Goodness Weekly 10.5.26
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
— Anne Lamott
WHAT’S GOOD
Slow Down Club
We're launching something new and we'd love for you to be there. Slow Down Club is a place to unplug, put your phone down, and simply be for a little while—tucked away in the church courtyard, with a fountain, ambient lighting, and no agenda. The One Another Coffee trailer will be open for drinks throughout the evening. Bring a book or a project you've been meaning to finish, play a game, make something, or meet someone new. Come as you are and stay as long as you'd like. Our first meetup is Thursday, October 15th from 6 - 7:30 PM, and a caffeine-free menu will be available. Let's slow down together.
Logging Off
Che Ortiz, Program Manager, One Another Coffee
I have been off social media for almost five years now.
I’ve said this countless times. I know those really close to me are probably sick of hearing it, and the shock value has definitely lost its shock. But yes, it’s actually true. And the more I say it, the more proud it makes me feel.
About four and a half years ago, after a year of healing and finding myself again, I made the decision to cut social media out of my life. Completely.
No Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook or really anything that allows you to endlessly scroll.
At the time, I realized that part of healing meant eliminating some of the distractions and things I felt were weighing me down. Social media was a big one.
The first month or two was extremely hard. The urge to scroll was there, almost like an addiction. I’d find myself in places where everyone would pull out their phones and disengage, while I was left sitting there unsure what to do except…be present.
My relationships were one of the biggest changes. I found out who my real friends were. Who made time to see me, call me, or send me a message rather than just maintaining an online relationship.
Surprisingly, I actually became more social. I had to learn how to build relationships naturally and spend quality time with the people I love more genuinely. I’ve made so many little connections that I still think about conversations that may have never happened if I had been looking down at my phone instead of saying that one random thing to the person next to me.
I also started taking more photos. Probably double, if not triple, the amount I took when I had social media. I also converted to shooting film with my Olympus film camera, which is my prized possession I bought at the thrift store for 10 bucks! I photograph nature, my friends, little environments and experiences—and most of those photos are only for me. There’s something really special about that.
Some of my favorite shots of film! A peak inside my little life!
Of course, being completely off the grid has its cons too. I almost never know the newest trend, saying, or meme. Watching a TikTok now is genuinely overstimulating. Meeting new friends or dating can feel harder, and sometimes being disconnected can feel lonely. But even that loneliness has pushed me toward healthier ways of connecting with people.
When I tell someone for the first time that I’ve been offline for almost five years, I usually hear: “There’s no way,” “I could never,” or, most often, “I wish I could.”
That last one has always stuck with me.
I don’t think everyone needs to disappear from the internet like I did. But I do think a lot of us are craving more time away from it—more boundaries, more presence, and more reasons to put our phones down.
And that’s what led me to create Slow Down Club.
It’s a little offline space in our beautiful courtyard where we can put our phones away, grab a One Another Coffee drink, make things with our hands, play games, hang out with friends, read, journal, work on that project we’ve been meaning to finish or simply sit and be present.
There’s no structure, pressure, or judgment. You don’t have to give up social media.
You can just give yourself a little time to slow down. <3
Coming Up…
Daily, NYX Yoga & Fitness
Daily, One Another Coffee
Wednesdays, 11 AM - 1:30 PM, Open Studio Painting
Wednesdays, Mission Compost Pick Up
Wednesdays-Sundays, Scott’s Pizza, Charis Park
Wednesdays, 6 PM - 7:30 PM, Communal Dinners and Fall Faith Formation, Sunset Ridge Church Fellowship Hall
Saturdays, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
2nd & 4th Saturdays, 10 AM - 12 PM, Women’s Stitching Circle, Sunset Ridge Church Fellowship Hall
Sundays, Worship at 9 AM and 11 AM, Sunset Ridge Church
Wednesdays, through November 18, 6:30 - 7:30 PM, Joyful Noise, Students in 5th - 8th grade will discover how music deepens worship, strengthens faith, and helps build meaningful friendships. Registration required.
Saturday, October 10, Shine on Run, One Another Coffee open during event from 2 - 4 PM, Charis Park
Monday, October 12, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Office and One Another Coffee Closed
Thursday, October 15, 6 - 7:30 PM, Slow Down Club, Hosted by One Another Coffee in the Church courtyard
Friday, October 23, 7 - 9:30PM, Full Moon Friday, Charis Park
Saturday, October 24, 9 AM - 12 PM, Thrift Pop-Up, One Another Coffee
Saturday, October 24, 10 AM - 12 PM, De Boca en Boca, A monthly bilingual storytelling space for children and families.
Event Rentals - Interested in hosting your event at Charis Park or in our facilities? Please email rentals@sunset-ridge.org
Community Partners: For updated schedules and events please follow One Another Coffee, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, NYX Wellness, Scott’s Pizza, Mission Compost, Sprouts School, Good Acres, and Community First Food Pantry.
