Momentum | Sept/Oct 2014

Page 1

Sept & Oct ISSUE 21 // 2014

GRACE FOR OUR GRIEVING

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

A CALL TO BECOME RUTH-LIKE WOMEN

INTRODUCING SPACES AND RHYTHMS


OCTOBER 5TH New to Redeemer? Are you interested in meeting the leadership of RBC? If so, sign up for our next Newcomers Lunch and enjoy a meal with one of our pastors. Contact Laurie Summers to sign up. lauriesummers@ redeemerbiblechurch.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY DIGITAL NEWSLETTER EMAIL LORIE SCHNELL TO BE ADDED TO OUR LIST // lorieschnell@redeemerbiblechurch.com


CONTRIBUTORS

CONTENTS

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO STAY A CERTAIN AGE FOREVER, WHAT AGE WOULD YOU CHOOSE? WHY?

GRACE FOR OUR GRIEVING 4

| Ministry, this side of eternity, will be marked by moments of grief. We all need to remember that we never grieve alone. God is a God of tender mercy and grace. He weeps for and with his people.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? 7

| “Community groups are real, dynamic families and friends, relationships we begin now and continue on the other side of glory, growing in grace and celebrating in the party of redemption.”

A CALL TO BECOME RUTH-LIKE WOMEN 8

| How do we fight to stay unified? As we contemplate this question, the pastor’s wives are praying for unity and want to see it permeate ALL women at Redeemer.

COMMUNITY (GROUPS): INTRODUCING SPACES AND RHYTHMS 12

PASTOR PAUL

BILL WALSH

TRENT WILLIAMS

“I really liked when I was 40. I had the six kids at home, we had money and I enjoyed the life of our church home and ministry.”

“45. The perfect balance of wisdom and strength. ‘Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age.’ Victor Hugo”

“Three years old, for sure! Trust and faith flow naturally from a three year old, all of creation is awe inspiring, and there’s required nap time!”

| True community happens in spaces. Community happens not at an event, but in the rhythms of our life. Community group is about people, not an event that meets at a certain time and place.

TGC INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH CREDITS CHUCK FORSBERG “21. Ignorance is bliss.”

Chuck Forsberg DESIGN/DIRECTION Lorie Schnell CONTENT MANAGER Anne Lynn WRITERS/EDITORS Jaimee Morse PHOTOGRAPHY

18 | Find out how Redeemer’s support of Bill and Cindi Walsh in their ministry with TGC International Outreach is impacting pastors around the world who lack access to good biblical resources.


GRACE FOR OUR GRIEVING BY PAUL TRIPP

4

MOMENTUM // SEPT & OCT 2014


T

hen Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. The LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected

him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and

3. YOUR GRIEF ALWAYS REVEALS YOUR HEART In his grief, Samuel almost lost his way. Perhaps he was wary of a tug in his heart between his love for Saul, his grief at Saul's demise, and his loyalty to the work God had called for him to do. So God says, “You've grieved long enough, now get up and do my will.” The length and extent of your grief always reveals what’s important to you. The size of your grief always depicts where you’ve attached your hope. The nature of your grief reveals where you’ve attached your inner well-being.

go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’” (1 Samuel 15:34-16:1) Ministry, this side of eternity, will be marked by moments of grief, just like Samuel's grief. Perhaps it will be the death of a vision, the need to discipline a trusted and influential leader, the knowledge of someone plotting against your God-given authority, sinful division among leaders, a resistant congregation or a catalog of other difficulties that can obstruct and divert the ministry of a pastor and his congregation.

4. SOME GRIEF BEGINS TO QUESTION GOD Because grief challenges you at the point of the deepest values of your heart, it can tempt you to question the goodness of God. The danger of grief in your ministry is that in your grief, you may be tempted to doubt the one you are called represent. In these sad moments, we must be on guard against mourning morphing from, “I am so sad that . . .” into a “Why, God, did you . . .” anger. The danger is that you can’t represent well one against whom you're angry and you don't run for help to someone you’ve come to doubt.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH GRIEF IN MINISTRY? THIS PASSAGE PROVIDES US WITH SIX OBSERVATIONS: 1. GOD GRIEVES It's important to remember that the God you serve is a God who grieves. He's not stoic and without passion. 1 Samuel 15:35 makes this very clear: “And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.” Don't confuse God's grief with regret; He isn't sitting on the throne wishing he could take back his decision (see verse 29). Instead, this grief is over the sad outcome of the heart choices of Saul. The appropriateness of Samuel's grief and yours in these moments is rooted in the holy grief of God. 2. YOU SHOULD GRIEVE What kind of prophet would Samuel be if he didn't look on this situation with great grief? The ungodly, proud, selfish and unrestrained rebellion of Saul was this prophet's nightmare. Pastors and ministry leaders, there are moments in local church ministry when it's not only right to grieve; it's your calling to grieve. As God's representative, you must faithfully depict the heart of God in these sad situations. You must not be uncaring. You must not be happy. You must not take a proud "I told you so" posture. Your ministry should be marked by moments of mourning in the face of the damage sin continues to do.

5. YOUR GRIEF SHOULD MOTIVATE, NOT PARALYZE When your grief causes you to want to quit, you know that you’re not holding your grief in a biblical way. Moments of pastoral grief should motivate you because they stand as stark and clear reminders of the important gospel work God has called you to do. As long as sin remains, these moments of grief will stain the lives of all of God's people. It’s only when God's powerful grace finally defeats sin that our lives will be grief free. Until then, grief calls us to proclaim the grace that alone has the power to defeat what we grieve. 6. THERE'S GRACE FOR YOUR GRIEVING We all need to remember that we never grieve alone. Because God is a God of tender mercy and grace, he weeps for and with his people. He always gives you the grace you need to do what he calls you to do in the places where he leads you. He is the God of all comfort who comforts us in our suffering so that we can bring his comfort to others. So let yourself grieve, represent the heart of God in your grief, guard your heart against the dangers of grief and remember the empowering grace that makes all of these things possible. This article is reprinted with permission from Paul Tripp Ministries. For more articles from Paul Tripp, please visit www.paultripp.com.

SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM

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EXPERIENCE THE MOVEMENT OF GOSPEL LIFE IN A WHOLE NEW WAY. Introducing Momentum magazine digital edition. The complete issue is available every month on tablet or mobile. Read more at ISSUU.COM/REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH


D

uring

the

member

meeting

and

subsequent services concerning the disqualification of one of our pastors, Pastor Warren Watson gave us a helpful admonition. How do we process and talk about these events in a biblical manner? Where do we go from here? How do we

get to the place where we can say, “It is well with my soul?” The first thing we need is permission. We have permission to talk about these developments, process our grief and

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? BY PASTOR PAUL BURR

wrestle with the circumstances that our heavenly Father

fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions.” If in our

has allowed into our lives. It is necessary to know how to

discussions with others we drift into these areas, then we

process this in a way that brings glory to Jesus Christ and

know that we are not handling this in a biblical manner.

does not draw us into sin.

If we are causing dissensions or division, we are sinning. We need to stop, repent, and ask the Holy Spirit how to

GALATIANS CHAPTER 5 IS VERY HELPFUL IN THIS:

proceed in a different manner.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the

This different way, the biblical way, portrays the fruit of

desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against

the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” We know we are

for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from

bringing glory to Jesus when our conversations are filled

doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the

with love, patience, and self-control. We all need to work

Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh

through our suffering in a way that brings joy and peace to

are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry,

ourselves, and to those around us.

sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries,

Where do we go from here? We all need to process

dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things

our grief, our anger, our sadness, and our questions.

like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those

Remembering the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit will

who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But

guide us in the way of the Lord.

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

Remember that your elders/pastors are available any

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against

time to answer your questions or help you process recent

such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:16-23 ESV)

events. We want to shepherd you well and thus please the

The first key words to focus on are these: “strife, jealousy,

Chief Shepherd. //RBC SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM

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TO ALL OF THE SISTERS OF REDEEMER: A CALL TO BECOME RUTH-LIKE WOMEN FROM THE PASTOR'S WIVES

T

here we were, the pastor's wives, sitting around a table at a local coffee shop. Our husbands insisted we start to get together on a weekly basis. With kids and schedules full of things to do, it wasn't an easy task to pin down a day each week to do that. But we knew, more than ever, that it was absolutely necessary. And not just for the sake of encouraging one another, but to stay unified as sisters. Because we have been attacked. And this was

one way to fight back for that unity. So as we sat there praying for our church family, we shared with each other our burden for the unification of ALL women at Redeemer. We asked each other, “Where do we go from here? What does the Lord have in store for us all? How do we fight to stay unified?�

>>Continues on Page 9

8

MOMENTUM // SEPT & OCT 2014


WE CAME UP WITH A FEW THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE

We have scheduled the following Thursdays for this support forum for member women as follows. Please locate the date and time according to your last name. These will all take place in the Fellowship Hall.

WILL BRING US ALL CLOSER TOGETHER AS SISTERS.

THURS. SEPT. 18 | 7 – 8 PM, LAST NAMES A-C THURS. SEPT. 18 | 8 – 9 PM, LAST NAMES D-G

1. We need to remember to be very patient with one another

THURS. SEPT. 25 | 7 – 8 PM, LAST NAMES H-K THURS. SEPT. 25 | 8 – 9 PM, LAST NAMES L-N

because each of us will be processing these recent events differently. One of us may be very angry at the same time another is doing well. One of us may be hopeful while the other is struggling with discouragement. So we affirmed that we need to be very understanding about that, and

THURS. OCT. 2 | 7 – 8 PM, LAST NAMES O-S THURS. OCT. 2 | 8 – 9 PM, LAST NAMES T-Z

We are looking forward to meeting for a time of sharing/encouraging one another.

show mercy to one another as we grieve. 2. We need to remember how important prayer is. As Corrie

The Lord has each one of us here at this time, for a

ten Boom has asked, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your

purpose. Each woman in our church plays a vital role in the

spare tire?” As women of Redeemer, we want to be women

body that is Redeemer. It is our prayer that we remember

known for our desperate need for Jesus. Oh, how we need

our ultimate hope for Redeemer Bible Church is Jesus. It

to be praying to stay desperate! That is a prayer our Father

has been said that it is impossible to bask in the glorious

loves to answer!

grace of Jesus Christ and at the same time toot your own horn. So the more we focus on the gospel, the more we will

3. We need to start pursuing one another more than ever.

walk in harmony with one another.

The Lord is calling us to step out of our comfort zones.

So within this hope, we have planned some practical ways

He is calling us to toss out our fear, and for the sake of

for us to stay united. We have exciting gospel-centered

love, share ourselves with each other in deeper ways, being

events and studies on the horizon. We are planning a

transparent with our messy lives. Sometimes it just takes

brunch to be held on November 15th. We are also planning

one person to start making that happen. That person might

a supportive forum for all women members so we can

be you. Humility coupled with love causes us to see others

come together and share and encourage one another in

and ourselves in light of the cross and to move towards

this difficult time. Details coming soon! Non-members,

each other.

including regular attenders and visitors, are always welcome to contact us individually as well, if needed.

4. We need to comfort one another. We can do this by

Please know that we, the Pastor's wives, are here to

reminding each other that our Father in heaven is in control,

support you and love you and listen to each of you. Do not

and that he loves us. We can also do this by refraining from

hesitate to contact us. We truly are looking forward to this

gossip, knowing that gossip is the poison that Satan uses

next year together and know that God has great things in

to divide us. We need to be wise in remembering this! And

store for us all.

be willing to be the person to stop it when we hear it. It is

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant us

the most loving and vital thing we can do for each other, to

to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with

keep us united as sisters, and as a church family.

Christ Jesus.” (Romans 15:5)

5. We need to stay hopeful! As Pastor John Piper so

For Christ and for You,

beautifully shared with us in his recent sermon...we should strive to be Ruth-like women! We should cling to Jesus our hope, just as Ruth clung to Naomi. Ruth was willing to walk into the darkness with her. She was willing to risk everything in her devotion and love towards Naomi. Similarly, we need to trust our heavenly Father as he leads us into this bitterness that he has called us to face. And because we

COLLEEN WATSON (WIFE TO PASTOR WARREN) mcmfarm@comcast.net // 612-554-1286 KIM SUCHTA (WIFE TO PASTOR MARK) kimberleysuchta@yahoo.com // 612-805-6663 REBECCA PEEL (WIFE TO PASTOR BOOMER) rebecca.peel1044@gmail.com // 952-567-3304

know the end of the story, we can be courageous! We can be a church full of Ruths...strong in their love for Christ. Dependent, but confident because of Jesus.

CAROL BURR (WIFE OF PASTOR PAUL) carolburr1081@gmail.com // 320-583-0761 SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM

9


Date Change!

Brunch November 15th

9 - 11:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall, RSVP with carolburr1081@gmail.com.


THE HEART OF A HOSPITABLE PERSON BY KIM SUCHTA

W

hen I first became a Christian

gospel. When we see how we were shown the greatest

14 years ago, one of the popular

hospitality the world has ever known, being invited into the

songs that was being sung in

biggest feast we don't have any business being invited to,

church was a song that had the

we won't be able to help ourselves...we will have to share

words of Psalm 84:10.

it with others.

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand

elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.�

Grace is not fully experienced on our own. We weren't meant to keep it for ourselves. It doesn't become all it was meant to be until we give it away. Practically, this will look different for each of us. If you are a great cook, it might mean inviting someone over for a

As a new Christian, I still had a lot of unresolved shame

delicious meal. If you are a not so great cook, it might mean

from my past. So I was actually very comfortable with

a pizza and movie night. It could be meeting someone for

the idea of being a doorkeeper. I would think of myself

coffee, asking someone to go for a walk, or to come over

standing at the door, so thankful that I had the privilege to

for a Costco dessert after the kids have gone to bed.

be with God and his people. And I would stand and watch

Our biggest goal in hospitality is to be involved in each

as everyone celebrated and ate and drank together. That

other's lives, sharing the hope of the gospel with each

was good enough for me.

other. Our goal is to be an encouragement to one another,

As time has gone on though, the Lord has shown me that it wasn't good enough for him. He wanted me to come

to lift each other up, to share each other's burdens and to be together, the way the Lord purposed us to be. //RBC

inside, and join in on the celebration! He has shown me that because I am his daughter and because I have been brought into his family by the priceless blood of his son... there is a seat sitting empty, waiting just for me, right next to him. And because of Jesus, he honors me by giving me a spot at that table! I still have a hard time with understanding that kind of grace. To be served by the King of all creation, to be adopted into his family and called his own. To be able to sit next to him and dine with him and rest my head on his shoulder, even now, in all my sin, in the weariness of this fallen world...it's astonishing. THIS is the ultimate example of hospitality. Hospitality is an attitude of a heart overflowing with the grace of the

SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM

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GET PLUGGED IN. CONTACT PAUL BURR

paulburr@redeemerbiblechurch.com


doing in the gospel. House again says, “Community is for us a declaration of the overwhelming love of God, a tangible proclamation of the reconciling work of the cross... Community Groups are a living illustration of the gospel and its power to save.” As we begin a

new

of

season

Community

Groups

at

RBC, I want to introduce concepts

from

two Brad

House’s book that will help all our groups: Spaces and Rhythms. Community occurs not just in a particular house with a group of

I

people sitting in an awkward circle. True community happens in spaces. There are different was speaking with Chuck Forsberg and Lorie

spaces in which we engage with each other and in our

Schnell about this edition of Momentum and

neighborhoods. Certainly, the space of fellowship is a key

said I did not want it to be maudlin. They

one, the space that we normally associate with community

looked puzzled over a word that I pulled from

groups. But to think properly of community, we need to add

my Sherlock Holmes stories, which means

the spaces of hospitality, service and participation. Brad

tearfully or weakly emotional. I thought that

House describes these spaces as follows: Hospitality, a safe

maybe this wasn’t the best way to describe

place for anyone to belong in our communities; Service:

what I meant. Perhaps lugubrious is the better descriptor.

Meeting the practical needs of our neighborhoods; and

More puzzled looks: lugubrious means mournful, especially

Participation: Participation with our neighbors in common

in an exaggerated manner.

spaces and events.

Sometimes we use words that are not well known. But

Our goal for Community Groups this year is to start to

other times, we use words that we assume we all agree

expand our understanding of spaces and make progress to

on the meaning. Community is one such word. What

connect in these spaces over time.

exactly does the word community mean? I can’t describe

The concept of rhythms is that true community flows

Community Groups if we are unsure of what we mean by

not from one event that we call the weekly community

community.

group meeting, but from the rhythms of our everyday

Community is God’s idea. In the beginning that did not

life. Community group is about people, not an event that

have a beginning, in eternity “past,” there was a Community

meets at a certain time and place. We need to ask, how do

Group consisting of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the

I build community within the existing rhythms of my daily

Trinity, community is the perfect fellowship, knowledge and

life? Perhaps my community group builds more community

understanding within the Godhead. That is a tough model

by having a standing reservation at a local restaurant

to follow.

or meeting together to watch a child’s soccer game.

But, as Brad House states in his book entitled Community – Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support, “a community

Community happens not at an event, but in the rhythms of our life.

of God’s people should reflect the nature of God…The

Spaces and rhythms will help us move towards deeper

community God creates is good because it reflects him;

community with the people of RBC. Let’s see how these

it is good for his people.” So our community expressed

concepts will lead to greater impact of the gospel within

in Community Group is a reflection of all that God is

our community groups and neighborhoods.

//RBC

SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM 13


Red 5

youth

FOOD, GAMES MUSIC & MORE OCT 29TH, 7PM WORSHIP CENTER REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH WWW.REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM QUESTIONS? GABEZEPEDA@REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM


GOSPEL LIFE BLOG

MORE ENCOURAGING BLOG POSTS CAN BE FOUND AT REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM/RESOURCES/BLOG A Mission Guaranteed to Succeed // Bill Walsh Assume & Never Assume // Kim Suchta A Pharisee About Pharisees // David Morse

INTROSPECTION KILLED MY JOY BY TRENT WILLIAMS

O

ver the last several months, I have been plagued with an overwhelming case of the self-pity, introspection blues. I had an amazing conversion last fall. I was overwhelmed and consumed by the amazing grace that is offered on the cross. I was flying high. I was a sinner saved by grace. Everything was gravy and I had not a care in the world. And then I kept sinning. I even sinned in ways I did before I was converted. I became depressed over my sin and couldn't seem to shake the guilt and misery that ensued. In my desperation, I looked again to find the joy of my salvation. I awoke each morning with a new resolve to do better and try harder each day. Maybe if I just listen to the right sermon it would return to me. Maybe if I read the right Bible passage the grace would return to me and overwhelm me with joy to the point of no return. Maybe if I listened to the right worship song or even lost myself in the joy of worship with the church body on a Sunday morning it would “fill my tank” in such a way that I could wrestle it to the ground and bind it up with chains in my basement never to set it free again. DID IT WORK? DID I EXPERIENCE GRACE? Sometimes I did, but only for a moment. I began to look within myself to hold on to my feeling of joy. I began to doubt whether or not my feelings were legitimate. I began to doubt if I loved Christ as I should (If I am being honest, I can never love Christ as I should!). I began to doubt whether or not I was even saved, which turned into more depression, more sin, more doubt, and more misery. I tried to repent. Then I doubted whether or not my repentance was genuine. I would weep and cry out to the Lord and then feel forgiven…for a moment. Then it would all start again. If I can paraphrase Jonathan Edwards, there was no center to my stinky onion; I peeled back each layer within myself only to find another. WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM? I was looking to myself to be my savior. I was trying to find the power within myself to set me free from my sin. I would dwell on my sin and try to complete a post-mortem to find my misstep so I would not repeat the same mistake. I looked to myself as the keeper of my joy and felt as though I could conjure up grace by a repetition of the steps I took to align myself with previous grace. And then I looked to the cross. The beauty of Jesus was too much for me to handle. I saw love with arms wide open. I saw what it took to rescue me. I saw that there was nothing that I could possibly do to add to the cross or be responsible for my own righteousness. I looked to the cross and away from myself. I embraced the righteousness of Jesus in which

I am now clothed, and unloaded all of my guilt and shame and introspection at the foot of the cross. My salvation is objective and outside of me. It isn't based on my report card, it couldn't possibly be! I am loved as the sinner that I am. I read about a protégé of Martin Luther that was struggling with his standing before Christ every day. Martin Luther said to him, “If grace is true, you must bear a true and not fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly. For he is victorious over sin, death, and the world.” Jesus came to save sinners. Jesus came to save the sick. I rejoice in my status as a sinner. I am glad that I am sick and in need of a physician. I rejoice in the healing and forgiveness of the cross for that is where I find a joy that is unceasing. That is where I find my rest. “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” //RBC

CURIOSITY BY REBECCA PEEL

A

s the mother of young children I am learning very quickly how inquisitive and extensive a child’s vocabulary and questions become at the age of five. Everything out my son’s mouth is a question – Why is a storm coming? Will it blow us away? Why does the bird eat a worm? Why do I need a Band-Aid? What makes grape jelly? Do bugs have a mommy? Does God wear a swimsuit? And that's all in about 30 seconds. Watching his brain skip from one thing to the next as so many things explode inside his mind is simply amazing. His curiosity is booming and he has an exhaustive hunger for more information. And he’s looking to me for the answers because he trusts me and knows that I love him. This is one of the many privileges of being his Mommy. This experience with my son has caused me to see a lack of curiosity and hunger in myself for God lately. I have been feeling so detached from Him. I worry I've fallen away or put Him on a shelf, or that he has put me on one. I go through the motions, meeting with him, having my private worship. I pray, but I don't feel desire for Christ or the gospel that I’ve always had in the past. It seems that I’ve ignored this or pushed it all down by keeping myself busy. I see more clearly now how we are to approach our Heavenly Father like a child. A child that is needy, hungry, trusting and wanting to know more about him. I look back at the joy I had found in Christ; a joy that I had been so hard pressed to find, and a joy I long for now. Lord, please renew my spirit and reinvigorate my childlike curiosity about you. //RBC Psalm 63:1 “You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.” SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM 15


//PUSHPAY

G

iving is now really easy at Redeemer Bible

Church!

We

are

excited

to

running by downloading the app via the App Store or

announce that we will be launching a

Google Play, or by logging into our website and trying

new giving solution that will make your

Pushpay online. Pushpay will help our church save time

lives a lot easier. This innovative giving

and costs in administration, so the more of you that use

platform is called Pushpay.

it, the more time and money we have to focus on our local

Pushpay makes giving easy for you via a simple web

form and smart phone app. The smart phone app allows you to give in just 10 seconds‌.no more waiting until later‌. just give when you feel moved to do so.

16

We would love it if you would help us get this up and

MOMENTUM // SEPT & OCT 2014

community and seeing souls won for Christ.


FISCAL YEAR ENDS SEPTEMBER 30TH FINANCE REPORT

BY PASTOR PAUL BURR

R

AUGUST 2014 - YTD

BY THE NUMBERS GENERAL GIVING FUND BASE FORECAST

EXPENSES GIVING

OPERATING EXPENSES | $ 1,014,482 GIVING | $ 894,903 FORECAST | $ 960,221

$ 119,579 edeemer’s

fiscal

Thanks for all your faithfulness to

on

date. You can give to RBC in three

30.

ways now, checks/cash/stock, online

Presently we are

at www.redeemerbiblechurch/giving,

behind

year

ends

September in

our

and now through the app Pushpay

giving

(see page 16). Your gift continues the

and we would like to end the year in

message of the gospel…that changes

the black.

everything.

forecasted

Will you please consider making a

Any questions about the finances

special gift to Redeemer so that we

of the church, please contact Pastor

can end the year in a strong financial

Paul, paulburr@redeemerbiblechurch.

position? Amidst the trials of the last

com. //RBC

EXPANDING OUR GOSPEL VISION 7.6 %

92.4 %

few weeks, we are reminded that Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd of RBC and He will never leave us or forsake us. Jesus still wants Redeemer to go forth with the gospel of grace, so we all need to worship together, serve together and give together.

EXTRA COMMITMENTS | $ 41,427 // 1.9 % AWAITING | $ 165,146 // 7.6 % RECEIVED | $ 2,013,854 // 92.4 %


MINISTRY UPDATE

INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH

THE GOSPEL COALITION BY BILL WALSH

these leaders will be personally impacted by the power of the gospel, and in turn, shepherd their congregations well—

I

resulting in widespread gospel renewal, all for the praise of His glorious grace. t has now been almost two years since Cindi

In the past few months, we’ve seen a significant bump

and I have become part of the Redeemer

up in distribution of our resources. In the month of July

family, and we are so thankful to be here.

our partners took resources to Burkina Faso, Cameroon,

Joining this church family has been such

Colombia, Congo, DR, Ecuador, Gambia, Haiti, Honduras,

a privilege. Our lives have been deeply

India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan,

impacted by the vision, the preaching, our

South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, and Zambia. Praise

Community Group and my becoming part of

God!

the elder team. When RBC began to support my ministry

we

have

two

with TGC International Outreach a year ago, it was like icing

translation projects that we

on the cake and a great encouragement.

are working on funding. One

The impact of our mission is still growing in many ways.

of these is to translate What

Recently, one of our ministry partners serving in Cameroon

Is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert

shared this with us about how he is using the ESV Study

into

Bibles that we donated for their ministry there:

World reports,

Swedish.

Operation

Instead

of

project. I will personally distribute these Bibles through our

missionaries

all

pastors/colleagues. We will target pastors in the villages as

world, as the churches of

well as lay pastors (typically young men with a high school

Sweden

education who cannot afford to go outside the village.)

political elite has adopted a

These Bibles will help them very much in the absence of

radical agenda of promoting

biblical/theological training... I received a case already from

free abortion and same sex

a friend and have seen young men and pastors begin to be

marriages globally. A strong secular and postmodern

able to preach with much more authority and theological

worldview dominates society and, it is difficult to express

correctness with the use of these Bibles. This is really a

a biblical faith in public or in the academic sphere without

dream come true for most if not all of these young men

deprecation and opposition.

I am a Wycliffe translator coordinating a 10-village cluster

to have something like this to help them understand and share their faith.

18

Currently

used

sending over

to

do,

the the

Due to secularization, the preaching of liberal theology, humanism, and prosperity “gospels,” many churches

This illustrates so well our mission of Theological Famine

worldwide are weak. On average, one evangelical church

Relief and the kind of impact that we hope for and that

is closing down every week, and some are even converted

your giving enables. We are partnering with translators,

into Islamic centers.

publishers and missions networks to provide new access

I’m grateful for Redeemer’s support and partnership in this

to biblical resources in digital and physical formats. Our

work. When you give to our church’s ongoing international

goal is to strengthen thousands of congregations primarily

ministries, you have a part in blessing pastors around the

in Africa, Asia and South America by helping to equip the

world who lack access to good biblical resources. Thank

pastors and elders called to shepherd them. We pray that

you! //RBC

MOMENTUM // SEPT & OCT 2014

>>For more visit: TGC.io


Men’s Ministries

Fall Retreat October 24 & 25

$ 25 Sign up here

goo.gl/ACLNWE Woodland Camp

Zumbro Falls, MN


EVENT CALENDAR SEPTEMBER WEDNESDAY // 3RD 7p | Gathered Prayer

SUNDAY // 7TH

9a | Gathered Worship 11a | Gathered Worship 5p | The Lord's Table 6p | Pig Roast/Bonfire

WEDNESDAY // 10TH 7p | Gathered Prayer

SUNDAY // 14TH

OCTOBER SUNDAY // 21ST

9a | Gathered Worship *LT 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship *LT

WEDNESDAY // 24TH 7p | Gathered Prayer

SUNDAY // 28TH

9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship

WEDNESDAY // 1ST 7p | Gathered Prayer

SUNDAY // 5TH

9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship 6p | The Lord's Table

WEDNESDAY // 8TH 7p | Gathered Prayer

SUNDAY // 12TH

9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship

9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship

WEDNESDAY // 17TH

WEDNESDAY // 15TH

7p | Gathered Prayer

7p | Gathered Prayer

SUNDAY // 19TH

9a | Gathered Worship *LT 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship *LT

WEDNESDAY // 22ND 7p | Gathered Prayer

FRI & SAT // 24-25TH 6p | Men's Retreat

SUNDAY // 26TH

9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship

WEDNESDAY // 29TH 7p | Gathered Prayer 7p | Red 5

Fri & Sat OCTOBER 24 & 25

Saturday NOVEMBER 15TH

MEN'S RETREAT

WOMEN'S FALL BRUNCH

6 PM - 6 PM | ZUMBRO FALLS, MN

9 - 11:30 AM | FELLOWSHIP HALL

It’s that time again; time to get excited for the annual Men’s

All women are invited to join us for a time of teaching,

Retreat. All men are welcome to come as we take time

lots of fellowship and good food. Come for part or all of

away from our busy lives to grow in our love for Christ and

it. Please RSVP to Carol Burr at carolburr1081@gmail.com

each other! There will be worship, teaching, activities, food

by November 9 for food planning purposes. Any addition

and more, all for a minimal fee of $25. To sign up, visit: goo.

questions, please contact Rebecca Peel at rebecca.

gl/ACLNWE. Questions: contact Kevin Campbell at kevin.

peel1044@gmail.com.

campbell@gmail.com.

* Includes The Lord's Table


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