It's been a wonderful and full September at the church. Many of our ongoing ministries - Youth, Young Adults, Alpha, Celebrate Recovery, Ladies' Interact, RPM Hikes - are in full swing, creating spaces for people to step towards Jesus and deeper into the life of the community. For many people these ministries and spaces are their first connection point with the church. This has been especially true with our Young Adult group; young people who have never been to Redwood before but simply heard that we had a group and courageously showed up.
This has also been true of our Sunday services. This fall we began offering new gifts to first-time visitors and over the last month we have given away over 40 of these. Over 40 people coming into our community for the first time!
If this is you, thank you for joining us; we are so glad you are here!
In Romans 12, Paul includes the exhortation to "extend hospitality to strangers" (Rom. 12:13) as one of the marks of true Christian identity and community. We long to be a place where people feel warmly welcomed and are able to easily find their way into the vibrancy of life in Christ expressed and experienced in community. Would you like to know of three ways you can help us continue to become that kind of community?
Like we said, it's been a wonderful and full September, but ministry kick-offs are not all that's been happening...
This has also been true of our Sunday services. This fall we began offering new gifts to first-time visitors and over the last month we have given away over 40 of these. Over 40 people coming into our community for the first time!
If this is you, thank you for joining us; we are so glad you are here!
In Romans 12, Paul includes the exhortation to "extend hospitality to strangers" (Rom. 12:13) as one of the marks of true Christian identity and community. We long to be a place where people feel warmly welcomed and are able to easily find their way into the vibrancy of life in Christ expressed and experienced in community. Would you like to know of three ways you can help us continue to become that kind of community?
- When you are with us on a Sunday, find one (1) person you don't know and say "hi" to them before or after the service. "Hello" is one of the most barrier-breaking words in any language.
- Consider joining our Hospitality Team and be on the frontlines of welcoming people into our community. It's a small thing that makes such an enormous impact (it's also a great way to get to know people. Seriously, after a couple months of greeting people you'll likely know most of the people in the church!) Fill out a volunteer form to join our Hospitality Team.
- With Thanksgiving just around the corner, if you are having a Thanksgiving meal, consider inviting someone(s) to your table. Nothing grows friendship like sharing a meal together.
Like we said, it's been a wonderful and full September, but ministry kick-offs are not all that's been happening...
Celebrating Baptisms...
On Sept. 15 we celebrated with Brianne, Sue, and Paula as they followed Jesus into the waters of baptism. It was a positively electric morning with the palpable presence of God in our midst as we heard their stories of new identity, peace in the midst of pain, and the difference that Jesus makes. If you missed the morning or just want to re-experience it, you can watch their stories and baptisms here. Thank you so much, Brianne, Sue, and Paula for bravely sharing your stories and taking this beautiful next step with Jesus.
Welcome Samuel Sarpiya!
We are so committed to being a church of reconciliation that we created a pastoral role - Pastor of Missional Engagement - to help us build bridges and move across them with Christ's love and shalom for our city, our region and the world. And this past Sunday we were delighted to officially introduce you to the one that we have spent four years praying for: Samuel Sarpiya, and his wife Gretchen.
We long to be people excited and empowered to live on mission every single day in our work places, our schools, our families, wherever God has uniquely positioned us. The way that the Lord aligned and arranged the pieces to bring Samuel - with his unique skills, experience, and passions - to us at this time to move us in these ways is nothing short of thrilling!
As we continue to step out in faith into these things, we need to remember that our mission moves at the speed of your generosity. Thank you for your giving. To learn more about supporting our community, our vision and mission, and investing in God's kingdom visit redwoodpark.ca/give.
And be sure to give Samuel a warm and hearty welcome when you see him on Sunday.
We long to be people excited and empowered to live on mission every single day in our work places, our schools, our families, wherever God has uniquely positioned us. The way that the Lord aligned and arranged the pieces to bring Samuel - with his unique skills, experience, and passions - to us at this time to move us in these ways is nothing short of thrilling!
As we continue to step out in faith into these things, we need to remember that our mission moves at the speed of your generosity. Thank you for your giving. To learn more about supporting our community, our vision and mission, and investing in God's kingdom visit redwoodpark.ca/give.
And be sure to give Samuel a warm and hearty welcome when you see him on Sunday.
Honouring Our Children Run
Monday, Sept. 30 was the National Day of Truth & Reconciliation. Milissa spoke powerfully about this in her sermon this past Sunday - check it out here. As mentioned our staff participated in the Run and Walk, and Jay, Samuel, and a handful of dedicated volunteers handed out refreshing and rejuvenating cups of water at our sponsored water station.
The occasion, the truth of the day - of children lost because of the cruelty and injustice of the residential school system, and the honouring of the survivors - is devastating and sobering, and we as a community desire to approach it with the posture of humility and respect that it deserves. With that in mind, what stood out to many of us at the event was the exuberant and contagious joy that was woven throughout the solemness. It was seriously such a fun day that served as a celebration and statement of the beauty and generosity of Indigenous culture.
We all were humbled and honoured to have been invited into that space and grateful to the Mazinaajim Children's Foundation, Brent "Mooselegs" Edwards, and the many, many folks who worked so hard to make the event happen. It is so beautiful to see what the Honouring Our Children Run has become over the last 4 years and we hope you'll join us all again next year.
... also, congrats to our Kids & Jr. High Pastor, Mark Schutte, who finished 3rd in the Men's 15km run!
The occasion, the truth of the day - of children lost because of the cruelty and injustice of the residential school system, and the honouring of the survivors - is devastating and sobering, and we as a community desire to approach it with the posture of humility and respect that it deserves. With that in mind, what stood out to many of us at the event was the exuberant and contagious joy that was woven throughout the solemness. It was seriously such a fun day that served as a celebration and statement of the beauty and generosity of Indigenous culture.
We all were humbled and honoured to have been invited into that space and grateful to the Mazinaajim Children's Foundation, Brent "Mooselegs" Edwards, and the many, many folks who worked so hard to make the event happen. It is so beautiful to see what the Honouring Our Children Run has become over the last 4 years and we hope you'll join us all again next year.
... also, congrats to our Kids & Jr. High Pastor, Mark Schutte, who finished 3rd in the Men's 15km run!
The Food Bank is Coming Home!
Last Thursday, our Redwood Food Bank celebrated their last Thursday distributing food at the old location. Food scarcity continues to be a very real and present reality for so many people in Thunder Bay, and moving the food bank onsite to our building is going to help us provide even greater care to folks in need.
We will be moving over the last of the stuff this week in time to have our first distribution on Oct. 10. After the food bank has a few weeks of running in the new location under their belts we will be having an official grand opening celebration, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, consider showing your enthusiasm for this new era of the food bank by bringing a donation on Sunday and leaving it in the box inside our North Entrance.
We are grateful to New Hope Church for providing us a place to serve from all these years, and are so excited to welcome the Food Bank home to our church building!
We will be moving over the last of the stuff this week in time to have our first distribution on Oct. 10. After the food bank has a few weeks of running in the new location under their belts we will be having an official grand opening celebration, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, consider showing your enthusiasm for this new era of the food bank by bringing a donation on Sunday and leaving it in the box inside our North Entrance.
We are grateful to New Hope Church for providing us a place to serve from all these years, and are so excited to welcome the Food Bank home to our church building!
A Prayer...
There was a lot of stuff in this Monthly Viewpoint, thank you so much for making it all the way down here. We hope that all of these updates and stories have cheered your heart as to the many ways that God is beautifully at work in our midst.
As we have been focussing on our Vision & Mission as a church at the start of this new ministry year, here is a prayer for all of the work that lies before us as we seek to be a community of reconciliation.
Our lives are so small, O Lord,
Our vision so limited,
Our courage so frail,
Our hours so fleeting.
Therefore give us grace and guidance for the journey ahead.
We gather together to worship you,
and as we scatter, we believe
that we are called together into a work
we cannot yet know the fullness of.
Still, we trust the voice of
the One who has called us.
And so we offer to you, O God, these things:
Our dreams, our plans, our vision.
Shape them as You will.
Our moments and our gifts.
May the be invested toward bright, eternal ends.
O Spirit of God,
now shape our hearts.
O Spirit of God,
now guide our hands.
O Spirit of God,
now build your kingdom among us.
Amen.
(excerpt of "a Liturgy for the Labors of Community" by Douglas McKelvey)
Thank you for reading! Peace of Christ.
As we have been focussing on our Vision & Mission as a church at the start of this new ministry year, here is a prayer for all of the work that lies before us as we seek to be a community of reconciliation.
Our lives are so small, O Lord,
Our vision so limited,
Our courage so frail,
Our hours so fleeting.
Therefore give us grace and guidance for the journey ahead.
We gather together to worship you,
and as we scatter, we believe
that we are called together into a work
we cannot yet know the fullness of.
Still, we trust the voice of
the One who has called us.
And so we offer to you, O God, these things:
Our dreams, our plans, our vision.
Shape them as You will.
Our moments and our gifts.
May the be invested toward bright, eternal ends.
O Spirit of God,
now shape our hearts.
O Spirit of God,
now guide our hands.
O Spirit of God,
now build your kingdom among us.
Amen.
(excerpt of "a Liturgy for the Labors of Community" by Douglas McKelvey)
Thank you for reading! Peace of Christ.