Issue 23 // January & February, 2015
Trading One Dramatic Resolution for 10,000 Little Ones By Paul Tripp
Your Most Ordinary Life Love & Prayers How I Met Jesus
STARTING WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7TH 2015 6:45 - 8:00 PM Want to get more connected with the greater RBC body? Come to Vintage Prayer! There will be worship with Gabe, an open mic time to share how God is at work in your life, and of course plenty of time to fellowship with our Lord through prayer with friends. Don’t forget to bring your kids! After the worship time, children ages 1st6th grade will be dismissed to learn &
pray downstairs. Using the Children’s Desiring God curriculum, “Lord, Teach Us to Pray”, our children will gain a greater understanding of why, how, and when (continually!) to pray. Send your personal prayer requests to prayer@redeemerbiblechurch.com to be included on our bulletin and newsletter.
In this Issue
Contents
5
13
LETTER FROM THE ELDERS
MINISTRY UPDATES
As we look back on 2014, there are many measurable signs of God’s faithfulness to Redeemer Bible Church. Pastor Warren encourages us to anticipate more signs of grace as we look to the future.
God is on the move in the ministries of RBC! Hear from ministry directors and read testimonies from those who have been blessed by being a part of the Redeemer community.
23 HOW I MET JESUS
8 YOUR MOST ORDINARY LIFE
Pastor Mark & Kim Suchta share their story of God’s miraculous saving grace and enduring faithfulness in their lives.
“Becoming a maturing disciple of Christ is going to be rough. It’s not being revolutionary, but ordinary, that is truly countercultural."
6 ONE DRAMATIC RESOLUTION Paul Tripp helps us rethink the annual resolution-making ritual by looking at the small, mundane moments of life where the transforming work of grace happens.
11 REDEMPTION HOUSE: SMILE ON
24 21
GOSPEL LIFE
LOVE & PRAYERS
Check out two great posts from our Gospel Life blog; may they be encouraging as you live out the gospel in your daily life.
Learn how the Lord is blessing the work of the Wickers in their ministry of “building godly leaders who will penetrate society across Africa."
BY THE NUMBERS
Redemption House has opened its doors! Find out how the Lord continues to smile on this ministry.
How is our church doing financially? Get a year-todate snapshot and hear from Pastor Paul on giving.
Art Department DESIGN/DIRECTION Chuck Forsberg
26
Credits CONTENT MANAGER Lorie Schnell WRITER/EDITOR Anne Lynn
PHOTOGRAPHY Connie Cullen Josh Hway Jamiee Morse Jocelyn Pagano
Meet our Writers
Contributors
What is your favorite winter activity? Why?
4
MOMENTUM // JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015
BEN CARTER
RANDY HOESE
“I love to ski: downhill and cross-country. It’s part adrenaline rush, part physical challenge, and part camaraderie with friends and family.”
“I'm actually a warm weather southern boy who was oddly born in MN, so I enjoy thinking about wearing shorts outside in the winter months.”
KATIE CAMPBELL
SHARI LEY
“I enjoy the beauty of the new fallen snow! That blanket of fresh white snow almost makes me want to go outside in it, almost.”
“My favorite winter activity is cross-country skiing! I love the quiet and the stillness out on the trail. It brings such a sweet peace and a chance to enjoy the beauty of God's creation.”
DEBBIE HANSEN
BRITTNEY WESTIN
“I loved ice skating outdoors as a child, but have traded the skates in for Ugg boots and now enjoy walking through the snow – a MN winter wonderland!.”
“Back when I had a bit more of my own time, I LOVED playing a good, scrappy game of broomball. Nowadays, it’s taking our family on a weekend winter getaway.”
Letter From the Elders
On behalf of the Elders of Redeemer Bible Church I welcome you. We are so glad you are here and are interested enough in the people, ministries and reason for Redeemer that you are reading this short greeting. In Psalm 62 we are reminded of the strength and solidarity of our faith and salvation: My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken… On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. These words are so comforting to me as I look forward to 2015. In the early excitement and momentum of 2014 we did not see the trials that would come to us in the last four months of the year. And while many of us were indeed shaken in many ways emotionally, relationally, and personally, it is with such amazing praise that I can attest to the above words. God has remained and is faithful to Redeemer Bible Church. In Him alone is our salvation, our refuge, our strength; He only is our rock and stronghold. We can focus on many things as measurable signs of God’s faithfulness to us; we highlighted many of them in our State of the Church address. In that address we focused on the New Testament’s fulfillment of Psalm 62’s promise as the foundation of our current and future body life: “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it…For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” This passage from First Corinthians (3:10 and 11) keeps us rooted and grounded in the love of Jesus Christ. This is our hope for 2015…and 2016…and 2017 and always. Will you join me, the other elders, and all the members of Redeemer as we anticipate signs of grace in community groups, in our ministries, in living out the one another’s of Scripture, and in hiring a new preaching pastor. Will you accompany me as we look forward to enjoying God’s blessings, being honed in our personal sanctification, and learning more from the Word. Will you join me in prayer that the solid rock of God’s love – found most profoundly manifest in the risen Christ – will always be under us for the foundational strength we need,
pastor DOUG SWEET pastor WARREN WATSON pastor PAUL BURR pastor MARK SUCHTA pastor BOOMER PEEL pastor JOHN SWEET
alongside us for the comfort and security we desire, in front of us to guide and direct us in His love, and above us as we humble ourselves to his strength, beauty, refuge, salvation and rest. In that love and strength, Pastor Warren
JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
5
Cover Story
Trading I One Dramatic for 10,000 Little Ones By Paul Tripp
6
MOMENTUM // JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015
’ve told the story many times of talking impatiently with my wife one Sunday morning and having my nine-year-old son interject, “Daddy, is this the way a Christian man should be talking to his wife?” Rather sarcastically I said, “What do you think?” He replied, “It doesn't make any difference what I think — what does God think?” I went to my bedroom and two thoughts immediately hit me. First, my pride reared up. I want to be a hero to my son, and I was embarrassed that he had been troubled by my attitude and words. But that didn't last very long. I soon thought, “How could it be that God could love me so much that he would give a twit of care about this mundane little moment in the Tripp bathroom?” That’s love at a level of magnificence that I am unable to capture with words. This was but one moment in one room in one house of one family, on one block on one street in one neighborhood, in one city in one state in one country on one continent, in one hemisphere on one globe in the universe. Yet God was in that moment, working to continue his moment-by-moment work of transforming the heart of this man. RETHINKING THE ANNUAL RITUAL Why am I telling you this story? Well, it’s that time once again. It’s the fodder for blogs, magazine articles, TV shows, and way too many tweets. It is the time for the annual ritual of dramatic New Year’s resolutions fueled by the hope of immediate and significant personal life change. But the reality is that few smokers actually quit because of a single moment of resolve, few obese people have become slim and healthy because of one dramatic moment of commitment, few people who were deeply in debt have changed their financial lifestyle because they resolved to do so as the old year gave way to the new, and few marriages have been changed by the means of one dramatic resolution. Is change important? Yes, it is for all of us in some way. Is commitment essential? Of course! There is a way in which all of our lives are shaped by the commitments we make. But biblical Christianity — which has the gospel of Jesus Christ at its heart — simply doesn’t rest its hope in big, dramatic moments of change.
LIVING IN THE UTTERLY MUNDANE The fact of the matter is that the transforming work of grace is more of a mundane process than it is a series of a few dramatic events. Personal heart-and-life change is always a process. And where does that process take place? It takes place where you and I live everyday. And where do we live? Well, we all have the same address. Our lives don’t careen from big moment to big moment. No, we all live in the utterly mundane. Most of us won’t be written up in history books. Most of us only make three or four momentous decisions in our lives, and several decades after we die, the people we leave behind will struggle to remember our lives at all. You and I live in little moments, and if God doesn’t rule our little moments and doesn’t work to recreate us in the middle of them, then there is no hope for us, because that is where you and I live. The little moments of life are profoundly important precisely because they are the little moments that we live in and that form us. This is where I think “Big Drama Christianity” gets us into trouble. It can cause us to devalue the significance of the little moments of life and the “small-change” grace that meets us there. And because we devalue the little moments where we live, we don’t tend to notice the sin that gets exposed there. We fail to seek the grace that is offered to us. THE 10,000 LITTLE MOMENTS You see, the character of a life is not set in two or three dramatic moments, but in 10,000 little moments. The character that was formed in those little moments is what shapes how you respond to the big moments of life. WHAT LEADS TO SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL CHANGE? • 10,000 moments of personal insight and conviction • 10,000 moments of humble submission • 10,000 moments of foolishness exposed and wisdom gained • 10,000 moments of sin confessed and sin forsaken • 10,000 moments of courageous faith • 10,000 choice points of obedience • 10,000 times of forsaking the kingdom of self and running toward the kingdom of God • 10,000 moments where we abandon worship of the creation and give ourselves to worship of the Creator.
“...the character of a life is not set in two or three dramatic moments, but in 10,000 little moments...” And what makes all of this possible? Relentless, transforming, little-moment grace. You see, Jesus is Immanuel, not just because he came to earth, but because he makes you the place where he dwells. This means he is present and active in all the mundane moments of your daily life. HIS WORK TO RESCUE AND TRANSFORM And what is he doing? In these small moments, he is delivering every redemptive promise he has made to you. In these unremarkable moments, he is working to rescue you from you and transform you into his likeness. By sovereign grace, he places you in daily, little moments that are designed to take you beyond your character, wisdom, and grace so that you will seek the help and hope that can only be found in him. In a lifelong process of change, he is undoing you and rebuilding you again — exactly what each one of us needs. Yes, you and I need to be committed to change, but not in a way that hopes for a big event of transformation, but in a way that finds joy in and is faithful to a day-by-day, step-by-step process of insight, confession, repentance and faith. And in those little moments, we commit ourselves to remember the words of Paul in Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us, how will he not also with him freely give us all things.” So, we wake up each day, committed to live in the small moments of our daily lives with open eyes and humbly Used with permission from Desiring God. www.desiringgod.org. expectant hearts. JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
7
Your E Most Ordinary Life Now
pic. Crazy. Radical. Extreme. Much of what we read these days summons us to The Next Big Thing. If nothing else, observes Michael Horton, one thing is obvious: no one wants to be ordinary. In his new book, Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World (Zondervan), Horton calls Christians back to the simplicity of walking with Christ, in the fellowship of his church, for the good of the world. Rather than constantly seeking out the next world-changing craze—#hashtags and all—he urges us to be content with quiet, habitual, step-by-step faithfulness. I recently corresponded with Horton, professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary in California, about fear of boredom, whether it’s wrong to want to do big things for God, and more.
Michael Horton on the Type of Christianity God Loves By Matt Smethurst
8
MOMENTUM // JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015
IN WHAT WAYS DOES FEAR OF BOREDOM DRIVE THE APPEAL OF “RADICAL FAITH”? WHY ARE WE SO TERRIFIED OF ORDINARY, DAY-TO-DAY LIFE? A lot of the goals of “radical faith” are right and well-motivated. But they can burn us out and distract us from long-term faithfulness. In many ways, American revivalism helped to create our culture’s obsession with “The Next Big Thing.” It’s the “Big Bang” approach that starts with the expectation that every conversion will be huge, immediate, and measurable. And if the ordinary means of grace invented by Christ are too slow and unimpressive, we’ll come up with some of our own. Every few years now there seems to be a new bandwagon for changing ourselves, our churches, or our world. “Everything must change.” Let’s “reboot Christianity.” It’s the vision of “a new kind of Christian.” It can happen in Reformed circles, too, when being “restless” keeps us from putting down roots, listening patiently to each other—and to the saints who have gone before us. When I’m rebooting and revolutionizing, I’m in charge. I don’t have to submit myself to the triune God and his church, in the week-in and week-out duties of becoming a disciple. Like the gospel, a duty is something that comes to me from outside of myself: the stranger who needs a jacket or my wife needing to be truly heard on a point. I don’t choose my duties; they choose me. So I run from this threat to my autonomy, to freely chosen movements and causes that I can join and unjoin, people I can “friend” or “unfriend” as I please.
“IN MANY WAYS, IT’S MORE FUN TO BE PART OF MOVEMENTS THAN CHURCHES,” YOU WRITE. “WE CAN BE ANONYMOUS. YET THIS MOVEMENT MENTALITY KEEPS US RESTLESS AND MAKES ORDINARY LIFE IN AND SUBMISSION TO AN ACTUAL CHURCH SEEM INTOLERABLY CONFINING. AND TERRIBLY ORDINARY.” I LOVE THAT OBSERVATION. WHY SHOULD BELIEVERS DO WHAT FEELS COUNTERINTUITIVE, PERHAPS EVEN COUNTERPRODUCTIVE, BY PRIORITIZING WHAT CAN SEEM ROUTINE AND CONFINING ABOVE WHAT SEEMS REMARKABLE AND EXHILARATING? As we saw with the Arab Spring, it’s easier to be a revolutionary in the square than it is to help build a stable government. It’s easy to be young and restless; it’s the “Reformed” part that’s hard. As sheep and shepherds, it can be hard to leave an exhilarating conference and go back to belonging to the regular gathering of the saints for the Word, the sacraments, confession of sin and of faith, the prayers, and psalms and hymns that over time “make the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” (Col. 3:16). In Ordinary I invite folks to divide a sheet of paper, placing the things that they value most on right side and the more trivial things on the left. Notice how many things on the right side take time, growth, expertise, and a lot of help from others. Becoming a maturing disciple of Christ is going to be rough. It’s not being revolutionary, but ordinary, that is truly countercultural. IN WHAT WAYS DOES EVANGELICAL SUBCULTURE PROMOTE A “NEXT BIG THING” MENTALITY? IS THERE SOMETHING UNHEALTHY OR UNCHRISTIAN ABOUT SEEKING TO DO BIG THINGS FOR GOD? Jonathan Edwards thought that revivals were seasons of God’s surprising blessing of his ordinary means of grace. Stick to the ordinary means of grace and God may send a revival if he chooses, but he’ll work through these means regardless. That view was short-lived. Placing salvation in the hands of the rugged individual—and clever evangelist— American revivalism came increasingly to pit the ordinary means of grace in ordinary churches against whatever “new measures” deemed most likely “to induce sinners to repentance” (Finney). Instead of growing like a garden, we
wanted to grow like a forest fire. A revival could be planned for a specific date, advertised, and staged. The ordinary means of grace are “churchianity” over against the spontaneous ecstasy of the extraordinary event. Nobody should feel ashamed of doing big things! But God has done the big thing for us and will perfect it when Christ returns in glory. He’s the giver, we’re on the receiving end: I will build my church. . . . Fear not, little flock, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. . . . Since we are receiving a kingdom, let us worship with reverence and awe—on and on we could go with Bible verses. God may choose to do big things for others through us. Regardless, he gives us a bunch of little things to do. Daily faithfulness in those callings may turn out to have big results, but are we still engaged if we don’t see them? Is it about us after all? JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
9
HOW CAN WE WORK TO PREVENT CALLS TO “EMBRACE THE ORDINARY” FROM BECOMING COVERS FOR MEDIOCRITY OR PASSIVITY? This is very, very important—which is why I give so much space to it. It’s the caring that counts; restless striving for the next adrenaline rush makes us sloppy. Ask anyone proficient in something—a sport, a hobby, business, medicine, making violins, raising children—how they went from good to great, and what will they tell you? It was caring about the countless (seemingly insignificant) details. It was going to the gym when you didn’t want to, keeping the eye on the prize; it was saying no to something you really wanted to do so you could be there for the kids’ soccer game. Patience, attentiveness— basically, caring. That’s what it takes. We do in fact care about a lot of things—that we just so happen to be sort of good at doing. It’s okay to be a little bored by the routine. And what’s more, it’s about what God is doing through these routines over the years. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE COMMON QUESTION, “HOW WAS CHURCH TODAY?” Belonging to the body of Christ, being exposed regularly to the means of grace and to the communion of saints, is radically life-changing. But that process can’t usually be measured in days, weeks, and months. We have to simply believe God’s promise. It’s easy to burn out when we expect every public service or daily time with the Lord to be earthshattering. And just when it becomes ordinary, we back off because we don’t want it to become “routine.” But that’s just the point: it’s good to have routines that we stick to regardless of the fireworks. Again, I think of analogies: “How was your marriage today?” “How was your workout?” Most of the time, it’s “fine.” You can’t have revolutions every day or there wouldn’t be steady growth. Pastors, too, can burn out when every “worship experience” has to be phenomenal. All of this frenetic activity is, ironically, weakening sanctification, keeping our roots shallow, and making us dependent on “super apostles”—the ministers and their gifts instead of Christ’s giftgiving through his ministry. IT’S CERTAINLY TRUE THAT THE ORDINARY MEANS OF GRACE ARE THE ORDINARY WAY GOD WORKS. BUT IF WE’RE GOING TO REACH EVERY UNREACHED 10
MOMENTUM // JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015
PEOPLE GROUP WITH THE GOSPEL, WON’T IT REQUIRE RADICAL SACRIFICES AS SOME PURSUE A VERY NON-ORDINARY PATH TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR CHRIST, EVEN AS THEY STILL EMPLOY THE ORDINARY MEANS OF GRACE WHILE DOING SO? All of us are called to be faithful in our many callings, to put God’s glory and the good of others before our own comfort. Changing diapers may not be as exciting as changing the world, but marriage and raising children require a lot of personal sacrifices. We need millions of Christians around the world dedicated to the routines of family and public worship— and to all of the others in between. But if you look at the stats, we’re losing the reached more than we’re reaching the lost. Some are called to be foreign missionaries. Some never married, not because they wanted to be revolutionaries, but because their missionary calling took precedence and God used them remarkably. Others accomplished truly extraordinary feats on the field, but neglected their calling to their family. William Carey, the father of modern missions, didn’t know how to care for a wife with depression who couldn’t take being uprooted so many times. He neglected his children’s spiritual and temporal welfare. We all know similar stories of missionary kids and pastor’s kids. I’ve experienced those powerful tensions in my own heart. We have different callings to juggle every day—and it’s in those everyday decisions where it’s easy to use the ministry—“doing great things for God”—as a way to escape our callings to our closest neighbors. Bottom line: many of those who made the biggest difference did so over a long period of time, with a mix of successes and disappointments. The great majority of missionary heroes are those whose names we’ll never know. And even with those whose name we remember, the common ingredient was caring for daily tasks and routines. They all add up! Matt Smethurst serves as associate editor for The Gospel Coalition. He and his wife, Maghan, have two children and live in Louisville, Kentucky, where they belong to Third Avenue Baptist Church. Used with permission from The Gospel Coalition. www.thegospelcoalition.org
Redemption House
Update
Smile On T
Dale & Amie Stinson along with their boys shown from left to right: Elliott, Kitts (youngest), Cade, and Blake.
By John Leonard
he Lord continues to smile on our efforts at Redemption House. We are most grateful for your support. In answer to our prayers, the Lord has provided us with a beautiful property just west of Lake Minnetonka. Surrounded by expansive wetlands and pristine woods, Redemption House residents enjoy sweeping views and recreational activities on nearby lakes and nature trails. The beautiful lodgelike setting magnifies God’s majesty and enhances our focus on His love for us. It’s the perfect backdrop for prayer, worship and personal reflection. PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW PROGRAM DIRECTOR Our heart-focused, Christ-centered biblical counseling model will be directed by Dale Stinson. Dale just moved here from Nashville where he spent the last few years working as an associate pastor and as the Lead Counselor for the Life Recovery Programs at the Nashville Rescue Mission.
With his own personal experience overcoming addiction and a Masters in Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dale brings a wealth of wisdom to Redemption House. He is certified through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) and an active member of the Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC). He plans to pursue additional certification through the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) beginning in the spring of 2015. Please give Dale, his lovely wife Amie, and their four boys a warm Redeemer welcome. FUNDING NEEDS We are most grateful to those of you who supported us last year. Your contributions were matched 100% and enabled us to acquire the property and fund our operations. We are currently in the process of raising additional capital to underwrite the $90,000 scholarship budget. The money will be used to help those of limited means gain access to our services. Every dollar we raise will
once again be matched 100% by a generous donor from Texas. We pray that you will consider Redemption House in your giving plans. OPPORTUNITIES TO MINISTER We are also looking for men that would be willing to work part-time at Redemption House. The house is staffed 24/7 and we need people to cover the 2nd and 3rd shifts during the week and all of the shifts on the weekends. The House Assistants have the opportunity to minister to the guys, manage the house, and help meet the needs of the residents while they are there. Furthermore, we recently built a huge bookshelf and are in need of Christ-centered and classic literature to add to our library. If you are interested in supporting this important mission, working part-time at the house or learning more, please contact John Leonard at 651-270-2358 or john@redemptionhouse.net, or visit our website at www.redemptionhouse. net. // RBC
JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
11
Bonfire &Movie Night Saturday, Jan 31st @ 6 pm Men, join us for pizza, a bonfire, and a movie or two in pure "guys night" style. No RSVP necessary. We are asking for $ 3 at the door to cover the cost of the pizza. See you there!
Men’s Ministry
Update
Get R to Know Your in Christ By Casey Campbell
BC’s Men’s Ministry had a busy fall! Our annual men’s retreat at Woodland Camp in Zumbro Falls, MN took place the last weekend of October (24th/25th). With 65 men in attendance, we ate, worshipped, prayed and spent time together away from the busyness and distractions of day-to-day life. The Lord provided excellent weather and even better fellowship. Bottom line, we have a great time every year. For this article, I came up with a million reasons why every man in our church should attend next year’s retreat (or any other men’s ministry event for that matter) but figured I’d take a different route. So instead of giving you reasons why you should attend men’s ministry events, I’ll address some fears that might be preventing you from taking part in this ministry: FEAR #1 I’m afraid to go to the men’s retreat because of the austere environment of the camp. RESPONSE Woodland Camp has one or two of the luxuries of a 5-star resort. It comes fully equipped with bunks, bathrooms, a kitchen, a fire pit and a football field – all of the necessities.
FEAR #2 I don’t know anyone. It’ll be weird and I won’t talk to anybody the whole time. RESPONSE The best way to meet other guys in the church is to attend and/or volunteer at the ministry events. Nothing forges friendships better than chopping onions or washing pots and pans together. As a bonus, once you know some people, you won’t have to pretend to be “tying your shoe” through the entire donut time on Sundays. FEAR #3 I’m too old to take part in ministry events. RESPONSE Pastor Doug attends. Enough said. FEAR #4 My wife likes it better when I’m home to help out with things. RESPONSE These events are short. The retreat runs Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon and the other events only last a few hours. If you can leave your house for work each day, you can do any of these. Hopefully, you found this to be helpful. For 2015, the men’s ministry has planned a winter bonfire / movie night, a couple of men’s breakfasts, and of course, the men’s retreat. Come, get to know your brothers in Christ and have some fun! We look forward to seeing you. // RBC
JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
13
Saturday, February 7th 9 - 11:30 am in the Fellowship Hall, RSVP with carolburr1081@gmail.com.
Women's Ministry
The Lord is By Rebecca Peel, Brittney Westin, Katie Campbell, & Debbie Hansen
W
e have been so blessed to see many signs of grace and growth in the Women's Ministry over the last few months! We have over 100 women signed up between the two Galatians classes that are offered. That is amazing! Please read below of how the Lord is working in women's lives through the classes and fellowship since our kickoff on Nov. 15.
Update
Remember it's never too late to come join us for one of our fellowship brunches or the Galatians study. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. We'd love to have you come join us! Reminder: retreat sign up will begin on Feb. 1. All registration will take place at the Women's Ministry table directly outside the sanctuary. More details will be available as the date approaches. BRITTNEY WESTIN: ATTENDING WEDNESDAY MORNING GALATIANS BIBLE STUDY “At Redeemer, we are often taught that growth in Christ doesn't happen outside of community. I have come to discover the truth in that biblical principle. We need each other! One of the things The Lord has used in my life to draw me into community with others, and ultimately with Him, is the Women's Ministry at RBC. Ladies Class, in particular, has been an enormous blessing to me. I have seen the way my heart tends to wander and the lies I am tempted to believe when I'm not in constant fellowship with other believers. But spending time in fellowship and the study of scripture with my sisters in Christ has been a way God has used to nudge me gently out of my self-centeredness and tendency toward negative thinking. I have come away from my time on Wednesday mornings encouraged and filled with hope! A consistent time with these like-minded women has helped me not only through daily struggles, but it has
also provided a framework for discipline to study the word. There is nothing magical about a women's ministry in and of itself, but there is something undeniably powerful about a body of believers living life together. That's what we do. And God has been pleased to bless this woman through it.” KATIE CAMPBELL: ATTENDING WEDNESDAY MORNING GALATIANS BIBLE STUDY “I have been so encouraged by the great mix of ladies God has brought both to the brunch and the ladies' class. I had a nice time catching up with ladies at the brunch that I hadn't seen in months because we go to different services. It's so special to be able to hear God's truth through the women of RBC as they share at ladies' class what they are learning through what Kim is teaching.” DEBBIE HANSEN: TEACHER, WEDNESDAY EVENING GALATIANS STUDY “I have been encouraged by the large number of new women that have expressed an interest and desire to attend. The class is a wonderful mix of ages, stages and maturity. Though it is still early, I see women who love the Lord and desire to grow together. Galatians provides a fantastic view of the Gospel and its impact on daily living for both believers and seekers. May the welcome of the Gospel of Grace draw us together and bring peace to each of us as we discover how the Gospel changes everything.” // RBC
JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
15
REDEMPTION YOUTH // WINTER RETREAT
February 20th - 22nd We will be DEPARTING at 3:30 pm from the RBC parking lot and RETURNING at 4pm. The LOCATION is Trout Lake Camp in Pine River, MN. The COST is $95 per Camper. Please SIGN-UP by submitting an application form, money and proof of insurance to GabeZepeda@redeemerbiblechurch.com by February 1st. 16
MOMENTUM // JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015
Youth Ministry
in the Truth By Gabe Zepeda
A
Christian is a disciple of Jesus. The term “disciple” has many facets and can be defined in various ways. But, one of the most forgotten aspects of discipleship is the cost of following Jesus. As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus even when life is challenging—even if our dearest friends don’t follow Jesus anymore—even if no one around us is following Jesus. But, I believe the question many of us have is how do you follow Jesus even when dear leaders who taught us virtually everything about discipleship have suddenly fallen themselves? That’s a hard question and not easy to answer. Although there are many things I could say about this, I will say this: temporary and imperfect leaders make us long for a permanent and perfect one. And, the good news is we have such a leader in the person of Jesus Christ! From the least to the greatest, all of us are imperfect examples of Jesus. But, Jesus is our perfect shepherd.
Update
He has been leading us all along and will lead us all the way to glory. So, even when we (or dear leaders) tragically fall, Jesus still stands as the perfect template of a leader and a disciple. Even when we fail him, he will never fail us and is eager to lead us from green pastures to glory. That is good news for the church, for leaders, and for stupid sheep like us! When I think about the youth of Redeemer, I feel the same way the Apostle John felt about his flock: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4). Over the last two years, God has been so gracious to us as a ministry. I am humbled that the Lord uses me in spite of myself. I am so thankful for the youth team and all the youth workers who serve and love our students with joyful hearts. I am thankful for the church’s prayers and support. But, here are three ways the Lord has blessed us specifically: 1) COMMUNITY Our strategic theme for this year as a youth ministry is experiencing the gospel in community. I can’t stress how crucial it has been to be together as a youth ministry over the last several months. Whether it’s getting together around a bonfire, gathering at social events, singing praises together, sharing our burdens, prayer requests and wisdom, we have done life together. Although it is still a struggle to step out of our comfort zone, the Lord is teaching us how important it is to be together.
2) GROWTH IN GRACE This past Summer Camp was definitely a highlight where we were confronted with God’s relentless love for us from the story of the Prodigal Sons in Luke 15. The Holy Spirit powerfully came showing us how much Jesus loves us even though we nailed him to the cross! As a result, students have been more sensitive to God’s love for them and more aware of their sin. Several students have made professions of faith and have been baptized. Students are taking the initiative to hang out with one another, challenge each other in their walk, pray for one another and talk about Jesus with their unsaved friends. And, students are growing more in their understanding of the gospel and in their sanctification. 3) DISCIPLESHIP Discipleship is happening on so many levels within the youth ministry. Many of us on the youth team are meeting oneto-one with youth on a regular basis. Every Sunday morning, we have small groups that meet to discuss questions related to our study in the book of James. As a result, we’ve been able to get real with one another and challenge one another in love to follow Jesus. In 2015, we are planning and praying for the youth ministry to become more discipleship-focused so that students can grow as passionate disciples and disciple-makers. Jesus is on the move among the youth of Redeemer! The youth are the future gospel-pacesetters of the Kingdom. I don’t know about you, but they get me psyched to passionately follow Jesus! And, that’s what it’s all about. YES! // RBC JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
17
BER MEM
s e i b a B OF R
E DE E M
ER
RYAN GEOFFREY BOYER
OLIVIA MARIE JOHNSON
MICAH LOUIS LARSON
CALVIN DANIEL POWERS
ELIZA MAE THOMPSON
LUELLA PEARL TREBESCH
BRIN MARIE WESTIN
ADDISON KATE WILLIAMS
ALETHEIA GRACE ZEPEDA
Children’s Ministry
A to Pray By Shari Ley & Randy Hoese
P
reach the Gospel to yourself.” God used a book a few years ago to show me the meaning behind the phrase. I began reading a book entitled, Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Paul Tripp. I sat down on my couch, coffee in hand, prepared to read a book that would solve my parenting difficulties and most of all create cheerful and obedient children. As I continued to turn the pages, I realized there was some sort of reversal going on. God
“
Update
was beginning to speak to the heart issues that were going on in my own heart. As I was trying my best to teach my children about sin and their need for Christ, I realized I was missing something. My attitudes, thoughts and intentions towards my children were sinful. God began to work on my heart; showing me my sin, the cross and the
while you’re preparing Sunday school lessons and working with these kids. I am also often reminded of what a great privilege it is to be standing in front of these kids explaining bible stories and communicating the gospel. Seeing all their little eyes staring at you when you’re talking about what it means to repent and trust in Jesus is forever etched in my mind now. One of the things we work on is
saving grace He offers me as well. The gospel was changing my own heart! As our teachers prepare to teach Sunday school, I have heard many express how in preparing the Bible lessons each week they are blessed by the power of the Word and changed by it. When it becomes alive in their own hearts, how much more will it become alive in Sunday School as they teach the children! This year we have created a prayer focus in each of the Sunday School rooms. We are also excited to begin a curriculum entitled, “Lord, Teach Us to Pray,” on Wednesday evenings for the 1st-6th graders starting January 7. We are excited to see how God will move in each of the children's hearts to create a passion to pray with purpose to our mighty God as they seek to fellowship with him and draw closer to him. We are already seeing signs of his grace in the classroom (read Randy's testimony below).
memorizing the Ten Commandments. Usually, I will give a small medallion with the commandments printed on it to any of the kids who can say them all in the class. Recently one of the kids told me that he reads the Ten Commandments every day on his medallion! I was so blessed when he told me that and immediately recognized how God is working in this little boy’s life. What an encouragement that was to me! During our class, we’ll also have a small group prayer time. Usually, kids this age are very shy about praying aloud in a group, so at some point I will ask if any of the kids would be willing to pray for me. That always gets their attention. They are curious and want to know what my problem is. Often there is one or two that will pray for me right there and that is so tremendous! I even had one tell me that he was going to pray for me all week! That’s about as good as it gets. So I am thankful for the platform that teaching Sunday school presents
RANDY HOESE My wife Melita and I have been involved in the children's ministry since we joined Redeemer in 2007. One of the many benefits of working with these kids is how God changes you over time
and for the opportunity to reinforce the truths of the gospel that children hear from their parents and other loved ones at home. // RBC
JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
19
Community Groups
Update
27 and Most are By Pastor Paul, Ben Carter & Cory Lavasseur
I
t is very healthy to remind ourselves of signs of grace. We use this phrase at Redeemer often and it means to look beyond our trials and circumstances and see the hand of God in them. It is seeking signs 20
MOMENTUM // JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015
of grace, signs that God is still in the business of transforming us into the image of His son Jesus Christ. We have much to be thankful for in regards to Community Groups. We have 27 groups and most of them are overflowing. We have 10 new leaders. But most of all, we have stories of people being changed by the gospel. Read these vignettes and see that the Gospel Changes Everything...even Community Groups. BEN CARTER - MINNETONKA Everything stopped. We weren't sure what to say. It was one of our first community group meetings when Al shared that his wife, Doris, was battling Alzheimer’s. When confronted with news about a disease like this, our natural response is to withdraw at a time when exactly the opposite is
needed. One expected way our group moved toward Al and Doris is through prayer, and we encourage others at Redeemer to join us lifting them up. But one unexpected way we reached out was to plan a bonfire at Al and Doris’s home. This small step represented an important shift in our group. First, it expanded our definition of community group beyond the confines of our typical meeting time on Sundays from 1:00-3:00. As Brad House says in his book Community, “it requires us to see ourselves as a people and not a series of events.” Second, the bonfire drew the group closer to Al and Doris and
provided a sense of normalcy in the midst of an unsettling time. Looking back at that evening with the kids laughing, the cider steaming, and the marshmallows toasting golden brown -- I’ve never seen Doris smile more. CORY LAVASSEUR - MINNETONKA We at Redeemer consider teenagers to be a part of our adult congregation; one of the ways this works out practically is that we encourage them to participate in community groups. We also purposely mix the demographics of community groups at Redeemer to include members with a variety of ages and life experiences. I have finally reached the ripe old age where all five of my kids are old enough to join community groups. If your family is anything like mine, the inevitable happens right around Sunday afternoon (right before our group meets). One to several of us suddenly come down with a communicable disease; two or three discover homework that has somehow gone unnoticed all weekend; lack of sleep from the previous week catches up with a couple of us, etc. However, this year for some reason (probably the inspiring leadership of a great dad), my kids have more consistently attended group; and they and the other members have really benefitted. I have seen them become more transparent in confessing sins and sharing signs of God’s grace. I have also witnessed an increased maturity in my kids’ participation in gospel discussions during and after group meetings. God has been so good to develop us over time. I would encourage everyone to join a community group and see how he’ll change you or your teenager. // RBC
International Outreach
Update
Love and Prayers
By Mike & Helen Wicker
W
hat makes a successful sailing voyage? A good sailboat needs to have a strong “partner.” The “partner” is the opening in the deck or cross member where the mast connects to the boat’s hull. Sailing requires a “partner” to keep the mast strong in the midst of stormy winds. Likewise, a successful missionary needs strong ministry partners. We have appreciated your ministry partnership. The ministry route we've adopted is building godly leaders who will penetrate society across Africa. By the grace of God, this part of the journey has sailed well. Now, we're in the second phase of building spiritual
movements with Cru's leader-led movements. For example, we've worked with the leadership of two major denominations in Ghana that totals 3.5 million people. Our leadership development programs have resulted in Christ-centered change. These churches have in turn trained over 40,000 people who are embarking on transformational initiatives. One such initiative is the setting up of 55 Christian high schools, key for evangelizing the youth and resisting the influence of the Muslim religion. Because of God's blessings, we've been asked by Cru in West Africa to focus on Ghana and Nigeria. Mike has helped many go through our first phase of training. Now we need to equip them
in evangelism and discipleship. We're helping to build spiritual movements! Your partnership enabled us to make great progress in training leaders in West Africa where Ebola and Boko Haram are spreading. One of the most gratifying signs of this growth is the transformed lives of our friends (Ibrahim, Mudasiri, Lepan, Ademola, Zchat, Peter) who we've equipped to follow God's call to reach the lost. We deeply appreciate your partnership. You’re a continual source of joy and encouragement as you “partner” to pray and give faithfully for our ministry. Thank you for helping us sail the ship forward. // RBC
JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
21
HOMESTAY PROGRAM Do you want to learn more about another culture without leaving the country? Consider hosting a student from China this winter through the Langston English School Homestay Program. For more information, please contact our very own Marty or Barb Pagano, the China-Midwest Connection liaisons for Langston English here in Minnesota.
Marty & Barb Pagano PHONE (952) 270-6616 EMAIL CHINAMIDWESTCONNECTION@GMAIL.COM
22
MOMENTUM // JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015
How I Met Jesus
Blog Post
More encouraging blog posts can be found at: RedeemerBibleChurch.com/resources/blog
Mark & Kim Suchta W By Mark Suchta
hen Kim and I first met around 16 years ago, we were not Christians. As soon as we got married, things started to decline. I was now responsible for three people instead of just me. The emotional and financial responsibility was very difficult for me. Very quickly, our love towards one another started to grow cold. We cared for each other but it was going downhill. About a year and a half later Kim started a bible study and for the first time she heard the Gospel. Shortly after this, the Lord saved her and she was changed. She truly was a new creation in Christ and it showed. She had a glow about her and an unexplainable joy. It was both curious and convicting at the same time. I was curious because I could tell that what had happened to Kim wasn’t fake, it was real and it was deep- rooted. It was convicting because as she shared the Gospel with me it was a threat to my righteousness. My whole life I thought I was a Christian because I was a moral person who believed in the existence of God. Now
I was hearing that wasn’t true and I wasn’t too happy about it. Kim was now hanging bible verses on our bathroom mirror and fridge, playing KTIS in my work car, and even put the Jesus fish on the back of my car. I wasn’t too happy about that either! I told Kim she needed to back off on all the “Jesus hype” and she respected my wishes. But as the weeks and months went by my conviction turned more and more to curiosity as Kim’s joy continued to grow. Every Wednesday she would come home after her bible study just glowing. Eventually my curiosity got the best of me and I told her that I wanted her to start sharing with me what she was learning. So each week when she got home she would open up her bible and share God’s word with me. I was reading and hearing for the first time that my righteousness was not sufficient for salvation and that is exactly why Christ came. I started to count the costs. Was it worth it? What about all the sin I loved? I will be different if I do this. I must submit every area of my life to him. All of these thoughts raced through my mind. But as the weeks progressed, I was
growing more and more convinced that it was going to be worth it because I was growing more and more convinced that I was not as righteous as I thought. Then the day came. Kim came home as she did every Wednesday but this time she shared with me about the second coming of Christ. She read to me Matthew 24:40 “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.” As soon as Kim read that, I was filled with dread and terror. I was now fully convinced that I was a great sinner deserving of hell. The next morning I woke up and asked Kim the question that every Christian wants to hear from their friends and loved ones, “Kim what must I do to be saved?” Kim talked to me about the way of salvation and told me to repent of my sin and selfrighteousness and put all of my trust in the person and work of Christ for the full forgiveness of sins. That day was a day of new life for me. I have never been the same. I still struggle and wrestle with unbelief and sin daily but now I have the Savior, and He has me, and is keeping me for that day when I will sin no more. // RBC
JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
23
Gospel Life
Blog Post
More encouraging blog posts can be found at: RedeemerBibleChurch.com/resources/blog
Holiness is the Pursuit of Jesus By Gabe Zepeda
I
’ve been thinking about holiness recently. Every day we are confronted with our personal sin, the sin in our fallen world, the sin done against us, and the sin we commit against others. The book of Leviticus talks about how unclean we are and how clean God is. Our sin is serious. Jesus, God’s only Son, had to die for it! Why do we give in to sin then? Answers vary, right? I want to suggest that one of the main reasons we take our personal holiness lightly is because we reduce holiness to a set of rules we need to keep. Holiness does have to do with keeping the commands of Jesus. But, it’s more than that. Holiness is an ache in your soul to be like Jesus. It’s even an ache for Jesus himself. This is how 1 John 3:2-3 puts it: Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when [Jesus] appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
24
MOMENTUM // JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015
Sin throws our desires out of whack. That’s why we obsessively run after things that can never satisfy. But according to the passage above, the gospel recalibrates our desires so that we pursue Jesus as the only one who can satisfy. Each of our sins reveals what we really desire. If you tend to have a big ego, you desire power. If you struggle with sexual addiction, you desire comfort or pleasure. If you’re worried a lot, you desire control. If you struggle with the fear of man, you desire acceptance. Here’s how the gospel addresses our desires. Regarding pride, you don’t need to pursue power because when you pursue Jesus he will exalt you. Regarding sexual addiction, you don’t need to pursue comfort because when you pursue Jesus he will fulfill you permanently. Regarding worry, you don’t need to pursue control because when you pursue Jesus he will give you rest. Holiness isn’t about pursuing the rules; it’s about pursuing Jesus himself! The more you pursue him, the more you’ll long for him and be made like him.
One day, our longing for Jesus and holiness will be realized when we see him at last. I love how Till We Have Faces, a story about two royal sisters, relays this point. Psyche, who believes there’s more to life beyond the Grey Mountain (a place of majesty and hope), demonstrates her longing in this way: It was when I was happiest that I longed most. It was on happy days when we were up on the hills […] with the wind and the sunshine […]. Do you remember? The color and the smell, and looking across at the Grey Mountain in the distance? And because it was so beautiful, it set me longing, always longing. Somewhere else there must be more of it. Everything seemed to be saying, "Psyche come!" [...] The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing—to reach the Mountain, to find the place where all the beauty came from--.* *C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces (Orlando, FL: Harcourt Books, 1984), 74-75. // RBC
Gospel Life
Blog Post
More encouraging blog posts can be found at: RedeemerBibleChurch.com/resources/blog
Isaiah 52 that 7 Things from Gospel Believers Do By Bill Walsh
B
ELIEVERS PUT ON (V. 1) Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. We have been chosen to be clothed with true strength and beauty: the holy garment of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, given freely to us to make us absolutely clean in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. Put on the garment of righteousness! BELIEVERS SHAKE OFF (V. 2) Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. Through the power of the Gospel, we progressively shake off the dust, arise, loosen our bonds, and stop thinking and acting like slaves to sin. Shake off your chains! BELIEVERS REMEMBER (V. 3-5) For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” For thus says the Lord God: “My people went
down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. Now therefore what have I here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the Lord, “and continually all the day my name is despised. We remember that at one time we were slaves to sin, and were without ransom, but the Lord chose to buy us off the slave market. Remember your redemption! BELIEVERS KNOW (V. 6) Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.” We know God's name. We are in the inner circle of God’s family and royal court. We know him personally and with increasing intimacy through Christ. Pursue knowing God more deeply! BELIEVERS PUBLISH (V. 7) How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” The impact of this Good News on our
own life, causes us to naturally want to bring this good news and publish this peace to others. Tell your story! BELIEVERS SEE (V. 8 & 10) The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. We are thinking more and more about the coming day when the new heavens and the new earth will be joined together under the rule of Christ. See your future! BELIEVERS SING (V. 9) Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. We sing in our hearts and worship God because of our gratefulness for the grace of God towards us through the Gospel. The more we live in this Good News and in anticipation of the coming King, the more our hearts will rejoice. Sing to your Lord! // RBC
JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015 \\ MOMENTUM
25
By the Numbers
Finance Report
Stewardship W in the Midst of Suffering
e are two months into our new fiscal year at RBC. As you can imagine, when
you have a crisis in the church as we have experienced 4 months ago, the arena of giving and expenses is also affected. We have been so blessed by our heavenly Father, the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. We have been able to make significant reductions in our new budget/spending plan. It is too early to tell about the
By Pastor Paul Burr
overall effect. All I can say for sure is that we all need to pray and ask our Great God to see where we can continue to be good stewards of the many financial blessings we've been given. As I remarked at the State of the Church meeting, the Lord has been so faithful to RBC over the years and He has truly not abandoned or forsaken us. In our trial, the Lord is teaching us
FISCAL YEAR TOTALS // THRU NOVEMBER
what dependence looks like. As Jesus learned obedience through suffering, we
160 K
BUDGET $ 149,431
140 K 120 K BUDGET
EXPENSES GIVING
60 K 40 K
GIVING $ 109,888
$ 39,130
Thank you for your personal faithfulness over the years. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have financial questions or concerns, Pastor Paul, paulburr@redeemerbiblechurch.com.
20 K
// RBC
0
26
obedience looks like in our trial.
OPERATING EXPENSES $ 149,018
100 K 80 K
too will learn what financial/stewardship
MOMENTUM // JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2015
There are four ways to Give at Redeemer, take your pick. OFFERING BAG
BANK EFT
1
Electronic Giving Helping people do what they want to do already
Church name: Redeemer Bible Church
Your name: Address: City, State, Zip:
Email address:
I would like to make the following
Redeemer Bible Church is now offering electronic giving, which allows you to make contributions on a scheduled, automatic basis. If you are writing checks every week or month, you will especially appreciate electronic giving. It is convenient for you and is a great way to help all of us become more consistent in our giving.
CASH. CHECK.
Date of 2nd contribution:
VISION program (Building $ _________ ___/___/___ Fund)
Mercy_________________ $ _________ Other _________________ $ _________ $ ______
Total
CHECKING / SAVINGS
(if applicable) Frequency of contribution (check one): Weekly – Mondays Semi-monthly – 1st and 15th Monthly on the 1st Monthly on the 15th
Complete this section if using your checking or savings account
Please debit my (check one): Checking account—attach voided check
Routing #:
Account #:
Valid routing # must start with 0,1,2 or 3
FORM @ WELCOME CENTER.
Savings account—attach voided deposit slip
VISA. M/C. DISCOVER. AMEX.
I authorize the above organization to process debit entries to the above account. I understand that this authority will remain in effect until I provide reasonable notification to terminate the authorization.
Note: Giving electronically is completely secure and is processed by a business that services 11,000 churches annually.
$ _________
To set up electronic contribution, simply complete the authorization form on the right and return it to Paula Poppe in the church office or Gary Bergstrom, our Accountant, in the sealed envelope provided. Contributions can be debited automatically from either a checking or savings account.
General Operating Fund
How to get started
Date of first contribution: ___/___/___
contribution(s):
3
AUTHORIZATION FORM
Enjoy the convenience of electronic giving
RBC WEBSITE
2
APP
Authorized signature: _____________________________________ Date:
/
/
4 BANK ACCOUNT. VISA. M/C. AMEX.
January
February
SUNDAY // 4th
SUNDAY // 18th
SUNDAY // 1st
SUNDAY // 15th
9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship
9a | Gathered Worship *LT 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship *LT
9a | Gathered Worship *LT 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship *LT
WEDNESDAY // 7th
WEDNESDAY // 21st
9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship 6p | The Lord's Table
6:45p | Vintage Prayer 6:45p | Redemption Youth
6:45p | Vintage Prayer 6:45p | Redemption Youth
WEDNESDAY // 4th
6:45p | Vintage Prayer 6:45p | Redemption Youth
SUNDAY // 11th
SUNDAY // 25th
9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship 6p | The Lord's Table
9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship
THURSDAY // 5th
WEDNESDAY // 28th
9a | Women's Brunch
WEDNESDAY // 14th
6:45p | Vintage Prayer 6:45p | Redemption Youth
SUNDAY // 8th
6:45p | Vintage Prayer 6:45p | Redemption Youth
SATURDAY // 17th
SATURDAY // 31st 6p | Men's Movie Night
1:30p | Youth, Ice Skating
6:45p | Vintage Prayer 6:45p | Redemption Youth
5p | Newcomer's Dinner
SATURDAY // 7th
9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship
WEDNESDAY // 11th 6:45p | Vintage Prayer 6:45p | Redemption Youth
WEDNESDAY // 18th
FRIDAY // 20th - 22nd 3:30p | Let's Make War! Redemption Winter Retreat
SUNDAY // 22nd 9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship
WEDNESDAY // 25th 6:45p | Vintage Prayer 6:45p | Redemption Youth
Saturday JANUARY 17th
Saturday JANUARY 31st
Youth Ice Skating
Men’s Movie & Bonfire
1:30 - 4:30 PM | CENTENNIAL LAKES, EDINA
6 PM | MAIN CHURCH BUILDING
Attention! Glorious Teenagers of RBC. Come ice skating with the Redemption Youth Group at Centennial Lakes: 7499 France Ave., Edina, MN 55435, 952-833-9581. Cost is $6 if you need to rent skates and FREE if you bring your own. Also, bring extra money if you want to buy anything at the concessions stand. *Optional: gather for lunch @ 5 Guys from 12:30pm-1:30pm.
Men, join us for pizza, a bonfire, and a movie or two in pure “guys night” style. No RSVP necessary. We are asking for $3 at the door to cover the cost of the pizza.
* Includes The Lord's Table