January2013
MoMentuM // JANUARY 2013
a monthly publication of redeemer bible church
MONTHLY CALENDAR MEMBERSHIP ROLL CALL
RADICAL
CHANGE THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF GRACE BY R W GLENN
VISION UPDATE BY THE NUMBERS FINANCIAL UPDATE
redeeMer bible church // THE GOSPEL CHANGES EVERYTHING
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Q&A
WITH WORSHIP DIRECTOR,
David Ward
Gospel Worship the
changes
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 fulďŹ ll our calling in the world. through Jesus, God is restoring everything.
CONTENTS VISION UPDATE redeemer’s vision for transforming the twin cities for the gospel by 2030. how we want to accomplish this, and why.
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MEDITATE Jesus rebukes Peter for racism, and tells us the surprising reason behind it.
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EVENT CALENDAR Stay in the loop! don’t miss out on upcoming events at rbc!
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Q & A WITH DAVID WARD Go behind the scenes with david ward as he talks about the meaning of worship and how he works to communicate this through his team on Sunday mornings.
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NEW MEMBERS
WELCOME 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. 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.
Meet the newest members at rbc!
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BY THE NUMBERS Get an update on our expanding our Gospel Vision Program. Praise God for our new building!
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CREDITS editor: bethany hway designer: chuck forsberg conent manager: lorie Schnell Writer: brittney westin copy editor: Anne lynn cover photo: Josh hway
MoMentuM // JANUARY 2013
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VISION UPDATE
8% BY 2030
redeeMer bible church // THE GOSPEL CHANGES EVERYTHING
BY R W GLENN our vision is to see the twin cities transformed by the gospel of grace in every sphere of life – psychologically, spiritually, and culturally. the reason this is our vision is that it’s God’s vision. habakkuk 2:14 predicts a day when the earth would be covered with the knowledge of the glory of the lord like the waters cover the sea. that day has dawned in Jesus christ. the rule of God is “at hand.” the sun has come up over the horizon, and one day, the sun will shine at noon. we get to be a part of the dawning of that new day right where we live. what is the method of transformation? According to Matt 28:18-20 and the book of Acts, the method is to establish local christian congregations all over planet earth. So, as we see the twin cities moving toward a population of 3.6 million by 2030, we want to be part of planting churches to serve the metro. our goal is to see 8% of the population engaged in gospel-positive, city-positive churches. why eight percent? because eight percent would create a snowball effect of dramatic change for the people of the twin cities. Gospel-positive, because only the gospel of free justification, daily embraced in the heart, changes cities. And we want to plant city-positive churches because it’s far too easy for us to hide our light under a bushel, content with what is good for us, rather than considering what’s good for others. So pray for this vision. Pray with God’s heart for the twin cities. //RBC
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CHANGE
MoMentuM // JANUARY 2013
RADICAL
THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF GRACE BY R W GLENN
P
eter was giving into fear and insecurity, running to the bigoted perch of racial superiority, and beginning to withdraw from sharing meals with Gentile (non-Jewish) christians. Although the rebuke makes perfect sense, Paul’s diagnosis of the reason for Peter’s racism might surprise you. he says, “Your conduct is not in step with the truth of the gospel” (v 14). in v 16, Paul fleshes out the content of the gospel by saying that, “a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus christ, so we also have believed in christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
remarkable! Peter’s racism was a failure to live his life in step with the truth of free justification. this is the consistent argument of the new testament. A person whose life is captivated by the gospel of grace is a person whose outlook about everything changes. racism is only one area. there is nothing that is left unaffected by the power of the gospel. therefore, as a church we are committed to this value as the core and hub of every other truth we value. the gospel changes everything. And in the coming issues of Momentum, you’ll see how it applies to twelve distinctive areas of the life of rbc. //RBC
redeeMer bible church // THE GOSPEL CHANGES EVERYTHING
In Galatians 2, the Apostle Paul publicly rebukes the Apostle Peter.
January
MOMENTUM // JANUARY 2013
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sun
MON
TUE
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WED 2 redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM
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9 redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM
morning Worship | 9 & 11 AM redemption | Youth Sunday School 9 AM
wednesday worship starts 7 PM
newcomer’s lunch 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Evening worship | 6:00 PM no community groups
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16 redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM
morning worship | 9 & 11 AM redemption | Youth Sunday School 9 AM
wednesday worship 7 PM
commissioning luncheon After 11 AM Worship Service
REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything
community groups | Various Times
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morning worship | 9 & 11 AM (Including the Lord’s Table)
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women’s book study 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM
redemption | Youth Sunday School 9 AM
wednesday worship 7 PM
community groups | Various Times
27 morning worship | 9 & 11 AM redemption | Youth Sunday School 9 AM community groups | Various Times open house | 6 PM - 9 PM
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women’s book study 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM wednesday worship 7 PM
@ REDEEMER THu 3
FRI 4
sAT 5
THE DETAILS NEWCOMER’S LUNCH 1:00 - 3:00 PM | Attend the next newcomer’s lunch at the Glenns’ home. Please rSVP with laurie Summers at lsummers@redeemerbiblechurch.com.
Sunday
JAN 6
MEMBERSHIP CLASS 9 AM - 12 PM | Meets in the Ministries building, room 102. Address:: 16031 woodland curve, Minnetonka, 55345
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Saturday
12 membership class 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
JAN 12
COMMISSIONING LUNCHEON immediately following 11 AM Gathered worship Service | karise Pagano’s commissioning luncheon before she goes to Sicily.
Sunday 17
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Women’s ministry kick-off 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
JAN 13
WOMEN’S MINISTRY KICK-OFF 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM | Meets in the new church building; fellowship hall.
Thursday
JAN 17
WOMEN’S BOOK STUDY 24
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9:30 AM - 11:30 AM | tuesday Morning book Study teacher: betty cooper; book: Trusting God, by Jerry bridges
Tuesday
Women’s book study 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
JAN 22
WOMEN’S BOOK STUDY 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM | thursday evening book Study Meets 1st, 2nd, & 4th thursdays of each month. teacher: debbie hansen; book: Trusting God, by Jerry bridges.
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Thursday
JAN 24
OPEN HOUSE 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | come and explore our new space! there will be food and live Jazz!
Sunday
JAN 27
MoMentuM // JANUARY 2013
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Q&A
WITH WORSHIP DIRECTOR,
David
Ward redeeMer bible church // THE GOSPEL CHANGES EVERYTHING
INTERVIEWED BY BRITTNEY WESTIN What is the mission of redeemer’s Worship ministry? our mission is to nurture, to foster, and to see people have transformative encounters with God; both in our public meetings, privately, and with their families. we desire to see people meeting with God in a way that affects them, changes them, and motivates them to take their experience with God and share it with others. we want to do everything we can to help people connect with God, through his word and by his spirit, focusing on the work of Jesus at the cross. in What Ways does our Worship ministry serve the congregation? one way i like to look at public worship ministry is that we’re presenting a banquet before our people: a banquet of truth, of what God has done for us in Jesus, of the gospel. we’re hoping that people will come feast and be filled and be satisfied. we’re presenting, representing, and rehearsing the gospel of Jesus’ death and life that was given to redeem us. it’s the gospel that’s going to minister to our needs on an ongoing basis as believers, so we want to make everything about the gospel. that’s the centerpiece of what we aim to do every Sunday. Publicly, it’s to
make sure that Jesus is presented clearly, and that we celebrate him and what he has done for us. What is the process you go through to pick songs for sunday mornings? the most basic way that i plan services is by thinking about how to present the gospel in that service. So that’s my first priority. we also have a framework we like to follow. for the beginning of our service, we try to find songs that have a certain amount of happiness or joy, and talk about approaching God and being accepted by God. i used to start with a song that focused on God’s character, and while that’s not wrong, we’ve been working on starting off with love and acceptance first, and then reminding ourselves about God’s holiness and his justice and his wrath. At that point, we can sing about confessing our sin, and in light of the fact that he’s already offered us acceptance, we can feel safe to confess. i try to pick songs that don’t just speak of objective truth, but also of personal experience. there’s a balance. Since worship is responding to God with who i am, there’s a “me” component to that. it’s putting myself into the gospel story. Some of the songs are going to express our feelings, our struggles, our failures. whatever it is, i’m trying to lead people through it in
What does Worship in everyday life look like? God is revealing himself, his work and his ways, all the time, even through the beautiful things of this world. All are meant to tell us about God and what kind of God he is, and show us how amazing he is. So we can look at worship as responding to God as he reveals himself to us. imagine the most moving experience you’ve had, seeing the Grand canyon for example. You’re presented with this amazing picture and you can turn to God in your heart, and thank him and praise him for what he’s done. that’s a moment of worship. it’s speaking to God all throughout the day and thanking him, praising him. Scripture teaches us to, “Give thanks always, and pray without ceasing.” As i understand that scripture, it’s as if you have a running conversation with God, and living the rest of your life is like putting him on hold. so Worship is more than Just singing, Whether in church or in everyday life? Yes, that’s a really important distinction to make because sometimes people think of worship as music. Actually, it’s one reason why we don’t call our musicians the worship team, which is often the name for that team. we call them the song team. the main job of the song team is to present songs in a way that will be meaningful to people. in What Ways, then, does our Worship ministry help foster christ-centered and life-changing Worship?
hoW is the Worship at rbc christ and scripturecentered? we strive to have worship that is in obedience and conformity to God’s word about what should happen in worship. More specifically, the truth in God’s word really drives our services so we have that pattern of revelation and response, which is worship. we’re hearing from God, what he’s like, what he’s done, and we’re responding. we always have several scripture readings (sometimes i just quote things without it being a reading), there’s a call to worship, there’s an assurance of pardon, a benediction, and we spend time looking into God’s word through the sermon. that’s an integral part of worship as well. often we try to tie in themes to prepare us to receive God’s word, and then sing a final song in response. So, we’re reading from God’s word, we’re studying God’s word, and we’re singing songs that are biblical, full of truth, and are in conformity to the word of God, having as much depth of truth as possible.
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i could distill worship to three activities: scripture, prayer, and songs. if you look at worship in that way, then the only difference between public or gathered worship, and private worship, would just be the fact that you’re with more people. in public worship, you can have a more “polished” performance with people who have been called to use their gifts in public arenas. At the same time, the holy Spirit doesn’t need a polished performance; he just needs the truth and an authentic heart. So if you’re bumbling through in private worship, humming Amazing Grace, and you’re a terrible singer, it really doesn’t matter. Sometimes those can be very moving experiences because God cares about your heart and he’s not impressed with how you sing. Most people have never thought about singing in their private worship. they think, “what’s the point?” but i really encourage people to start singing in their private worship, even if it’s just a couple of simple songs. i think it really helps remind us that we’re singing to God. Sometimes on Sunday, we can forget that. i sometimes visualize Jesus being in the room and we’re literally singing to him. it helps make it real to me. i think singing in private worship can help people because then everything is stripped away. it’s just them and the lord. family worship consists of prayer, the word of God, and songs within a family; the people of a household gathered together to turn their attention toward God. hoW can someone get involved in the Worship ministry? Sing in the choir! choir is a unique opportunity for people to participate in worship ministry. it’s a way to get more musical depth, work with others to present songs, and to help lead people to worship through music. //RBC
GET INVOLVED WE ARE LOOKING FOR A WORSHIP SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR. Job description: the worship Special events coordinator works in partnership with the worship director and other ministry leaders to assist in the planning and execution of larger scale events such as christmas and easter services, concerts, and weddings/memorials. responsibilities: 1. Attend planning meetings with the worship director, media director, and other ministry leaders as needed in preparation for special services. 2. Along with other ministry leaders, recruit various roles needed for the event such as room set up, decorators, ticket takers, refreshments, parking, etc. 3. create event planning tools such as spreadsheets 4. Plan rehearsal and other auditorium times and communicate with ministry leaders to avoid conflict. hours per month: +/- 15 hr/month. contact: kirsten watson 952.935.2425 | info@redeemerbiblechurch.com
redeeMer bible church // THE GOSPEL CHANGES EVERYTHING
the first way is by making sure the content is rich in the gospel message. i look at content as the raw materials God uses. he uses truth, and the person that applies that truth to people’s hearts so that it actually affects them, is the holy Spirit. As a team, we pray every week that the holy Spirit would make the truth come alive in people’s hearts and minds and really shine a spotlight on Jesus, putting him on display as the one we’re celebrating. we pray for people to be ministered to, to be challenged, to be changed. So i’m hoping that by having material focused on and emphasizing grace, by seeking the Spirit’s help, and by asking God to minister to people, change will begin in people’s hearts.
What’s the difference betWeen public, private and family Worship?
MoMentuM // JANUARY 2013
our time together using songs and readings, trusting that God can make that real for people by his Spirit. the wonderful thing about songs in worship is that songs are commanded to be used in worship and are not just optional. i love songs because they function in so many different ways. they function as prayers, as creeds, as teaching. And because of the way songs work with our emotions, they sort of glue everything together emotionally.
MOMENTUM // JANUARY 2013
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WELCOME
REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything
JASON & ANNE N LYNN
New NNe ew ew
MEMBERS
JERRY & JANICE TOBLER
TROY & KATIE K TIE KA AMS WILLIA WILLIAMS
MIKE & NATALIE SULLIVAN
MATT & CARRIE MCCORKLE
BRADY A SHAFFER
JOHN & STEPHANIE O HUSS
JEFF PAREL
DENNIS BABCOCK
BEN & JEN CARTER
R LOU RY MARY FLEMING
is An extremely important part of life at Redeemer d 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 LF UP IN LOVE.” - EPHESIANS 4:15 & 16
NEXT MEMBERSHIP CLASS
JAN 12 JA
SIGN CONTACT LAURIE SUMMERS UP! LSUMMERS@REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM
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EXPANDING OUR GOSPEL VISION PROGRAM
MoMentuM // JANUARY 2013
BY THE NUMBERS AWAITING COMMITMENTS
$ 454,244 | 19.2%
AWAITING
COMMITMENTS RECEIVED
RECEIVED
$ 1,761,149 | 80.8%
GENERAL FUND | NOVEMBER YTD GIVING EXPENSES
$ 136,104 $ 167,975
FORECAST GIVING EXPENSES
$ 138,842 Photo taken by connie cullen
redeeMer bible church // THE GOSPEL CHANGES EVERYTHING
FORECAST
OPEN HOUSE COME AND EXPLORE OUR NEW SPACE!
6-9 PM
SUN J A N
27
FOOD AND LIVE JAZZ!
2013
10 $20
$
PER PERSON
PER FAMILY
COFFEE WILL BE SERVED AT THE INTERMISSION
16205 HIGHWAY 7 MINNETONKA, MN 55345 PHONE:: 952.935.2425 WEB:: REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM
A monthly publication of redeemer bible church
BUY TICKETS ON-LINE AT WWW.THOUSANDTONGUES.ORG/TICKETS OR AT THE DOOR
A:: 16205 highway 7 | Minnetonka, mn 55345 P:: 952.935.2425 | E:: info @redeemerbiblechurch.com w:: redeemerbiblechurch.com
JAKE