Epiphany: The Brightness of Christ’s Revealed Presence

The Christmas season is only the beginning of the liturgical calendar’s narrative of the life of Christ. The story continues with Epiphany. “[N]ations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isaiah 60:3) These prophetic words set the theme for the season of Epiphany, a meditation on the light of the world revealed to all people in our Savior, Jesus Christ. The word Epiphany means ‘the manifestation of God to man,’ and this season reflects on the many ways Christ manifested himself as the fully-God and fully-human Savior through his life and ministry. This guide is designed to walk you through the seasonal feasts that signify these Epiphany moments. May the shining presence of Christ be manifest in your heart this season.

Deacon, Redeemer Anglican Church

THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY
January 6

Just as the Christmas season begins with Christmas Day, so the Epiphany season begins with the feast of the Epiphany, on January 6. The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the adoration of the wise men. In the coming of the wise men, the rulers of the Gentiles offered gifts, tribute, and worship to the revealed Savior of Israel. Together, the wise men presented Jesus with gold (a gift signifying royalty), frankincense (an incense intended for worship), and myrrh (used for anointing bodies for burial). In this act of mystical significance, ancient prophecies were fulfilled, that kings and nations would serve and worship the Messianic king.

The Feast of the Epiphany is one of the most ancient celebrations in the Christian calendar. There was a time when the church considered Epiphany, Easter, and Pentecost to be the three most special days of the church year. While Christmas has now overshadowed Epiphany, there are many ways that we as the church can keep Epiphany traditions alive and well. After 12 Days of Christmas celebration, keep the charcuterie board stocked for one more day! The Eve of Epiphany (the night of January 5, known to Shakespeare aficionados as “Twelfth Night”) is a final opportunity to enjoy your Christmas decorations and eggnog – a great, last hurrah as the decorations come down. But even taking down the decorations becomes an occasion for merriment. The feast of Epiphany is a time for celebration, bonfires, and parties. Epiphany is often celebrated by taking the old Christmas tree into the backyard and setting it ablaze, creating an enormous bonfire that fills the cold winter darkness with brilliant light; a fitting representation of the light of Christ that has entered our dark and cold world.

Epiphany is also a traditional time for house blessings, when a church leader or family elder will pray in each room and anoint the doorposts with oil, asking that the Light of Christ’s Epiphany would shine forth from the home to the neighborhood and the world. As part of this act, some will mark their front door with chalk, writing a pattern of four crosses positioned in between the initials for the Latin phrase, Christus Mansione Benedicat (“May Christ bless this dwelling place”), surrounded by the first two and last two digits of the new year (example: “20+C+M+B+28”).. C, M, and B are also the initials for the traditional names of the three wisemen ( ‘Caspar,’ ‘Melchior,’ and ‘Balthazar’) and this act of prayer and devotion petitions the Lord to visit the home, just as the wise men visited the Holy Family at Epiphany.

Hymn for Epiphany
We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse a-far,
Field and fountain, Moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, Still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light!

Prayer for Epiphany
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Baptism of Jesus
The First Sunday of Epiphany

The first Sunday of Epiphany remembers the Baptism of Jesus and the church often celebrates with the baptisms of babies and adult converts. At the launch of his ministry, Jesus journeyed to the Jordan river, where his cousin, John the Baptist, was baptizing in the Jordan river and calling the people of Israel to repentance, in anticipation of the coming Messiah. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, John cried out, “Make straight the way of the Lord!” (John 1:23) When Jesus arrived, John identified Jesus as this Messiah, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Jesus asked that John baptize him and John protested, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus insisted, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:14-15) John then baptized Jesus in the Jordan, the same river through which the people of Israel crossed on dry ground on their way to the promised land (Joshua 1:1-9). Rising from the baptismal water, Jesus was revealed in Trinitarian glory when the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and the Father in Heaven was heard to say, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) Jesus’ divinity was manifested, and his ministry of calling his people to the promised land of his heavenly kingdom had begun.

Hymn for The Baptism of Jesus

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression,
And rule in equity.

Prayer for The Baptism of Jesus
Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
January 18 - 25, 2026

The Feast of the Confession of Peter (January 18) and the Feast of the Conversion of Paul (January 25) bookend the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, where churches of all traditions join in Jesus’ prayer that all “might be one” so that the light of Christ may be shared with the world and that the fellowship of Christ’s body might be whole. Peter and Paul had their conflicts (Galatians 2:11) and were restored to unity because of their common confession of the truth in Jesus. In the hours before his death, Jesus issued his own heartfelt prayer for the unity of his people, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one… That they may be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me… I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:6, 21, 23) Jesus clearly tied the unity of his people to the manifestation (the “epiphany”) of his identity to the world. As we observe the epiphany of Christ this season, it is appropriate to set aside time to pray earnestly for unity in the church, that the world may know Christ and his love.

Hymn for The Week of Christian Unity
The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is the new creation by water and by word;
From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.

Prayer for The Week of Christian Unity
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles, “Peace I give to you; my own peace I leave with you.”: Regard not our sins, but the faith of your Church, and give to us the peace and unity of that heavenly city, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and for ever. Amen.

CANDLEMAS
February 2, 2026

The day Americans and Canadians call “Groundhog Day” is actually a significant moment in the church’s liturgical calendar. February 2 marks forty days after Christmas Day and commemorates the events of Luke 2:22-40. This passage recounts that 40 days after Jesus’ birth, his mother and father presented him at the Temple in Jerusalem. This profound moment marked the first time God incarnate entered his temple. There, two prophets, Simeon and Anna, welcomed the child with joy. Like many prophets before them, Simeon and Anna had longed to see the Messiah who would bring salvation, and they recognized that this moment had now come. The Lord would be “a light of revelation to the Gentiles,” said Simeon, “and the glory of [his] people, Israel.” (Luke 2:32)

This light of revelation is traditionally celebrated with the abundant lighting of candles, and the blessing of their continued use throughout the year. In the Northern hemisphere, the Candlemas feast falls in mid-winter, and the theme of light advancing in the darkness has held particular resonance on this day. Candlemas is the final holiday in the liturgical calendar tied to the narrative arc of the Christmas story. Because of this, it is the final traditional date to display Christmas decorations. Though most have their decorations boxed up by the feast of the Epiphany on January 6th, hardcore Christmas enthusiasts choose to finally take down their manger scenes and Christmas trees on Candlemas.

Hymn for Candlemas
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates;
Behold, the King of glory waits!
The King of kings is drawing near;
The Savior of the World is here.

Prayer for Candlemas
Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the substance of our flesh, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY
The Last Sunday of Epiphany

Epiphany concludes with Transfiguration Sunday, commemorating the moment when Christ’s divine glory was revealed on the holy mountain as Old Testament prophets gave Jesus honor. Jesus shone with the bright radiance of the sun and, just as at Jesus’ baptism, the Father once again spoke, “This is my beloved Son, hear him.” (Matthew 17:5) Peter, who witnessed this mystical moment with James and John, later reflected, “We were eyewitnesses of [Jesus’] majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father… We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.” (2 Peter 1:18) On the mount of Transfiguration, the disciples witnessed human nature glorified in Jesus, a foretaste of the triumphant and resurrected Christ. After this glorious epiphany moment, the Gospels tell us that Jesus began his journey to the suffering and humiliation of the cross and we, the church, walk in his steps by taking our descent into the penitential season of Lent.

Hymn for Transfiguration Day
O wondrous type! O vision fair,
of glory that the church may share,
which Christ upon the mountain shows,
where brighter than the sun he glows!

Prayer for Transfiguration Day
O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Additional Resources

• Our Church Speaks
  A teaching series about saints from every era and place, with art and history by Ben Lansing (includes art and biographies of over 250 saints, along with a podcast cohosted with D.J. Marotta, and an illustrated devotional book written with D.J. Marotta.)

• Our Church Year
  An upcoming illustrated book by Ben Lansing & D.J. Marotta about feasts and fasts of the church liturgical calendar. Sign up here to stay in the loop on updates about this book.

• Prints of the artwork featured in this article are available here.

• A downloadable version of this article is available here.

Is Christmas a Family or Church Holiday?

Is Christmas a Family or Church Holiday?

The answer to this question has undergone a dramatic shift in the past few decades. For hundreds of years the answer was a quick and easy “church holiday.” What else could celebrating the birth of our Savior be? Of course, there were family celebrations that often accompanied Christmas church celebrations, but these were understood to be secondary.

However, as surely all of us now recognize, the increased emphasis on family gift-giving and the overall decreased cultural acceptance of church participation has led to a quiet, but devastating swap. First the nuclear family rose to the #1 spot on the priority list for Christmas celebrations, then the church fell from #2 to basically dropping entirely off the charts all together. For many of the older generations, Christmas (along with Easter) was considered one of the most important days of the year to attend church (even if you skipped almost all the other days). However, for the younger generations, the idea of attending church on Christmas now sounds terribly inconvenient. It’s becoming normal, even amongst sincere Christians, to participate in worship on most days except Christmas.

What is fascinating about this shift is that it hasn’t produced the feelings and enjoyment of Christmas that it promised. Rather than Christmas celebrations being more fun and meaningful because they are no longer interrupted by “having to go to church,” many people are finding their Christmas celebrations empty and devoid of real meaning. Aside from ordering each other gifts online, eating a ton of unhealthy food, arguing about politics, and watching TV together… what is this even about? What is the point?

One of the most common refrains from Christians who are discouraged by the commercialization of Christmas is, “How do we keep Christ in Christmas?” The answer need not be a mystery - or rather, the answer lies in returning to the mystery. The best possible way we can enjoy the rich meaning and purpose of Christmas, the highest-impact thing we could do to “keep Christ in Christmas,” is simply to worship the Lord Jesus with our church family. Let’s gather together to wonder at the mystery of the incarnation - God has become a man. What a marvelous mystery this is!

Friends, if you are physically able, let’s gather together for worship on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We can do this and celebrate with our families - and I think we will find that each enriches the other. I’ll see you there.

In the Father’s love,

There’s Room for Your Messy Kids in the House of the Lord

When I became a parent, I started noticing things I had never paid attention to before, like how loud life can be, how quickly things get messy, and how rarely anything goes according to plan. It has changed the way I see church life as well.

We often put a lot of effort into keeping our worship services calm, our spaces neat, and our communities welcoming. Those are good desires, and there is nothing wrong with wanting beauty, peace, and order in the house of God. But sometimes, in pursuing those things, we can miss an important truth: the sacred often meets us right in the middle of our ordinary messiness.

I have felt that tension myself, wondering if a cry, a dropped toy, or a sudden shout might be distracting someone or disrupting the “peace.” Yet maybe those sounds are not interruptions at all. They can be reminders that God’s presence is not limited to quiet moments.

When Sacred Meets Messy

That tension between sacred order and the messiness of real life isn’t new. Every Christmas, I’m reminded of it when we sing “Infant holy, infant lowly.” This song points to a profound truth: the One who is most sacred, the Son of God Himself, was brought to earth not in silence but in the cries of a newborn, wrapped in swaddling clothes. God entered the world as a baby, and in that moment, the sacred sounded like a newborn’s cry. If God chose to enter the world as a crying baby, surely the Church can welcome the sound of one too.

Not long ago, a new parent came to pick up their crying baby from the nursery and immediately began apologizing. I gently said, “Please don’t ever apologize for a baby being a baby.” He looked surprised, but that small moment stuck with me. We live in a culture that often treats children and their messiness as inconveniences. They’re loud, unpredictable, weak, and not particularly “productive,” and in this, they are exactly opposite of what our culture values. This mindset shapes more than we realize and can make parents feel the need to apologize for their child just existing in certain spaces, even in the Church.

If the heart of God is to send his only Son as a baby, how much more should we as the church welcome the little ones, messes and all! So please don’t ever apologize for your baby being a baby. For our Savior was one too. Their cries and their need for comfort are not interruptions to worship but reminders of how God enters our lives in the most ordinary, vulnerable way. If we can see the sacred in that, it shapes how we care for both children and parents in every moment of church life.

Remembering How We Are Made

Believing that the sacred is present even in cries and messiness shapes everything about how we care for children, especially in the nursery. It guides how we respond in even the smallest moments. When we call a parent because their baby is struggling, it might feel like we’re saying, “Your child is too much,” or worse, “You’re not welcome.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. What’s actually happening is this: your child is growing exactly as they should.

Separation anxiety, big feelings, or sudden tears are all natural parts of early childhood development. They reflect a still-developing understanding of object permanence, an active amygdala, and a prefrontal cortex that hasn’t fully matured. Some children are more sensitive, others might be tired, under the weather, or just having a rough morning. Whatever the reason, our care for them doesn’t change.

Our goal isn’t to manage emotions but to meet children in them—to stay steady, compassionate, and safe while they navigate what they’re feeling. In these moments, we honor both the child and the presence of God who first entered the world as a vulnerable, crying infant. This is one of the many places where the sacred meets the ordinary, and our theology becomes tangible.

Extending an Invitation

That’s why, when we call you, it’s not because your child is a disruption. We want to partner with you and remind you that this is a space where you and your child belong. Our goal is not simply to hand your child back and wave good-bye but to extend an invitation that reflects the welcome God has already offered to each of us.

It might sound like:

“We’re about to have snack—if you’d like to come in for a few minutes, we’d love to have you join us.”

Or:

“We’re starting storytime soon—feel free to come sit with us if you’re not heading back into the service.”

Some parents prefer to take their little one to the Auxiliary Room, and that’s completely fine. The point isn’t where you go, but that you know that you and your child, no matter how messy, belong in the church. We want every parent to know this: your child is wanted here. And so are you. No amount of crying or bad days will scare us off. You’re not “failing” if your baby doesn’t make it through the entire service. You’re parenting, and we’re with you.

This posture of invitation doesn’t just shape how we care for babies in the nursery. It shapes who we are as a community. It transforms our church from a place of quiet order into a home alive with life, where the fingerprints on the walls and sounds of real families are signs that God’s presence dwells here too.

What This Means for Our Parish

God is deeply present in the noise, motion, and unpredictability of our shared life together. When a baby cries during the sermon or a toddler drops their snack in the aisle, it’s not a distraction from what’s sacred—it’s a reminder of how the sacred entered our world. God showed up as a baby—crying, needy, and dependent—and in doing so, made it clear that holiness is not afraid of our humanity or our mess.

Our church should look like that—a place alive with signs of life and evidence that real families are growing here. The nursery is where it begins, with cuddles and tearful good-byes. From there, they’ll move into their Redeemer Kids classrooms at age three, sit in Youth Fellowship, and one day maybe join our CCO ministries. And through it all, we want to make sure there are spaces where they can bring their full selves and know they belong.

Because this is how faith is formed—not in perfection, but in practice. Not apart from our ordinary lives, but right in the middle of them. There is room for your messy children in the house of the Lord. And there is room for you, too.

Grace,

Mikala Thompson
Assistant Director of Redeemer Kids

Saints as Way-Finders in Children’s Ministry

When we talk about spiritual formation here in our parish, we often start with seven questions that every person—no matter what age—asks of themselves. Two in particular,“Who am I?” and “With whom do I belong?”, are questions that children encounter early in life. The sacrament of baptism (BCP 2009, pg. 165) answers them; it communicates to them “you are a child of God” and “you belong here, in the body of Christ.” We, as the adults who have sworn to do all in our power to support them in their lives with Christ, then have the privilege, the duty even, to tell them the stories of the men and women of their faith who have gone before them and shown them what it means to be a child of God in the body of Christ. The stories of these saints are a powerful tool to feed the spiritual growth of our children and to fulfill those vows we take as we witness their baptism into the family of God.

So, who are the saints?

St. George & The Dragon

In Stories of the Saints, a children’s book here on the shelves at Redeemer, the author Carrey Wallace puts it this way: “Saints aren't people who are always good and never afraid. They are people who believe there must be more to life than just what we can see. This world may be hard and unfair, but saints believe in a God who is bigger than the world, whose law is love and whose justice is mercy. And this faith gives them courage: to stand up to evil kings, to care for people everyone else forgets or hates, to slay dragons.”

When it comes to teaching our children about the faith, it can be so tempting for us as the adults to package important content about faith, Scripture, the nature of God, and all things high and heavenly into little bite-sized lessons that our children can easily gobble up Pac-Man-style during their week and expect it to produce robust Christians. But a life of faith is a dynamic and living thing that is more like a tree growing slowly and mysteriously than like a brick house built piece by piece. The growth is hard to measure day by day, and we have much less control over how quickly or what shape it might take as it goes. This can feel daunting when we are holding the little “seeds” of our children’s faith and must entrust them to the Lord, praying for a strong and mighty faith to take root. We have the beautiful and crucially important job to keep speaking words of life to those seeds: “you are a child of God” and “you belong here, in the body of Christ,” and to feed them rich stories of how children of God can live a meaningful life at every age and in every circumstance.

St. Perpetua’s Dream

A few times a year, our parish gets to watch families bring their small children to get baptized, our parish vows together to support their growth in the faith, and we celebrate! But there are other places in our church, less visible and celebrated, where children are reminded of who they are every week. Each Sunday morning in Redeemer Kids classrooms, our volunteers crack open the Bible and read stories of men and women who lived imperfect lives but whose stories are sufficient for “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Through them, we are called to be faithful like Abraham, bold like Peter, and obedient like Mary. During the curriculum year, we will also tell our children about St. Patrick and Martin Luther King Jr., men who lived courageous lives for Christ and whose stories tell us something about what it means to live for God’s glory in adversity. We get to tell our children here that these men and women are children of God, just like us. They belong in the body of Christ, just like us. And, just like us, they were imperfect and flawed, in need of God’s grace. They tell those who listen to keep going, it’s worth the battle! Their light was meant to illuminate the path we are meant to follow and “flicker like candles along a dark corridor,” (Our Church Speaks, pg. 7) a light in the dark and a city on a hill. Let’s gift our children with these stories as way-finders to guide them in their spiritual growth.

Casey Cisco
Director of Redeemer Kids

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SUGGESTED READING
for telling the stories of Saints to children:

• Our Church Speaks by Ben Lansing and D.J. Marotta

• Deborah and the Very Big Battle by Tim Thornborough and Jennifer Davison

• Stories of the Saints by Carey Wallace and Nick Thornborrow

• Augustine of Hippo by Simonetta Carr

• Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola

• Saintly Creatures by Alexi Sergeant and Anita Barghigiani

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*Images above from the book Stories of the Saints, illustrated by Nick Thornbarrow.

Hallowtide: Remembering Death in Light of Christ’s Victory

Jack-o-lanterns, front porch skeletons, and cotton spiderwebs are everywhere this time of year. Here in Richmond, the Carytown Zombie Walk and Halloween on Hanover are major neighborhood events that attract thousands. It’s easy to assume we know Halloween. After all, “Halloween,” as our consumerist culture defines it, is all around us. But there is a deeper level of meaning to this spooky holiday than costumes and a sugar rush. While you may have heard a case that this holiday is rooted in the occult, Halloween, in fact, is the first day of a Christian triduum called “Hallowtide,” a three-day religious observance made up of Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.

This Hallowtide is designed to posture our hearts and imaginations toward anticipating the end of our lives in the glorious context of Christ’s victorious defeat of death through a specific theme for each day of Hallowtide. On Halloween we remember our own mortality, on All Saints Day we remember the great saints of old, and on All Souls Day we remember our departed loved ones. Understanding Hallowtide can help us recover the original vision of this meaningful three-day observance and reorient our hearts toward gratitude for Christ’s saving work. I hope that the Hallowtide overview below will provide helpful context and resources through this season.

Deacon, Redeemer Anglican Church

October 31 — Hallowtide Day 1: Halloween
“All Hallows’ Eve”

The changing seasons can serve as a catechesis for our souls. As the weather grows chilly, the daylight grows shorter, and crunchy leaves fall to the ground, we are inspired to reflect on our own mortality. This time of year, the ancient Christian phrase “Remember Your Death” (“Memento Mori”) seems to be interwoven into the very tapestry of nature. The year is drawing to a close and we are left asking, “Where does the time go?” As our bodies are seasonally oriented toward reflecting on time and mortality, we may find our souls drawn into nostalgia, sadness, or even anxiety and fear. Halloween is an acknowledgement of these seasonal, biological, and spiritual realities. Yes, we will die. But because of Jesus, death is not the end.

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

The Christian mockery of death in 1 Corinthians 15 is at the heart of Halloween. Because of Jesus, death doesn’t have the final say. Jesus has “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:15) The demonic forces that once held our souls captive are now defeated, as long as our lives are hidden in Christ. Because of this, the change of the seasons and our reflection on mortality becomes an opportunity for celebration and praise.

But the devil, knowing that his time is short, is still filled with fury (Revelation 12:12) and is seeking to deceive as many as he can before his time runs out. For those without the hope of Christ, death’s sting remains and a holiday about remembering death can be dark and terrifying. As our culture has increasingly embraced secularism, so Halloween has increasingly become about the gruesome, the pagan, and even the occult. Add to this many imaginative origin stories for Halloween, such as historically dubious notions about Halloween’s connection to a pagan Celtic festival called “Samhain,” and we could feel inclined to ignore Halloween altogether or modify the holiday into an innocuous harvest festival. But be assured, the credible history of Halloween leaves no doubt that it is actually a Christian observance known as “All Hallow’s Eve” that prepares our hearts for All Saints Day and points our inevitable reflection on mortality toward the hope found in Christ. (See Dr. Ryan Reeves’ lecture on the history of Halloween for more information about Samhain and Halloween’s origins).

So enjoy your liberty to celebrate with plastic skeletons, candy corn, and costumes if you choose, and whatever you choose, do so in the spirit of 1 Corinthians 15’s playful mockery of death, not as an expression of the terror of those without hope. We who have joined with Christ in faith and baptism are participants in our Lord Jesus Christ’s victory and our traditions should reflect this reality. Halloween is an opportunity to pray for our neighbors and friends who do not yet know Jesus and to pray against the defeated spiritual powers of evil who seek to hold them captive.

Hymn for All Hallow’s Eve
Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide:
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless:
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Prayer for All Hallow’s Eve
O most merciful and mighty God, your son Jesus Christ was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary to bring us salvation and to establish your kingdom on earth: Grant that Michael and all your angels may defend your people against Satan and every evil foe, and that at the last we may come to that heavenly country where your saints for ever sing your praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

November 1 — Hallowtide Day 2: All Saints’ Day
“Hallowmas” or “All Hallows”

The reflective tone of Halloween turns victorious as All Hallows’ Eve transitions into The Feast of All Hallows (“All Saints’ Day”), a day commemorating the saints of the Church Triumphant.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

— Hebrews 12:1-2

On All Saints’ Day, we celebrate the famous saints of the past whose legacies have left a lasting impact on the church and the lives of Christians. The church year is filled with Saint Days, each usually marking the date when a great saint of the past has died. In a sense, their death date is their new birthday, the day they were received into life eternal through the powerful grace of their Savior.

All Saints Day is when all of the diverse voices of the saints merge into one, triumphant chorus. Many of these saints were considered insignificant in their own day; they were often overlooked, ridiculed, and sometimes killed because of their hope in Christ. On All Saints Day, we rejoice that they now fill the throne room of Jesus. While these saints may have achieved great things in the Kingdom of Heaven, the book of Revelation tells us that the saints cast their crowns before the throne of Jesus as they sing, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power…” (Revelation 4:8) While we groan under the weight of sin and pain now, as Christians we know that we will soon be joining this eternal chorus, united forever in this family, called together as one in Jesus’ love.

On All Saints’ Day, you may consider reflecting on the stories of great saints of old and celebrating their lives with your friends and family, recounting the work of Christ throughout the centuries in the church. You may consider getting to know a saint previously unfamiliar to you. To that end, Dan Marotta and I have created a few resources that we hope contribute to preserving the memory of the saints, including the Our Church Speaks podcast and the devotional, Our Church Speaks: An Illustrated Devotional of Saints from Every Era and Place (IVP, 2024). These saints lived the victory of Christ and even the grave could not silence their witness or rob them of their eternal reward. Each of these great saints demonstrated that death, indeed, has lost its sting.

Hymn for All Saints’ Day

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed,
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Prayer for All Saints’ Day
Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical Body of your Son: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

November 2 — Hallowtide Day 3: All Souls Day
“The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed”

All Souls Day (also known as “The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed”) is the conclusion of the three days of Hallowtide. On this day, Christians remember and give thanks for departed believers, including loved ones who may not have received wide recognition but have impacted our life and faith personally. This is a day to give thanks to God for the lives of those who have died, to commend their souls to God’s loving mercy, and to rejoice that in Christ, all who have been separated by death will be reunited once again in victory.

All Souls Day is a traditional time for Christians to visit the graves of loved ones or light candles in their memory. Many will pray, sing, or read Scripture at their loved one’s resting place. Christians often come together on this day to repair, clean, and decorate the church graveyard together. Grave visits like these are practiced by Christian cultures around the world, with the Mexican Roman Catholic Día de los Muertos being the most famous expression. Anglican observance of All Souls day is usually quiet and reflective, mixing mourning with hope.

Like the other days of Hallowtide, All Souls Day has ancient origins. In the early church of Rome, believers would gather for prayer in the catacombs where the faithful were buried. Medieval children in England and Ireland went from house to house on All Souls Day, often dressed as the saints of old and offering to pray for their neighbors’ departed loved ones in exchange for sweet raisin cakes spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon called “Soul Cakes.” This practice may be an origin for the Trick-or-Treating we now associate with Halloween.

Many of our rituals for grief, remembrance, and reflection have been stifled by the hectic pace of modern life. All Souls Day, and Hallowtide as a whole, provide us with an annual pattern of remembrance and thanksgiving for the love that Jesus has shown us through the lives of our departed loved ones. We grieve with hope, holding fast to the truths revealed in God’s Word, that all who are dead in Christ will be raised “up with him and seated… with him in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:5-7)

Hymn for All Souls Day
Be still, my soul! The hour is hastening on,
when we shall be forever in God’s peace;
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Love’s joys restored, our strivings all shall cease.
Be still, my soul! When change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Prayer for All Souls Day
O God, the Maker and Redeemer of all believers: Grant to the faithful departed the unsearchable benefits of the passion of your Son; that on the day of his appearing they may be manifested as your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Additional Resources

Below are a few links with additional resources about Hallowtide:

• Our Church Speaks
  A teaching series about saints from every era and place, with art and history by Ben Lansing (includes art and biographies of over 250 saints, along with a podcast cohosted with D.J. Marotta, and an illustrated devotional book written with D.J. Marotta.)

• Our Church Year
  An upcoming illustrated book by Ben Lansing & D.J. Marotta about feasts and fasts of the church liturgical calendar. Sign up here to stay in the loop on updates about this book.

• The History of Halloween by Dr. Ryan Reeves, Professor of Theology & Church History, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and Kairos University.

• Halloween and the Victory of Christ by Jacob A. Davis (Anglican Compass)

• The Liturgical Home: All Saints Day by Ashley Tumlin Wallace (Anglican Compass)

• Prints of the artwork featured in this article are available here.

• A downloadable version of this article is available here.

Accusations Against ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood

Redeemer Family,

You may have already seen a sobering article this morning published by The Washington Post about the ACNA's Archbishop, Steve Wood. If you feel a complicated mix of emotions: revulsion, anger, grief, worry, embarrassment, and more, you're not alone. We encourage you to join us in three next steps:

1. Pray for all involved. Pray for the truth to be brought to light, facts to be determined fairly, justice for all victims, and for a sound process to get there.

2. Search ourselves for selfishness, pride, lust, privilege, manipulation, and entitlement. If and when we excavate hidden places of secret sin, let's bring them out of the darkness into the light. Let's be people who initiate confession rather than wait for someone else to expose our sin or injured parties to accuse.

3. Let's do everything we can to ensure a healthy, safe, protective environment for everyone who calls Redeemer home. We will continue to uphold our guidelines for the safeguarding and protecting of our children. If you are aware of misconduct at Redeemer you are encouraged to report to our Rector, Senior Warden, or Senior Directors on staff. Further, our diocese offers resources for reporting misconduct against children or adults by any clergy or ministry leader. If you have any questions about Redeemer’s Guidelines, or our diocese’s policies for the Protection of Children and Adults, please contact Lane Cowin.

In Peace,
The Rev. Dan Marotta
The Rev. Lane Cowin
2025 Vestry: Alex Burlingame (Senior Warden), Alex Griffith (Junior Warden), Trey Arnold (Treasurer), Morgan Fogleman, Brewster Rawls, Kate Kemp

Celebrating the Ordination of Will Clark and Tee Feyer

Redeemer Family,

On Friday evening, November 14, two of our CCO college ministers, Tee Feyrer and Will Clark, will be ordained to the diaconate at the annual Diocesan Synod!

Now, I would imagine that some of those words may be unfamiliar to a few of you, so let’s brush up on our old-school vocabulary:

• Ordained: This refers to the New Testament practice of church leaders laying hands on a person and praying for them in order to ask the Holy Spirit to set them apart for a particular area of responsibility and ministry in the church. There are three orders of ordination practiced by most Christian traditions: Deacons, Priests, and Bishops.

• Diaconate: The word "diaconate" refers to the offices of deacons which is the entry-level form of ordination and is practiced in humble service. There is an old saying that goes, “If you cut open a Bishop you find a priest, if you cut open a priest, you find a deacon - because the humble service of a deacon is at the heart of Christian ministry.”

• Diocesan: This word refers to our diocese (The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic) which, for us, is a regional network of churches in Virginia, D.C., and Maryland.

• Synod: This is simply an old word for an annual gathering of clergy and other church leaders.

Both Tee Feyrer and Will Clark have been in ordination process for a number of years now which includes a written application, in-person interviews and exams, psychiatric evaluation, seminary study, assigned reading, ministry experience, and recommendations from the Vestry and Rector of their parish.

I am grateful for the hard work and dedication that Tee and Will have both shown through this process.

Well done, brothers!

While most of us will not be able to be present for the service (since Synod is taking place in Maryland this year), it would be good for all of us to take a moment to pray for both of these men that the Holy Spirit would further equip them for the labors that lie ahead.

O Lord Jesus, who art the Good Shepherd that careth for thy flock: We beseech thee to bestow upon thy Church the gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance, and to raise up from among us faithful and able persons called to the ministries of Deacon, Priest, and Bishop. Inspire them to spend and be spent for the sake of the Gospel, and make them holy and loving servants and shepherds of the flock for whom thou didst shed thy most precious blood. Grant this for the sake of thy love. Amen.

Additionally, our new Church Planter-in-Residence, Nathan Horner, has officially entered the ordination process, and we can support him with prayer over the next three years.

INVITATION FOR THOSE WHO SENSE A CALL TO MINISTRY

Now, as you’re reading this, you may be someone who has wondered whether or not you are called to ordained ministry. If that’s you, we would love to hear from you and help you with the discernment process.

Christian discernment is best practiced together, not alone.

You can find further information about the ordination process here, and we would be glad to walk you through it if you have any questions.

A Glimpse into Small Groups

Every week, just shy of three hundred Redeemer adults gather in small groups across the greater metro Richmond area. Some of these groups meet early in the morning before the work day hustle begins. Others meet later in the evening after little ones are bathed and fed and tucked away. Most groups meet over dinner, where a hundred of those little ones join their parents as they eat together at the dining table. And all of these groups are faithfully reading through the same scriptures each week and asking how God’s word to us is meant to shape how we live.

Why do we do this? Because this is what Christians have always done! From the very beginning, as the Holy Spirit brought people into the Church, they didn’t just hear good teaching and preaching. These first Christians spent time each day enjoying each other’s company, sharing meals around their tables, and praying for each other as they sought to follow Jesus’ way and live as part of God’s family (Acts 2:42). As the miracle of Jesus’ living and dying on their behalf began to sink in, they helped each other make sense of how to live now that their own lives were tied to his and to each other’s.

Simply put, we need each other. It is one (very important!) thing to hear the scriptures taught to you. And it is another thing to have someone sit across from you over many months and tell you how they see the scriptures lived out in you.

Below is a glimpse into our small groups this fall. And if you’re not already in a group, it’s not too late to join one! You can check out the list of groups meeting this year, and please email me if you have any questions or need help finding a group.

Peace,

Lane Cowin
Senior Director of Ministries

“Each week, coming as myself to the dinner table with those unified in mind, heart, and body to center Christ in their lives, is incredibly grounding. We share our love of Jesus and how he is at work in each of us, laughing with gratitude and learning from one another. By contemplating God’s message and praying together in this intimate, familial setting, I’ve finally begun to experience the unique presence of a community through God that I craved, but did not realize I truly needed.”

— J.Y., Group Member

“As a small group leader, I have been comforted by the fact that I don’t have to be the smartest person in the room, the most scholarly, or the one who always knows what to do in every situation. Instead, I have been blessed by the myriad of life experiences, wisdom, and strengths represented by each person around the table. I’m there to help present the opportunity for us to minister to each other: to speak a word of encouragement here or bring deep insight into a scripture passage there, as we all do our best to keep our eyes on Jesus and point each other back to him.”

— S.H., Group Leader

Join a Family Small Group

“We have had the joy of having several families with young children gather in our home every week over the past few years to discuss Scripture, sermons, and the general challenges and triumphs of our daily lives. It’s been such a gift over time to get to see these children grow and to form connections with the other families in our group and to share the milestones of their lives with them.”

— C.C., Group Leader

“Participating in a women’s lectio group has given me a new imagination for how to listen to God through reading his word. It’s been such a gift to sit with other women and hear how they are learning to listen to God too. It has helped me grow my confidence in recognizing God at work.”

— L.C., Group Member

Join a Women’s Small Group

“I am so glad I joined a Redeemer men’s small group. The group has been a great way to get more plugged into the life of the church, make new friends, and be an encouragement to each other. The men in my group are all balancing the demands of careers, while striving to be good husbands and fathers, and I am grateful to be able to share those challenges with them and hear their perspectives.”

— S.P., Group Member

Join a Men’s Small Group

An Upcoming Staff Transition

Redeemer Family,

I am writing to you today with bittersweet news.

Over the last few months Oldson Duclos, our Director of Community Care, and I have been in conversation about the form of ministry to which he senses a particular call. After much prayer and discernment, he has chosen to depart from Redeemer staff and move towards exciting plans he has for a new ministry here in the city.

If you’ve spent any time with Oldson or his wife Bree, undoubtedly you would have heard them talk about their heart for the urban poor and their commitment to ensuring that the poor and marginalized in our city encounter “an accurate and accessible representation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” It is an integral part of their family’s personal mission statement. Over the last year, Oldson and Bree have been spending their Friday and Saturday evenings hosting pick-up basketball for middle school boys and men at a gym in Fairfield Court (one of Richmond’s six public housing courts). They have used this opportunity to build meaningful relationships with those who attend their open gym. Many of these relationships have begun to produce buds of transformation in the lives of these boys and men.

Oldson now desires to focus the majority of his time and energy on ministry to boys and men among the urban poor in Richmond. Unfortunately for us, this means that at the end of this month, Oldson will officially transition off of Redeemer staff.

On behalf of all of Redeemer’s leadership and our parish, I want to thank Oldson for his years of service with us and give our prayers and support towards this new ministry!

Oldson - we love you and will miss you, but are glad that you’re not going far! We look forward to seeing the ways you will continue to love, serve, and lead our neighbors in the city.

Note: If you’d like to connect with Oldson to thank him for his service to us these past two years or to learn more about this new ministry, you can email him at oldson.duclos@servantpartners.org.

Redeemer family, if you’re wondering how to think or feel about this, let me encourage us all to remember that the Kingdom of God is vast, diverse, and includes so many different kinds of churches and ministries. Our little parish is just a tiny part of the whole.

Our brother may be laboring in another part of our city but we are never to forget that we are co-laborers in the Kingdom! It’s okay to be sad. In Acts 21, Luke describes a parting of friends as “tearing ourselves away.” Anytime one of our own is sent out, we feel the tearing.

On the other hand, it’s okay to be excited for Oldson as well. He is following the Lord’s call on his life, and we are glad to pray for him and celebrate it.

In the Father’s love,

Introducing Our New Senior Director of Music & Arts

Redeemer Family,

It is my pleasure to introduce you to our new Senior Director of Music + Arts, Matt Spainhour!

Many of you will remember that our parish has been conducting a search process for this role over the past 6-9 months, and after receiving over 20 applications, interviewing 7 candidates, and hosting four interview weekends, our team agreed to extend an invitation to Matt.

The Spainhours come to us from Knoxville, TN, where Matt is married to Kelley and they have three beautiful children and a fourth due in November!

Here’s a brief message from Matt to you:

I have been a long-distance admirer of Redeemer for years and have followed the liturgical life, teaching, and creative ministry with gratitude and curiosity. For many years now, I have led and pastored Music and Arts Ministries in diverse liturgical contexts. I have led a broad blend of ancient hymns, modern and Gospel songs, and original compositions that reflects the rhythms of the church calendar, the life of the local congregation, the landscape of the lectionary, and the emotional range of the Psalter (in St. Ambrose’s “gymnasium of the soul”), all with an eye toward spiritual formation.

In earlier seasons of ministry, I have directed music, curated liturgies, pastored and collaborated with visual artists, and helped form a community centered around faithful worship and missional presence. Throughout my ministry, I’ve been committed to seeking and stewarding music, art, and beauty—not as decorative trimmings, but as gifts and means of spiritual formation that can reshape our imaginations and soften our hearts to the voice and work of God. I have experience equipping and shepherding musicians and artists, working with both professionals and volunteers, and integrating music, liturgy, and visuals in a way that strives to tell the Gospel story in every season. I’m also energized by the pastoral and organizational aspects of this role.

Our family has lived in historically under-resourced neighborhoods downtown and, in our often flailing attempts to become good neighbors, we are daily reminded that the work of the Kingdom is often slow, small, and deeply relational—and that it depends far less on extraordinary efforts and giftedness than on the willingness to remain faithfully present in a place, rooted among people and rooted in the trust that God is quietly at work in the intentional practices and ordinary rhythms of our days. These threads run through all that I have come to know and admire about Redeemer Anglican Church—and they are much of what drew me to apply.

I am honored to join Redeemer in continuing to cultivate a music and arts ministry that is not only excellent, but spiritually formative for the whole parish and marked by beauty, depth, and presence.

Matt plans to come on board in early January and we look forward to welcoming the Spainhours into the Redeemer family!

In the Father’s love,

Our Vestry's Decision Regarding 1801 Park Ave.

Redeemer Family,

I’m writing to you from our Parish House at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday evening, September 23, where your Vestry has just concluded a thoughtful, prayerful, and very exciting meeting.

I’ll give you the headline and then a bit more detail.

Your Vestry has unanimously voted to close on 1801 Park Avenue!

Now, for more details:

• Who is on the Vestry this year? Scroll to the bottom of this page.

• Here is a summary of the decision timeline that led to putting 1801 Park Ave. under contract back in July.

• The 90-day due diligence period gave us time to conduct structural and environmental studies of the building, as well as time to work with an architect and contractor to assess the potential costs of a renovation. All of the due diligence studies came back with what we expected to find. There were no surprises.

• After working with our contractor and architect, we determined that the total cost of renovating the building is within the scope of our feasibility study.

• At tonight’s meeting, the Vestry received a thorough briefing of the feasibility study, the decision-making process, the search team’s recommendations, the due diligence findings, and the projected costs of the project.

• After carefully reviewing all the information, asking many good questions, and spending time praying together, each member of the Vestry took a few minutes to describe to the group what they sensed would be a wise decision for our parish.

• As each Vestry member spoke, I was deeply encouraged by their caution, thoughtfulness, faith, and insight.

• After each member shared, a vote was taken, and it was unanimous. All of us have a deep sense of alignment, unity, and confidence that this is the property that God has, in his kindness, chosen to provide for our parish.

Next Steps

• After we close on the building (likely in late October/early November), the next steps are to replace the roof (which is leaking) and demo/gut the interior of the building. This will prevent any further water damage and prepare the property for renovation.

• We will continue to work with our architect and contractor to develop real plans for the renovation and, as soon as we have digital renderings, they will be shown to the parish!

FAQ’s

• Q: Will there be a capital campaign?
  A: Yes, likely during Lent of 2026.

• Q: When can we tour the building?
  A: We aren’t currently able to offer tours of the property, however we plan to provide more visuals of the building over the coming months and will continue to keep you updated during the renovation process.

• Q: When do you anticipate Redeemer might move into the building and begin holding worship services?
  A: There is a long road ahead of us and so we have signed a 2-year lease with Tikvat Israel that will run through fall of 2027. It will likely be at least 2-3 years until we can occupy, so nothing is changing anytime soon!

• Q: What about parking for 1801 Park Ave.?
  A: From what we can tell, the parking situation there is actually slightly better than what we currently have at 2715 Grove Ave. There is street parking available on both the left and right sides of Monument Ave. on Sundays (double what there normally is the rest of the week). And One Monument Garage is two blocks from 1801 Park Ave. The other day, I tested it out by parking at the garage and measuring the distance: it took me exactly 3 minutes and 58 seconds to walk the 392 steps.

• Q: Are historic tax credits available for this project?
  A: We believe so and are exploring that option.

• Q: To whom should I direct my questions about 1801 Park Ave.?
  A: For now, you are welcome to direct them to me by emailing dan@redeemerrva.org.

Redeemer family, this is a tremendously important milestone in the life of our parish, but I would stop far short of saying it’s the most important. A building is merely an asset for us, as the body of Christ, to use in pursuing Gospel Formation for Missional Presence. Will this building help us do the work together of being formed and shaped by the gospel of Jesus? We believe so. Will this building help us be a parish that is missionally present to our neighbors and city? We believe it will.

Let’s give this exactly the appropriate amount of celebration it is due, no more, no less.

Tonight, for me and the Vestry, that looked like prayer and champagne toasts with lots of laughter and good cheer!

I invite you to join us in celebrating God’s provision, raise a toast to our King, and together we’ll take the next steps into the future.

In the Father’s love,

Listen below to Senior Warden Alex Burlingame sharing this exciting news with the parish on Sunday, September 28.

Celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism

Dear Redeemer Family,

In the near future, on November 2, we will have the joy of celebrating the sacrament of baptism. Here’s who should consider participating:

• You have already given yourself to Jesus in faith but for whatever reason, have never taken the step of baptism. If that describes you, then this is a good opportunity to seal your belonging to Jesus and to his church.

• You are right on the edge of converting to the Christian faith. You haven’t made the decision yet, but you’re seriously considering it. If that’s you, think of this as a good opportunity to make up your mind and commit.

• You are a Christian parent of an unbaptized child. If that is you, bring your child to receive baptism! The Lord Jesus loves your little one.

Now it may be helpful to offer a brief refresher on what we believe about the sacrament of baptism. If you would benefit from that, keep reading!

WHAT IS BAPTISM?

Many of you are relatively new to the Christian faith and new to participating in a local church, especially a local church that practices ancient traditions like Redeemer does. So let me say a word about what Christian baptism is.

• Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." - John 3:5

• Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. - Matt. 28:19

• Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. - Romans 6:4

• Because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. - 1 Peter 3:20-21

In Christian baptism, a person is united with Jesus in His death and resurrection. We call baptism a sacrament because it is a physical, tangible, material ritual that is filled with a spiritual, intangible, immaterial grace. Something physical is happening: the person is either being immersed in water or having water poured over their head. Something spiritual is happening: that person is mysteriously (in a way that we can only barely begin to comprehend) being joined together with the Lord Jesus and, therefore, becomes a part of the church - the body of Christ.

THE STORY OF BAPTISM IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

• The Old Testament prefigures baptism. There are many examples, but here are the big ones: the creation of the world, the salvation of Noah and his family from the flood, the exodus of the Israelites through the Red Sea, and the Israelites crossing the Jordan River out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land.

• Christ commands us to be baptized and to baptize others.

• The New Testament authors teach on the centrality of baptism in a Christian’s life.

WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?

1. Any person, young or old, who wishes to put their trust wholeheartedly in Jesus for their redemption.

2. Any child of a baptized adult Christian who will raise that child in the faith as a part of the church.

WHY DO WE BAPTIZE INFANTS AND LITTLE CHILDREN?

“We start talking to our children not because they understand us, but so that they will. Baptism is God's language whereby he starts talking to his children and initiates a relationship with them. Sacraments are a word after all.” - Peter Leithart, The Baptized Body

We baptize children, not because we think that an adult profession of faith doesn’t matter (it does and should come at Confirmation - the other side of the coin to infant baptism), but because we seek to raise Christian children within the church.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them.” We take the Bible at its word when it says that little children can come directly to Jesus; they do not have to grow up first.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

I would heartily recommend Peter Leithart’s excellent little book The Baptized Body to anyone who has serious questions about Christian baptism (especially baptizing children) and would like to learn more about it. Copies are available for sale at the book table on Sunday mornings.

You are also invited to join our upcoming Baptism Class on October 7. Together we’ll learn more about the sacrament of baptism—what it is, what it means and symbolizes, how it's done, who it's for, and what the church has historically understood about baptism. All are welcome regardless of whether you or your children are planning to be baptized. Click here to register.

Finally, if you are a teenager or an adult who has never received Christian baptism and you would like to, please email me. I would be delighted to get together and talk with you about it. If you are a parent and your child has not been baptized, same invitation! It would be a joy to baptize your little one. You can click here to register to be baptized on November 2.

In the Father’s love,

How to Buy a Building Without the Building Owning You

Redeemer Family,

As we anticipate our Vestry voting on whether or not to close on 1801 Park Ave. and prepare to fast and pray for wisdom and discernment in this process over the next two weeks, I want to share something that I’ve been thinking about because I wonder if some of you have been thinking about it too.

How do we cultivate an appropriately biblical and healthy mentality towards the idea of owning a church building?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently for three reasons:

1. Redeemer has never owned a church building before; this is new territory for us as a parish.

2. I’ve noticed that some people have a tendency to overvalue and idolize church buildings.

3. I’ve noticed that sometime people tend to undervalue and disparage church buildings.

Overvaluing and idolizing church buildings often looks and sounds like the following:

• We’ve “arrived” as a church once we own a building.

• Owning a building makes us a “real” church.

• Obsessing over the look, feel, style, vibe, historicity, legacy, prominence, cost etc. of a building.

Undervaluing and disparaging church buildings often looks and sounds like this:

• All this talk about a church building takes away from the real work of ministry.

• Capital campaigns are just squeezing rich people for money.

• The early church didn’t own a building, so we don’t need to either!

The first often comes from a place of pride (and frequently, comparison to other congregations). The second comes from a place of fear (that only scrappy, tight-budget church plants practice the authentic Gospel).

Before I go any further, let me just say that I empathize with both kinds of people! On the one hand, there is something special about putting down roots in a neighborhood and investing in a long-term home for our congregation. On the other hand, church buildings can become idolatrous barriers to the humble work of ministering the Gospel of Jesus.

It seems there is a healthy tension that must be held if we are to be truly, biblically faithful in our posture towards a church building.

Here are a few perspectives for your consideration:

1. God takes place and home deeply seriously for his people. God made a home for the first humans in the Garden of Eden. It was sin that cast them out and made humanity wandering, restless, nomadic creatures. Humans are made to have homes. We see this theme again and again in through the Old Testament, especially in God giving the promised land of Canaan to the Israelites. Exile and losing the land was a devastating blow to Israel. They lost their home. Of course, what Israel was to learn during their exile was that their true home was in God. But that does not mean that having a physical home is not important! In this sense, we must take the “both/and” nature of a sacramental worldview seriously. Our spiritual home in God is real AND our physical homes are important too. Revelation gives us a most compelling and beautiful picture of this p when God renews and remakes the physical world to be a place where he dwells with his people forever and ever.

2. The Incarnation tells us something about the nature of being a church in the city. As Eugene Peterson translated John 1 in The Message, “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” When a Christian family buys a house or a church buys a building, we have the opportunity to follow in the way of Jesus and incarnate the presence of God to our neighbors.

3. Never love the gift more than the giver. One of the significant sins of Israel was an over-identification with their land (specifically with the temple in Jerusalem) and an under-identification with the living God and His commands. In short, Israel loved the gifts of God more than God himself. This is the great temptation that always accompanies any kind of material possession. God has given you many wonderful things. Now the question for you is, how will you respond? With a life of thanksgiving, gratitude, and generosity? Or with a life of obsession, selfishness, and greed?

4. Ownership can bring stability. In the same way we know that a family is the people and not the physical structure, we know that the church is the people, not the building. But, can owning a home help a family thrive? You bet it can. Because once the question “Where is home?” has a settled, secure answer, the family is able to turn their attention and energy towards other important questions. The same dynamic is at play in churches. “Where is home? Where will we gather? Will there be room for children? Can all of our members easily access the building?” Once these questions have settled, secure answers, a congregation is free to ask other, more interesting, outward-facing questions like, “Who are our neighbors? What are their needs? How can we be of service?”

5. Owners think differently than renters. Locals think differently than tourists. I’ve been both, and I bet many of you have too, and we know the difference. Tourists and renters are (usually) not making a long-term investment in a place. They are there to visit, to see, to take, to sample, and then leave. Owners and locals view the same little patch of planet earth differently. Good owners and good locals love their place. They care deeply about the long-term good of a street, a neighborhood, and a city. Their heart is invested and they are willing to sacrifice for the good of their place.

Redeemer family, my concluding thought (and one that you’ll hear more about in the future) is this: The process is the point. What I mean is this: the discernment process, the prayer process, the seeking-the-Lord process, the feasibility process, the due diligence process… these all are part of our spiritual formation. As we engage the process, we are invited to meet and be met by God and grow through the uncertainty, the curiosity, the wonderful, the faith, and the trust.

Let’s not waste the process and try to fast-forward to the end of the movie.

If there was ever a good time to grow healthier in the way we think about church buildings, neighborhood relationships, the city of Richmond, and the long-term health of our parish, this is it!

I love you all dearly and we are in this together.

In the Father’s love,

Youth Fellowship Fall Kickoff and An Introduction

Friends,

It is a great privilege and honor to introduce myself to you as I begin my new role here at Redeemer. My name is Nathan Horner and I recently began working as Redeemer’s Church Planter-in-Residence. I will serve in this role for the next three years filling a variety of different positions and responsibilities as I continue to learn the knowledge and work required in church ministry.

For the entirety of this coming school year, I will be serving as Redeemer’s Director of Youth Fellowship. I’m overjoyed to serve in this way as I have spent the last 9 years serving in student ministries in a variety of different settings and roles. Most recently, I spent 3 years as the Director of Student Ministry at Galilee Church in Virginia Beach. I was profoundly impacted by a youth ministry when I was a high school student myself, and it really laid the foundation for my life of faith to this day. So know that I greatly value the work of youth ministry and consider it a great privilege to serve each of you and your sons and daughters in the year ahead!

I join Redeemer alongside my wonderful wife, Erin, and our 10-month-old son, Theodore. We cannot wait to meet and get to know many of you in the weeks and months ahead.

I am also joined in serving our Youth Fellowship by Lauren Bleam, our new Youth Fellowship Assistant. Together, Lauren and I are excited to oversee the growth and development of our Youth Fellowship program and to help see the students here at Redeemer grow in their love of and discipleship to Jesus.

With that being said, here are a few reminders for our Youth Fellowship:

1. Our Youth Fellowship Fall Kick-off is this Sunday, September 7th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Middle schoolers will meet at Dan and Rachel Marotta’s (1210 Palmyra Ave) and high schoolers will meet at Doug and Elizabeth Paul’s (1203 Laburnum Park Blvd). You can click here to RSVP.

2. Our meetings will occur on Sunday evenings from 5:00-7:00 p.m. throughout this fall and into the Advent season. Students can expect to receive a warm welcome, play a fun game or two, share a meal together, hear a lesson, and then discuss in small groups led by our volunteer leaders. We would encourage students to bring a Bible, pen and notebook.

3. Teaching Series - The Gospel of Matthew: Who is Christ? This fall both of our groups will be working their way through the Gospel of Matthew and looking to the works and teachings of Jesus to give us an understanding of who Christ is and what that means for our lives together. I will primarily teach the high school group and Tee Feyrer will primarily teach the middle school group.

We are eager to begin this fall. If you have any questions or would like to get to know us more, please contact either myself, Nathan Horner (540-421-5038, nathan@redeemerrva.org), or Lauren Bleam (434-249-1248, lauren@redeemerrva.org).

A Look Towards the Fall

Dear Fellow Parents,

Good afternoon! I hope you have navigated the school year relaunch and that your kids have handled the transition well.

I’m writing to you today as both a priest and father. As a priest, I have a responsibility to oversee our Youth Fellowship and the staff who lead it, and as a dad, I have two daughters that participate in the ministry.

We have a truly incredible year lined up and there are a lot of changes we have made that we hope will bless and benefit your students and your whole family. Below you will find information on the following topics:

• Philosophy of Youth Fellowship

• New Youth Staff

• Sunday Night Youth Fellowship

• Fall & Spring Retreats

• Confirmation & Membership

• Summer Service Trips

PHILOSOPHY OF YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

We are convinced that meaningful relationships between loving, mature Christian adults and teenagers are the most effective and powerful means of communicating the good news of the Gospel to students.

The programs, the teaching content, the games, the retreats, the trips, the small group discussions… all of the activities of our Youth Fellowship rise and fall on the quality of the relationships our students have with our volunteers.

This year, we are fortunate to have an amazing group of 20-somethings who are volunteering with Youth Fellowship. The unique value-add of this group of volunteers, who are younger than our students' parents, is how they will help our kids catch a vision for what it looks like to follow Jesus after high school.

We want every teenager who grows up at Redeemer to have one or more of these young adult volunteers reaching out to them, interested in their life, helping them take the next steps in their faith, and inviting them further up and further in to the life of the church.

In the young years, parents are the primary influencers in the spiritual lives of their children. However, during the teenage years, a sociological transfer occurs (at varying ages from kid to kid) where peers and older students become the primary influencers.

Rather than fight this transfer, we want to equip parents to guide their teenagers through this transition in healthy ways and the multigenerational church can step in and help.

Our young adult volunteers serve as role models and bridges showing students what the next phase of life could look like for them and helping them step more intentionally into embracing faith for themselves.

NEW YOUTH STAFF

This year, our youth fellowship will be led by Nathan Horner, our Church Planter-in-Residence and Lauren Bleam, our new Youth Fellowship Assistant.

SUNDAY NIGHT YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

• When? Sunday evenings, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., starting Sept. 7

• Where?

  • Middle School (grades 6-8): Marotta’s Home, 1210 Palmyra Ave.

  • High School (grades 9-12): Paul’s Home, 1203 Laburnum Park Blvd

• What happens?

  • A typical evening includes games, dinner, worship, teaching, small group breakout discussions, and prayer.

• Who teaches?

  • Middle School: Tee Feyrer & Will Clark

  • High School: Nathan Horner

FALL & SPRING RETREATS

• Fall Retreat

  • Date: October 31 - November 2 (Yes, we know this overlaps with Halloween and there will be some fun elements incorporated into the weekend!)

  • Location: Smith Mountain Lake

  • Note: Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers will stay in separate houses and experience separate retreat activities.

• Spring Retreat

  • Date: March 20-22

  • Location: Sandbridge, VA - at the beach!

  • Note: This is a combined Middle School and High School retreat.

SUMMER SERVICE TRIPS 2026

For the first time, we plan to offer two service trips next summer - one domestic trip for Middle School students and one international trip for High School students!

While we have not yet finalized the dates or locations yet (stay tuned), we do know that we plan to work with existing churches and/or Christian organizations with experience hosting students.

Our heart behind these trips is to broaden our students' experiences of the kingdom of God and help them practice putting others before themselves.

We know that summer youth trips can sometimes devolve into adventure-tourism and occasionally do more harm than good to the locations they visit. And so we are committed to carefully researching these trips and ensuring that we are partnering with wise, established, trusted ministries.

Fellow parents, I know that the activities calendar is already filling up (or perhaps full!) for your family. I know that just getting a meal together at home can sometimes feel like a challenge. Let’s decide together that we want our sons and daughters to see our love for Jesus and his church reflected in our family calendar just as much as it is in our hearts.

Here are some ways that the Marottas are going to try this, and you’re invited to try with us!

• We are going to reserve Sunday mornings for worshipping together as a family with our parish. Out of the 52 Sundays in a year, we plan to be at Redeemer for at least 50 of them.

• We’re going to reserve Sunday evenings, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., for Youth Fellowship. It gets on the calendar first.

• We’re going to set aside the two retreat weekends in the fall and spring and the dates for the summer trips (when they come out). We won’t let family vacations or other activities compete with those dates. If something is going to get cut, let it be something else.

• We are going to encourage our youth-age kids to spend time with their volunteer leaders outside of program time by inviting those leaders over to join for a family meal, to our kid’s sports games, etc.

• We are going to pray regularly with and for our kids to develop great friendships with Christian peers and with their leaders, knowing that our role as parents is in a season of transition.

• We are going to trust God with our kids and not do anything out of fear or attempts to gain control!

Of course, here in our house, we won’t do any or all of these perfectly. We are pretty normal parents, but we are trying to make these things the norm in our house.

Worshipping together as a family is normal.
Participating in Youth Fellowship is normal.
Going on retreats and trips is normal.
Praying with Mom and Dad is normal.
Having intentional Christian friendships is normal.
Spending time with your leader is normal.
Parents, it’s rough out there and we’ve all got a lot going on!
I’m praying for YOU and I’m here for you if you need anything.
This year, I’m inviting you to join me in making these things normal in your house as well.

In the Father’s love,

A Call to Fasting & Prayer

Redeemer Family,

I’m writing to you today with two things in mind: 1) An update on the due diligence process for 1801 Park Ave. and 2) A call to fasting and prayer for all of us.

First, an update:

The due diligence process on 1801 Park Ave. has gone very well thus far. Our team has worked with a variety of specialists to ascertain the structural soundness of the building and potential environmental issues. Additionally, we have selected an architecture firm and contractor to pull together estimates for the scope of renovation. To the best of our knowledge, the building is structurally sound, but requires what is colloquially known as “a full gut job.”

While this may initially feel overwhelming, it actually makes the project simpler than it might be otherwise and easier to predict the overall cost. Since we know ahead of time that we need new electrical, HVAC, plumbing, roofing, floors, walls, ceilings, etc., we can plan ahead and budget appropriately.

Another upside to the deteriorated condition of the building is that it allows for some very exciting dreaming about how this historic space could be restored to something truly beautiful.

As we near the end of the due diligence phase, your Vestry has targeted Tuesday, September 23, as the day they will meet to pray and make a final yes/no decision about whether or not to close on 1801 Park Ave. So we have a little less than one month left at this discernment stage.

Second, a call:

For that reason, I believe the timing is appropriate to call all of us to fast and pray on behalf of the Vestry for this decision.

When? I am asking you to set aside 24 hours sometime between September 17-23.

What to Do? Fast from solid food and spend an hour or two intentionally, consciously praying.

What to pray for? That our Heavenly Father, through the Holy Spirit, would give wisdom and discernment to our Vestry so that they can make a decision that 1) Honors the Lord and 2) Serves the telos of our parish - Gospel Formation/Missional Presence.

We are seeking a property where our parish can be more deeply formed by the good news of the Gospel of Jesus so that we can participate in the mission of God to our neighbors here in the city of Richmond.

How to share? If, in the course of your prayers, you sense the leading of the Holy Spirit in some way regarding this process, we would love to hear from you! You are welcome to share with me and I will bring it to the Vestry.

Church Family,

From time to time we face key points of decision, forks in the road, where we must slow down and seek God’s guidance.

We have done nearly all we can do to discern, using our finite wisdom, if 1801 Park Ave. would be a good home for our parish.

Now it is time to open ourselves to the Lord and allow him to speak to us, if he chooses to.

Let’s seek the Lord together.

In the Father’s love,

Formation Through Service

““‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” ”

— Matthew 25:40

I began volunteering at The Virginia Home in the summer of 2022. During college, serving people with disabilities was a personal priority—it shaped my experience and deepened my relationship with God. But in my senior year, COVID cut my time at school short, and those places of community and service were suddenly inaccessible. Isolated, I became more self-focused. I realized I did not want to give up time for others, preferring to pursue my own interests. Recognizing this, I knew I had to find a place to volunteer for the sake of my soul. So, I looked up our Redeemer community partners, and with experience working with people with disabilities, The Virginia Home felt like a natural fit.

When I began at TVH, it wasn’t the smooth transition I expected. I was used to feeling capable and fulfilled in these settings. But TVH was different. I realized I had always served in spaces where I felt comfortable—usually church buildings. At TVH, I was going to people in need and meeting them where they were. That shift has been critical to my spiritual growth.

In the beginning, I wandered with my list of residents to check in on, feeling like I didn’t belong. I often retreated to the volunteer room to label clothing, intimidated by the idea of visiting. It didn’t feel good—but I kept going, and two years later, I can honestly say, it’s one of the highlights of my week!

There are many ways to describe TVH, but I want to highlight three things that have made it such a vital part of my spiritual formation.

First, it’s a place where you can’t ignore the brokenness of the world. In modern American life, we often avoid suffering. But at TVH, there’s no faking it. The residents are fully reliant on staff for every need, and many struggle to communicate or do what they want to do. The suffering is unavoidable.

Second, despite that brokenness, there is great joy. As I’ve settled into rhythms, I’ve had the privilege of sharing in that joy. Sometimes it’s playing Rummikub with my friend Chris—full of laughter and trash talk (he once asked if I was ready for my “whooping”). Chris even called another resident’s mom to celebrate her daughter’s first win. Other times it’s talking through plays with Jack and Trevor, watching Jeopardy with Larry, or playing video games with Jim. At TVH, I’ve truly been able to experience abundant joy.

Finally, I want to highlight the source of much of that joy, which I believe is because many residents have placed their hope in Jesus. With some residents, I have that privilege of getting to talk with them about our walks with the Lord and walk through scripture together. With others, it’s a shared “God is good all the time” as they pass by. Regardless, we share in the joy of the Lord. This only begins to describe the joy of serving at TVH and others in our parish can speak to it as well.

At Redeemer, we’re committed to Gospel Formation for Missional Presence. Henri Nouwen writes, “A true disciple of Jesus will always go to where people are feeling weak, broken, sick, in pain, poor, lonely, forgotten, anxious, and lost... It is possible only when we discover the presence of Jesus among the poor and weak and realize the many gifts they have to offer.” I’m under no illusion that the folks at TVH need me—or even Redeemer. But I need them. And I believe we all need to go to places of brokenness to discover the presence of Jesus and be formed into His image.

If you’d like to explore this kind of formation, please reach out and I would love to talk more about this ministry to you. We also have a Board Game Event on September 6 from 2:00–3:30 p.m.—a great way to get a sense of whether God might be calling you to serve in this way. My prayer is that, at Redeemer, we would be people increasingly formed into the image of Jesus through service to others.

Cameron Bonsell

Philippians: Church as a Colony of Heaven

Redeemer family,

The apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi is one of the most encouraging, joyful, and best-loved of all the New Testament epistles, and indeed, in the whole of scripture. Differing from the rigorous theological precision of Romans or the pastoral rebuke of 1 Corinthians, the letter to the Philippians is marked by affection, gratitude, exhortation, and encouragement.

WHAT MADE THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH DIFFERENT?

The reason for the warm tone of the letter was that Paul experienced true partnership (koinonia) with the Philippian church. He loved them and they loved him back. He labored for their good, and they labored for his good. Together, they were co-laborers in the work of establishing not only a new church in the city of Philippi, but in Paul’s larger missionary work of church planting around the Mediterranean.

The apostle Paul understood that every local church congregation exists as a little colony of heaven - an outpost of the Kingdom of God living and working in the midst of the kingdom of the world. The Philippian church was doing this well. They weren’t perfect (as we shall see, Paul did have a few mild corrections to offer them), but on the whole, they were a faithful church.

CONTEXT

The city of Philippi in Macedonia was conquered and colonized by Rome in 42 BC, shortly before the birth of Christ. The Roman soldiers who occupied Philippi were there to bring the culture, society, and ethos of Rome first to the city, then to the surrounding region.

This posture and method of cultural colonization is in the backdrop of Paul’s imagination when he conceives of church planting. In Acts 16 we learn how Paul and his apprentice, Timothy, first came to Philippi and there proclaimed the good news of the Gospel of Jesus. While he was later required to move on to other cities, the church that he established and left behind him in Philippi was to continue to grow both numerically and also in learning to live the Jesus-way in the world. The church was to live as a communal counter-culture, embodying the ethos of the Kingdom of God in the midst of the Macedonian-now-Roman-colonized city of Philippi.

THIS FALL AT REDEEMER

I’ve chosen the Letter to the Philippians for us to read, study, and meditate on together this fall, and I have more than one reason!

• I wanted to choose a single book of the Bible for the sermon series in order to help all of our Small Groups move more deeply and intentionally towards the reading, study, and discussion of scripture.

• We are seeking to be a healthy, Jesus-following church in the midst of a profoundly unhealthy culture and society that has rejected the wisdom of God. How can we do this well? The church in Philippi can be a role model for us.

• At the risk of sounding trite and a bit cheesy, I feel very much towards Redeemer what Paul felt towards the Philippian church (truly!) These were his friends. I love you all dearly and I have felt the Holy Spirit draw me towards Philippians as a letter that is timely for our parish.

PREACHING + SMALL GROUP SCHEDULE

8/24 - Philippians 1:1-11
8/31 - Philippians 1:12-18a
9/7 - Philippians 1:18b-30
9/14 - Philippians 2:1-5
9/21 - Philippians 2:3-11
9/28 - Philippians 2:12-18
10/5 - Philippians 2:19-30
10/12 - Philippians 3:1-11
10/19 - Philippians 3:12-16
10/26 - Philippians 3:17-21
11/2 - Philippians 4:2-7
11/9 - Philippians 4:8-9
11/16 - Philippians 4:10-13
11/23 - Philippians 4:14-23

Saints of Redeemer, we are to be a little colony of heaven here in the city of Richmond. To say this is not boastful or prideful. We are not this in or of ourselves. Rather, by the grace of the Lord Jesus and the good news of his Gospel, we are what he is making us to be as his Spirit lives within us and as we cooperate with him.

This fall, let’s give our attention to this beautiful letter and let’s allow it to give us a vision for the kind of church we, through the love of Jesus, can be.

In the Father’s love,

Ordinary People

Dear Redeemer Family,

Author GK Chesterton once served as a juror in his small town. That experience inspired him to write an essay called “Twelve Men,” in which he marvels at the significant role that average men are called to play in our society:

“Our civilization has decided, and very justly decided, that determining the guilt or innocence of men is a thing too important to be trusted to trained men. When it wishes for light upon that awful matter, it asks men who know no more law than I know, but who can feel the things that I felt in the jury box. When it wants a library catalogued, or the solar system discovered, or any trifle of that kind it uses up its specialists. But when it wishes anything done which is really serious, it collects twelve of the ordinary men standing round. The same thing was done, if I remember right, by the Founder of Christianity.”

Here in the month of August, I can feel the pressure of the fall schedule closing in. With it comes a familiar feeling of being intimidated by the challenges of keeping up with it all — maybe more honestly worded, the challenge of performing well. In a culture that puts immense pressure on us and our children to be extraordinary, the greater challenge might be to instead resist that impulse. In this aptly named season of Ordinary Time, the longest and most uneventful portion of the Christian calendar, we find the invitation to lean into our limitations and subsequently the grace it takes to sustain us in our work.

“Lean into your limitations” is not going to make the inspirational quotes posters on any office walls, but it is part of the paradox of Christian living. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul writes, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” If our main goal is to be and to raise ordinary men and women who have the perfect strength of Christ in them, the challenge, then, is to have courage to trust that our lives have value solely because of who our God is, not by anything we become or produce.

Jesus elevated the ordinary people around him and entrusted them with the most important work to be done on earth. It is the fact that the disciples were chosen and equipped by God that made them qualified for the work he prepared for them, not any amount of special training or innate skill they possessed. In fact, their ordinariness was an important qualifier for their work. So in this season of the academic year, in this season of the liturgical year, let’s allow ourselves and our children to be ordinary followers of Christ who lead with their weakness and, in his perfect strength, accomplish the work he has laid before us. After all, to Chesterton’s point, when there is serious work to be done, we need ordinary people.

In Christ,

Casey Cisco
Director of Redeemer Kids

My Love/Hate Relationship with Our Foundations Class

Redeemer Family,

May I confess something to you?

I have a love/hate relationship with Redeemer’s Foundations Class.

Now, this class is my baby, so let me explain!

I have poured so much of my heart, energy, time, and love into this class over the past 8 years.

I’ve edited and re-edited the content dozens of times and yet, every time I conclude another round of Foundations Class, I feel very mixed emotions.

There are two things I absolutely love about the class:

1. Getting to know the new people in our parish and hearing the questions that are on their hearts. This is the absolute highlight for me!

2. Teaching on our seven practices – Story, Identity, Belonging, Virtue, Context, Vocation, Imagination. These take us to the core of what it means to be human and I find the conversation invigorating every time.

But here’s what I do not love about the class:

1. It’s too long. The seven week commitment is tricky for many people and, invariably, some folks end up missing a session or two.

2. There’s too much content. You saw this coming a million miles away and I see it too. I’ve sought to cram far too much spiritual formation content into what should effectively be a membership class.

I’ve spent significant time this past spring and summer reflecting on this double-sided question: “How can our parish effectively educate and orient prospective new members, and also provide ongoing teaching and spiritual formation practices to help our people grow deeper in their faith?”

Up until this point, I have tried to answer both of these challenges with one jam-packed Foundations Class.

No more.

It is time to both simplify and expand.

Let’s simplify our Membership Process and expand our Adult Education and Catechesis offerings.

• Simplifying the Membership Process: I will teach a 3-part Membership and Confirmation Class on October 12, 19, and 26 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. You can sign-up here.

• Expanding Adult Education + Catechesis: This fall I will begin putting together a curriculum of class offerings for adults with the hope of launching these classes in 2026. I know that our parish is blessed to have a number of people with formal theological education. If you are one of these people, I’d be delighted to hear from you and would value your input.

Redeemer family, I love you all dearly and I hope that this decision serves everyone well.

Onward!

In the Father’s love,

Six Adjustments to Small Groups This Fall

Redeemer Family,

Good afternoon! As you read this, I hope you have a cold drink in hand and your toes splashing in a pool/river/creek/ocean/bay/marsh/puddle. This letter is a long one, but it is VERY important! Please read all the way to the end. You can do it. I believe in you.

As our parish leadership has been preparing for the fall semester, we have been doing some serious thinking and praying about how to best answer a perennial challenge: “How can we make it possible for every adult man and woman at Redeemer to be a part of a Small Group?”

Small Groups are not Redeemer’s invention (lots of churches do them), nor are they a recent innovation (Christians have intentionally met together to help each other grow in their faith since the earliest days of the Church).

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47

This is a beautiful, simple, yet powerful description of how the first followers of Jesus organized themselves and their time. And, as you might have noticed, they engaged a regular rhythm of corporate worship (attending the temple together) and small group fellowship (breaking bread in their homes).

*Note: Lest you be tempted to think that this is a relatively small gathering of close friends, remember that this description immediately follows Saint Peter’s sermon at Pentecost which led to 3,000 people converting, being baptized, and becoming a part of the church. They needed a way to organize this big, new family. And while we are not a church of 3,000, we do need a way to organize our growing family as well.

As you might imagine, with all the different ages, life-stages, and diversity of work and family schedules in our parish, this is rather difficult. Our Monday - Saturday weeks do not all look the same.

But despite the complexity of calendars and schedules, we want to cheerfully (and stubbornly) resist the cultural tendency to become busier and lonelier and instead swim upstream in the opposite direction. We want to make time for the Lord and for each other.

So, with all this in mind, here are 6 adjustments that we are going to make to the way Redeemer offers Small Groups:

Adjustment #1: Change in Staff Leadership for Small Groups

Oldson Duclos has been serving as our Director of Community Formation for the past two years and, in order to best serve the needs of our parish, his job description is shifting towards an outward-facing Justice & Mercy engagement with our neighbors in the city. His new title is “Director of Community Care”.

The Rev. Lane Cowin will be taking over as the primary point person for all things related to Small Groups.

Adjustment #2: Expanding Small Group Meeting Times

In the past, we mostly offered Small Groups that met on Sunday or weekday evenings. Fear not, this is not going away! If your group meets in the evening and that time slot works for everyone, then rock on - keep it up.

However, to accommodate the diversity of work and school schedules, we will begin offering more Small Groups that meet in the mornings or mid-day times.

Adjustment #3: Adding All-Men / All-Women Small Groups

In the past, we only offered co-ed Small Groups. Fear not, this is not going away! If your group is co-ed and it’s working for everyone, then keep going!

However, to accommodate the diverse needs of so many different people, we will begin offering all-men and all-women small groups.

As you might imagine, this creates some overlap between our Small Group ministry and our Men’s and Women’s Fellowship ministries (which we think is great).

*Note: But what about kids? Some of our groups have the tremendous joy of whole families participating in the group together. Kids may share the evening meal with adults, play together while adults read scripture and discuss, and join in for the prayer time. These beautiful, multi-generational gatherings are some of best examples of the church acting like the spiritual family that it is.

But one of the things we’ve learned over the years is that not every person, family, or kid is able to participate in this kind of multi-generational Small Group. Therefore, by expanding our Small Group meeting times and creating groups where a Mom or Dad can participate in separate groups, we are hoping to make group scripture reading and prayer possible for everyone across a diversity of life stages, availabilities, and maturity levels.

Q: Does that mean we no longer care about kids?
A: Absolutely not! Our Nursery, Kids, and Youth ministries are all focused on engaging kids at their particular age and life stage.

Of course if you are a parent and you feel ready and able to bring your kids with you to Small Group, then band together with some other like-minded parents and go for it!

Adjustment #4: From Printed to Digital Guides

In the past, we designed and printed a new guidebook to accompany each sermon series and serve as a bridge between the Sunday worship service and the weekday small group. While we are keeping the same general concept, we will be shifting towards a digital guide in order to provide a more detailed resource for leaders.

Adjustment #5: Shift Focus from Sermon to Scripture

This is an adjustment that, from my perspective, is not a change but rather a reinforcement of what Redeemer has always intended. While I certainly care deeply about sermons, I think it is far more important for every person in our parish to read, study, meditate, and apply scripture together.

Sermons should be timely, but scripture is timeless.

Sermons are fallible, but scripture is the inspired, revealed Word of God.

Therefore, it is important that every Small Group major on reading and discussing scripture and minor on discussing the sermon.

Depending on the particular gifts of each Small Group leader, this may look a little bit different from group to group. Some groups may adopt a more intellectual, academic approach to studying the text of scripture, while other groups may adopt a more contemplative, Lectio Divina approach to meditating on God’s Word.

Either way, the important thing is that scripture is central to the Small Group meeting.

Of course many of our Small Groups already do this - great! However, for some of our groups, this will be a change.

To help with this adjustment, the fall sermon series will focus on simply expounding a beautiful little book of the Bible: the apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

Adjustment #6: Recognize that Some Groups are Full

In the past, we often repeated the mantra, “There is no such thing as a closed Small Group.” While I believe our intentions were pure, I have come to see that our strategy left much to be desired. For example, many of the homes in which our groups meet are already maxed out for space. We wanted (and continue to want!) to be a hospitable, open community that welcomes strangers and visitors to join us. But going forward, I think the best way to do that is not to require that all groups be open, but rather to train more leaders and start more new groups.

We will open Small Group Enrollment in early August and all groups will launch the week following Sunday, August 24! If you would like to volunteer to lead a new group or if you are not yet part of a Small Group, we want to talk to you! Please reach out to Lane Cowin and she would love to help you take the next step.

Redeemer Family, I love you all so dearly and I hope that these adjustments are clear, make sense, and will lead to everyone’s good.

In the Father’s love,

Consider Serving In Redeemer’s Youth Fellowship

Redeemer Family,

Some of the most important and influential people in my life story are those men who served as Youth Ministry volunteers in my city back when I was a teenager. They wrote me letters, called me, visited me at school, came to my sports games, gave me rides to and from events before I was old enough to drive, and in so many ways - they showed me the pursuing love of Jesus.

I don’t know where or who I would be without them.

They changed my life.

Today I’m writing to invite some of you young adult men and women to consider volunteering in our Youth Fellowship: to be those same kind of people who change lives by pursuing our teenagers with the love of Jesus.

We already have a fantastic group of 14 young adults who serve as Youth Fellowship Leaders and, ideally, we would like to add 14 more to the team.

If you’re interested, keep reading!

Profile of a Youth Fellowship Leader

• A young man or woman who has received the good news of salvation through Jesus, has been baptized, and is actively seeking to grow in their faith.

• Attends Redeemer regularly, and is either already a member or intentionally moving towards membership.

• Passes a background check and participates in child safety training.

• Has a genuine desire to see students encounter the love of Jesus and to grow in the practice of their faith.

Commitments of a Youth Fellowship Leader

• In the Fall and Spring semesters, help lead weekly Youth Fellowship gatherings on Sunday evenings, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

• Give at least 1 hour/week to relationally pursuing students outside of program time (we call this “contact work”).

• Help lead Fall and Spring Youth Fellowship Retreats.

• Help lead 1 Summer trip (either middle school or high school).

• Help lead weekly Summer Bible studies.

Now, if you’ve made it this far, you might be thinking something along the lines of, “This sounds like a lot.”

You’re not wrong.

The teen years are an absolutely crucial season of identity formation and decision making. Our Youth Fellowship is an incredibly important ministry, and, therefore, we ask a lot of our volunteer leaders and believe it is 100% worth it!

One of the greatest joys of the past few years has been watching the camaraderie amongst the young adults who currently serve on this team. It is an incredible group that is so much fun to be around. They work hard, they give of their time generously, and they have a front row seat to witness what God is doing in the lives of our students.

If you are interested in volunteering with our Youth Fellowship, email Kate Ramsdell, and she would love to talk with you about it.

In the Father’s love,

Property Search Update: We are under contract!

Redeemer Family,

I am writing to inform you that our church is officially under contract to purchase a property.

This is good news!

However, it’s not a done deal yet, and so I am adopting a posture of “cautious excitement and prayerful discernment” and I invite you to join me in this.

Now, there are a lot of nuanced details to communicate, so please read the following carefully!

THE PROPERTY

• Address: 1801 Park Ave. Richmond, VA 23220

• History: Originally built in 1910 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this building has been a house of worship and prayer for multiple congregations over the years, including Monument Methodist Church (which merged with Union Station Methodist in 1951 to become Reveille United Methodist) and Community Church of God in Christ (CCOGIC), which purchased the building in 1976. CCOGIC, a majority black congregation, has enjoyed a beautiful and fruitful ministry to the city, especially in planting many new congregations in the Metro-Richmond area.

• Description: Located on the corner of Park Ave and N. Allen Ave in the Fan District, the 25,000 sq ft property sits on .35 acres, just one block off of Monument Ave. The sanctuary offers seating for 350 and there is ample room for children’s ministry classrooms, bathrooms, youth/college/adult fellowship gathering areas, and staff offices.

• Current State: In recent years, the building has fallen into disrepair and is in need of significant renovation and refurbishing.

THE PROCESS

• 2024 Feasibility Study: As some of you might remember, Redeemer conducted a financial feasibility study back in August of 2024 to determine if our parish could afford to purchase a building. The results demonstrated that a purchase is possible, but that renovating an old building would likely be more within our financial range than a new build.

• Vestry: Upon conclusion of the feasibility study, your Vestry voted to move forward with the search. As a reminder, here are your elected Vestry members.

• New City Properties LLC: As a reminder, in 2020 the Vestry of Redeemer formed an LLC to purchase the Parish House - 3328 Hanover Ave. This LLC is the legal entity that owns the Parish House and is under contract with 1801 Park Ave.

• Search Team: Your Vestry subsequently put together a search team comprised of members who possessed relevant experience and expertise:

  • Valerie Holland (Chair)

  • Jason Vickers-Smith

  • Alex Griffith

  • Kim Nix

  • Mark Kronenthal

• Broker: The search team, with authorization from the Vestry, contracted with a local commercial real estate broker, Isaac DeRegibus, to do much of the leg work in the search process.

• Waiting & Praying: September 2024 - June 2025, the search team met once a month to discuss potential properties to explore and to pray together. Every Sunday, in our worship services, we all prayed for the Lord’s guidance in our property search.

• Touring: From time to time, our broker would bring the search team a property to tour. The team gained valuable experience as we spent many hours walking through a wide variety of building options.

• Tuesday, June 24th: Our broker discovered that there were some new developments with 1801 Park Ave. that indicated it would move to sale and likely go quickly. The search team quickly communicated and arranged for a group tour on Monday, June 30th.

• Wednesday, June 25th: The Vestry met at 7:00am and voted to give provisional authorization for the broker to make an offer (up to a certain dollar amount) on 1801 Park Ave. if the search team was able to tour the property and discerned that it would be a good fit for Redeemer.

• Monday, June 30th: Our search team, along with our broker, toured 1801 Park Ave. and held a meeting afterwards to discuss the potential wisdom of making an offer on the property. After talking and praying together on the front steps of the building, the search team unanimously agreed that this property would not only provide the physical space for our parish to continue to practice Gospel Formation, but also a strategic location in the city for us to embody the Missional Presence of Jesus to our neighbors.

• Wednesday, July 2nd: Our broker submitted an offer to the seller.

• Thursday, July 3rd: The seller accepted the offer, signed the contract, and we countersigned, placing the property under contract.

• 90 Day Feasibility Period: We are now in a 90 day feasibility period, which expires on October 1st 2025 (with an option to extend an additional 30 days, for a cost, if necessary), during which we will conduct a number of studies, a thorough investigation on the building, and consult with architects and contractors.

  • Note: We believe that we will be able to move forward; however this period of time allows for the outside possibility of discovering unexpected negative issues and the subsequent right to terminate the agreement.

THE BIG QUESTION

The question we are seeking to answer during this period of time is simply, Can we afford to do what is necessary to bring this historic property fully back to life?

Note: There is no such thing as a property that is a 100% perfect fit. No matter where we end up, there will be trade-offs. For example: We are already considering ways to ensure handicap accessibility and parking is a priority. The feasibility study allows us time to confirm these issues.

• If the answer is “No,” then we will terminate the agreement and continue the search. This is an unlikely and undesirable possibility, but it is possible; hence our posture of “cautious excitement and prayerful discernment.”

• If the answer is “Yes,” then we will move to close and then put together plans for a capital campaign and a major renovation project that would likely take 2-3 years.

HOW WILL THE DECISION BE MADE?

• A quick refresher on how Anglican church governance works:

  • In financial and property matters, the Finance Team and Search Team have authority to make recommendations and the Vestry has the authority to make decisions.

• On Oct. 1st of this year, the elected Vestry of Redeemer will vote to either close on the property or walk away and continue the search.

WHAT TO DO RIGHT NOW?

• Pray: Please join me, the Vestry, the Staff, and the Search Team in praying for God to lead and guide our church through this process. We don’t want to be overly-cautious or fearful, neither do we want to blunder forward in pride or over-confidence. We want to keep step with the Holy Spirit, trusting and waiting on God’s provision.

• Think: Join our parish leadership in thinking carefully through all the questions we should be asking at this stage. Do we have a good team in place? Yes. Does that mean we have thought of everything? Of course not. So feel free to email me your thoughts, questions, and insights.

• Offer: If you happen to possess a relevant skill set that may lend itself to this process, we would like to know; especially in the areas of: architecture, construction, and design. Again, feel free to email me and tell me about your area of expertise.

  • Note: With so many talented folks in a parish like ours, there is a chance I may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of people’s offers and so please do not be offended if you offer to help and then our team declines. A kitchen needs cooks, but too many cooks… you know the saying!

Redeemer family, I could write a lot more about all the hopes and dreams that we have for what this property could mean for the ministry of our parish and the work of the Gospel in this part of the city. However, in an effort not to make this letter any longer (and to practice some self-restraint on my part!) I will refrain from doing that now.

Thank you Vestry for your wisdom and responsiveness.
Thank you Staff for continuing to lead the ministries of our parish.
Thank you Search Team for your diligence, skill, and perseverance.
Thank you Isaac for serving as our broker and representing us well.
Thank you to Community Church of God in Christ for your many decades of faithful and fruitful service to the Lord Jesus at 1801 Park Ave.

May the Spirit of the Living God lead us and guide us in wisdom.

In the Father’s love,

Youth Fellowship is Moving to Sunday Afternoons!

Redeemer Family,

I’m excited to announce two programming changes we are making this fall to our Youth Fellowship. Parents of rising 6th graders - rising 12th graders, please pull out those family calendars and make note!

Change #1: From Wednesday to Sunday.

For the past few years, our Youth Fellowship has met on Wednesday evenings. While many of our students and families have enjoyed this midweek anchor, the challenges of navigating homework, sports, and other extracurricular activities presents a constant challenge.

Here at Redeemer, we don’t want our church programs to pull students out of engagement with school, neighborhood, or teams, but rather equip our students to engage all of these with the hope of the Gospel and the love of Christ.

For this reason, starting this fall, we are moving the weekly Youth Fellowship Gathering from Wednesday evening to Sunday evening. We hope this eases family calendars and allows more students to participate in our Youth Fellowship.

Change #2: From Late Evening (7:00 - 9:00 p.m.) to Early Evening (5:00 - 7:00 p.m.)

Additionally, we are moving the time-slot for Youth Fellowship two hours earlier, from late evening (7:00 - 9:00 p.m.) to early evening (5:00 - 7:00 p.m.).

Again, we hope this move eases family calendars and allows more students to participate in our Youth Fellowship.

Location: Staying the Same!

While the day and time-slot are changing, the locations for High School and Middle School Youth Fellowships are remaining the same for this fall as they were this past spring:

High School Location: Home of the Paul Family - 1203 Laburnum Park Blvd

Middle School Location: Home of the Marotta Family - 1210 Palmyra Ave.

Request to Parents: Would you join me in reserving Sunday 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. for the spiritual formation, discipleship, and life-giving fellowship of your sons and daughters? Our family is making this a top priority and we would love for you to do so as well.

Thank you!

In the Father’s love,

Finding Rhythms of Rest this Summer

Redeemer Family,

Summer brings many welcome changes to our rhythms of life and I’m looking forward to them just as much as you are. The season of Eastertide is behind us. The school semester is complete. Many of you are anticipating a slower pace of work, more time with family and friends, and perhaps some travel away from Richmond - all good and lovely things.

If you’re anything like me, summer can also be a time (for some of us) to unintentionally put the disciplines of the academic year on hold. Isn’t it ironic that more free time somehow usually means less time given to things like reading scripture, prayer, and service to others? I’ve heard this from many of you as well. One of you has quoted,

“It’s like I’m an intentional Christian 8-9 months out of the year, and then in the summer I take a break from following Jesus.”

I love the honesty and I completely empathize. I feel this tendency in myself as well.

While there are, no doubt, many potential sources beneath this trend, one of them is certainly the reality that many of us live an overly-busy, unsustainable pace of life September through May. Many of us crash-land into June in an exhausted heap. After living with a packed calendar for most of the year, we overcorrect the other direction and step back from too many things. Back and forth the pendulum swings.

The solution, I think, is not a rousing call to spiritual activity during the summer months. Fear not, this letter is not a pitch to “just do more Christian things!” Rather, my sense is that the invitation before us from the Lord is to lean into the soul-nourishing rhythms of true rest. True rest, in a biblical, Gospel sense, looks a lot less like three hours of late night Netflix and more like a quiet moment reading scripture, a morning walk with a friend, an afternoon siesta, or an evening cook-out with a neighbor.

So, dear brothers and sisters, as we enter this season, I’d like to invite you to consider how these opportunities might be ways of refreshing and replenishing your soul this summer:

Summer in the Psalms: As is our practice, we have returned to preaching through the Psalms this summer, picking up where we left off with Psalm 89 this past Sunday. The Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible and help us learn to pray the fullness of our emotional life to God. In addition to listening to the sermons this Summer, consider reading through most or all 150 Psalms over the next three months. This is not an “accomplishment goal”; there are not gold stars available for earning here. Rather, think of it as an “immersion goal.” I want to immerse myself in the prayers of the Psalms.

• Note: It has been my habit throughout Redeemer’s years to step back from preaching for a good bit of the summer to share the pulpit with other voices. I’m thrilled and thankful to Lane Cowin, Oldson Duclos, Tee Feyrer, and Will Clark for stepping in to each preach during this series.

Join a Book Club: With Small Groups on break until the fall semester, consider shifting into a different gear and joining a Summer Book Club. For those book-lover/speed-readers out there, this is an easy one. For those of you who don’t normally read books, this might stretch you a bit. Fear not— this is not school and there’s no grade. The goal is learningin community together.

Practice Sabbath: Look at the calendar for the entire summer and set aside as many Sundays (ideally) or Saturdays (if Sunday doesn’t work) for whole days of intentional Sabbath Rest. If you would like to learn more about why and how to practice Sabbath Rest, we did a series on this back in Eastertide of 2021.

Retreat to Silence & Solitude: Consider looking ahead at the summer calendar and setting aside a 24-hour solo, silent retreat. For many of you, this may feel intimidating. If this is the case, start smaller and try just a few hours. If you missed it, we did a sermon on this practice and you can listen or re-listen to it here.

Redeemer family, there are many more opportunities to lean in this summer and you can learn more about them on our Events page. But please hear me ask, do you need rest? Are you tired and worn out? If so, take Christ up on his invitation to find true, soul-nourishing rest in Him this summer.

In the Father’s love,

Recounting the Gifts

Dear Friends,

At the end of this ministry year, I am remembering how much there is to be grateful for and celebrate. As I step aside from my role leading the Youth Fellowship, I continue to appreciate the milestones and memories of this year and give thanks to Jesus who made all of it possible.

In recounting these milestones, it seems that God is creating room for us to minister to more people. This year we connected with over 70 different students! Our leadership team is aiming to nearly double this summer. In January we successfully created distinct gatherings for our middle and high school students. We were also blessed with huge efforts of hospitality as four different families pitched in to host our large gatherings of students and leaders – the Murrays, the Kleinschusters, the Marottas and the Pauls. (Thank you all once again for your generosity!) These are all worth noting because they show God’s willingness to multiply the little that we entrust to him.

But more personally, my own heart is turning over the vivid memories of the people God is drawing to himself in our Youth Fellowship—the sons and daughters of dear friends, our volunteer team who have become like brothers and sisters together, so many of you who have prayed for and encouraged us, and not least of all those students who have shared their confessions, hopes and prayers with one another. I hold all of them in my heart with gratitude and hope.

These things have me thinking about how Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to something of great value – a treasure buried in a field or a pearl of inestimable worth. The worth of these, like the Kingdom of Heaven, is not obvious or known until found. The worth is hidden in a promise, and it invites us to come find it, and only in having found it can we truly know the blessing.

Dear friends, I know the blessing that God has given to this fellowship, and I praise him for it. And I look forward to the grace to come as this ministry presses on.

With gratitude,

Introducing Our New Church Planter-in-Residence

Redeemer Family,

One of the greatest joys over the past eight years has been the role our parish has played in helping to plant new churches. Every time we send out a new church plant, it reminds us that the Kingdom of God is so much bigger than merely what is happening here within our local congregation. It also reminds us that the work of the church is never solely for itself; we exist for the sake of others who do not yet know and love the Lord Jesus.

Partnership with Made to Flourish

Because of Redeemer’s track record of raising up new leaders and sending them out, we have been selected by a national ministry called Made to Flourish to receive grant funding so that we might continue to train and equip new church planters. This is a tremendous privilege and a weighty responsibility.

New Church Planter-in-Residence: Nathan Horner

Today I am pleased to announce that we have selected and hired our next Church Planter-in-Residence: Nathan Horner! He and his lovely wife Erin and their son Theo will move to Richmond in August and he will begin a three-year residency on our staff team on September 1st.

Nathan grew up in Harrisonburg, Virginia where he attended James Madison University for his undergraduate degree. Nathan spent much of his college career working with Middle and High School students through the ministry of Young Life. After graduating, Nathan spent two years working in the field of mental health, particularly with teenage boys and girls. He moved to Virginia Beach in 2021 to join the staff of Galilee Church as the Director of Student Ministry and is now pursuing a Masters of Divinity through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Nathan loves to play soccer, surf and is passionate about music. He is an avid reader of fiction and loves the art of storytelling.

How Will Nathan Serve at Redeemer?

Now, some of you may have connected the dots between Redeemer’s current youth staff, Christian Hayes and Kate Ramsdell, transitioning back to their former volunteer roles and Nathan’s experience in youth ministry. While we did not orchestrate this intentionally, we are grateful for the Lord’s provision in bringing Nathan to our parish for this particular season. We anticipate Nathan serving in a variety of roles at Redeemer, but chief among them will be with our Youth Fellowship.

Redeemer family, even as we consider the needs of our parish and contemplate the future purchase of a building, I’m so grateful that, at the very same time, we will also continue the outward-looking work of sending out church planters!

I love you all dearly, and let’s give the Horner family a warm welcome when they join us in August.

In the Father’s love,

About Redeemer’s Prayer Ministry

Redeemer Family,

At Redeemer, we believe prayer is not just a ministry—it is central to our life together. Prayer is where we meet people in their deepest places of joy, grief, longing, and hope, and stand together before the Lord who hears, knows, and acts. Through prayer, we participate in God’s ongoing work of healing, freedom, and redemption in the lives of his people, including those who find themselves in places of pain, despair, or brokenness.

Our Prayer Ministry exists to meet people where they are—with open hands, listening hearts, and a posture of trust. We carry the burdens of others before the Lord, interceding on their behalf, asking boldly for his care, his provision, and his transforming work in their lives.

This is a quiet, behind-the-scenes ministry, but one that touches the very center of God’s heart for his people. You don’t need to be an expert in prayer or have the right words; we ask only that you have a willingness to be an instrument in the Redeemer’s hands, a desire to grow more deeply in the practice of prayer, and a sensitivity to the Spirit to learn to listen to the requests from our parish with one ear, and His still, small voice directing our prayers with the other.

If you are interested to learn more or explore joining the Prayer Ministry team, please join us for an end of year celebration event on Thursday, June 5! This is a great opportunity to connect with other Prayer Team volunteers and hear about the vision for this ministry of our parish. If you have questions, please reach out to me. Further training opportunities will be coming soon, and we would love to invite you into this sacred work.

Christa Vickers-Smith
Prayer Team Coordinator

Redeemer’s Search Team Update

Redeemer Family,

The Search Team meets monthly to evaluate potential long-term home options for our parish. Our criteria are based on preferences and needs shared by both the staff and the congregation, including:

• Desired location

• Aesthetic considerations

• Programmatic needs

• Cost of purchase and potential renovations

With these parameters in mind, we've compiled a list of buildings that could be a good fit—if the current occupants were open to selling. We’ve engaged a broker (a friend to many in our congregation, though not a member himself) who has reached out directly to each church on our list. Most responses are along the lines of, “We’re not interested, but you should call X—they might be.”

This process has surfaced a few potential opportunities, and we are in the early stages of exploring them. Progress is slow by nature—these are not buildings actively for sale, and even starting the conversation often involves multiple stakeholders.

Please know that “no news” from the Search Team doesn’t mean no work is happening. It simply means we haven’t yet found a concrete option that meets our criteria. Given our parameters, it may take time to identify a viable recommendation for the Vestry.

If you hear of a congregation that may be considering a move or a sale, our broker would be grateful for the lead. Most importantly, please continue to pray for our search—that we would trust the Lord’s guidance in leading us to the right long-term home.

Alex Griffith
Junior Warden & Search Team Member

Three Questions with our Volunteers: Stories from Redeemer Kids

Over the past few years in Redeemer Kids, I've enjoyed a unique view of a vibrant part of our parish that happens mainly behind the scenes. Each Sunday about ten minutes after the hour, a wave of parishioners (mainly under 4 ft tall) swells through the sanctuary and into the classrooms where they stay until they come flooding back in before Holy Communion begins. For many sitting in a service at Redeemer, this sweet movement begins and ends as they pass through the doors of the sanctuary. But what happens on the other side of those doors?

As I think about telling the story of our children’s ministry to those who don’t know the answer to that question, I would start by inviting you to come meet our volunteers! The individual stories of each volunteer do more to tell the bigger story of our ministry than I could on my own. Please enjoy reading these testimonies, and next time you watch that wave of children flow into the back for their spiritual formation classes, look for the men and women in blue volunteer t-shirts walking back with them, and say a prayer for those who are doing the kingdom work of forming the future generations of the Church.

Casey Cisco
Director of Redeemer Kids

Q: What role do you currently serve in Redeemer Kids, and how long have you been in this role? What led you to first signing up to volunteer in children’s ministry?

”I still remember going to Sunday School long ago when I was in fourth and fifth grade. Although I can’t remember specifics lessons, I look back at those lessons and the teachers who taught them as being important in the start of my walk with the Lord. The chance I could play a small role in giving that same experience to the children here at Redeemer led me to volunteer for the children’s ministry shortly after I joined Redeemer in early 2019. Six years later I consider it a privilege and a blessing to continue as part of our wonderful 4th-5th grade teacher team.”
-Dan Simonds

“I began assisting the lead teachers for the combined 3s-Pre-K class in September 2024. I signed up in response to an expressed need for volunteers; I really wanted to contribute to my Redeemer family.”
-Meg Hardt

“I currently serve in the nursery. I chose to volunteer out of a shared sense of responsibility to care for the children of our parish and nourish the well-being of families in our midst.”
-Claire Lewis

“We started volunteering with Redeemer Kids upon becoming members in 2018. We volunteered in the nursery when we first joined, and then transitioned to the pre-K class after resuming services after COVID. We've served in the pre-K class or 3s class for all of the time since then! We signed up to volunteer for children's ministry for 3 main reasons: 1. We have kids that use this ministry regularly, so we wanted to understand it better and give back to the service that serves our kids so well. 2. It was the volunteer opportunity that fit best with our varying work and travel schedules. 3. It was the easiest way for us to learn about other families in our church community that we don't regularly interact with in small groups or other ministries.”
-Will & Jenn Killmer

“I've been serving as an assistant with the 2nd and 3rd graders at Redeemer Kids since the summer of 2024. My decision to volunteer stemmed from a genuine desire to build deeper connections with the children and families within our Redeemer community, while also contributing to the vital work of the ministry team. On a more personal level, I was profoundly influenced early in my faith journey by a childhood Bible teacher who truly knew me, invested in me, and shared the Gospel in a way that resonated deeply. Volunteering at Redeemer Kids provides an opportunity for me to, in some small way, offer that same kind of influence and support to these kids.”
-Drew Goodwyn

“I have been serving in the Redeemer Nursery for the past two years. When we first arrived at Redeemer, we had a 3 year old and a 1.5 year old, and I spent many of my first Sundays back in the nursery helping our boys feel comfortable in a new place. As a young mom, I felt pulled between wanting to be in the service to experience the liturgy and worship and, on the other hand, knowing that our boys were struggling with the separation and newness of it all (we had also just moved from Chicago!). I realized that committing to consistently serving and building relationships with the littlest ones in our congregation allows parents space to worship and receive from God each week, trusting that their kiddos are nurtured and held.”
-Ally Berttucci

“I teach the 4th and 5th grade class, which I’ve done for several years. I volunteered for children’s ministry for two reasons: First, I wanted to help with a ministry that my own kids were benefitting from and second, it was lonely to be stuck in the half-empty sanctuary when the exodus of children occurred!”
-Jeromy Lewis

“I’ve been serving in the 4-5th grade classroom since around 2019. I started volunteering after feeling convicted after responding to the corporate baptismal vows we make.”
-Alex Burlingame

Q: What is something you wish more people at our church knew about this area of our children’s ministry?

“Seeing how the truth of the gospel translates to different ages is awe-inspiring. The children's ministry makes it easy for people to get involved because the lessons and materials are readily available, which is good because I don't know how I would independently teach 4 year olds about the Tabernacle! It's also a rare space where I can be questioned about my faith in a good-natured, curious way, instead of a combative/skeptical way. I appreciate the challenge of having to articulate to kids some complex spiritual truths, and I appreciate the opportunity to regularly say, 'I don't know! That's the mystery of faith!"about a faith that I still feel secure in.”
-Will & Jenn Killmer

“You don't have to have any special talents, just a friendly and welcoming face, ready to play! [The nursery-aged kids] are so sweet and they LOVE to be read to! They love to build, to play a good game of peek-a-boo, and they make some delicious food in their play kitchen!”
-Ally Berttucci

“It is so fun! The kids are so smart, well-behaved, and kind. They can really engage with serious theological questions or inductive bible study, while also being willing to act out a dramatic skit.”
-Alex Burlingame

“I wish others knew how thoughtfully and deliberately the youngest members of our parish are cared for. Our volunteers and paid nursery staff seek to understand the preferences of each family and serve with a fairly robust understanding of infant and toddler development, attachment, and emotion regulation. I also wish folks in our parish knew how frequently each child is prayed for by name and how well each child’s temperament and preferences are seen and known by our volunteers and paid staff.”
-Claire Lewis

“Participating in children's ministry is a good way to get to know more of your congregation than you might otherwise meet. Not only does serving in children's ministry allow us to know the younger members of our congregation, we also get to know the parents. In many good ways, the hour or so in the classroom is a glimpse into the family lives of our church. Even at 3 years old, a child's unique personality is coming through. God has done a good work in creating these young people.”
-Kaity Hauter

“It's a blast and can be an incredible way to participate in the spiritual formation of the children at Redeemer. You don't need to be a Bible scholar or ministry expert, just a willing spirit to love kids and share God's Word with them.”
-Mike Berttucci

“As an older woman who has never had her own children, I value yours in a way that is hard to describe. I am deeply touched by every interaction, no matter how small. A smile, a hand, a hug - it all means so much. Some Sundays feel challenging, but I am learning to lean into God's presence for confidence and wisdom to say or do whatever is needed. I pray for your kids continuously. I count it a great privilege to grow with you in community, to love your children, to consider them family. Thank you for sharing them with me.”
-Meg Hardt

“Parents already know this, but children between 1-5 years old are developing incredibly quickly and have an extraordinary capacity for absorbing information. They are constantly observing, listening, and learning about the world around them, all of which is shaping their worldview. Even if they aren't as verbally expressive, they're internalizing a lot, especially through their interactions with adults. I also love spending time with children at this age because they're so funny — just listen closely!”
-Jodie Lee

Q: How has your faith been impacted by investing in children’s spiritual formation in this way?

“I’ve been reminded that change is often hard to notice day-to-day or even week-to-week, but it is happening and requires commitment and consistency because over time, it all adds up. The difference becomes more apparent over the years, both in our walk with God and in raising children. I love seeing the kids I've known in Threes and Pre-K now growing into elementary schoolers and reflecting on the many people who have poured into their lives at different stages. It truly takes the faithfulness and dedication of the whole church body, as God has blessed us with 'the joy and care of children.'”
-Jodie Lee

”For me, teaching in general and teaching children in particular, requires a more thoughtful approach and deeper reflection on the content. I’ve found that to be especially true with our RK curriculum. My investment of time and effort in the children of Redeemer has definitely had a positive and powerful impact on my own faith and how I live it out.”
-Dan Simonds

“There are some Sundays when I feel the pull to be in corporate worship rather than in the nursery, but I am reminded that my time in the nursery is in fact worship— just worship in a different shape. I find myself sitting cross-legged while reading books about God as the Good Shepherd, or bouncing a baby on a hip to soothe and console, or playfully reflecting the delight of the Father to a child while playing peek-a-boo. It’s a very embodied kind of worship and it is shaping me as I receive God’s presence in the midst of the tears, the laughter, the pretend play, the towers built and the runny noses!”
-Ally Berttucci

“Investing in the spiritual formation of Redeemer Kids has profoundly impacted my own formation. Their insightful questions often lead me to explore Scripture with fresh eyes. Turning to prayer for their growth, engagement, and obedience has cultivated my own reliance on God's Spirit and witnessing their simple faith through prayer requests, both big and small, is deeply moving and encourages my trust in the Lord. Guiding their growth has functioned as scheduled reminders for myself of foundational truths and a source of renewed joy in my walk with Christ.”
-Drew Goodwyn

“Going through the Signs of John has been a very formative experience for me as I sit with each of these miracles week by week. Asking the kids to memorize scripture calls me to memorize scripture. I also see them growing in the church calendar as I seek to do the same.”
-Alex Burlingame

“I am always encouraged by the genuineness of kids' faith, and their eagerness to learn and grow. Also, having kids in class for two years, it is a true gift to see how God works in their life over that time.”
-Mike Berttucci

“As I learn to teach Bible stories in accessible ways to young children, I find the child of my adult heart is also ministered to. Our adult spirits still often need the mystery of the Gospel given to us in the simplicity and majesty of language designed for children, full of imagery and wonder. The structure of the 3's and PreK classroom is also valuable for adults as well as children. Just as we have our liturgy in the sanctuary, the children have their liturgy in class. We greet each other with "The Lord be With You". We light the Christ candle to remind ourselves that Jesus is always present. We sing songs of praise and learn stories about the Triune God. We pray to God, thanking Him for loving us and we learn the Lord's Prayer. The Lord's Prayer has been particularly powerful for me. In the 3's and PreK class, we use hand motions to move through the prayer given to us by Jesus. The repetition of the words and the motions of this simple and profound prayer work the truths of scripture further into my heart. Ask your children to teach you the motions! My prayer for your children is that, over time, these building blocks formed in the children's ministry will be some of the stepping stones of accepting faith in Christ for themselves.”
-Kaity Hauter

“We have felt the Holy Spirit lead us and support our classroom time. The children's questions and answers amaze us and make us delve deeper into our understanding of the scripture.”
-Kim & Kevin Hankins

“Serving in the nursery has grown my faith by deepening my awareness of the image of God within each of us. It is good to appreciate how fearfully and wonderfully we are each made - infants and toddlers haven’t yet learned to work or perform in order to convince others of their goodness - they just show up and their identity as image-bearers is on brilliant display. Serving in the nursery offers a front-row view to the unique way each of our infants and toddlers reflects something of who God is and helps me know Him more. It has honed my eye to see and appreciate God’s image in myself and those in my midst each day.”
-Claire Lewis

“I benefit from seeing the manner in which other adults faithfully and creatively serve our children in a small but significant way. I also am challenged by the simplicity of faith in 9-10 year olds who pray to their Father for their daily needs and then wait for Him to move.”
-Jeromy Lewis

“It feels like most of the other spiritual disciplines-- I can't always tell if the actions I'm performing or the words I'm saying are 'doing any good' in the moment, but over time I can see the seeds that have been planted begin to take root. When kids make connections about God and his character through the stories we're teaching, it reminds me that He is doing the work and we just get the opportunity to participate. But my favorite part of serving in children's ministry is how it highlights every part of the church calendar-- Ordinary Time is boooooring and the kids reflect that easily... and the kids' enthusiasm for seasons of celebration like Easter and Christmas is the best reminder that our story doesn't end in Lent or Ordinary Time. Kids lament and celebrate so enormously and so easily, and that has been a beautiful gift and challenge to me every year.”
-Will & Jenn Killmer

Children in Worship: an Invitation for the Summer

Dear Redeemer Family,

It’s almost that time of year again! We have learned from older and more established ministries that the summer months provide two unique opportunities for our parish. The first is to allow our hard-working Redeemer Kids volunteers a much-needed chance to slow down. The other is the chance to embrace more participation from children during the worship service for the summer season for the sake of both our children themselves and the adults around them! As our parish moves into the season of Ordinary Time and we find ways to practice our faith in, well, ordinary ways, this is a wonderful time to shift the way we teach our children as well.

When will this take place?

Redeemer Kids will only offer a Three’s Room, Pre-K Room, K-1st Grade Room and the full nursery for both services starting Sunday, June 16 through August 1.

What does this mean for our kids?

We will offer a children’s liturgy specifically for our young children to help guide them through the service (and to doodle on, of course) as well as providing crayons to use. Our 2nd grade+ aged children will be welcomed into portions of the service that they have not been in before to learn alongside our older members during the sermon and to practice corporate prayer during Prayers of the People. This is not a break from children’s spiritual formation—rather, a new way to practice it together!

What does this mean for parents?

If your child is a rising 2nd grader or older, they will be sitting with you for the whole service! We will offer some resources specifically for these children to engage with the service. I can speak from experience that it is no small task to help my own squirmy son sit through long stretches of the service and I don’t want to minimize that challenge for you parents. I urge you to see this not only as an opportunity for your child to form new habits around worship (like when to sit, listen, stand, sing, and kneel), but to find their place in the whole body of Christ by participating in new ways!

What does this mean for Redeemer Kids volunteers?

Our hope is to give our hard-working Redeemer Kids teachers, assistants, coordinators, and more a season to slow down. Many of you might not know that we ask our teachers and assistants to serve every three weeks and our coordinators and nursery volunteers to serve every four weeks. As the year has gone on, many of our team members have served more frequently than this in order to have the 30 volunteers needed every Sunday to run our children’s ministry. For those who are not currently serving in Redeemer Kids, take this season to thank our Redeemer Kids volunteers and to prayerfully consider how you could use your own gifts to volunteer as well—you’re needed!

What does this mean for everyone else?

This is a wonderful opportunity to engage in a new way with the children of our parish! There will be opportunities to stretch and grow as a congregation as we extend hospitality to the school-aged children of our church and by supporting families with young children in the pews around you. Here are a few practical guidelines to consider:

• The first way you can help is to model attentive and fully engaged behavior for the kids around you. You disciple the kids nearby when you attentively observe the sermon, stay focused when listening, and use your body to kneel, stand, and extend your hands. After all, children learn the most by observing!

• Get to know the names of the children who sit near you in particular and then ask after them by name each week. This small gesture can mean the world to children (or anybody for that matter) who can often feel overlooked in a crowd.

• When a child near you is noisy (drops a pen, cries, giggles, talks out loud) during the silent portions of the service, don’t react. This could take practice for each of us, but stay engaged in the prayer/silence/liturgy and take this time as an opportunity to grow in focus and to model a still and calm posture for your neighbors. This is a spiritual “muscle” we can all exercise.

• Be open to how you can grow from this experience. During this summer and beyond, be attentive to how children already naturally engage with the service on their own. Do they shout the creeds or dance when they sing? Do they find it hard to be attentive during the scripture reading or to withhold their enthusiasm when they are able to participate in a call and response? Children reflect our own emotions, desires, and sin patterns, but are often more obvious about it. Be open to what you can learn about yourself from watching these children and how you can grow in your own faith through this.

Pray with me now and each week to come: Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us calm strength and patient wisdom so to train them, that they may love all that is true, and pure, and lovely, and of good report, following the example of their Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

In Christ,

Casey Cisco
Director of Redeemer Kids

Staff Transitions

Redeemer Family,

The author of Ecclesiastes reminds us that “for everything there is a season,” and this is certainly true in every space of life, including the life of a parish like ours. Seasons begin, seasons end, and new seasons begin. There are ebbs and flows to parish life.

This letter is off to a bittersweet start; can you feel it? I do.

We have some people who are rolling off our staff team this year. Our season of enjoying their leadership is coming to an end:

Christian Hayes: Has served as our part-time Director of Youth Fellowship for many years and, under his leadership, the ministry has grown and flourished. What some of you may not know is that Christian also works full timeas an ICU nurse at VCU! As you might imagine, with our Youth Fellowship continuing to grow, this arrangement is not long-term sustainable for the Hayes family. We are thrilled that even though Christian will no longer be on staff as the Director, he will still be involved with Youth Fellowship as a volunteer.

Transition Date: June 2025

Kate Ramsdell: Has served as our part-time Youth Fellowship Assistant for the past year under Christian’s leadership. Again, what some of you may not know is that Kate also works full time as a therapist. Again, as you are already imagining, it has been challenging! Kate has agreed to lead the Youth Fellowship through the Summer in Christian’s absence before she rolls off at the end of the Summer. We are so grateful that, come the Fall semester, even though Kate will no longer serve on staff, she will still be involved in the Youth Fellowship as a volunteer.

Transition Date: August 2025

Orlando Palmer: We knew this announcement was coming at some point, we just hoped we had more time! Our beloved Orlando, his wife Doe, and their beautiful boy Shiloh are moving to Nashville this fall at the end of October. With both Orlando’s and Doe’s public music careers growing, this is a timely and strategic move for them. Orlando has served as our Artist-in-Residence for 5 years and has blessed us tremendously with his leadership, skill, and vision for integrating Anglican hymnody, Americana folk, and Gospel music into a unique sound that represents the music traditions of Richmond.

Transition Date: October 2025

While we will feel the loss Christian’s and Kate’s excellent leadership from a staff perspective, we will continue to enjoy their presence in our parish and in the Youth Fellowship. However, Orlando really is moving out of state and we will not only miss his leadership, but also his presence amongst us!

Now, some of you forward-thinkers are already beginning to wonder about how we are going to hire new staff to step into these vacancies. I’m right there with you and have been in deep conversation and prayer with our leadership about how we can recruit new team members to serve and lead us. I’ll send out more communication about these new positions and job descriptions in the weeks to come. Stay tuned.

For now, let’s simply celebrate these three and all the time, energy, love, and hard work they have offered to the Lord and to our parish.

Christian, Kate, and Orlando - THANK YOU and we LOVE YOU!

In the Father’s love,

Renewing Our Membership Commitments

Redeemer Family,

May is pledge month at Redeemer. During this time we encourage all members to make Membership Commitments which involve giving Time, Talent, and Treasure to the Lord Jesus through his body, the Church. Whether you are becoming a new member this month or are a returning member, this is an important action item for all of us. Pledging provides specific information to our Vestry and Ministry Leaders to make wise and strategic plans for our parish.

Now, if you are not yet a member, this is for you as well. One of the best ways to “try Redeemer on” is to practice living as a member before actually taking that step of commitment.

If you are ready to pledge, here’s the link. Every adult is required to submit a pledge (households can make their financial pledges together.) Every adult regular attender is encouraged to make a pledge, but not required.

If you’re a little fuzzy on what those membership commitments are or if you’d like a refresher, keep reading!

MEMBERSHIP COMMITMENTS

PREAMBLE

The commitments of membership are not designed to be burdensome or onerous. Though our sinful human tendency is to view all rules and expectations as constraints on our freedom, we want to embrace these commitments wholeheartedly - recognizing that they are for our good and the good of our fellow members in the church and our neighbors outside the church.

THE 3 MEMBERSHIP COMMITMENTS

• TIME — A member commits to making participation in Sunday worship and in small group fellowship a regular part of their weekly habits. Of course while it is understood that travel schedules and illness may often keep us from participating 100% of the time, we want to say together as members, “we will make it a priority to be together.”

  1. Key Belief: There is no such creature as a member who rarely worships with us on Sunday or refuses to join a small group.

  1. Key Action Item: Register to lead or participate in a Small Group for the fall of 2025.

• TALENT — A member commits to volunteering their talents and gifts within the church. This may take the shape of formally joining a ministry team (or two or three), or volunteering in some other special capacity. Of course while it is understood that travel and work schedules may make this a challenge; we want to say together as members, “we will make it a priority to serve one another and our neighbors.”

  1. Key Belief: There is no such creature as a member who is too busy to ever volunteer their time for the church.

  2. Key Action Item: Register to volunteer on a ministry team for the coming year.

• TREASURE — A member commits to submitting a financial pledge each year and giving of their financial resources to the mission and work of the church. Of course, the resources of each individual and household will vary widely; this is to be expected within an economically diverse church. Our generosity is not predicated upon the achievement of a particular level of financial success or comfort, but rather upon Christ’s call for us to simply give sacrificially. Our giving honors the Lord (who is the giver of all good gifts), forms us (helping us grow in dependence on God), and provides for the work of the church (which is a benefit to ourselves and others).

  1. Key Belief: There is no such creature as a member who is unwilling to give any of their resources back to the Lord by giving to the church.

  2. Key Action Item: Register your financial pledge for the September 2025 - August 2026 fiscal year.

If you’re ready to take these steps, click here to submit your pledge.

Here are some commonly asked questions about membership commitments:

What is a Pledge?

A pledge is your communication with our Ministry Leaders, Vestry, and Finance Team regarding what you anticipate you will be able to contribute to Redeemer in the next ministry year (September 1, 2025 - August 31, 2026). Your commitment allows Redeemer’s leadership to accurately assess what resources we have to steward and how they can best be utilized.

Why are Pledges Important for the Vestry & Finance Team?

Redeemer’s fiscal year runs from September 1 - August 31. The Vestry and Finance Team will be spending the summer drafting a new budget for the coming year of ministry. What a gift it would be to them if they knew ahead of time what the congregation planned to give! Your clear communication helps our church draft careful, informed, strategic plans for funding the ministry of the coming year.

Why are Pledges Important for Me?

While pledging is imminently practical and helpful for our church leadership, it’s more than that. Pledging is also an opportunity for your heart to be shaped by God. Why? Because how we use our resources both reveals and guides what God is doing in our hearts. When your church asks you to pledge, you are being asked to open your calendar and bank account to the Lord and ask Him, “How would you have me use the resources you have entrusted to me?” It’s a wonderful question that all of us should be asking on a regular basis.

What Pledging is NOT

Pledging is not an attempt to raise Redeemer’s volunteer and small group rosters. Nor are we trying to increase our budget or meet a financial shortfall. We are grateful to report that our parish is in a healthy and strong position financially. Pledging is not about fixing something that is broken, but rather about us continuing to grow spiritually together.

Deadline for Pledging

The deadline for pledging is Friday, May 30. Please do not wait until the last minute! Very real decisions and plans for the coming year of ministry will be made based on the pledging data that our leadership receives.

If you have more questions, please feel free to reach out to a member of our Staff, Vestry, or Finance Team and they will be glad to assist you. Let’s aim for 100% participation here!

Warmly,

Redeemer’s Staff, Ministry Leaders, Vestry and Finance Team

Becoming a Member at Redeemer

“Why should I become a member of a local church?”

Over the years I’ve heard a number of well-intentioned and sincere objections follow this question:

1. Membership feels exclusive, like some people are in and some are out. This isn’t very hospitable.

2. Membership feels too institutional, like the church is a club and not a family.

3. Membership means requirements and obligations, which are anti-Gospel and anti-Grace.

It might surprise you to learn this, but I used to strongly agree with each one of these objections. However, over the years, my thinking has changed significantly and - rather than membership working against hospitality, family, and Gospel - I’ve become deeply convinced that membership actually facilitates each of these!

Here’s how:

1. Membership facilitates hospitality.

Luke 14:12-14. He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you.”

In Christ’s teaching, we are specifically instructed to open our doors and invite in those who are on the outside. This passage is not just about inviting in the poor vs the rich (though it is also about that), it is about extending hospitality to outsiders vs insiders. Now, if - in the name of hospitality - we say there’s no such thing as insiders or outsiders, then who will do the inviting and who will come to the party? You cannot invite others into the hospitality of God until you, yourself have received the goodness of the Lord’s hospitality. You must be in before you can invite others in.

Once you are in, you realize there are others who are out - which puts you in the perfect situation to obey Jesus’ teaching on true hospitality. In this way, Membership (a formal and clear way of defining who is in and who is out), actually sets us up to obey the Lord, open our doors, and demonstrate real hospitality to others.

2. Membership makes the church more like a family.

1 Timothy 5:1-2. “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.”

This passage instructs us to treat other people in the church like family. Then, our author (the Apostle Paul) goes on to give specific instructions about who to care for, how to care for them, and how to discipline people when they stray into sin. The assumption is, you can only operate as a family when it is clear who, exactly, is a part of the family. Paul is clearly not instructing us to treat all people like fathers, monthers, brothers, and sisters - but rather the people who are a part of the church family. When such individuals stray into flagrant sin, they are (temporarily, and for the sake of encouraging repentance) removed from the church family. For this kind of familial love and discipline to work, there must be some sort of clear boundary line that delineates who is in the family and who is not.

Therefore, in order for the church to function like a family, we must know who, specifically, is a part of that family. The brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers here is not meant to signify some abstract concept of warm relationships - rather we should be thinking of specific people. i.e. my brother-in-Christ Jeromy or my father-in-Christ David. Membership helps take us from the abstract to the specific in being a church family.

3. Membership showcases the Gospel.

Ephesians 2:8-10. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand, that we should walk in them.”

“But Membership means requirements and obligations, which are anti-Gospel and anti-Grace.” This is the one I hear most often. It is also the one to which I am, simultaneously, most sympathetic and which I disagree with the most strongly! I am sympathetic because it is absolutely true that the Gospel is the good news of the free gift of mercy and forgiveness won for us in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The Gospel is primarily about something God has done for us and not something that we do for God.

However, when we receive this free gift of mercy and forgiveness, we find that it changes absolutely everything about us. Our lives are no longer our own. We belong, body - mind - and soul - to the Lord. We begin to embody the good news of the Gospel, allowing it to shape our lives and affections.

Membership clarifies the implications of the Gospel for us and, therefore, showcases the beauty of the Gospel in the transformed lives of the members. If we resist Membership on the grounds that “the Gospel is not about doing stuff,” we are saying that the church is not have any vision for what a redeemed and renewed life in Christ should look like. A quick, cursory reading of just about any New Testament book should quickly lay that objection to rest.

Dear friends, on May 18, 2025 - The Rev. John Guernsey will visit Redeemer to confirm and welcome in new members. I want to warmly and joyfully extend the invitation to membership to absolutely all of you! If you would like to move forward here are your action items:

(*Prerequisite: Take the Foundations Class)

• Step 1: Register to become a member on May 18.

• Step 2: Fill out the membership and pledge form.

• Step 3: Sign up for a pre-membership interview with Lane Cowin or Oldson Duclos.  

• Step 4: Arrive 30 minutes early to one of the services on May 18. 

• Step 5: Participate in the Confirmation & Membership service on May 18. 

• Step 6: Celebrate with your fellow parishioners at the Eastertide Picnic!

This wonderful event only takes place twice a year, and is available to all who have been baptized and attended our Foundations class! If you have any questions about what it means to be a Member at Redeemer, or about the Membership process, please reach out to me: dan@redeemerva.org.

In the Father’s love,

Call to a Corporate Fast on Good Friday, April 18

Redeemer Family,

Two weeks ago, we contemplated the Practice of Fasting and together we explored how this spiritual discipline has cultivated virtue in the lives of God’s people from Old Testament times through to the present. If you missed the sermon, you can listen to it here. While most of us are likely familiar with the concept of a private, personal fast, we may be less familiar with the concept of a corporate fast. Here are just a few (of the many) examples of corporate fasting in scripture:

• Leviticus 16: The Israelites practice an annual corporate fasting on the Day of Atonement.

• Nehemiah 9: The Israelites practice a national time of confession, fasting, prayer, repentance, and public scripture reading.

• Joel 2: God speaks to the prophet Joel and calls him to declare a time of corporate fasting and repentance.

• Jonah 3: The people of Nineveh respond to Jonah’s prophetic preaching with fasting and repentance.

• Acts 27: Paul and his 275 shipmates fast for 14 days through a storm at sea before breaking their fast in a manner that is a nod towards the Eucharist (vs 35).

Throughout scripture, corporate fasts are marked by themes of repentance, confession, and calling on God to show mercy and provide atonement for the sins of the people.

Therefore, how appropriate that throughout church history, it has been common for both clergy and parishioners to fast on Good Friday of Holy Week - a day devoted to repentance of our sins and remembering the mercy of God in the atoning death of Christ on the cross.

As the Book of Common Prayer states in the preface to the Good Friday service on p.564, “This most somber of days is appropriately marked by fasting, abstinence, and penitence, leading us to focus on Jesus and the meaning of his cross.”

And so Redeemer Family, on Good Friday of Holy Week (April 18th), we are all invited to fast together, as a parish. No one should feel coerced or peer-pressured to participate. Fasting is most spiritually effective when it is something you choose, not something you do because other people guilted or shamed you into it!

So, if you wish to participate, here are two potential ways:

Full-Fast

• The fast begins at the end of the Maundy Thursday service on March 28.

• Eat an early dinner beforehand.

• Come to one of the Maundy Thursday services, 5:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m.

• Practice foot-washing and receive the Eucharist, then the fast begins.

• The bread and wine of the Eucharist are the last food in your stomach from Thursday evening, through all of Good Friday, to Saturday morning.

• Attend one of the Good Friday services, 5:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m.

• Break the fast on Saturday morning with a simple and light meal.

Partial Fast

If you are new to fasting or have a medical condition that makes fasting unwise, here are partial ways to participate:

• Shorten the fast: Sunrise to sunset on Friday. Eat an early breakfast Friday morning and a late dinner Friday evening. Skip lunch and fast for the daylight hours.

• Limit the fast to only refraining from solid foods. Replace meals with fruit juice or a smoothie.

Beloved brothers and sisters, the goal here is to not create some new law that everyone must obey. The goal is to help us participate in the passion of our Lord together. We are not in this alone; we are a church family.

Let’s fast together on Good Friday and then, let’s FEAST together on Easter Sunday!

In the Father’s love,

Holy Week and the Triduum

Good afternoon! Holy Week is nearly upon us. I want to take a few minutes to explain what it will be like to participate in the most important days of the year together. Please, if you can, read the following in its entirety.

PALM SUNDAY | April 13

This is the first day of Holy Week and the day that we remember Christ’s triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem (recorded in all four Gospel accounts: Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:29-38, and John 12:12-15). That morning, we will begin by gathering outside on the sidewalk along Arthur Ashe Boulevard before we process into the sanctuary waving palm branches and singing. Now, this concept isn’t a new or creative idea. It is, in fact, a very oldtradition.

So why are we doing this? There are at least three good reasons (and I’m sure many more):

1. It connects us to our history: By waving palm branches, singing, and processing together, we will do something with our bodies in the present that connects us to the people of God in the past. We are joined with Christian brothers and sisters from ages past, as well as with the first century citizens of Jerusalem, who welcomed Jesus into their city.

2. It is formative for our young children (and for adults): Few things help young children (or adults for that matter) understand a story better than acting it out together. We want more than intellectual assent to the teaching of scripture; we want to receive, embody, and extend the good news of what Christ has done for us. This is why we kneel, stand, sing, eat the bread, drink the wine, and - yes - wave the palms!

3. It is an act of public worship: In our secular, materialist age, there are very few opportunities for acts of public worship and devotion to Christ. No doubt, as many of us adults walk down Arthur Ashe Boulevard, we will feel very silly. If that describes you, don’t worry, you’re in good company. We will all feel the strangeness of publicly worshiping Christ in the midst of neighbors who might think we are lunatics. But this is not a bad thing - for us or for our neighbors. It’s good for us because it presents us with a very real opportunity to be courageous. It’s good for our neighbors because our worship serves as a reminder that no matter what the zeitgeist of our time may say, there are real men and women and children who are continuing to find life in Christ Jesus.

So, dear friends, on Palm Sunday, come ready to do a new thing, which is a very old thing, and to do a strange thing, which is a very good thing. We will wave palm branches, sing, walk, and declare together that, minority though we be, there is still hope to be found only in the Lord Jesus.

STATIONS ON BOULEVARD

On Monday-Wednesday from 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. and Thursday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the 12 Stations of the Cross will be posted along Arthur Ashe Boulevard. I encourage you to set aside 30-45 minutes of time to stop by and spend time praying and contemplating each station. A guidebook will be available at the installation to lead you through this exercise.

MAUNDY THURSDAY | April 17

The Paschal mystery - the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - is at the heart of the Christian Gospel. The evening of Maundy Thursday begins the Triduum (the sacred three days). Maundy Thursday receives its name from the maudatum (commandment) given by our Lord: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another (John 13:34).  At the Last Supper, Jesus washed his disciples' feet and commanded them to love one another as he had done. This day commemorates the Lord’s example of servant ministry, the institution of the Eucharist, the agony of the Garden of Gethsemane, and the betrayal leading to the crucifixion.

• Services are at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

• No nursery or children's ministry. Kids are invited to fully participate in all parts of the service.

• Remember to wear sandals or slip-off shoes (to facilitate the foot-washing portion of the service).

GOOD FRIDAY | April 18

The Good Friday liturgy is the second part of the Triduum. This most somber of all days is appropriately marked by fasting, abstinence, and penitence, leading us to focus on Jesus and the meaning of his Cross. Some churches do not use musical instruments or bells on this day. The church is often darkened. The bare, stark appearance of the church serves as a reminder of the solemnity and sorrow of the day. The Lord of Life was rejected, mocked, scourged, and then put to death on the Cross. The faithful are reminded of the role their own sin played in this suffering and agony as Christ took all sin upon himself in obedience to the Father’s will. By the Cross we are redeemed, set free from bondage to sin and death. The Cross is a sign of God’s never-ending love for us. It is a sign of life in the midst of death.

• Services are at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

• No nursery or children’s ministry. Kids are invited to fully participate in all parts of the service.

• Remember to wear black or gray clothing.

EASTER VIGIL | April 19

This is an ancient church tradition that begins outside the sanctuary in the dark of the evening. A fire is kindled, torches and candles are lit, and we process into the darkened sanctuary together. The atmosphere is pregnant with brooding mystery and drama. Scriptures and prayers are chanted, sung, and read. The story of the Bible is traced and then together we wait - in stillness, in silence, in the dark - we keep watch.

Then, suddenly, with bursting shouts of "Alleluia!" the lights go up and bells are rung as we celebrate the unlooked-for resurrection of Christ.

From there, the service proceeds to the Eucharist and, after the service concludes, we feast with the frivolity of champagne and cake toasts.

If you have experienced an Easter Vigil before, you have some idea of what to expect.

If you never have, then come for the first time.

• The service begins at 8:00 p.m. outside the sanctuary and concludes at 10:30 p.m.

• No nursery or children’s ministry. Kids are invited to fully participate in all parts of the service [though young children may struggle or fall asleep in the pews, which is no problem at all].

EASTER SUNDAY | April 20

As the third day dawns, we celebrate the bodily resurrection of our Lord from the dead!

Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The church will resound with the ringing of bells, shouts of praise, and songs of joy! This is a dual sacrament service with both Baptisms and Eucharist.

• There are three identical services: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. (But only the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. provide nursery and children’s ministry).

• If you are able to attend the 7:00 a.m. service, please do so! We will likely run out of space at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. By worshiping at the sunrise service, you show hospitality to visitors who will likely attend the later two.

• Also, if you are a member of Redeemer, this is a day of service and hospitality to newcomers. Join the staff in rolling up your sleeves and offering the warmest of welcomes to our neighbors.

• There will be coffee, juice, and donuts across the street near the VMFA sculpture garden after all three services. Stay for a while and enjoy the after-party!

Redeemer family, I love you all and I’m so grateful that we get to walk through this week together. I hope and pray that our observance, practice, and worship through these services forms the Gospel more deeply within us so that we might be more missionally present to our families, neighbors, and city.

In the Father’s love,

Invitation to Private Confession

Redeemer Family,

This past Sunday we explored the Practice of Confession and how it helps us tear down the idol of self-image. (If you missed the sermon, you can listen to it here.)

Over the years I have found confession, in all its forms, to be a deeply helpful and encouraging practice. I find that once I get over my fears, God is more tender than I expected, my friends are more understanding than I anticipated, and the priest to whom I confess is utterly without judgement or condemnation. Confession has helped me receive and experience the grace that God offers to me every day.

I hope the same can be true for you, and to that end I want to offer some potential next steps if you’d like to practice confession during this season of Lent:

1. Confess directly to God: Read Psalm 32:1-4 and then spend some time writing down the things you want to confess to God. This will help your stream of consciousness not get derailed by random thoughts, to-do lists, or other worries. After reading your list aloud to the Lord, conclude by reading the rest of Psalm 32, verses 5-11.

2. Confess to a Priest: Schedule a 15-minute confession with either me or the Rev. Lane Cowin.

   1. This is not a time for chit-chat or small talk. We will not be catching up on how things are going.

   2. This is a solemn time (with deep joy waiting on the other side).

   3. Prepare for this time by writing down a list of both your sins of commission (wrong things done) and sins of omission (right things left undone).

   4. When you arrive for your session, we will sit down side by side, light a candle, and use the brief liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer to give structure to our time.

   5. When the liturgy concludes, we will thank each other and bid each other farewell, but will not slide into small talk.

   This formal structure allows the priest to serve as simply an aid to your conversation with the Lord. The focus is on you and God, not the priest.

3. Confess to Trusted Friends: Reach out to a close friend or friends who are mature in their faith, not prone to gossiping, overreacting, or minimizing sin. Let them know ahead of time that you desire to confess to them (instead of springing it on them without warning). Talk about what happened and why. Do your best to be straightforward and honest, not exaggerating or slipping into defensiveness. Ask your trusted friends to pray for you, that you might be forgiven and have the courage to truly repent - turning away from sin and turning towards the goodness of Christ.

Redeemer family, I love you all dearly. I hope that we can be the kind of parish where, instead of posturing our virtue we can be open, honest, and vulnerable about weaknesses, failures, and sins. While a church community should never be a “safe place” to commit sins, it absolutely must be a safe place to confess our sins.

In the Father’s love,

Spring Retreat! Tell All Stones We’re Going to Make a Building

As I greet our students each week on their walk into our homes, I witness a quiet miracle as they move from the dark silence of the street and settle into the bright noise of fellowship. This miracle is the assembly of a spiritual house, as one by one the stones are gathered and find their place among the others.

In his first letter, this is how St. Peter illuminates the meaning of the church: a spiritual house made up of living stones (1 Peter 2: 4-5). The stones are those who believe in Christ, and the house is the dwelling place of God built on the cornerstone who is Christ.

But there is a long-standing temptation to mislocate this purpose—to be the place where God dwells—as if someplace else was meant for that.

We miss this purpose, in part, because we can’t believe it’s true. That God — who we confess is above all things and created all things — would draw so near as to dwell in us is beyond what we could ask or imagine of being human. How could this be? How could the Creator of the stars be housed in the hearts of a tiny people among them? It is also true that we resist the nearness of God. It is difficult to allow him near, just as it is to allow ourselves to be known by those we love.

For all of these reasons, we need to be restored to the purpose for which God made us.

As we prepare for our spring retreat, consider that this is one of the instrumental ways that God restores our purpose. One of the great gifts of a retreat together is unbroken fellowship. Minutes that turn into hours that turn into days. Where a thought leads to a comment which leads to a conversation which leads to an expression of trust which make bonds that forge lasting friendships. Retreats are one of the places where we learn to dwell in the house of the Lord together.

So as our spring retreat approaches, I invite you to tell them—tell all the stones we’re going to make a building. Tell them they have a place in that house. And not just a place, but that they are a part of building it.

Then sign them up.

The History & Significance of Nursery Childcare Staff

In the last blog post, we highlighted the work our volunteers do each Sunday in our nursery. But they aren’t alone in creating a welcoming space for our youngest members. At Redeemer, we also have a dedicated childcare staff who help care for our little ones during both the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services.

I am deeply grateful for the partnership between our volunteers and childcare staff. The spiritual guidance our volunteers provide, paired with the practical support of our childcare team, enables us to faithfully fulfill the work God has entrusted to us in caring for the babies in our parish. As our parish continues to grow, I want to share more about the history and importance of our childcare staff and give you a glimpse into the work these women do each Sunday.

History of the Childcare Staff at Redeemer

In the early days of our church plant, children (especially those under age 3) were a large percentage of our parish. With only one service and a limited number of adults, our leadership decided to hire a paid childcare staff to better meet the needs of our growing congregation. This allowed more adults to attend the service, supported other volunteer roles, and brought much-needed stability to the nursery.

Today, as an 8-year-old parish, we are blessed with more babies than ever before. Looking back on our childcare staff, I’m thankful for the leadership team that made the early decision to address the needs of our nursery. What started as a practical solution to an overcrowded nursery has become a beautiful partnership that supports our mission of creating a space where families with young children can find belonging in our church community.

Three Ways Our Staff Supports Our Nursery

Our childcare staff at Redeemer is responsible for caring for the physical wellbeing of children in the Redeemer Nursery while assisting Redeemer volunteers and staff with the general schedule and rhythms of a Sunday morning. Within those duties, there are three primary ways that our staff supports our nursery.

Capacity

Our nursery cares for a large number of babies each Sunday. If all our regular attendees were present at a single service, we could care for over 50 babies! To ensure each child receives proper attention, we maintain a 1:3 adult-to-child ratio, which requires many staff members and volunteers. Over the past year, we’ve seen an increase in younger babies, particularly those between 6 months and 1.5 years old. As a result, our staff often needs to engage with babies individually rather than in larger groups. To provide this hands-on, individual care, we rely on a significant number of people in the room.

While we have the privilege of having volunteers each week, the number of volunteers required to cover both services without childcare staff members would be equal to the total volunteer number needed for all our older Redeemer Kids classes. Many people have asked me if we could run the nursery entirely with volunteers. While I believe God would provide if necessary, the main reason this isn’t the best option at the moment is that babies need consistent caregivers.

Consistency

Child development research shows the importance of consistent caregivers for babies to feel secure in their environment, especially at the ages when separation anxiety is at its peak. Each childcare staff member works about three Sundays a month for both services, allowing them to build strong, dependable relationships with the children. This stability helps babies feel more comfortable. When you watch the nursery drop-off, you’ll see me carefully choosing who to hand each baby to based on the relationships I’ve observed between the babies and our staff.

This consistency not only makes the children feel safe but also reassures their parents. Many parents feel anxiety during drop-off, especially when leaving their child in a new setting. For regular attendees, it gives parents peace of mind knowing their child is cared for by a familiar face who can provide personalized attention each week.

First Impressions

When a parent speaks with me at the nursery door and notices that the babies already in the nursery are calm, it creates a better first impression. Parents feel more at ease seeing babies who are settled and engaged with caregivers who know each child by name. This sense of trust makes parents more comfortable leaving their children in our care, allowing them to fully participate in the service and experience the community. This is essential in helping new families feel welcomed at Redeemer.

For all of us, participating in the service—singing with the congregation, engaging in the liturgy, taking part in Holy Communion, and greeting one another—are vital expressions of belonging. For parents, especially newcomers, the ability to participate is crucial in helping them feel at home. While it’s natural for babies and parents to feel some anxiety in a new space, a calm nursery with familiar caregivers is one of the best ways we can offer hospitality to parents with young children as they find their place in our church family.

The Result

The partnership between our childcare staff and volunteers is vital in creating a nurturing environment for our youngest parishioners. The history of our childcare team highlights how a practical solution evolved into a cornerstone of our ministry, enabling us to faithfully care for babies while supporting the spiritual life of our parish. As our church grows, we are incredibly grateful for their commitment, and for the ways they help further our church's dedication to fostering a sense of belonging for families with young children at Redeemer.

Grace,

Mikala Thompson
Assistant Director of Redeemer Kids

Let the Kids Come Along

Recently, I was sitting on the couch in my living room with my seven-year-old, helping him wade through his little to-do list, like every evening. I will admit that I can do a poor job hiding the fact that I have barely enough patience to knock out my adult task list, let alone nudge/guide/drag my kids through their own; but there I was, faking positivity and half-zoned out as we barreled through his evening work. We were wrapping up the last one, running through this memory verse:

“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, 'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? How do you read it?' And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' And he said to him, 'You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.'”
Luke 10: 25-28

He did a decent job with it, needing a few prompts along the way. I was seeing the finish line looming where I could release my squirmy son from the couch and maybe get a few minutes to scroll my phone before I started dinner. So close. Almost done…

“Is that true?”

I blinked at him. “What?”

“Is that true? Will people not die if they believe in Jesus?”

In characteristic Miles-fashion, this pivot from goofing off to considering the weight of his mortality was made as seamlessly as if he had just asked what’s for dinner. And in characteristic me-fashion, I was struggling to keep up with him.

What followed felt like a very messy review of the promise of salvation, the weight of death, and the gift of eternal life. It ended with his sobering confession of being confused about it all before a distraction stole his attention and he jumped off the couch laughing to go mess with his baby brother. He was gone.

I sat there, staring after him, still a bit stunned. I ran the conversation over and over in my head and wondered what I should have said. I feel this way a lot around children, to be honest. Their goofiness and preoccupation with the moment can deceive me so quickly into thinking that they are not engaging with matters of the eternal. But when I get glimpses into the inner workings of their souls, I’m in awe. They are much less likely to compartmentalize their faith like you and I are prone to do, jumping back and forth between the “sacred” and the “secular.” The spiritual world is not something so easily boxed up for kids.

Over the past few years of ministry, I’ve heard a common refrain from adults in our congregation who are new to the practices of our church, either Anglicanism or Christianity altogether, that they feel a reluctance to fully engage in what Redeemer is up to that season. They want to spend some time observing before they try out a new practice or attend a new kind of service. Perhaps more honestly worded, they want to gain more information before they run the risk of not being good at something new. What naturally flows downstream of this hesitation is that they wait to bring kids into a spiritual practice until they are able to articulate their decision well.

The problem is that spirituality is not a quantifiable skill. Rather, it’s a practice in partnership with the Holy Spirit where we submit our growth—and measure of success—to the Lord. Spirituality is not something we have to instill in children, it’s already there! In Matthew 18:2-4, Jesus calls us to be like little children to enter into the kingdom of heaven and to humble ourselves like a child in order to be great in his kingdom. Not only do we not have to be experts to lead children, but we have something to learn from them on the journey. There is value for everyone when the kids come, too.

As our parish is on the cusp of entering the season of Lent and Easter together, I want to urge both the volunteers in children’s ministry and my fellow parents at Redeemer to not only lean into the practices of the church seasons, but to let the kids come along with you. It’s okay if they aren’t being “serious enough” or you are afraid to use words or concepts they don’t know. This is a journey we are all on together, so take them along too. At your Shrove Tuesday feast, talk to them about fasting and confession, then try it out together the next day. Sit with them in an Ash Wednesday service and don’t shy away from questions about death. Pray with them to teach them how to give their questions to God, the trivial and the weighty alike. When Holy Week comes around, bring them to look at the Stations of the Cross artwork with you, to wash one another’s feet on Maundy Thursday, and to reverence the cross on Good Friday. Let them sit in the sober darkness of that week with you and don't try to hustle them through the discomfort too quickly. It will be tempting to soften this story for little ears, to play down the violence of the cross and the grief of the tomb; but I encourage you to speak words of life straight from Scripture and answer any questions with honesty and humility as you’re able. The pure joy of the resurrection is most vivid in the context of the horror that proceeded it, and I speak from first-hand experience that children are not only able to bear the weight of the full story, by the power of God, but crave it desperately. Then, when Easter finally arrives, teach them to rejoice! Show them that even when life isn’t easy or we aren’t in the mood for it right now, we rejoice anyway because this is something so much bigger than us. We rejoice as an act of defiance, even, in our broken world. We rejoice together because what Jesus did and is doing is so, so much bigger than us and our lives are more significant when they disappear into that Story.

I have seasons with my own sons when they ask questions about death, life, and God for which I have no answer. We have combed the Scriptures together and don’t find any easy answers, so we have to pray together and allow the mysteries to sit. We are still sitting together in those mysteries and probably will be until we are all together in His kingdom one day. We are all stumbling to the cross with our messy lives in hand this year, asking Him to carry our burdens and to give our struggles meaning.

Let the kids come, too.

Casey Cisco
Director of Redeemer Kids

How to Celebrate Shrove Tuesday with Your Small Group

Redeemer Family,

The season of Epiphany is winding down and the season of Lent is nearly upon us. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which falls on March 5th this year. Plan to attend one of the Ash Wednesday services at 6:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. (please note this adjusted service time), or 5:30 p.m. at 2715 Grove Ave.!

Now, some of you will know that the day before Ash Wednesday is historically a feast day in the church liturgical calendar that goes by a variety of names: Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, Mardi Gras, or Carnival.

If you are new to this tradition, take a look at this helpful article - Shrove Tuesday is a lot of fun!

This year, instead of throwing one big Shrove Tuesday party in the basement of 2715 Grove Ave. like we have done in past years, we are going to celebrate this feast in homes with our Redeemer Small Groups.

So depending on who you are, you might have some prepping to do:

• If you are a Small Group leader, shift your gathering that week to Tuesday 3/4, communicate with the folks in your group, and divvy up the responsibilities. Who will bring the drinks? Who’s cooking food? Who is making dessert? Who might plan a game or two for the kids?

• If you are a Small Group participant, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and help throw the party!

• If you have been at Redeemer for a while and, for whatever reason, have not yet joined a Small Group, then now is the time to join! Contact Oldson Duclos, our Director of Community Formation, and he will help you find a group that fits your needs.

• If you are relatively new to Redeemer, then you are invited to my house for a Newcomer’s Shrove Tuesday Feast! My wife Rachel and I would love to host you, get to know you, and help you get a bit more connected to our parish.

When March 4th rolls around, here’s a sample flow for the evening:

• Fling Wide the Door: This is a great opportunity to invite friends, neighbors, co-workers, and others to come experience Redeemer’s parish for the first time.

• Spread the Table: The host can provide some of the food and drink, but not all! This is a great chance for everyone to pitch in and bring something. Do we care if the dishes go together? We do not. Thai spring rolls with beef burgundy? Let it rip.

• Toast the King: Hoist a glass to the master of the feast (that would be Jesus).

• Throw Caution to the Wind: This is no time to be dainty. A second helping? Yes please! A third scoop of ice cream? Why not?

• Make it Fun: If kids are present, start up some games. Have a pancake relay race or how-high-can-you-flip-it-and-catch-it-in-the-pan contest. Play Jenga with breadsticks or make art on your plate with partially eaten foods.

• Conclude with Scripture: Read Isaiah 25:6-9 aloud together.

The contrast is part of the point.

One of the things that you will notice if you participate in a Shrove Tuesday feast followed by the Ash Wednesday service the next day, is the remarkable High/Low contrast. One day we are eating and drinking and making merry. The next day we are reminded that we are dust, and that to dust we shall return.

This dramatic juxtaposition throws the joys and sorrows of life into sharp relief.

Christ is with us in both.

This is how the liturgical calendar is a means of embodied spiritual formation. It gives us something to do that helps us become disciples of Jesus.

Redeemer family, I can’t wait to see the pictures and hear the stories of the parties you throw! And new folks, see you at my house. Come hungry!

In the Father’s love,

Preparing for Lent

“The practice of Lent is a means of grace, but grace itself is a mystery that grips us however buttoned-up or sloppy our Lenten practice is.”

-Tish Harrison Warren

Redeemer Family,

We are in still in Epiphany, but Lent is coming soon (March 5th), and it is such an important season that it warrants some forethought and preparation. For those of you unfamiliar with Lent or in need of a refresher, keep reading!

What Is Lent?

Lent is a 40 day period of Christ-centered devotion between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. The practice of Lent has been observed by Christians around the world since the early centuries of the church.

Why Practice Lent?

The most important reason to practice Lent is to draw near to Jesus Christ and become like him. Lent is a season of intentional discipleship under Christ and with Christ. We also practice Lent to bond more closely with fellow Christians who are on the same journey, not only in our local church but also around the world. Along the way, our sin and enslaving habits are put to death, and we learn to internalize and share in Christ’s resurrection power.

We Practice Lent Together, Not Alone

To the extent that you are able, practice Lent with your church family. Begin with an Ash Wednesday service and receive the sign of the cross on your forehead - reminding you of your own mortality. Participate in a Small Group and discover that you are not alone in your struggle. Remember to keep the balance between fasting and discipline on Mondays-Saturdays and feasting on Sundays. Plan ahead for Holy Week so that we can walk through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday together as a church.

What we hope you’ll find is that, as we enter into these practices together, God’s grace for us is more abundant than we previously thought. We’ll try together and we’ll fail together, then we’ll confess our sins together and be forgiven together. When we come out on the other side, into a bright Easter morning, we’ll find ourselves closer to Christ and closer to each other.

What Specific Practices Do We Take Up During Lent?

In an age of endless tailoring and individualizing, consider keeping Lent the same way Christians have throughout history and around the world. Resist the natural impulse to think of yourself as special, and therefore requiring a specialized version of Lent. What makes you special is God’s love for you, not your particular struggles. So here is a simple list of ways that many millions of Christians will keep Lent this year. You are invited to join us.

PRACTICES OF EMBRACE (NEW THINGS TO TAKE UP)

• PRAYER: Set aside more time to pray than usual. Consider pausing to kneel in prayer three times daily: morning, noon, and evening.

• SCRIPTURE: Read the Bible with special attention: consider replacing a meal with scripture reading to remind you that you "do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” - Matthew 4:4

• CONFESSION: Practice confessing your sins aloud to a priest, deacon, or otherwise qualified spiritual father or mother in the church.

• SILENCE + SOLITUDE: Practice the foundational spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude.

• GIVING: Give more away than you usually do.

  • To give directly to Redeemer, click here.

• SERVING: Volunteer time to visit and assist the sick, the prisoner, or the outcast.

  • Suggestions: Retreat Doctors Hospital, Richmond City Jail, the Virginia Home.

PRACTICES OF RESISTANCE (THINGS TO PAUSE)

• FASTING:

  • Fast from sunrise to sunset on Fridays, or (if too difficult) abstain from meat on Fridays.

  • Give up sweets and alcohol, except on Sundays, which are feast days.

  • Fast the whole day on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

• DIGITAL LIMITS

  • Turn your phone completely off for 1 hour per day.

  • Turn your phone completely off for 1 day per week.

Remember, the purpose of keeping these spiritual disciplines during the season of Lent is to more fully enter into a season of preparation to remember the death of our Lord Jesus and to celebrate His glorious resurrection!

What Are Ways I Can Expect to Grow More Like Christ during Lent?

There are some themes that often arise when people describe their experience of practicing Lent, however this list is not exhaustive; God’s activity in your life cannot be predicted or controlled.

• Humility – Humility is the capacity to recognize who we are in relationship to the living God. The path of Lent reveals our mortality, sin and limitations. Often, the Holy Spirit reveals personal and corporate blind spots during Lent. Our hunger pains, headaches and failures during Lent become living reminders of our great need for the salvation offered through Jesus Christ.

• Reordered Loves – The gentle harness of Lent is designed to loosen our unhealthy attachments to creation (including food, drink, and money) so that we may enjoy a deeper bond to the Creator. We learn to internalize and enjoy the love of Christ during Lent.

• Purity – Soren Kierkegaard said that “purity of heart is to will one thing.” During Lent, we see the incompatibility between our commitment to Jesus and our dabbling in idolatry. We confess our sins and thereby take hold of the forgiveness that is ours in the Gospel.

• Joy – As we give ourselves to him in our suffering, Jesus Christ supplies us with a lasting spiritual overflow and the consolation of the Holy Spirit. This is to be distinguished from a spiritual high which cannot be sustained over time or during suffering. Easter Sunday and corporate worship during Lent grants us a taste of heaven.

• Renewed Imaginations – As we progress through events of Ash Wednesday, the 40 days of Lent and the drama of Holy Week, see ourselves and the world as they are in God. The events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection become for us a window into the new creation (otherwise known as the Kingdom of God) in which we can participate and from which we can receive a secure identity.

• Dependence – During Lent, we unlearn the lie that we are self-made, self-contained individuals. We learn to draw upon the life of God and the bonds of affection with our fellow Christians.

A Word to Parents on Helping Your Kids Practice Lent

Rachel and I know firsthand how challenging it can be to introduce your kids to the traditions and practices of the church, especially when they are not immediately enjoyable. How can we help our kids understand the value of keeping Lent? How can we assist them in experiencing God’s love and grace, even in the midst of spiritual disciplines?

What follows is by no means a comprehensive take on practicing Lent with young kids, rather this is simply a collection of suggestions to help us get started (and perhaps an attempt at overcoming some of the fears and hesitations we might have).

Practice #1: No sweets Monday-Saturday, but feast on Sundays!

• Explanation: This isn't easy, but at least it’s straightforward! No sweets for breakfast (sorry Sugar Shack Donuts), or lunch, or dinner.

• Hope: That our children would learn the value of self-denial and sacrifice for God; that they would learn to prize Sunday and, through feasting, taste and see that the Lord is good.

• Typical Kid Response: Lots of griping and complaining! Why do we have to do this? Why doesn’t God like dessert? I hate Lent! Our church is the worst!

• Wise Parent Response: We’re not giving up sweets because they’re bad or because God doesn’t want us to have fun. We are remembering that these are good gifts from God and sometimes we forget that. Sometimes we forget that all the good things in life come from God. Kids, we’ll have dessert together on Sunday and let’s make it a good one! When we feast together on Sunday, it’ll be like a taste of heaven.

  • Side Note: Practice this as a whole family (i.e. parents, don’t go and have dessert after your kids go to bed). This gives you the resource of empathizing with your kids. “I know honey - I want dessert too, but we’re fasting together.”

Practice #2: “I’m sorry” Prayers.

• Explanation: During family prayer time, whether in the morning around the dinner table, or before bedtime, focus on repentance - prayers that begin with the words, “Dear God, I am sorry….”

  • Pro Tip: Kneeling around a candle can help kids focus.

  • Level 2: Once you make prayer together as a family part of your daily habit, you might consider adding some liturgical structure around it. The Family Prayers found in the Book of Common Prayer are very helpful. Use them regularly enough and your kids will have them memorized after a few weeks.

• Hope: That our children would learn to practice regular repentance, and through doing so, they would become more aware of their own sin and therefore more aware of their need for the Gospel.

Redeemer family, as Ecclesiastes taught us last Sunday, for everything there is a season. Let’s prepare our calendars, pantries, bank accounts, and hearts to keep the season of Lent together.

After all, Easter is right around the corner.

In the Father’s love,

The Definition and Purpose of a Vestry

Every March, members of Redeemer elect new members to the Vestry—our parish's governing body. This year we are electing two new Vestry members. Any member in good standing can be nominated to serve on the vestry. If you are a member of Redeemer, we encourage you to prayerfully consider whom you might nominate for these important roles.

• Nominations are open through Sunday, February 23.

• Nominees will be presented on Sunday, March 2.

• Voting will be conducted online the week of Sunday, March 9 through Sunday, March 15.

Thank you for your thoughtful and prayerful consideration.

The Nominating Committee of the Vestry
David Williamson
Rachel White
Matt Morgan
Jeromy Lewis

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The Definition of a Vestry

What is a Vestry? 
Our Vestry is an elected body of deeply committed, faithful lay members of the parish. The Vestry, under the leadership of the Rector, meets monthly to prayerfully steward the “temporalities” (i.e. material resources) of the church. 

Demographics of a Healthy Vestry
It is desirable to have a well balanced Vestry that accurately represents the demographics of the congregation. A healthy Vestry is composed of both men and women, young and old, single and married, parents and non-parents.

Characteristics of a Good candidate for Vestry
A good candidate for the Vestry is a deeply committed, faithful, prayerful follower of Jesus and confirmed member of Redeemer. He or she does not need to be successful, influential, or impressive. He or she does not need to be an expert in the Anglican tradition. A good candidate wants to be on the Vestry in order to serve, not to be important or to try to impose their will on the church.

Expected Time Commitment 
Not everyone will have the time to serve on the Vestry in every season of life. In addition to one monthly meeting on a weekday morning for three years, Vestry members will be expected to serve 2-3 additional hours per week on Vestry-related tasks. Vestry members will also attend a one-night annual retreat. 

Process for Submitting Nominations
Prayer: This is a process that needs to be saturated in prayer. 
Please submit your nominations here.

The Purpose of Redeemer's Vestry

Safeguard the Vision
The Vestry’s primary role is to protect the stated vision of the parish. Each member of the Vestry should be able to articulate and safeguard the primary visionary direction of the congregation. They should each know and believe the answer to this question: What is it we are trying to do here?

Insure the Values
While the Vestry may know the direction and what they are trying to do as a parish, the Values question is this: How are we actually trying to live out our vision? What are the means and programs by which we are working toward our Vision? Where do we focus our efforts? What are we going to do now?

Uphold Financial Integrity
The Vestry is also charged with protecting the financial integrity of the church. Through a designated Finance team, the Vestry should scrutinize the finances on a monthly basis. They should provide for an annual audit of all funds; approve budgets and make routine reports to the congregation. They should approve long-term financial contracts and basically act as guardians of the financial life of the parish to insure that the church has a long-term future and is operating in a trustworthy way with all funds that have been given or borrowed.

Support the Rector
Supporting the Rector is the fourth key role of the Vestry. If the Rector is the main agent in accomplishing 1, 2, and 3 above, then the Vestrys’ primary role then is to help the Rector accomplish these things. Vestry leadership is never honorary; they are not rubber stamps for what the Rector decides is best. But they are not either to be ‘devil’s advocates’, the loyal opposition, or representatives of any special interest groups or programs in the parish. The Vestry has one job in a sense: help the Rector to lead the parish in 1, 2 and 3 (above) and support him however they can.

Model Sacrificial Giving
The final role of the Vestry is to model sacrificial, tithe-based giving to the parish. The Vestry should be among the most generous and financially committed members of the church. Why? Obviously, the leadership should never ask members to give beyond their own willingness to give; their own personal level of commitment. Leaders lead in every area, but the Vestry should be strong givers because people who are sacrificial givers…tithers…have usually discovered in themselves a heart of generosity that will help create a parish-wide culture of generosity in the years to come.*

*Language borrowed from our friend The Rev. David Rosenberry.

What Does Practicing a Reordered Imagination Have To Do With Redeemer’s Search for a Building?

Redeemer family,

Two weeks ago, we launched into an Epiphany sermon series on Practicing a Reordered Imagination. Thus far, we have contemplated:

• Making - The Work of Our Hands

• Music - A Song in Our Hearts

In the coming weeks, we will examine:

• Beholding - The Gaze of Our Eyes

• Food - The Fruit of the Ground

• Time - Temporality & Transcendence

• Embodied Attention - Digital Limits

• Narration - Restored Through Story

• Eucharist - The Mystery of Presence

The first bit of underlying logic motivating this series is the conviction that we human beings live out of our imaginations. Many of you have heard me say this before and I have written elsewhere, “From the imagination springs desires; from desires flow actions, which over time wear grooves into habits; from habits develop beliefs that justify; and from beliefs come doctrine.”

We are homo imaginari.

The second bit of underlying logic is the conviction that our imaginations can be molded, shaped, and changed by our practices. The human imagination is dynamic, not static.

Therefore, our practices (especially the ones we take for granted) are of profoundly deep importance to the spiritual wellbeing of our souls.

Now, what does all this have to do with Redeemer’s search for a building?

If Winston Churchill was correct when he said, “We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us,” then the location and shape of Redeemer’s future building will have an immensely formative effect on us. We will choose and shape a building, and thereafter the building will shape us.

And so as we pray and seek the Lord’s guidance and provision for a building, what sorts of things might we ask of our Heavenly Father?

We might ask for a building that is affordable and functional. Yes and Amen.

But we might also ask for a building that, location-wise, places us in close proximity to neighbors who are in need of the hope of the Gospel. Few things will shape a missional imagination more than regularly experiencing missional encounters with neighbors who do not yet have faith in Christ.

We might also ask for a building with a kind of beauty that points us to the beauty of God and hospitable architecture that points to the hospitality of God.

As we evaluate various potential buildings, one of the most important questions we can ask (after “Can we afford it?” and “Does it have the space we need?”) is “What kind of people would this building shape us to be?”

Redeemer family, I met with our Search Team this morning and I’m so grateful for the wisdom and expertise of the people on this team. While we don’t have any concrete updates for you as of yet, I am encouraged by how the process is going.

Let’s continue to pray together for the Lord to provide whatever building He deems best for us.

In the Father’s Love,

Join a Retreat This Spring

“When should I make a retreat? When there is no time to do it, that’s when you most need to unclutter the calendar and go apart to pray. When the gridlock of your schedule relentlessly forbids it is the time you most need a retreat. That is when your heart beats against the prison walls of your enslavement and says, “Yes, Lord, I want to spend time with you.””

— Emilie Griffin, Wilderness Time

Jesus often withdrew to quiet places and prayed (Luke 5:16), even amidst the busiest moments of his life. He didn’t allow the stress — or success! — of his work to outweigh his need to break from his regular rhythms and get away to spend time with his Heavenly Father. We’d like to invite all of our Redeemer family to attend our Men’s or Women’s Fellowship retreats this spring. Each will have some good biblical teaching, conversations for connection and encouragement as we listen for God’s direction, and plenty of time for rest and play.

Both retreats will be at the Roslyn Retreat Center. Though it’s a short drive from the city limits, we encourage you to do all you can to stay overnight. Interrupting a two-day retreat with a night back home is like walking away from a newly lit fire just after the spark has caught. When you return, even if you’re gone for just a short time, you’ve lost some momentum and will likely have to start over again. The tasks and concerns awaiting us at home come rushing back. Those who do stay overnight know the gift of unhurried conversations where old friendships are deepened and new friendships are made in a way that is much harder to do when everyone is scattered in their different every-day routines. Come retreat with us!

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“I have attended the Women’s retreat the past few years and have found it to be such a spiritually and relationally enriching time. Even though I live close by, I’ve chosen to stay the night and have loved the extra time in fellowship with others. Staying overnight helps the retreat to feel like a real getaway and a reset from the busyness of life.” Becca Goodall

“I believe in sleepovers. There is something powerful about stepping away from the demands of daily life and fully entering into the content, rest, and fellowship offered in a retreat. In a culture more interpersonally isolated than ever, we can proclaim the goodness of the incarnation to one another as we offer our presence for 24 hours. Is your bed more comfortable? Probably. Is your coffee better? Definitely. Is it beneficial for you and our parish to invest in time away together? Absolutely. Intentionally doing life together may bring us out of our comfort zones, but it provides a beautiful context for embodied connection. Our lived experience of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us creates a place where our stories can be held. As Curt Thompson says, these encounters weave "a community of disparate people into the tapestry of God's family." We desire to become that together. Please consider this my most sincere invitation to join us overnight at the beautiful Roslyn Retreat Center, where we will practice the goodness of being known together.” Lindsay Fauver