.

People came from near and far. New friends and old, some returning after a long time, others walking through our doors for the very first time. And somehow, every single one belonged. The children sang alongside the adults. Every worship style we love at West Side found its place. There were drums and guitars, handbells and choir, organ and piano and together it was a pretty joyful, faith-filled noise!

In truth, what we felt so powerfully Sunday is always true. The Spirit is always calling, always gathering, always making room. Scripture reminds us that those led by the Spirit are children of God. And all God’s children have a place at the table.

Experiences like that don't happen by accident. I think we make space for them when we are open to God's Spirit moving in real time, through real people. It sparks connection, courage, and clarity of purpose. And that doesn't end when the worship does.

As many noted, Sunday was much more than a moment to savor. It sparked an invitation forward. The same Spirit that stirred in that gathering is sending us out — into our neighborhoods, our relationships, our ordinary days.

So today, consider this: Where is the Spirit of God inviting you to bring your energy, your voice, your love for the sake of connection, healing, and service?

Pastor Liz Junod

06/08/2026

“Do the best you can, until you know better. Then do better.” Maya Angelou

🌺🌼🏵 Our Memorial Garden is blooming once again. 🌸🌷🌹Thank you to everyone who donated flowers to help beautify this sacre...
06/08/2026

🌺🌼🏵 Our Memorial Garden is blooming once again. 🌸🌷🌹

Thank you to everyone who donated flowers to help beautify this sacred space of remembrance, reflection, and love. Your generosity helps create a place where memories are honored and hearts can find peace.

A special thank you to Sara Johnson and Priscilla Thoma for their faithful care of the garden and for planting these beautiful flowers.

We invite you to stop by, enjoy the beauty, and remember those who continue to live on in our hearts.

In every season, the Memorial Garden reminds us that love endures and new life continues to emerge.

Interested in learning more about our Memorial Garden for yourself or a loved one? Contact Deidre DiMauro at [email protected].

Yesterday, as we gathered to celebrate twenty years since the dedication of this sanctuary, we found ourselves rememberi...
06/08/2026

Yesterday, as we gathered to celebrate twenty years since the dedication of this sanctuary, we found ourselves remembering a fire that happened twenty-four years ago. We told stories, shared memories, and gave thanks for those who carried West Side through a season of uncertainty. But perhaps the deepest truth to emerge was this: while the fire destroyed a building, it revealed the church. Worship continued in borrowed spaces. Mission continued. Children were baptized. Communion was shared. People cared for one another. The building was gone, but the church remained. In the end, the miracle wasn't that a sanctuary was rebuilt. The miracle was that people kept being the church while they didn't have one.

One of the temptations of anniversaries is to look back and imagine that the most important moments are behind us. Yet the people we honored yesterday weren't trying to create a legacy. They were simply responding to the moment they had been given. They prayed. They served. They showed up. They did the next faithful thing. Looking back, it all seems inevitable. Living through it, I'm sure it felt anything but. That is often how grace works. We rarely recognize its shape in the moment. Only later do we see how God was quietly weaving together courage, generosity, friendship, and hope into something larger than any one person could have imagined.

As we move forward, I keep returning to a line from John O'Donohue: "May you have the eyes to see that no visitor arrives without a gift and no guest leaves without a blessing." What a beautiful vision for a church. A place of welcome. A place of healing. A place where people discover gifts they never knew they possessed. A place where compassion is practiced and justice is pursued. A place where no guest leaves without a blessing. May we honor those who came before us not by trying to relive their moment, but by meeting our own with that same faith, generosity, and hope.

Pastor Marc Oehler

Summer Bible Study: The Book of ActsTuesdays at 1pm | The West Side Room | Beginning July 7Join us this summer as we exp...
06/07/2026

Summer Bible Study: The Book of Acts
Tuesdays at 1pm | The West Side Room | Beginning July 7

Join us this summer as we explore the Book of Acts — the early church's story of courage, community, and the Spirit on the move. All are welcome, no preparation needed. Drop in whenever you can!

Led by Nancy Dykstra-Powers and Kathy Koop

🎉 End of Year Celebration! 🎉Join us on Sunday, June 14 at 11:00 am (after one combined service at 10:00 am) as we give t...
06/06/2026

🎉 End of Year Celebration! 🎉
Join us on Sunday, June 14 at 11:00 am (after one combined service at 10:00 am) as we give thanks for all the wonderful ways God has been at work in our church family this year.

We will also express our deep gratitude for our faithful Small Group Leaders and their loving service throughout the year.
After worship, head over to the plaza for fun music, children’s activities, delicious food, and great fellowship for all ages!

Sign up to help on the website under Events!

06/05/2026

What makes us human, beyond the reach of machines. A snippet from this past week's sermon. Visit our Youtube channel for more short inspirations.

Address

6 S Monroe Street
Ridgewood, NJ
07450

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm
Sunday 8am - 12:15pm

Telephone

+12016521966

Website

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