Momentum | June 2013 by Redeemer Bible Church

June2013

Welcome We’re glad you’re here!

We are a church with a mission. Our mission is to proclaim, embody, and enjoy the gospel of Jesus Christ so that unbelievers are convinced of the gospel, believers are built up in the gospel, and culture is transformed by the gospel to the glory of God. Because the gospel is at our heart, we want all that we say and do as a church to honor and reflect Christ. Part of that includes making sure you are able to consistently and clearly know the vision and direction of Redeemer.

The gospel is the good news of what God has done for us through His son, Jesus. When God created the world, he created us in his image to rule the earth under his authority. Instead, through Adam who represented us, we preferred to be the rulers ourselves and rebelled against God by breaking his command Because of that, God brought about consequences, namely death and hell, for people who are rebels, which is all of us. But because God is loving, he didn’t choose to forget his creation, of which we are a part. Instead, he decided to remake it. He chose to remake everything through Jesus Christ, the eternal son of God who became man. Jesus was the one who lived the life we ought to have lived, and died the death we deserved to die, so that, if we put our faith and trust in him, turning from our sins and our rebellion, he remakes us new. He remakes our vision for the world and enables us to fulfill our calling in the world. Through Jesus, God is restoring everything.

That’s where Momentum comes in. On the first Sunday of every month, everyone will receive a copy and be able to stay connected to the pulse of Redeemer. Inside each monthly issue, you will find a meditation from Pastor Glenn, an update on the church’s vision goals, and learn more about a different ministry. You’ll also read about where you can help serve and get involved, as well as be updated on things like church finances, new members, and church activities and programs throughout the month. Redeemer is a church on the move, and it’s the gospel that is moving it forward. The gospel is our passion, our motivation, our moving force. It’s our momentum.

Credits Design/Direction: Chuck Forsberg Content Manager: Lorie Schnell Writers: Brittney Westin, Derek Tessman Copy Editor: Anne Lynn

Featured Article

June

The Good News of Having Nothing to Defend “Christians have another good reason to give up defending themselves, and that is because someone else has become our defender. I am safe in the gospel. Even though God knows that I am a bankrupt, vile sinner, he has accepted me and loved me. Because of this, I am liberated from the need to defend myself, to make excuses, to put others down and gossip about them, to make myself out as more than I am. Those things make me feel more secure in my flesh, but I do not need that kind of security anymore.”

- R w glenn

Vision Update Redeemer’s vision for transforming the Twin Cities for the gospel by 2030.

Kids Corner

Learn more about Neighborhood Bible Camps and our new Kids Choir.

Financial update

This month’s update on our Expanding Our Gospel Vision Program.

Monthly Meditation

“Our beliefs are only legitimately Christian to the extent that they are truly biblical. ”

red meat for the Soul

Prepare yourself. This month Bob dives into the art of selfishness.

June church Life

What is Church Life? Find the answer to this question and more in this Q & A with Greg Deckert.

Missionary Update

So, how is Karise doing in Italy? Find out here with this update from Derek Tessman.

Welcome new Member

Find out who is new in the membership and how to become a member at Redeemer.

Get involved

Redeemer needs your help! There are many volunteer positions available.

Event Calendar

Stay in the loop! Don’t miss out on upcoming events at RBC!

Contents

Vision update

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

Eight Percent by 2030

ur beliefs are only legitimately Christian to the extent that they are truly biblical. This goes for a church’s mission just as much as it goes for its doctrinal commitments. Our mission is to proclaim, embody, and enjoy the gospel of Jesus Christ so that unbelievers are convinced of the gospel, believers are built up in the gospel, and culture is transformed by the gospel to the glory of God. So the key question you need to answer is, “Is our mission biblical?” If it isn’t, we should abandon it wholesale. If it is, then our mission isn’t merely a catchy way of communicating what we’re about as a church; it’s our mandate. So let’s do a brief exposition of our mission to see if, in fact, Redeemer Bible Church is worthy of its name.

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

• To proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ: “Jesus said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem’” (Luke 24:46-47). See also Isa 61:1-2; Acts 10:42 and 1 Pet 2:9. • To embody the gospel of Jesus Christ: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Phil 1:27). See also Col 3:10; 4:6 and 1 John 4:12. • To enjoy the gospel of Jesus Christ: “Though you have not seen Jesus, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of

By: Pastor R W Glenn

your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9). See also Ps 103:2-5; Phil 4:4 and Col 3:16. • So that unbelievers are convinced of the gospel: “From morning till evening Paul expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets” (Acts 28:23). See also Acts 18:4; 2 Cor 5:11 and 1 Pet 3:15. • So that believers are built up in the gospel: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col 1:28). See also Eph 4:15; Col 1:5-6 and 1 Thess 2:13. • So that culture is transformed by the gospel: “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare’” (Jeremiah 29:4-7). See also Matt 5:13; Luke 3:10-14 and 1 Thess 4:11. • To the glory of God: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). See also Isa 43:7; Eph 1:6, 12, 14 and Phil 2:9-11. So there you have it – the mission of Redeemer Bible Church, emphasis on Bible and excited about the mission. //RBC

Leadership Development By: Pastor r w Glenn

Recently, we took some time to brainstorm about what a leader in the Christian church ought to look like. We wanted to clarify our vision for leadership development so that we might know what direction our development should take. Here’s the picture we’ve painted:

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This creates in leaders a gospel ethos. When you’re with them, you feel safe to admit your weaknesses, flaws and sins, because you know that they know they are also beset with many weaknesses (Heb 5:2). Because of this, leaders are not defensive. They laugh at themselves. They play well with others. They model transparency. They foster loyalty. They celebrate others successes and they weep for others when they fail. The hands of a leader are edifying, building teams of servant leaders to affect change for the good of the world. Beginning with their own neighbors, they pray for open doors of opportunity to extend the love of Christ to everyone they know. Sometimes they coach, sometimes they train, sometimes they counsel, sometimes they mentor, and sometimes they grab a paintbrush and finish a fence.

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The word of God, which finds its center in the person of Jesus Christ and his grace for us, becomes the lens through which leaders see the world.

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RELATIONAL DEPTH

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CULTURAL RENEWAL

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more and more a way of life, leaders’ minds and hearts and hands are changed in surprising and powerful ways.

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The gospel indeed changes everything, perhaps especially the face of leadership. //RBC

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

A leader is just a Christian, or better, a leader is an example of a Christian (1 Tim 4:12); therefore, a leader is the first to repent and believe the gospel. As repentance and faith becomes

In 2 Tim 2:2, the Apostle Paul leaves the church with a mandate to do just that: “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (NASB). Paul envisions four generations of leaders: (1) Paul to (2) Timothy to (3) faithful men to (4) others also. And there

At Redeemer, we love this legacy – we love being a part of it. To receive the baton and to pass it to the next generation of leaders is one of the great privileges of ministry.

CO MM

Now you might think that Jesus’ giving of these gifts to the church would mean that development of leaders wouldn’t be necessary. Why would we have to develop something that Jesus has already promised to give us as a gift? Wouldn’t it just happen more or less naturally? The answer is that leadership development doesn’t make leaders; it discovers, encourages, and hones leadership that’s already there.

is no reason to think that once those “faithful men” passed the baton to “others also,” that those others would have been told to stop running and put the baton away. The implicit principle is a perpetual legacy of leadership development.

Meditate

This is why one of our church’s values is leadership development.

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

esus’ work for us – his life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and present session of intercessory prayer – obtained for us everything we need to live the Christian life well. And included especially in his ascension and outpouring of the Spirit, was the gifting of the church with capable human leaders: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph 4:1112).

June focus

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

Q & A with Ministry director: greg deckert

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Can you explain what the main purpose is for having a Church Life ministry? Church Life is such an eclectic ministry. It touches on so many areas of the church that it’s hard to pigeonhole its main purpose. I think our team mainly does two things: we welcome people on Sunday mornings and throughout the week, and we also encourage fellowship by initiating events. We do inreach events and outreach events, either at church or outside of the church, at various times throughout the year. We’re not event planners, but we do initiate events where people can get together and build deeper relationships. What are some of the events that the Church Life ministry initiates? The main event under our ministry is the church picnic. Our Church Life team schedules, plans and organizes the church picnic every year, which will be coming up again in July. Throughout the year, there are events that we’ve done a few years in a row, like the fall bonfire out at Fritz Jordan’s place and the Twins game outing. There are also some other events that we’ve done sporadically, for instance, we did a Valentine’s banquet for a year or two and then decided not to do that again for a while, and this winter we did a snow tubing activity out at Elm Creek. So each year we’re going to have some of the old tried and true events, and we will try to do some new ones to mix it up, too. Can you speak to why fellowship is so important in a church? I think it goes to the fifth value of Redeemer, which is relational depth. We want to have a church where people really know each other well. And that means that you can’t just bump into each other over coffee on Sundays, although that’s important

too. That’s why I think we have such a meaningful Community Group ministry at Redeemer. But you also need to meet with people on the occasional Saturday morning and Thursday night, at a Twins game, a church picnic and things like that. When you know each other better, you can love each other more effectively and minister the “one-anothers” of scripture to each other. You can’t do those things until you really build that relational depth with people. So outside of events, how does the team go about encouraging an atmosphere at Redeemer where everyone feels welcome? I generally hear comments that Redeemer is friendly and that it’s an outward looking church. People don’t tend to come to church just to talk to their friends and then go sit in a corner with their clique. Redeemer’s just not like that. I think we’ve always been intentional about welcoming people. We have door greeters and a welcome center and ushers. We have a time during the service devoted to going out and greeting people, so we’ve always been intentional about seeking out the visitors and the new attenders on Sunday mornings, which really helps foster a welcoming atmosphere. We’ve seen a lot of new faces at church lately! How does the Church Life ministry help to move a new person from a casual attender to a more engaged member? I think every ministry in the church does that, and we can only help in a small way. We strive to do it through welcoming people and making them feel at home on Sunday mornings, and then providing opportunities and outlets for them to get to know others better. But people have to want to do that. I think the desire to connect comes from teaching and preaching. As you’re taught, and as you hear preaching, you’re convinced

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

interviewed by: Brittney Westin

of the centrality of the local church and that makes you want to get to know people at your church. And as you continue to hear biblical teaching and preaching, you’re convinced of the importance of personal relationships. If you’re convinced of that, you’re going to be welcoming and friendly to people, you’re going to want to participate in events, and you’re going to want to invite people to these events to get to know them. So I think Church Life just provides people an opportunity to work out what they’ve already been convinced of through biblical teaching and preaching.

We do have a new initiative that we’re going to start this fall. It’s going to be a college connect ministry to help Redeemer reach out to our college students. For example, we’ve had kids go off to college in Indiana and Ohio in the last few years, and we’ve had other Redeemer kids go off to Michigan and Texas and other places. I just don’t think we’ve done a great job at keeping these kids connected to their home church. So we’re going to start a new initiative where they get a church bulletin and DVDs of Pastor Bob’s sermons and people signing up to send care packages. My son Steve loved to get a care package of chocolate chip cookies in the mail, and so that will be a new Church Life initiative starting here shortly. What about single adults who are out of college? I agree that it’s something we have to focus on because the church has gone from 40 to 450 in ten years, and most churches of 40 don’t have a Singles’ ministry. Eventually they do, but at what point in that continuum do you have one? We need to think about that especially because our Community

What signs of God’s grace have you seen in our Church Life ministry? I just think it’s exciting to see how the need for an effective Church Life team has grown as the church has exploded in numbers. It was relatively less important five years ago to look out for new folks in the congregation because you could spot them. Everybody knew who they were! Now there are so many new people every Sunday. One of the things our Church Life team does is to follow up with visitors. Every week after people fill out the information card in church, we get a list of the new visitors. Then we send those out to various people in the Community Groups who then follow up with our visitors on Monday or Tuesday. It’s exciting to have a Church Life team that needs to do that because we’re growing. In some churches where there are no new people you don’t need that kind of a ministry. What are some of the goals this ministry has as Redeemer continues to grow? I think we’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing but it’s going to be on a grander scale. We’re going to need more and more people to help, because we need more people to plan a church picnic, which gets bigger every year, and we need more people to follow up with visitors, because we have more visitors every Sunday. //RBC

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

God has blessed Redeemer with many wonderful young families, but how do we intentionally involve and engage people who are in different stages of life?

Groups are specifically not geared to demographics. I know in many churches that I’m familiar with, one of the small groups is for singles, and there are pros and cons to that. As the church has grown, we’ve begun to realize the need to have a more focused emphasis on providing ministry opportunities for the single adults at Redeemer, and ways for them to develop meaningful relationships and friendships with others outside of our Community Groups.

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Featured article

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013 10

The same is true in our culture. Meek people simply do not get the privilege of running things. They are the ones told what to do, and they do what they are told. They may not like getting pushed around, but they lack the gumption to do anything about it. So we use the word meek as an insult, preferring the sort of personal courage that says, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” This is not to say that we do not value humility in our world, for our culture does seem to admire those who know how to listen and have the self-control to keep quiet when it seems best to do so. We also decry ruthless dictators and savage rule breakers. We do not like modern-day Pontius Pilates who seek their own gain at whatever cost to underlings, and we prosecute Zealots – terrorists driven by idealism and willing to practice wanton violence. But, at the same time, we think it downright wrong not to defend ourselves when mistreated or mistaken. We assume there is always something in us worth defending – some kernel of moral uprightness that others ought to respect. According to Jesus’ definition, that means we are not meek. Inheriting the Earth

Jesus’ original audience expected the meek to inherit the earth through an armed uprising led by their Messiah at the end of history. They were waiting for a big show in which their oppressors would be shattered like so many pots (Psalm 2:8– 9). But Jesus taught that the meek would experience their inheritance in the present: “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). After all, as we will see in chapter 9, God’s

This means that the only person who has earned the inheritance of the earth is Jesus, and he earned it by emptying himself (Philippians 2:7). Jesus fulfills all of the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17), so all promises that the Old Testament makes to the meek belong to him. He is the meek one par excellence, who inherits the earth and then shares his inheritance with all who put their faith in him (Hebrews 9:15). His co-heirs have set aside all their so-called rights and gladly submitted themselves to God’s rule as citizens of his kingdom. His co-heirs are meek like their Savior. Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild? If Jesus is the only rightful heir of the earth, who gladly shares his inheritance with the meek, then we must look at Jesus to understand true meekness. Jesus called himself “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29), and he began the most triumphant week of his life by riding on an unimpressive donkey, of all things, into the capital city (Matthew 21:5–7). But for Jesus, meekness definitely did not mean spiritless compliance, sitting around waiting for someone else to do something. Charles Wesley’s hymn “Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild” suggests that if we could but emulate Jesus, we would be sweet and compliant children of God, but seems to miss the kind of aggressive meekness Jesus actually embodied. Remember Jesus getting upset in the temple (Matthew 21:12– 13)? Here is “gentle Jesus” acting like a lunatic. He entered the temple and wreaked havoc with the moneychangers. He drove people out of the temple and turned over tables, coins flying everywhere, animals bleating, and people running chaotically, while he quoted the Scriptures to them. Then, in Matthew 23, he leveled incendiary and inflammatory accusations against the scribes and Pharisees, calling them sons of hell, hypocrites, and serpents (verses 29–33). Not even his dearest disciples were safe from harsh words when they seemed appropriate. In Matthew 16:23, Jesus called his closest friend the devil, which might today be like comparing someone to Hitler or Bin Laden and meaning it. Jesus Christ – the paragon of meekness – went ballistic in the temple, spoke curses against his elders, and rebuked his only friends. It might seem, then, as if “gentle Jesus, meek and mild” is the greatest misnomer ever! In fact, we may begin to wonder whether Jesus was truly meek at all. We think of meek people as humbly patient, especially when provoked. Meek people do not take matters into their own hands, nor do they lash out in fits of anger, but it seems like Jesus did just that, both

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

The psalms promise that “the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace” (Psalm 37:11), and ancient Jews put a lot of hope in that promise. They understood their inheritance to extend beyond the land of Canaan in Palestine to the whole earth, and they understood abundant peace as a time when God would finally put Israel’s oppressors in their place and restore order to the whole universe (Isaiah 66:22). But Jesus meant much more than that.

children inherit first and foremost a person, not property. In the future, the whole earth will know that it is under the authority of King Jesus and his loyal subjects, and the Lord will make this known through his might. The property will be ours, and it will extend in every direction. In the meantime, we experience our inheritance of the earth through meekness – by taking refuge in God’s unique son (Psalm 2:12), the one who receives his inheritance not by might, but by virtue of his sonship (Psalm 2:6–7).

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

he meek will inherit the earth? The meek will rule the world? Jesus cannot be serious. His audience certainly would have known better. The overly submissive, compliant, spiritless, tame people of the world will never rule it. Take, for example, a survey of the Roman emperors or their regional governors, like Pontius Pilate, the magistrate in charge of Palestine in Jesus’ lifetime. Unless you had a belly of steel, you simply could not ascend the ladder of the Roman political elite. And how about the Zealots? They were committed to the violent overthrow of the Roman occupation and would have scoffed at Jesus’ absurd notion that the meek would inherit the earth. So far, sitting on their hands had not helped the Jews get their homeland back under their own control, and the Zealots refused to endure oppression any longer. They knew that the meek just get stepped on and over. Enough was enough. Time to act.

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

in the temple, and when he rebuked the religious leaders, and even Peter. The church has historically seen Jesus as so docile and domesticated that we find it hard to interpret these stories. But do not ignore the obvious reality of Jesus’ robust meekness. In fact, meekness does not mean avoiding conflict or refusing to call a spade a spade just because the consequences seem undesirable. Meekness simply means never asserting itself for its own sake. You can be meek while correcting or rebuking or admonishing – just not if you do those things as expressions of one-upmanship or personal defensiveness. Jesus was no indecisive pushover,23 nor did he have a spirit of compromise,24 but he was radically meek. He shows us that meekness is not conflict-avoidance or being agreeable just for the sake of being agreeable. Meekness is not milquetoast. Not for a single moment did Jesus do anything for the purpose of personal self-defense, as if he felt threatened by other people. Neither did he ever do anything to assume a position of superiority over his rivals or to serve his own pride. But he did confront falsehood with strong actions and words – the stakes were too high to ignore it. Everything Jesus did in his life was an expression of his deep humility and profound desire to obey his Father and put others first. That is true meekness. Get Meekness Through Poverty and Mourning If Jesus never defended himself, or felt threatened by others, or assumed a position of authority over his rivals, then I am in trouble when it comes to meekness. Jesus had every right to do those things, but he did not because he was meek; I have little to no right to do those things, but I do them anyway. So how do I get meekness? Take two steps backwards and think about the beautiful internal logic of the Beatitudes: if you are meek, you are first a poor mourner.

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

If you are poor in spirit, you understand your utter dependence upon God – how spiritually insolvent you are before the Lord. You know that you have nothing to give God but your liabilities; whatever achievements and goodness you thought you had are filthy rags in God’s sight (Isaiah 64:6 NIV), for even your best stuff has been corrupted by your sinfulness. You see how much Jesus paid for your sin – the ransom of his life, suffering and dying on the cross to take God’s wrath for sin as your substitute. So, you grieve over the sin that cost God so much and that made you destitute before God. You weep over the sin and self-reliance that put you (and the rest of the world) in such dire straits. Chiefly, you mourn the fact that by your sin, you nailed Jesus to the cross. You know that your self-reliance did horrible things to the Lord who loved you, so when you see Jesus dying on the cross, you weep that he had to die for you, and you weep because he willingly died for you, as an expression of his love. Meekness seems like a natural product of such understanding: poverty of spirit makes you mourn your sin, and mourning your sin makes you meek. Meekness is an internal attitude that you see externally as you relate with other people. If mourning is the emotional counterpart to poverty of spirit, then meekness is the relational counterpart to both poverty of spirit and mourning. When we see ourselves in the light of who God is, we understand our poverty of spirit and mourn. But when that self-assessment translates into our relationships with other people, it looks like meekness and gentleness.25 Practice Meekness as Non-Defensiveness and Deference If you see yourself as a poor, miserable sinner, you will be gentle with others because you understand that they are sinners just like you are (Hebrews 5:1–2). Even when others mistreat you and wrongly accuse you, you will treat them with gentleness, because meekness means that when the accusation has no basis, we will

not move to defend ourselves. We do not feel the need to justify ourselves against accusations that amount to little more than personal attacks. We will bear injuries well. As one Puritan writer says, “A meek spirit, like wet tinder, will not easily take fire,”26 and what makes us “wet tinder” is the deep knowledge that we are as bad as everyone thinks we are: even if that particular attack does not hit the mark precisely, we know what we are capable of, so we do not defend ourselves for our own sakes. Rather, when others perceive and then call out our weaknesses and flaws, meekness will drive us to accept accusations with humility. We know that we really are as bad as (if not worse than) they say we are. So the meek are quick to consider whatever truth may reside in an attack. If you see yourself as bankrupt before God, then whatever accusations come your way will seem at least partly reasonable to you.27 When someone suggests that you are a sinner or foolish or ignorant, it makes perfect sense to you because you know how poor in spirit you are. Think about it: if someone accused me of being Bob Glenn, I would not make excuses or justify myself. Why not? Because I am Bob Glenn, for better and for worse – mostly worse. If I am who they say I am, I do not defend myself but simply acknowledge the truth. Similarly, meekness resists the temptation to assert oneself. We feel almost irresistibly inclined to do this with others who have power over us, especially when they exert that power for their own misguided purposes. That power may be real or merely perceived, but when we sense a power struggle, we want to attack first – to go on the offensive in our own defense. So we tout our accomplishments, show off, and compare ourselves with others in an attempt to lift ourselves up by putting them down. We may do this before the perceived opponent ever shows sign of an attack if we fear losing face. I saw this so clearly in myself one morning at a coffee shop when the fittest man I know suddenly walked in. We work out at the same gym and talk somewhat regularly about diet and exercise. This guy is in his mid-forties, and you can see every one of his muscles all year long. On this particular day, he walked into the coffee shop while I was eating . . . a doughnut. As soon as I saw him, my mind raced to how I might justify such a sacrilege. He hadn’t seen me or said anything to me, and I certainly did not plan to alert him to my presence, but my mind was racing about what I would tell him about my doughnut if he said hello – how I would justify my Homer Simpson indulgence. “This is my sweet thing for the week” might work. Or how about “I’m breaking my diet to give my metabolism a boost”? He had not attacked, but I perceived him as someone with power over me, so I loaded my defensive gun. I wanted to be ready – to assert and defend myself – before he had the chance to reveal my weakness and his strength. We all work this way. When we feel like someone thinks less of us or will think less of us or is about to think less of us, we make more of ourselves. It is a defense mechanism by which we try to avoid our own weaknesses, or at least pretend that they do not control us. But meekness frees us to say, “There is nothing to defend.” Not because we feel justified in whatever we are doing, but because our mournful poverty of spirit has brought us to the place where we actually believe we have nothing within us to defend. “I am just a sinner” is not a pitiful thing to say, but the truest thing to say about ourselves. Meekness must, therefore, involve self-control, “freedom from malice and a vengeful spirit,”28 and the absence of pretension. Meekness assumes that I have the power to retaliate, to defend or else assert myself, to claim my own rights, but choose to bridle my impulses and allow myself to be defamed and defrauded. More than this, because I do not need to defend myself, I will not behave maliciously or vengefully; instead, I will practice patience and understanding with others as fellow sinners on the journey, for there is no pretense in the meek. We have already renounced our own supposed goodness and spirituality,29 so we do not need to pretend to be something we are not. We can afford to be

Jesus did just that, revealing supreme meekness during his trial and crucifixion. He never defended himself against false accusations even though no one could make any legitimate complaint of sin in him or reasonably defame his character. Jesus was unjustly accused, tried, and executed, and he never asserted himself or defended his honor. He refused to use his power to his own advantage even in those final horrendous hours, but instead trusted in his Father alone for his eventual vindication. But Jesus’ meekness is different from ours. He endured accusation meekly not because of any weakness, flaw, or sin on his part – he had none! There is a sense, then, in which our meekness is much easier than his is because we actually have nothing in us worth defending. If we saw ourselves rightly, we should be amazed that God and others do not treat us more poorly than they do.30 So meekness will, on the one hand, keep you from defending yourself (because you know that there is nothing in you worth defending), and it will, on the other hand, drive you to put others first. The gospel reveals to you that you are not morally superior to anyone else, and you need not fear other people any longer. This means that you can actually love others now. As long as people are a threat to you – to your reputation, your standing, or your status – you cannot look out for their interests before your own. But meekness removes that threat because you know that no one else can ever tell you anything that your heavenly Father does not already know about you. Meekness, therefore, translates into a desire to spend yourself completely so that others may experience great good (Philippians 2:5–8).31 Gospel Meekness The luckiest people in the world are those who refuse to defend themselves and resolve to put others first, for these people – and only these people – will inherit the earth. But we cannot add enough relational excellence to our spiritual résumés to claim that inheritance. Inheritances do not work that way. Neither is Jesus advising us to attempt that, for the Beatitudes are not commands. Rather, the Beatitudes take our gospel temperature: they are a gauge to see if, and how well, we understand God’s grace. The only way that meekness can become part of your character is if you understand the gospel.

Maybe you are morally consistent in many areas, such that it seems unfair when others point out deficiencies in other areas; in fact, it seems more justified that you should point out to others where they fail. But the gospel shows you how utterly indefensible you are; just look at Jesus dying on the cross for you. If you are so sinful and self-centered and self-reliant as to require the Son of God to die on the cross for your salvation, then you really have nothing in yourself worth defending. Understanding the depth of your own sin makes you gentle with others (Hebrews 5:1–2). Christians have another good reason to give up defending themselves, and that is because someone else has become our defender. I am safe in the gospel. Even though God knows that

Meekness is thus a significant litmus test for whether you really understand the gospel. Are you poor in spirit? Have you mourned? Do you understand grace? For grace does not simply change how you think of yourself, or how you think of God, or even how you think of yourself with respect to God. Grace changes how you relate to other people. The certainty of the Lord’s loving acceptance of sinners through the gospel gives us the freedom to love and serve others, rather than compare ourselves with them or defend ourselves from them. You can embrace your weaknesses and celebrate your flaws precisely because you know that you have nothing worth defending, and much more than that, because you know that Jesus loves you in spite of them. Indeed, he died to defend you forever as his co-heir and friend. You can now celebrate your weaknesses – not as flaws per se, but as the means by which God’s flawless grace shines in your life. Only understanding the grace of God can make you meek.

FOR YOUR HEAD 1. Explain “the how, the when, and the who” of this beatitude. How does Jesus change the preconceived notions of his audience? 2. How do you explain the fact that Jesus does not command us to be meek, yet we must be meek in order to have citizenship in God’s kingdom? 3. How is meekness linked to the first two beatitudes about poverty of spirit and mourning? 4. What does it mean to be meek? FOR YOUR HEART 5. Give an example of a time you defended yourself even when you may have been in the wrong. What did you want to protect? 6. How does understanding the gospel of grace help you resist the temptation to defend yourself, even when you do not think you did anything wrong? 7. Can you name people or types of people that you fear because they have power over you? Who and why? How does believing the gospel change that? FOR YOUR CHURCH 8. Give an example of a time when you lashed out in anger toward someone or retaliated against someone who said something offensive about you. 9. How can understanding this beatitude help you when you feel the need to defend yourself or “take somebody down,” when someone confronts you or makes you look bad? FOR YOUR CITY 10. It seems like a disposition of meekness could do more to change our non-Christian friends’ understanding of Christianity than anything else. Do you agree or disagree? Discuss how seeing meekness could change a non-Christian’s attitude and assumptions about the Christian faith. NOTES: 23. Carson, Jesus’ Sermon, 20. | 24. Lloyd-Jones, Studies, 56. 25. D. A. Carson, Matthew, Chapters 1–12, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995), 20, and Lloyd-Jones, Studies, 54ff. | 26. Watson, Beatitudes, 106. | 27. “To be truly meek means we no longer protect ourselves, because we see there is nothing worth defending” (Lloyd-Jones, Studies, 57.) | 28. Carson, Matthew, 133. | 29. Robert A. Smith, Matthew, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1989), 83. | 30. Lloyd-Jones, Studies, 58. | 31. Carson, Jesus’ Sermon, 20. | 32. Lloyd-Jones, Studies, 54.

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

You may be able to acknowledge your own poverty of spirit and mourn over your sin before God, but to respond with meekness when other people tell you how they have seen your sin in you is another story.32 I see how difficult meekness is when I confess sin to others in general terms, reluctant to get specific. I also see this in my inability to handle self-criticism gracefully when I respond to criticism from others defensively. You might think that you have come to grips with your spiritual bankruptcy before God, and mourned over how you have grieved him and murdered his Son, but you have not really understood if you do not then demonstrate meekness. And the proof of your meekness is in how you relate to your brother whom you can see (1 John 4:20).

I am a bankrupt, vile sinner, he has accepted me and loved me. Because of this, I am liberated from the need to defend myself, to make excuses, to put others down and gossip about them, to make myself out as more than I am. Those things make me feel more secure in my flesh, but I do not need that kind of security anymore.

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

honest and forthright about our weaknesses, limitations, and sins in our relationships with other people – in fact, we can embrace them. We can rest in our great defender who will come to our aid, if and when needed.

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

Baptism before Membership?

Welcome

New Member

Membership roll

Tina Mackerl

B REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

aptism is the initiation rite of the Christian faith (Acts 2:41; 8:1213, 36-38; 10:47-48; 18:8; 22:16). It marks out the beginning of your journey as a Christian and your connection to Christ and the Christian community. Every baptism that takes place in the Bible is for those who believe (Acts 2:41; 8:12-13; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:14-15, 31-33). And since the univocal testimony of the Bible is that baptism is for believers, we infer that the baptism of infants is not consistent with Scripture. Baptism is able to capture the richness of what becoming a Christian symbolizes. It symbolizes that Christianity is the religion of grace, the believer’s connection to Jesus (Rom 6:1-4), the forgiveness of sins – past, present, and future, (Acts 2:38 w/ 3:19) and one’s connection to other baptized believers (Acts 2:41-42). Although baptism is a symbol, it is more than a symbol, too. Baptism is something you experience which strengthens your faith in Christ, yet it has no inherent spiritual power, even when administered by a biblically healthy church. The Bible is clear: it is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, plus or minus nothing, by which you are justified (declared not guilty in God’s courtroom) (Eph. 2:8-9). Even so, baptism is still required to be a faithful Christian. It is a non-saving, but nevertheless, non-optional part of the Christian faith. Baptism is also required to participate in Communion and to enter into the membership of a church. It comes before entering the life of the church. This is why baptism comes before church life in Acts 2:41-42: “So then, those who had received Peter’s word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” If you would like to learn more about baptism and its requirement for membership at Redeemer, we have a baptism reference booklet available, which includes a more in depth look at the meaning of baptism, and offers frequently asked questions to help in your understanding. //RBC

Membership An extremely important part of life at Redeemer is membership. We feel that membership at Redeemer or a local church is necessary for a Christian’s growth. Through membership at RBC, you will experience deeper relationships with other believers as you witness and participate in living out the gospel on a daily basis. Caring for others, forgiving others, serving others, practicing the “one anothers”, fellowshipping with and loving others. As we say at Redeemer, “the gospel changes everything” and as part of the body at Redeemer you will witness that truth in action. “WE ARE TO GROW UP IN EVERY WAY INTO HIM WHO IS THE HEAD, INTO CHRIST, FROM WHOM THE WHOLE BODY, JOINED AND HELD TOGETHER BY EVERY JOINT WITH WHICH IT IS EQUIPPED, WHEN EACH PART IS WORKING PROPERLY, MAKES THE BODY GROW SO THAT IT BUILDS ITSELF UP IN LOVE.” - EPHESIANS 4:15 & 16

next membership class

july 13 Sign up with Laurie summers

lsummers@redeemerbiblechurch.com

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

By: Nancy Axelson Sign up now to help or host We are praying Neighborhood Bible Camps will be a powerful tool to help foster our RBC VISION of being Gospel Pace setters. Being neighborhood based, they seek to build relationships with not only the children, but the parents as well. The Host Family invites the neighborhood children to this Three Day camp. On the last day/evening a meal is held for the children and parents. The Host family then can continue to foster these relationships throughout the years. This helps build a gospel sharing bridge.

Guidelines and suggestions: Target ages are 5-10 years old and camps are intended to run 1.5 hours. You may pair up with another family who lives close by to boost the fun and participation. Each camp needs

HOW can you participate??

• 1 host family • 1 teacher • 2 helpers //RBC

Kids Corner

Pray for your neighborhood, consider your gifts, and check your calendar, the NBC’s will be any 3 days during August 2nd - 17th. We will match host families and helpers. Commit to your camp by June 23 so we can match and train leaders. Host families will receive invitations and a kit containing everything needed for the NBC event. Snacks are provided. We will sponsor the meat and drinks for the BBQ on the last day if needed. Attend a brief training session prior to your Camp and connect with your helpers.

Make A Joyful

Noise unto the lord

“Singing is a fundamental way of rejoicing, praying, learning, worshipping, and proclaiming the gospel” - Harold Best: Music Through the Eyes of Faith

he children’s ministry is excited to offer a music education program for the youngest members of RBC. The vision of the RBC Children’s Music Program is to equip the next generation of musicians in the church to use music for the glory of God, to spread the gospel, and instill in the children an appreciation and love for music. We hope to nurture each child’s musical potential, skill and creativity as a reflection of God’s beauty. We want children to bring glory to God through joyful praise using a variety of quality musical literature. The teaching method draws from the principles of Music Learning Theory, which shows that children learn music much like they learn language. Through the WholePart-Whole learning process, students learn to audiate and use their musical minds. To audiate is to hear and understand music that may or may not be present, just like thinking in language. Children will learn to hear and understand the deep structure in music, building music skills that will last a lifetime. Through developing healthy vocal habits and harmony skills, children will build a foundation of music literacy through sequenced skill and vocabulary development. Creativity and improvisation will be included in each lesson. Children will learn listening and singing skills through hymns and spiritual songs with text that helps them grow spiritually.

INFORMATION Dates: Every other Wednesday, beginning May 1st, 2013. We will have two choirs divided by age: From 7 PM - 7:40 PM, children ages five to eight years old will meet. Ages nine to twelve years old will overlap a bit, meeting from 7:30 - 8:30 PM. We will need one or two adults (parents) to help supervise the children and manage behavior during each session. Please contact Wendy Pace if you are interested in signing up to help. //RBC

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

By: Wendy Pace

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

Find red meat for the soul at Redeemerbiblechurch.com

Blog highlights

red meat for the soul The gospel, rare. Six Types of Selfishness By: Pastor r w glenn In 2 Cor 5:15, the Apostle Paul says that Jesus died, not so that our sins could be forgiven or that we could go to heaven when we die (though both of those things are certainly true); instead, he gives a purpose for the death of Christ that is a much more “present tense” reality. He says that Jesus died so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

What does this imply about who you are and what you need to be rescued from? It implies that you are selfish and that therefore you need to be rescued from you. As I thought about this, six types of selfishness in my own life came to the surface, which, if I wasn’t confident that Christ died to kill them, might leave me in despair. But since I know that Jesus, because of his great love for me, died so that I would no longer be shackled to my little life, I am free to admit my selfishness to him (and to you). Hope this helps: 1. Self-focus: I start to lose interest in a conversation that’s not about me or in a story that I’m not telling. 2. Self-glorification: I do what I do to make a name for myself, to be noticed, to get recognition, or to be seen as someone important. 3. Self-obsession: My internal dialogue is all about me. How do I look? How do I feel? What should I do? Why didn’t so-and-so acknowledge me? 4. Self-rule: Me determining the rules of my life, silently or not so silently demanding that others keep my commandments. 5. Self-righteousness: Not thinking that I’m better than others in the traditional sense of the term, but looking down my nose at people who don’t realize they’re bad like me. 6. Self-reliance: Living as if I don’t need divine intervention to do life, which especially manifests itself in pockets of prayerlessness. I have been very forthcoming, now how about you? You are selfish, too. There is at least something about your life that you can describe with the prefix “self” attached. And, if you’re a Christian, you can admit it. The Lord Jesus died for it, no longer holds it against you, and gives you power by his Spirit to say no to it, even in the throes of your most self-indulgent binge. What a Savior! The loving Savior of the lamentably selfish. //RBC

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MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

Missionary Update

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Missionary update

By: Derek Tessman

ince January of this year, Karise Pagano has been living and serving in Sicily as Redeemer’s newest missionary. Sicily is the island next to the toe of the boot that is the country of Italy. While she has been there, she has been faithfully serving as an administrative assistant for the director of the Italian Theological Academy (ITA). Prior to her arrival, this ministry had been seeking to expand their outreach, and needed administrative help to do so. As part of this expansion, they have been planning for their first annual Preach the Word Conference that took place in Rome from Tuesday, April 30th until Friday, May 3nd. In the weeks leading up to this, Karise and the others at ITA needed prayers for energy and endurance, especially because Karise was required to communicate both in English and Italian, as she served as the chief coordinating liaison for all of the conference attendees and staff. The ministry carries on after the conference though, and Karise will now be traveling to the academy and staying there for a week at a time to assist the director, as they continue offering classes to educate Italians on how to preach the Gospel and reach their people. Outside of her ministerial work, Karise has had to adjust to living in a foreign country away from her church family at RBC, where she has been a member for the last five years. As of April 12th, she had started to feel “at home” in

her new city. Thankfully, her new church family there has welcomed her with open arms, and God even gave her an “adoptive family” with whom she has been able to spend every Sunday! Through this church, Karise has also been blessed with the opportunity to teach English classes to the church members and their family and friends. In doing so, she has seen the great need that these people have for fellowship, friendship, and love, and she’s so thankful that God is using her to help build these relationships. This is just a snapshot of all that has gone on in Karise’s life over the past three months, and as she continues serving, there are a number of ways to continue praying for Karise and praising God for the gospel work that he continues to do in and through her. Praise Him for the apartment that he has given her as a safe haven, and pray for the use of her home for ministry opportunities. Praise God that she has passed the initial steps to acquiring Italian citizenship, and pray for the next step in her upcoming interview at police headquarters. Pray for ITA and their ministry of educating Italians about the gospel. Pray that God will provide the means for Karise to continue serving in Sicily in 2014. Pray that she would continue to feel more “at home” in this new place and send her a note! In her words, she is “very thankful” for your prayers during these first few months, and has been helped through each new task and adjustment with “the simplest notes of love and encouragement.” //RBC

Job title

Welcome center

welcome center sub

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

church life

Volunteer postions available

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities: 1. Answer questions 2. Look for “lost” people and approach them 3. Follow-up with people you meet 4. Know the layout of the church so you can direct people Hours per week: Varies; +/- 1-2 hours every 3 months

1. Be available to step in when Welcome Center position needs to be filled last minute 2. Answer questions 3. Look for “lost” people and approach them 4. Follow-up with people you meet 5. Know layout of the church so you can direct people Hours Per Week: Varies; +/- 1-2 hours every 3 months

Responsibilities:

Usher

1. Serve the body through handing out programs and special flyers as needed 2. Find and assist people as they come into the Sanctuary by leading them to their seats 3. Collect offerings, such as the weekly offering and the Mercy offering

6. Help those who need it before and after services 7. Be engaging to people as they come in, yet respect those who are there for worship Hours per week: Max will be 4 hours. Arrive a half-hour before first service and stay through the end of second service.

get involved

Job title

4. Serve Communion elements 5. Maintain structure and quietness during services

Responsibilities:

Greeter

1. Serve the body by welcoming them as they arrive, opening doors and engaging them in conversation 2. Assist people as they come in with information, finding rooms, etc. 3. Always be ready to connect with the next person coming in 4. Assist the Welcome Center team and Ushers by leading people to places within the church they cannot find 5. Maintain structure and quietness before services in the fellowship hall 6. Help those who need it before and after services

7. Be engaging to people as they come in, yet respect those who are there for worship Hours per week: Max will be 3 hours. Arrive a half-hour before first service and stay to the beginning of second service.

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Job title

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

Volunteer postions available

Job title

Lead Teacher/ summer

Do something

Description: Lead Sunday school teacher prepares the lesson from MacArthur curriculum, stays in touch with shepherds on their team, and prays for the kids in class.

3. Follow guidelines set out in the Sunday School Manual

Responsibilities:

Hours per week: +/- 3

1. From the provided curriculum, prepare lesson, decide how to teach the lesson, using ideas given, or Holy Spirit inspired ideas that work with the lesson

4. Attend relevant trainings 2 times per year

Want to help? contact Kirsten!

Get involved

2. Connect with shepherds to encourage their participation by either email or phone

Job title

Discussion Leaders

Description: 5-10 discussion leaders who can draw out a smaller group during Bible and book studies Responsibilities: 1. Willing to listen to each group member

kirsten watson

2. Pray with and encourage the group

Ministry Development Team Leader

3.Able to keep the group on topic

P | 952.935.2425 E | kirsten @redeemerbiblechurch.com

Hours per week: Varies

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Job title

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Teachers

Description: Facilitates class discussions

4. Be able to draw out discussion from a group

Responsibilities:

5. Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to be a Bible expositor

1. Can communicate clearly 2. Be able to explain main points of a study

Hours per week: Varies

3. Be a good listener

Job title

Kitchen Coordinator

Description: Coordinates with other ministry teams for use of the kitchen

4. Order donuts for Sunday mornings

Responsibilities:

6. Order and coordinate delivery of coffee and associated items necessary for Sunday morning

1. Make sure kitchen is used and cleaned properly

5. Reload Cub card for donut purchase each Sunday

2. Shop for all kitchen supplies and make sure the kitchen it stocked for scheduled events

7. When meals resume for Evening Worship, help Community Groups each month with planning and serving of food

3. Help on Sunday mornings on an as needed basis

Hours per week: +/- 3

Recommitment Month As we approach our two-year anniversary of the Expanding Our Gospel Vision program which enabled us to expand and renovate our facilities, we are so excited about the way God has provided. During our original commitment period, we asked the church family to commit to three years above and beyond their normal giving.

The new commitment card below can be found at the Welcome Center or the Church Office. Please prayerfully consider how you will help us celebrate our two-year anniversary of the Expanding Our Gospel Vision program. //RBC

ye A ar pr to il da te

At this present time, we wanted to update our church family and give everyone a chance to update their commitment. Perhaps your financial situation has changed and you need

to decrease your original commitment, or perhaps your economic outlook has brightened and you can now be more involved in the Vision Program. To those of you who are new to Redeemer, we want you to also be part of this family project. Whatever your situation, our goal is 100% participation, no matter the amount.

MOMENTUM // JUNE 2013

By: Paul Burr

General giving fund Mortgage forecast

Total Expenses | $ 574,125 Mortgage | $ 50,018

Expenses

financial update

bar graph

giving

Giving | $ 573,163

Pie Chart

Expanding our gospel vision

15.1 %

Awaiting Commitments | $ 369,790 Commitments Received | $ 1,849,100

84.9 %

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Forecast | $519,534

GABE

RBC: CHILDREN’S MINISTRY PRESENTS

ZEPEDA

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LIVE

RECORDING SESSION

SPECIAL GUEST

REDEEMER BIBLE CHUCH

16205 HIGHWAY 7

MINNETONKA, MN 55345

DAVID WARD THURSDAY, JUNE 6TH

952.935.2425 7 PM*FREE REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM

ACCEPTING DONATIONS

TO RAISE MONEY FOR YOUTH CAMP

A::

Join us for an evening of Twins Baseball on June 13th. Cost is $25, including a voucher for a hot dog and soft drink. Seats are located in the upper deck behind home plate. Questions and to sign up: Greg Deckert at 612.518.3774 or gpdeckert@gmail.com.

PLEASE COME & JOIN US!

photo credit: http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/estudiante/5043681320 via photopin cc

chur e l b i b r e eem

T S A F K A E R B s n me

In the f

ll @ a h p i h s ellow

ministry

Red

m A 0 3 : 0 1 0 0 : 8 8 e p, i n h u s j r o , y w a f o d ng i n r o satur m jd e a S r S o / l g . o o io n us f g

J / / : r p t e t h m e t e a d Men of Re fellowship! Sign up ll at 952.818.4013 food, and Call Casey Campbe ail.com Questions?asey.f.campbell@gm or email c

sun

June 2 morning Worship | 9 & 11 AM redemption | Youth SS 9 AM newcomers lunch 1:00 - 2:30 PM | Glenn Home Ward party | 7:45 - 8:45 PM

Evening worship | 5:00 PM

9 morning worship | 9 & 11 AM redemption | Youth SS 9 AM

16 morning worship | 9 & 11 AM (Including the Lord’s Table) redemption | Youth SS 9 AM

23 morning worship | 9 & 11 AM redemption | Youth SS 9 AM Hilltoppers lunch | 12:30 PM

MON

TUE

Summer playdates 10 AM - 12 PM Host: Melissa Weis, melismn@aol. com | Park: Louisiana Oaks Park, 3500 Louisiana Ave, St Louis Park

18 Summer playdates 10 AM - 12 PM Host: Michelle Campbell, Michelle.l.campbell12@gmail. com | Park: Thorpe Park, 3725 Hamilton Ave, Deephaven

25 Summer Playdates 10 AM - 12 PM Host: Sarah Nagel, sarahnagel@gmail.com | Park: Gro Tonka Park, 17003 Prospect Pl, Minnetonka

Dates to remember

event calendar

Men’s Ministry Breakfast 8 - 10:30 AM

sAT 6

women’s bible study 9 AM - 11 AM

FRI

gabe zepeda live! 7 - 10 PM

Nursery Deep Clean 9 - 11 AM

THU

redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM

women’s bible study 9 AM - 11 AM

WED

Twins baseball game 7 - 10 PM wednesday worship 7 PM

wednesday worship 7 PM Kids choir 7 - 8:30 PM

redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM

women’s bible study 9 AM - 11 AM

No women’s bible study

19 redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM wednesday worship 7 PM Kids choir 7 - 8:30 PM

26 redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM wednesday worship 7 PM

3 redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM

morning worship | 9 & 11 AM redemption | Youth SS 9 AM

wednesday worship 7 PM

30 luncheon for Jai | 1 - 3 PM

Kids choir 7 - 8:30 PM

June

Details, details.

Sunday June 2

Newcomer’s lunch

1 PM – 2:30 PM | Glenns’ Home If you would like to attend the next Newcomer’s Lunch, please RSVP with Laurie Summers at lsummers@ redeemerbiblechurch.com or 952.935.2425.

June 6 Thursday Gabe zepeda live 6:45 PM – 8:30 PM | Worship Center Join us for a night of music with Gabe Zepeda and special guest, David Ward! But not only is this a concert of original songs but also a live CD recording! The concert is free but all donations raised will help fund this years Youth Camp!

Fridays June 7, 14, 21, 28

women’s bible study 9:30 - 11 AM | Meets in Fellowship Hall (Childcare available) We will study selected Scriptures each week using an ACTS exercise to get us to Jesus in every passage. Each study is self contained, making it easy to jump into any class that fits your summer schedule. Gayle Glenn and a team of other women will lead these studies. Please email carolburr1081@ gmail.com if you are interested in attending and if you will need childcare.

June 8 Saturday Men’s ministry breakfast 8:00 – 10:30 AM | Fellowship Hall A morning of worship, food, and fellowship. Sign up here: http://goo.gl/SSejd or contact Casey Campbell at 952.818.4013 or casey.f.campbell@gmail.com with questions.

Tuesdays June 11, 18, 25

summer play dates 10 AM - 12 PM | Locations Vary Join us for fun, casual times of getting to know each other better and hanging out with friends while our kids get some energy out and make new friends too. Play dates are hosted by different RBC Moms each week. No play date on July 2. Contact Katie Campbell kmacampbell@gmail.com if you are willing to host a play date at a park, at your home, or other kid-friendly location.

June 13 Thursday twins baseball game 7:10 p.m. | Target Field. An evening of Twins baseball. Cost is $25, including a voucher for a hot dog and soft drink. Seats are located in the upper deck behind home plate. Questions and to sign up: Greg Deckert at 612.518.3774 or gpdeckert@gmail.com.

A:: 16205 highway 7 | Minnetonka, Minnesota 55345 P:: 952.935.2425 E:: info@redeemerbiblechurch.com :: redeemerbiblechurch.com