Sept & Oct ISSUE 21 // 2014
GRACE FOR OUR GRIEVING
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
A CALL TO BECOME RUTH-LIKE WOMEN
INTRODUCING SPACES AND RHYTHMS
OCTOBER 5TH New to Redeemer? Are you interested in meeting the leadership of RBC? If so, sign up for our next Newcomers Lunch and enjoy a meal with one of our pastors. Contact Laurie Summers to sign up. lauriesummers@ redeemerbiblechurch.com
SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY DIGITAL NEWSLETTER EMAIL LORIE SCHNELL TO BE ADDED TO OUR LIST // lorieschnell@redeemerbiblechurch.com
CONTRIBUTORS
CONTENTS
IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO STAY A CERTAIN AGE FOREVER, WHAT AGE WOULD YOU CHOOSE? WHY?
GRACE FOR OUR GRIEVING 4
| Ministry, this side of eternity, will be marked by moments of grief. We all need to remember that we never grieve alone. God is a God of tender mercy and grace. He weeps for and with his people.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? 7
| “Community groups are real, dynamic families and friends, relationships we begin now and continue on the other side of glory, growing in grace and celebrating in the party of redemption.”
A CALL TO BECOME RUTH-LIKE WOMEN 8
| How do we fight to stay unified? As we contemplate this question, the pastor’s wives are praying for unity and want to see it permeate ALL women at Redeemer.
COMMUNITY (GROUPS): INTRODUCING SPACES AND RHYTHMS 12
PASTOR PAUL
BILL WALSH
TRENT WILLIAMS
“I really liked when I was 40. I had the six kids at home, we had money and I enjoyed the life of our church home and ministry.”
“45. The perfect balance of wisdom and strength. ‘Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age.’ Victor Hugo”
“Three years old, for sure! Trust and faith flow naturally from a three year old, all of creation is awe inspiring, and there’s required nap time!”
| True community happens in spaces. Community happens not at an event, but in the rhythms of our life. Community group is about people, not an event that meets at a certain time and place.
TGC INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH CREDITS CHUCK FORSBERG “21. Ignorance is bliss.”
Chuck Forsberg DESIGN/DIRECTION Lorie Schnell CONTENT MANAGER Anne Lynn WRITERS/EDITORS Jaimee Morse PHOTOGRAPHY
18 | Find out how Redeemer’s support of Bill and Cindi Walsh in their ministry with TGC International Outreach is impacting pastors around the world who lack access to good biblical resources.
GRACE FOR OUR GRIEVING BY PAUL TRIPP
4
MOMENTUM // SEPT & OCT 2014
T
hen Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. The LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected
him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and
3. YOUR GRIEF ALWAYS REVEALS YOUR HEART In his grief, Samuel almost lost his way. Perhaps he was wary of a tug in his heart between his love for Saul, his grief at Saul's demise, and his loyalty to the work God had called for him to do. So God says, “You've grieved long enough, now get up and do my will.” The length and extent of your grief always reveals what’s important to you. The size of your grief always depicts where you’ve attached your hope. The nature of your grief reveals where you’ve attached your inner well-being.
go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’” (1 Samuel 15:34-16:1) Ministry, this side of eternity, will be marked by moments of grief, just like Samuel's grief. Perhaps it will be the death of a vision, the need to discipline a trusted and influential leader, the knowledge of someone plotting against your God-given authority, sinful division among leaders, a resistant congregation or a catalog of other difficulties that can obstruct and divert the ministry of a pastor and his congregation.
4. SOME GRIEF BEGINS TO QUESTION GOD Because grief challenges you at the point of the deepest values of your heart, it can tempt you to question the goodness of God. The danger of grief in your ministry is that in your grief, you may be tempted to doubt the one you are called represent. In these sad moments, we must be on guard against mourning morphing from, “I am so sad that . . .” into a “Why, God, did you . . .” anger. The danger is that you can’t represent well one against whom you're angry and you don't run for help to someone you’ve come to doubt.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH GRIEF IN MINISTRY? THIS PASSAGE PROVIDES US WITH SIX OBSERVATIONS: 1. GOD GRIEVES It's important to remember that the God you serve is a God who grieves. He's not stoic and without passion. 1 Samuel 15:35 makes this very clear: “And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.” Don't confuse God's grief with regret; He isn't sitting on the throne wishing he could take back his decision (see verse 29). Instead, this grief is over the sad outcome of the heart choices of Saul. The appropriateness of Samuel's grief and yours in these moments is rooted in the holy grief of God. 2. YOU SHOULD GRIEVE What kind of prophet would Samuel be if he didn't look on this situation with great grief? The ungodly, proud, selfish and unrestrained rebellion of Saul was this prophet's nightmare. Pastors and ministry leaders, there are moments in local church ministry when it's not only right to grieve; it's your calling to grieve. As God's representative, you must faithfully depict the heart of God in these sad situations. You must not be uncaring. You must not be happy. You must not take a proud "I told you so" posture. Your ministry should be marked by moments of mourning in the face of the damage sin continues to do.
5. YOUR GRIEF SHOULD MOTIVATE, NOT PARALYZE When your grief causes you to want to quit, you know that you’re not holding your grief in a biblical way. Moments of pastoral grief should motivate you because they stand as stark and clear reminders of the important gospel work God has called you to do. As long as sin remains, these moments of grief will stain the lives of all of God's people. It’s only when God's powerful grace finally defeats sin that our lives will be grief free. Until then, grief calls us to proclaim the grace that alone has the power to defeat what we grieve. 6. THERE'S GRACE FOR YOUR GRIEVING We all need to remember that we never grieve alone. Because God is a God of tender mercy and grace, he weeps for and with his people. He always gives you the grace you need to do what he calls you to do in the places where he leads you. He is the God of all comfort who comforts us in our suffering so that we can bring his comfort to others. So let yourself grieve, represent the heart of God in your grief, guard your heart against the dangers of grief and remember the empowering grace that makes all of these things possible. This article is reprinted with permission from Paul Tripp Ministries. For more articles from Paul Tripp, please visit www.paultripp.com.
SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM
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EXPERIENCE THE MOVEMENT OF GOSPEL LIFE IN A WHOLE NEW WAY. Introducing Momentum magazine digital edition. The complete issue is available every month on tablet or mobile. Read more at ISSUU.COM/REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH
D
uring
the
member
meeting
and
subsequent services concerning the disqualification of one of our pastors, Pastor Warren Watson gave us a helpful admonition. How do we process and talk about these events in a biblical manner? Where do we go from here? How do we
get to the place where we can say, “It is well with my soul?” The first thing we need is permission. We have permission to talk about these developments, process our grief and
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? BY PASTOR PAUL BURR
wrestle with the circumstances that our heavenly Father
fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions.” If in our
has allowed into our lives. It is necessary to know how to
discussions with others we drift into these areas, then we
process this in a way that brings glory to Jesus Christ and
know that we are not handling this in a biblical manner.
does not draw us into sin.
If we are causing dissensions or division, we are sinning. We need to stop, repent, and ask the Holy Spirit how to
GALATIANS CHAPTER 5 IS VERY HELPFUL IN THIS:
proceed in a different manner.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the
This different way, the biblical way, portrays the fruit of
desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against
the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” We know we are
for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from
bringing glory to Jesus when our conversations are filled
doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the
with love, patience, and self-control. We all need to work
Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh
through our suffering in a way that brings joy and peace to
are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry,
ourselves, and to those around us.
sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries,
Where do we go from here? We all need to process
dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things
our grief, our anger, our sadness, and our questions.
like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those
Remembering the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit will
who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But
guide us in the way of the Lord.
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
Remember that your elders/pastors are available any
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against
time to answer your questions or help you process recent
such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:16-23 ESV)
events. We want to shepherd you well and thus please the
The first key words to focus on are these: “strife, jealousy,
Chief Shepherd. //RBC SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM
7
TO ALL OF THE SISTERS OF REDEEMER: A CALL TO BECOME RUTH-LIKE WOMEN FROM THE PASTOR'S WIVES
T
here we were, the pastor's wives, sitting around a table at a local coffee shop. Our husbands insisted we start to get together on a weekly basis. With kids and schedules full of things to do, it wasn't an easy task to pin down a day each week to do that. But we knew, more than ever, that it was absolutely necessary. And not just for the sake of encouraging one another, but to stay unified as sisters. Because we have been attacked. And this was
one way to fight back for that unity. So as we sat there praying for our church family, we shared with each other our burden for the unification of ALL women at Redeemer. We asked each other, “Where do we go from here? What does the Lord have in store for us all? How do we fight to stay unified?�
>>Continues on Page 9
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MOMENTUM // SEPT & OCT 2014
WE CAME UP WITH A FEW THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE
We have scheduled the following Thursdays for this support forum for member women as follows. Please locate the date and time according to your last name. These will all take place in the Fellowship Hall.
WILL BRING US ALL CLOSER TOGETHER AS SISTERS.
THURS. SEPT. 18 | 7 – 8 PM, LAST NAMES A-C THURS. SEPT. 18 | 8 – 9 PM, LAST NAMES D-G
1. We need to remember to be very patient with one another
THURS. SEPT. 25 | 7 – 8 PM, LAST NAMES H-K THURS. SEPT. 25 | 8 – 9 PM, LAST NAMES L-N
because each of us will be processing these recent events differently. One of us may be very angry at the same time another is doing well. One of us may be hopeful while the other is struggling with discouragement. So we affirmed that we need to be very understanding about that, and
THURS. OCT. 2 | 7 – 8 PM, LAST NAMES O-S THURS. OCT. 2 | 8 – 9 PM, LAST NAMES T-Z
We are looking forward to meeting for a time of sharing/encouraging one another.
show mercy to one another as we grieve. 2. We need to remember how important prayer is. As Corrie
The Lord has each one of us here at this time, for a
ten Boom has asked, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your
purpose. Each woman in our church plays a vital role in the
spare tire?” As women of Redeemer, we want to be women
body that is Redeemer. It is our prayer that we remember
known for our desperate need for Jesus. Oh, how we need
our ultimate hope for Redeemer Bible Church is Jesus. It
to be praying to stay desperate! That is a prayer our Father
has been said that it is impossible to bask in the glorious
loves to answer!
grace of Jesus Christ and at the same time toot your own horn. So the more we focus on the gospel, the more we will
3. We need to start pursuing one another more than ever.
walk in harmony with one another.
The Lord is calling us to step out of our comfort zones.
So within this hope, we have planned some practical ways
He is calling us to toss out our fear, and for the sake of
for us to stay united. We have exciting gospel-centered
love, share ourselves with each other in deeper ways, being
events and studies on the horizon. We are planning a
transparent with our messy lives. Sometimes it just takes
brunch to be held on November 15th. We are also planning
one person to start making that happen. That person might
a supportive forum for all women members so we can
be you. Humility coupled with love causes us to see others
come together and share and encourage one another in
and ourselves in light of the cross and to move towards
this difficult time. Details coming soon! Non-members,
each other.
including regular attenders and visitors, are always welcome to contact us individually as well, if needed.
4. We need to comfort one another. We can do this by
Please know that we, the Pastor's wives, are here to
reminding each other that our Father in heaven is in control,
support you and love you and listen to each of you. Do not
and that he loves us. We can also do this by refraining from
hesitate to contact us. We truly are looking forward to this
gossip, knowing that gossip is the poison that Satan uses
next year together and know that God has great things in
to divide us. We need to be wise in remembering this! And
store for us all.
be willing to be the person to stop it when we hear it. It is
“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant us
the most loving and vital thing we can do for each other, to
to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with
keep us united as sisters, and as a church family.
Christ Jesus.” (Romans 15:5)
5. We need to stay hopeful! As Pastor John Piper so
For Christ and for You,
beautifully shared with us in his recent sermon...we should strive to be Ruth-like women! We should cling to Jesus our hope, just as Ruth clung to Naomi. Ruth was willing to walk into the darkness with her. She was willing to risk everything in her devotion and love towards Naomi. Similarly, we need to trust our heavenly Father as he leads us into this bitterness that he has called us to face. And because we
COLLEEN WATSON (WIFE TO PASTOR WARREN) mcmfarm@comcast.net // 612-554-1286 KIM SUCHTA (WIFE TO PASTOR MARK) kimberleysuchta@yahoo.com // 612-805-6663 REBECCA PEEL (WIFE TO PASTOR BOOMER) rebecca.peel1044@gmail.com // 952-567-3304
know the end of the story, we can be courageous! We can be a church full of Ruths...strong in their love for Christ. Dependent, but confident because of Jesus.
CAROL BURR (WIFE OF PASTOR PAUL) carolburr1081@gmail.com // 320-583-0761 SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM
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Date Change!
Brunch November 15th
9 - 11:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall, RSVP with carolburr1081@gmail.com.
THE HEART OF A HOSPITABLE PERSON BY KIM SUCHTA
W
hen I first became a Christian
gospel. When we see how we were shown the greatest
14 years ago, one of the popular
hospitality the world has ever known, being invited into the
songs that was being sung in
biggest feast we don't have any business being invited to,
church was a song that had the
we won't be able to help ourselves...we will have to share
words of Psalm 84:10.
it with others.
“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand
elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.�
Grace is not fully experienced on our own. We weren't meant to keep it for ourselves. It doesn't become all it was meant to be until we give it away. Practically, this will look different for each of us. If you are a great cook, it might mean inviting someone over for a
As a new Christian, I still had a lot of unresolved shame
delicious meal. If you are a not so great cook, it might mean
from my past. So I was actually very comfortable with
a pizza and movie night. It could be meeting someone for
the idea of being a doorkeeper. I would think of myself
coffee, asking someone to go for a walk, or to come over
standing at the door, so thankful that I had the privilege to
for a Costco dessert after the kids have gone to bed.
be with God and his people. And I would stand and watch
Our biggest goal in hospitality is to be involved in each
as everyone celebrated and ate and drank together. That
other's lives, sharing the hope of the gospel with each
was good enough for me.
other. Our goal is to be an encouragement to one another,
As time has gone on though, the Lord has shown me that it wasn't good enough for him. He wanted me to come
to lift each other up, to share each other's burdens and to be together, the way the Lord purposed us to be. //RBC
inside, and join in on the celebration! He has shown me that because I am his daughter and because I have been brought into his family by the priceless blood of his son... there is a seat sitting empty, waiting just for me, right next to him. And because of Jesus, he honors me by giving me a spot at that table! I still have a hard time with understanding that kind of grace. To be served by the King of all creation, to be adopted into his family and called his own. To be able to sit next to him and dine with him and rest my head on his shoulder, even now, in all my sin, in the weariness of this fallen world...it's astonishing. THIS is the ultimate example of hospitality. Hospitality is an attitude of a heart overflowing with the grace of the
SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM
11
GET PLUGGED IN. CONTACT PAUL BURR
paulburr@redeemerbiblechurch.com
doing in the gospel. House again says, “Community is for us a declaration of the overwhelming love of God, a tangible proclamation of the reconciling work of the cross... Community Groups are a living illustration of the gospel and its power to save.” As we begin a
new
of
season
Community
Groups
at
RBC, I want to introduce concepts
from
two Brad
House’s book that will help all our groups: Spaces and Rhythms. Community occurs not just in a particular house with a group of
I
people sitting in an awkward circle. True community happens in spaces. There are different was speaking with Chuck Forsberg and Lorie
spaces in which we engage with each other and in our
Schnell about this edition of Momentum and
neighborhoods. Certainly, the space of fellowship is a key
said I did not want it to be maudlin. They
one, the space that we normally associate with community
looked puzzled over a word that I pulled from
groups. But to think properly of community, we need to add
my Sherlock Holmes stories, which means
the spaces of hospitality, service and participation. Brad
tearfully or weakly emotional. I thought that
House describes these spaces as follows: Hospitality, a safe
maybe this wasn’t the best way to describe
place for anyone to belong in our communities; Service:
what I meant. Perhaps lugubrious is the better descriptor.
Meeting the practical needs of our neighborhoods; and
More puzzled looks: lugubrious means mournful, especially
Participation: Participation with our neighbors in common
in an exaggerated manner.
spaces and events.
Sometimes we use words that are not well known. But
Our goal for Community Groups this year is to start to
other times, we use words that we assume we all agree
expand our understanding of spaces and make progress to
on the meaning. Community is one such word. What
connect in these spaces over time.
exactly does the word community mean? I can’t describe
The concept of rhythms is that true community flows
Community Groups if we are unsure of what we mean by
not from one event that we call the weekly community
community.
group meeting, but from the rhythms of our everyday
Community is God’s idea. In the beginning that did not
life. Community group is about people, not an event that
have a beginning, in eternity “past,” there was a Community
meets at a certain time and place. We need to ask, how do
Group consisting of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the
I build community within the existing rhythms of my daily
Trinity, community is the perfect fellowship, knowledge and
life? Perhaps my community group builds more community
understanding within the Godhead. That is a tough model
by having a standing reservation at a local restaurant
to follow.
or meeting together to watch a child’s soccer game.
But, as Brad House states in his book entitled Community – Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support, “a community
Community happens not at an event, but in the rhythms of our life.
of God’s people should reflect the nature of God…The
Spaces and rhythms will help us move towards deeper
community God creates is good because it reflects him;
community with the people of RBC. Let’s see how these
it is good for his people.” So our community expressed
concepts will lead to greater impact of the gospel within
in Community Group is a reflection of all that God is
our community groups and neighborhoods.
//RBC
SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM 13
Red 5
youth
FOOD, GAMES MUSIC & MORE OCT 29TH, 7PM WORSHIP CENTER REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH WWW.REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM QUESTIONS? GABEZEPEDA@REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM
GOSPEL LIFE BLOG
MORE ENCOURAGING BLOG POSTS CAN BE FOUND AT REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM/RESOURCES/BLOG A Mission Guaranteed to Succeed // Bill Walsh Assume & Never Assume // Kim Suchta A Pharisee About Pharisees // David Morse
INTROSPECTION KILLED MY JOY BY TRENT WILLIAMS
O
ver the last several months, I have been plagued with an overwhelming case of the self-pity, introspection blues. I had an amazing conversion last fall. I was overwhelmed and consumed by the amazing grace that is offered on the cross. I was flying high. I was a sinner saved by grace. Everything was gravy and I had not a care in the world. And then I kept sinning. I even sinned in ways I did before I was converted. I became depressed over my sin and couldn't seem to shake the guilt and misery that ensued. In my desperation, I looked again to find the joy of my salvation. I awoke each morning with a new resolve to do better and try harder each day. Maybe if I just listen to the right sermon it would return to me. Maybe if I read the right Bible passage the grace would return to me and overwhelm me with joy to the point of no return. Maybe if I listened to the right worship song or even lost myself in the joy of worship with the church body on a Sunday morning it would “fill my tank” in such a way that I could wrestle it to the ground and bind it up with chains in my basement never to set it free again. DID IT WORK? DID I EXPERIENCE GRACE? Sometimes I did, but only for a moment. I began to look within myself to hold on to my feeling of joy. I began to doubt whether or not my feelings were legitimate. I began to doubt if I loved Christ as I should (If I am being honest, I can never love Christ as I should!). I began to doubt whether or not I was even saved, which turned into more depression, more sin, more doubt, and more misery. I tried to repent. Then I doubted whether or not my repentance was genuine. I would weep and cry out to the Lord and then feel forgiven…for a moment. Then it would all start again. If I can paraphrase Jonathan Edwards, there was no center to my stinky onion; I peeled back each layer within myself only to find another. WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM? I was looking to myself to be my savior. I was trying to find the power within myself to set me free from my sin. I would dwell on my sin and try to complete a post-mortem to find my misstep so I would not repeat the same mistake. I looked to myself as the keeper of my joy and felt as though I could conjure up grace by a repetition of the steps I took to align myself with previous grace. And then I looked to the cross. The beauty of Jesus was too much for me to handle. I saw love with arms wide open. I saw what it took to rescue me. I saw that there was nothing that I could possibly do to add to the cross or be responsible for my own righteousness. I looked to the cross and away from myself. I embraced the righteousness of Jesus in which
I am now clothed, and unloaded all of my guilt and shame and introspection at the foot of the cross. My salvation is objective and outside of me. It isn't based on my report card, it couldn't possibly be! I am loved as the sinner that I am. I read about a protégé of Martin Luther that was struggling with his standing before Christ every day. Martin Luther said to him, “If grace is true, you must bear a true and not fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly. For he is victorious over sin, death, and the world.” Jesus came to save sinners. Jesus came to save the sick. I rejoice in my status as a sinner. I am glad that I am sick and in need of a physician. I rejoice in the healing and forgiveness of the cross for that is where I find a joy that is unceasing. That is where I find my rest. “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” //RBC
CURIOSITY BY REBECCA PEEL
A
s the mother of young children I am learning very quickly how inquisitive and extensive a child’s vocabulary and questions become at the age of five. Everything out my son’s mouth is a question – Why is a storm coming? Will it blow us away? Why does the bird eat a worm? Why do I need a Band-Aid? What makes grape jelly? Do bugs have a mommy? Does God wear a swimsuit? And that's all in about 30 seconds. Watching his brain skip from one thing to the next as so many things explode inside his mind is simply amazing. His curiosity is booming and he has an exhaustive hunger for more information. And he’s looking to me for the answers because he trusts me and knows that I love him. This is one of the many privileges of being his Mommy. This experience with my son has caused me to see a lack of curiosity and hunger in myself for God lately. I have been feeling so detached from Him. I worry I've fallen away or put Him on a shelf, or that he has put me on one. I go through the motions, meeting with him, having my private worship. I pray, but I don't feel desire for Christ or the gospel that I’ve always had in the past. It seems that I’ve ignored this or pushed it all down by keeping myself busy. I see more clearly now how we are to approach our Heavenly Father like a child. A child that is needy, hungry, trusting and wanting to know more about him. I look back at the joy I had found in Christ; a joy that I had been so hard pressed to find, and a joy I long for now. Lord, please renew my spirit and reinvigorate my childlike curiosity about you. //RBC Psalm 63:1 “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” SEPT & OCT 2014 \\ MOMENTUM 15
//PUSHPAY
G
iving is now really easy at Redeemer Bible
Church!
We
are
excited
to
running by downloading the app via the App Store or
announce that we will be launching a
Google Play, or by logging into our website and trying
new giving solution that will make your
Pushpay online. Pushpay will help our church save time
lives a lot easier. This innovative giving
and costs in administration, so the more of you that use
platform is called Pushpay.
it, the more time and money we have to focus on our local
Pushpay makes giving easy for you via a simple web
form and smart phone app. The smart phone app allows you to give in just 10 seconds‌.no more waiting until later‌. just give when you feel moved to do so.
16
We would love it if you would help us get this up and
MOMENTUM // SEPT & OCT 2014
community and seeing souls won for Christ.
FISCAL YEAR ENDS SEPTEMBER 30TH FINANCE REPORT
BY PASTOR PAUL BURR
R
AUGUST 2014 - YTD
BY THE NUMBERS GENERAL GIVING FUND BASE FORECAST
EXPENSES GIVING
OPERATING EXPENSES | $ 1,014,482 GIVING | $ 894,903 FORECAST | $ 960,221
$ 119,579 edeemer’s
fiscal
Thanks for all your faithfulness to
on
date. You can give to RBC in three
30.
ways now, checks/cash/stock, online
Presently we are
at www.redeemerbiblechurch/giving,
behind
year
ends
September in
our
and now through the app Pushpay
giving
(see page 16). Your gift continues the
and we would like to end the year in
message of the gospel…that changes
the black.
everything.
forecasted
Will you please consider making a
Any questions about the finances
special gift to Redeemer so that we
of the church, please contact Pastor
can end the year in a strong financial
Paul, paulburr@redeemerbiblechurch.
position? Amidst the trials of the last
com. //RBC
EXPANDING OUR GOSPEL VISION 7.6 %
92.4 %
few weeks, we are reminded that Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd of RBC and He will never leave us or forsake us. Jesus still wants Redeemer to go forth with the gospel of grace, so we all need to worship together, serve together and give together.
EXTRA COMMITMENTS | $ 41,427 // 1.9 % AWAITING | $ 165,146 // 7.6 % RECEIVED | $ 2,013,854 // 92.4 %
MINISTRY UPDATE
INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH
THE GOSPEL COALITION BY BILL WALSH
these leaders will be personally impacted by the power of the gospel, and in turn, shepherd their congregations well—
I
resulting in widespread gospel renewal, all for the praise of His glorious grace. t has now been almost two years since Cindi
In the past few months, we’ve seen a significant bump
and I have become part of the Redeemer
up in distribution of our resources. In the month of July
family, and we are so thankful to be here.
our partners took resources to Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Joining this church family has been such
Colombia, Congo, DR, Ecuador, Gambia, Haiti, Honduras,
a privilege. Our lives have been deeply
India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan,
impacted by the vision, the preaching, our
South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, and Zambia. Praise
Community Group and my becoming part of
God!
the elder team. When RBC began to support my ministry
we
have
two
with TGC International Outreach a year ago, it was like icing
translation projects that we
on the cake and a great encouragement.
are working on funding. One
The impact of our mission is still growing in many ways.
of these is to translate What
Recently, one of our ministry partners serving in Cameroon
Is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert
shared this with us about how he is using the ESV Study
into
Bibles that we donated for their ministry there:
World reports,
Swedish.
Operation
Instead
of
project. I will personally distribute these Bibles through our
missionaries
all
pastors/colleagues. We will target pastors in the villages as
world, as the churches of
well as lay pastors (typically young men with a high school
Sweden
education who cannot afford to go outside the village.)
political elite has adopted a
These Bibles will help them very much in the absence of
radical agenda of promoting
biblical/theological training... I received a case already from
free abortion and same sex
a friend and have seen young men and pastors begin to be
marriages globally. A strong secular and postmodern
able to preach with much more authority and theological
worldview dominates society and, it is difficult to express
correctness with the use of these Bibles. This is really a
a biblical faith in public or in the academic sphere without
dream come true for most if not all of these young men
deprecation and opposition.
I am a Wycliffe translator coordinating a 10-village cluster
to have something like this to help them understand and share their faith.
18
Currently
used
sending over
to
do,
the the
Due to secularization, the preaching of liberal theology, humanism, and prosperity “gospels,” many churches
This illustrates so well our mission of Theological Famine
worldwide are weak. On average, one evangelical church
Relief and the kind of impact that we hope for and that
is closing down every week, and some are even converted
your giving enables. We are partnering with translators,
into Islamic centers.
publishers and missions networks to provide new access
I’m grateful for Redeemer’s support and partnership in this
to biblical resources in digital and physical formats. Our
work. When you give to our church’s ongoing international
goal is to strengthen thousands of congregations primarily
ministries, you have a part in blessing pastors around the
in Africa, Asia and South America by helping to equip the
world who lack access to good biblical resources. Thank
pastors and elders called to shepherd them. We pray that
you! //RBC
MOMENTUM // SEPT & OCT 2014
>>For more visit: TGC.io
Men’s Ministries
Fall Retreat October 24 & 25
$ 25 Sign up here
goo.gl/ACLNWE Woodland Camp
Zumbro Falls, MN
EVENT CALENDAR SEPTEMBER WEDNESDAY // 3RD 7p | Gathered Prayer
SUNDAY // 7TH
9a | Gathered Worship 11a | Gathered Worship 5p | The Lord's Table 6p | Pig Roast/Bonfire
WEDNESDAY // 10TH 7p | Gathered Prayer
SUNDAY // 14TH
OCTOBER SUNDAY // 21ST
9a | Gathered Worship *LT 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship *LT
WEDNESDAY // 24TH 7p | Gathered Prayer
SUNDAY // 28TH
9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship
WEDNESDAY // 1ST 7p | Gathered Prayer
SUNDAY // 5TH
9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship 6p | The Lord's Table
WEDNESDAY // 8TH 7p | Gathered Prayer
SUNDAY // 12TH
9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship
9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship
WEDNESDAY // 17TH
WEDNESDAY // 15TH
7p | Gathered Prayer
7p | Gathered Prayer
SUNDAY // 19TH
9a | Gathered Worship *LT 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship *LT
WEDNESDAY // 22ND 7p | Gathered Prayer
FRI & SAT // 24-25TH 6p | Men's Retreat
SUNDAY // 26TH
9a | Gathered Worship 9a | Redemption Youth SS 11a | Gathered Worship
WEDNESDAY // 29TH 7p | Gathered Prayer 7p | Red 5
Fri & Sat OCTOBER 24 & 25
Saturday NOVEMBER 15TH
MEN'S RETREAT
WOMEN'S FALL BRUNCH
6 PM - 6 PM | ZUMBRO FALLS, MN
9 - 11:30 AM | FELLOWSHIP HALL
It’s that time again; time to get excited for the annual Men’s
All women are invited to join us for a time of teaching,
Retreat. All men are welcome to come as we take time
lots of fellowship and good food. Come for part or all of
away from our busy lives to grow in our love for Christ and
it. Please RSVP to Carol Burr at carolburr1081@gmail.com
each other! There will be worship, teaching, activities, food
by November 9 for food planning purposes. Any addition
and more, all for a minimal fee of $25. To sign up, visit: goo.
questions, please contact Rebecca Peel at rebecca.
gl/ACLNWE. Questions: contact Kevin Campbell at kevin.
peel1044@gmail.com.
campbell@gmail.com.
* Includes The Lord's Table