September 17, 2010

A Big Sunday

Last Sunday dawned clear and beautiful, and remained so throughout the day, as Church of the Redeemer leapt into the fall cycle of growing, fellowship, and outreach. The confirmation course began with about a dozen confirmands, looking forward to Confirmation Sunday on October 24th with Bishop Rucyahana, Alpha is underway (or almost) among our youth, in the city, and in the Northshore, and we celebrated together over a great outdoor lunch. There were a number of new faces, and some who came just for the meal, brought by friends and family at Redeemer. 

After a summer of rest and renewal, we now engage in worshipful activity as a community in order to grow together, welcome new people and pursue the Lord’s mission for us. Read on for updates on the things underway and opportunities ahead. Thanks to those who made the picnic possible, especially Brocki Murphy and her crew.

Alpha

Our adult Alpha course begins September 21st, and will meet each Tuesday evening at the home of Tom and Ricki Rosengren inWilmette. More than 2 million people have taken the Alpha Course in the US alone, and many have come to faith in Christ. The Alpha course, as part of our regular ministries at Redeemer, helps us learn to be a church not just inwardly focused, but externally, as well. Invite a friend or someone you know into a safe place for questions, searching and support. Visit our Welcome Table for pre-printed invitations, and watch more at the Alpha website.

Our Youth Alpha continues on Sunday mornings at 9am, and as we heard during the worship service last Sunday, Redeemer is also sponsoring an Alpha outreach in the city with at-risk youth. Please pray for these and other Alpha outreaches in our area.

Sonrise Benefit

We're now just about 5 weeks out from our annual Sonrise Benefit, the major single supporting effort for Sonrise School in Musanze, Rwanda. Please be inviting people now to join you for this important night on October 23rd. It will be the last one involving Bishop John Rucyahana, the visionary leader who launched the school. We'll celebrate by bringing one of the older students from Rwanda to our banquet to share with us their own story.

Sonrise's first graduation has now been planned for late March, 2011. Invitations to the benefit have been mailed, but are still available. Be praying for the effectiveness of this time, the single largest fundraiser for the school held each year.

Come to the Water

Sunday morning's worship on September 26th will include a service of baptism, for those in our church who have not yet been baptized and desire to follow Christ in this vital way. Baptism is a mark of our place among the Lord's people, and the point where we begin our Christian journey.

Read more about baptism at Church of the Redeemer.

Contact our office or leadership if you would like to know more.

A New, Healing Beginning

Are you looking for a way to break out of your spiritual routine? Do you desire to deepen your relationship with the Lord? Do you long for more intimacy and wholeness in your spiritual journey? Then join with us on Wednesday, October 6th, as Church of the Redeemer starts a new, monthly, all church healing prayer service, to be offered the first Wednesday of each month. This gathering will be an opportunity for us, individually and as a congregation, to restore our souls and experience the healing presence of Jesus Christ. This will be a time of respite, a time to sing praises to our risen Lord, to share a psalm/word of encouragement or a short teaching, and a time to pray not only for one another’s physical needs for healing, but for those deeper emotional and spiritual needs of healing for our sense of being, well being, affirmation, and wholeness in Christ. There are many in our communities that need healing, so invite others to join in, as well.

For more information talk to our Prayer Team leader, Dan Babarik, at dblaw7 [at] gmail.com or danjuliebabarik [at] sbcglobal.net

COR@9

For the last two years, especially, we have been praying about and talking about making and growing disciples. Slowly but deliberately we have been strengthening our approach in this vital area, and COR@9 is one of the important responses to that need. This fall it returns with some very specific and focused teaching/conversation to help us all as disciples of Jesus.

Beginning October 31st COR@9 will offer a four-week series on Spiritual Gifts, taught by Dr. Dana Harris. This will invite all of us to discover the richness of spiritual gifting in the church, through engagement with scripture and discussion, rather than inventories.

Then during Advent we’ll explore Spiritual Practices that will help us to deepen our journey of faith, as we explore the prayer book tradition, lectio divina and other disciplines. 

New to Redeemer?

If you’re new to the Redeemer scene, that’s great. You are not alone. We want you to feel welcomed and invited to a place where you feel you truly belong. To help that journey, we have a couple of things to place on your calendar:

— Newcomer’s Lunch, following worship on October 10th. Come meet others who are also new, and hear from our leadership.

— Discover Redeemer, over a light lunch for four Sundays beginning Oct. 31st. Come and learn more about our story, the things we believe and practice, and the vision that God is releasing here.

Giving

Thank you for your sacrificial giving that supports the various ministries God has called us to. Transitioning into fall we are behind our expenses, and will need to make that up in the months ahead. More information on that soon, but in the meantime thanks for praying and responding.

Offering last week: $7,946
Average amount needed each week: $6,700

Calendar

— Saturday, September 26, Baptisms at Redeemer
— October 2, Ride for Refuge (and Rwanda) – Contact Jason or Danielle Miller for more info, or contribute
— Wednesday, October 4, Healing Prayer Service
— Saturday, October 9, Growing Leaders Gathering??
— Sunday, October 10, Newcomers Lunch
— Saturday, October 16 – Parents' Night Out (Kids' Journey to Rwanda)
??— October 23rd, our Sonrise Benefit
— October 24, Worship and Confirmations with Bishop John Rucyahana ??
— October 31, COR@9 resumes with teaching on Spiritual Gifts
— October 31, Discover Redeemer, during lunch

Please pray for . . .

— Alpha courses that we are offering this fall
— the election of a new Archbishop for the Anglican Province of Rwanda
— new small group opportunities at Redeemer
— those who are in process for Confirmation