Redeemer East Side Update

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This year, in many ways, is the year we as a church begin to become a movement. We are on the cusp of launching a new church in just a few weeks, Redeemer East Harlem. Our dream of having an East Side building will start to become more of a reality. And we are more focused than ever on equipping you to be the gospel movement in the city today, a movement that has quietly been on the rise in Manhattan for the last three decades.

But this is just the beginning. We want East Harlem to be the first of many churches that we will plant over the next several years. We want our future building not only to be a place to call home, but a ministry center that trains and sends people out for the good of the whole city. Ultimately we want to hear stories — countless stories — of New Yorkers whose lives have been transformed by an encounter with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

To do all that, we need your generosity today. As I pointed out on Sunday, we are $270K behind our giving goal. This goal is annualized for the year so it already takes into account the fact that we get more than a quarter of our giving in December. So we need to close this $270K gap on top of that, which is a significant challenge.

But I have no doubt that we can meet and even exceed that goal. For example, if everyone who regularly attends Redeemer East Side were to give just 5% of their income — half of the biblical practice of tithing — we would exceed our $5.1M giving goal by more than 25%. We would be well over $6M. Imagine all the kingdom ministry that represents: new ways to serve our neighbors, new ministries to families and singles, new churches, new ways to care for the poor. Imagine all that we’re missing out on by not being where we could be financially!

As a church, we are still in the middle of the biggest transition in our history and we have a big vision for an exciting future. So, if you aren’t yet giving, your gifts are needed now. Would you become a regular, recurring giver? It would make a huge difference. If you are giving regularly, thank you! Your support is more vital than ever for our vision to become a reality.

Gratefully,

Rev. Abraham Cho
East Side Senior Pastor


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Mary B Safrit
Beta Group leader

"Group members began to honestly wrestle with the implications of Scripture for their everyday lives and ask hard questions of themselves and each other because of the group’s growing trust in the sufficiency of the Gospel."

I’ve always been an achiever with high expectations for myself. I am competitive and driven, and as much as I would like to say that has never bled over into my faith, it definitely has. In the fall of 2017 I was nominated to be a Beta Group leader. I was excited for the opportunity and set out to be the very best leader Redeemer had ever seen. I had visions of my group becoming the best of friends and engaging in thoughtful and profound discussion about Scripture. My future group members didn’t even know how awesome this group would be.

I came face to face with my limitations at the very first meeting. I was overly optimistic about the MTA and ended up arriving 15 minutes late. Though the discussion hadn’t started, I was noticeably the last person there. Thankfully my co-leader had made it in plenty of time. The discussion that night was filled with awkward pauses and devoid of overly personal sharing. I expected a moving night of vulnerability and effortless conversation. I wanted tangible, immediate success. I didn’t consider that my group was merely exhibiting normal, appropriate human behavior. I forgot that it takes time to develop trust and familiarity within a group of strangers.

To me, success meant building a vibrant group filled with fun, thoughtful discussion, and thriving relationships, but it only counted as success if I did it through my own effort and ability. Over the seven weeks, the group did have thoughtful discussions, but these were enhanced by the diversity of thought and experience within the group more than my leadership ability. Group members began to honestly wrestle with the implications of Scripture for their everyday lives and ask hard questions of themselves and each other because of the group’s growing trust in the sufficiency of the Gospel. In spite of my best efforts, it was clear that it wouldn’t be and couldn’t be me that made this group successful but had to be God, as Jesus worked in and through each of us. And on top of that, my very definition of success was astonishingly limited in light of what God can do, and what he promises to do.

God showed me that the success of my Beta community, or even me as a leader, was less about quantifiable results and more about trusting Him to do the deep, meaningful work of applying the gospel and changing us into Christ’s likeness. Through those seven weeks, God showed me that the affirmation of success I was looking for from my Beta group can only be met in Christ. Every time I came up against my own limitations and failures as a leader, it was an opportunity for me to witness God demonstrating the power of the Gospel to transform lives.

Although I still wrestle with striving for perfection as I want to define it, I saw how it had to be Jesus at the center of our community, not my glory or expectations. I watched trust develop and walls come down as God moved in the group through the transforming love of Christ. I saw how Christ is steadfast, walking with me and continually showing me a better, freer way.

And ultimately, Christ showed me that I was trying to provide the kind of community that only he can create.

Mary B's testimony was originally shared at a worship service in September, 2019.


+ There is no 5 p.m. service this Sunday, September 29. Worship with us in the morning at 9:30 or 11:30 a.m.

+ Online recurring giving can help transform sporadic or spontaneous giving habits into planned and consistent giving. It's easy to set up, modify or cancel through your Redeemer account.

+ Pray for Redeemer East Harlem as they prepare to launch on October 13.

+ Sign up for a 7-week Beta Group and give community a try. This one step can transform your experience of Redeemer East Side into a community where you belong. And by joining, your strengths and gifts help us become a stronger community of welcome and love.

+ Questions or doubts about the Christian faith? We have Questioning Christianity Groups for people to openly and respectfully discuss foundational topics about Christianity and explore deep questions.

+ Families, join the Dive Deep Kick Off Pizza Party this Sunday to sign up for classes, meet your child's teachers, and fellowship with other families.

+ Interested in membership or just learning more about ways to grow spiritually at Redeemer East Side? Attend Intro to Spiritual Formation on October 13.

+ ES Youth Fall Retreat is around the corner! Middle School students, join us October 18 to 20 at Lake Champion for a weekend getaway and spend time with friends engaging with God's word. High Schoolers are invited to join as work crew.

+ October is Nomination Month for Elders and Deeks: Members, please be thinking about qualified and mature Redeemer members to serve on the Diaconate and Session.

+ Learn more about serving on the Diaconate on Monday, October 7. Join us for an evening of hor d'oeuvres and a panel discussion with members of the Redeemer Diaconate about this important ministry of mercy.

+ On The Road with St. Augustine, by James K.A. Smith: Join CFW on October 3 for a discussion with the celebrated author of You Are What You Love on his new book and how "that patron saint of restless hearts" might be an able spiritual guide for contemporary believers, seekers, and searchers.

+ We are looking for Committee Members for His Toy Store at Redeemer East Side store sites! Email [email protected] if interested.

+ Commit to being a mentor this year: Make a difference in someone's life (including your own)! Here are different ways to serve and mentor NYC kids.

+ Serve the homeless with NYC Relief: Offer warm meals, hygiene kits and prayers with this mobile outreach on Saturday, October 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.