Pastor’s Corner July 2006

The following was published in our monthly newsletter, the Redeemer Report.

The Importance of Nurturing Community at Redeemer

Redeemer’s mission is to mature as a community of Christians who love to worship their God, study His Word, and proclaim His gospel to the world. Please note key biblical activities contained in our mission statement- community, worship, study of God’s Word, and proclamation of the gospel. Although all the activities are important, worshiping God is preeminent. It is our desire and God’s design that all other activities flow out of and remain subordinate to it. The vitality of our worship directly effects the success of the other activities; study, discipleship and evangelism. They in turn affect worship and each other. Discipleship enhances the worship of God. A sense of community fosters meaningful discipleship. And lastly, a genuine, discipleship-oriented community is best equipped and motivated to evangelize.

Hopefully, if you’ve been part of this fellowship for awhile, you sense you are part of a family. If you are involved with your Home Fellowship Group, I am sure this has enhanced your sense of connection to the body of Christ here in our Church. I know that many of you have forged deep relationships with other individuals and families. Speaking of being a church family resonates with many of you in a profound way. This familial sense you have is genuine and it is important. It is based on a supernatural union, a communion we share because of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound together by something thicker than blood, we are bound by the Spirit of God Himself. Notice our mission statement declares we are striving to “mature as a community of Christians”. Our fellowship with each other is based on our fellowship with Christ. I hope you hold your relationship with Jesus as sacred. If you do, if you see this to be the most important relationship you have, then you will hold your relationship with the brethren as also very sacred. Note these profound words from Paul-

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

Our Confession of faith, in the 26th chapter, captures this guiding biblical principle concerning our union with Christ and each other:

All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their Head, by His Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with Him in His grace, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory…

Allow me to suggest 5 ways you can be more connected with the Redeemer community:

Maintain your fellowship with the church family
You must be present in order to grow together with other believers. At minimum, attend Sunday worship, Sunday School, and your home fellowship group meetings (twice a month, except July and August).

Exercise your spiritual gifts to strengthen our church family
Step forward and serve in our existing ministries, use your gifts for the purpose of building up the community and bringing glory to Jesus. Enhancing and expanding our current ministries depends on lay-involvement. Your church family needs you!

Serve each other- even in the “smallest” ways.
Volunteering to watch children, making meals, helping with a house project, visiting members in the hospital or homebound due to illness, encouraging phone calls, notes, and emails are just a few “small” ways you can serve each other and greatly nurture our community.

“Break Bread” together.
Have other brothers and sisters to your home for a meal. There are few better ways to build relationships than to share time and conversation over a meal.

Serve others, together.
Serving together really cultivates relationships. Cooking the burgers and hot dogs on Sunday nights, work days, fellowship meals, nursery ministry, mission trips, serving on committees, etc. all offer great opportunities to get to know each other at a deeper level.

Ephesians 2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…

In the Lamb,
Pastor Tony Felich