A Sanctuary for the City
Creating a sacred place
of formation, refuge, and hospitality.
A Letter
from Our Rector
Dear Redeemer Family,
When Rachel and I first moved to Richmond with our kids in the summer of 2016, we had never met most of you, had no idea what the years ahead would hold, nor did we know what shape this little fledgling church would take. The past nine years have been full of thrilling surprises and unexpected gifts from the Lord. A new spiritual family has been gathered and knit together here at Redeemer. Strangers have become dear friends. Spiritually lost people have found their true home in Jesus and his Church. Old wounds have been healed. Single men and women have met, loved, and given themselves to each other in marriage. Hundreds (no exaggeration!) of children have been born. Young ministers have been trained, equipped, and ordained. New church plants have been sent out. It is the privilege of a lifetime to simply witness what the Holy Spirit has been doing in our midst. Truly.
And so, as Redeemer approaches Year 10 and we consider what the future might hold for us, it appears supernaturally timely that we invest in the long-term health of our parish and the sustainability of our mission here in the city. We know that hospitality is at the heart of mission and we desire to offer a safe, welcoming refuge to our neighbors all throughout the week. We want to gather children, youth, college students, men, and women for fellowship, teaching, and prayer. We are convinced that human beings are formed by practices of prayer, teaching, song, liturgy, sacraments, and service to others, but we have not had spaces to consistently practice these together.
This is why we are launching the Sanctuary Campaign: to renovate the historic church building at 1801 Park Ave. to be a sacred place of formation, refuge, and hospitality for our parish and for our neighbors here in the city. As you have likely already perceived, the word “sanctuary” has a double meaning: 1) a place of worship and 2) a place of protection. A healthy, biblical church always holds both of these together. When we hear the word “sanctuary,” we can think of all the Gospel Formation practices we do together when we gather for worship and we can also think of the ways we seek to embody the Missional Presence of Christ by offering a place of refuge and hospitality to those who are in need. In order for Redeemer to continue the good work that God has begun in us, we need a sanctuary for the Word of our Savior and we need to offer sanctuary to our neighbors here in the city.
We hope you will consider partnering with us!
In the Father’s love,
Dan
“Redeemer is the kind of church every city needs. They are a thriving congregation committed to developing healthy leaders who serve the long-term good of Richmond. I have seen first-hand how that commitment is already making a meaningful difference across the city.”
— Kevin Harlan, Vice President of Programs at Made To Flourish
A Sacred Place in Richmond
Richmond’s urban core is becoming increasingly unchurched. In the Fan District, with its historic row houses and sidewalks filled with students, young families, and long-time residents, fewer than 1/3 of its 13,000 residents participate in any church community.
In the midst of a city marked by increasing secularization and isolation, Redeemer has steadily grown into a vibrant congregation with over 750 parishioners who call Redeemer home. Over the last nine years we’ve outgrown our current space: the nursery is full, our children pack out classrooms, we fellowship with newcomers a block away at the VMFA (weather dependent!), and nearly all of our ministries meet off-site during the week. Simply put, the conditional use of our existing rental situation restricts our full range of ministry opportunities.
After a year of prayerful waiting and searching, a unique opportunity presented itself in 1801 Park Ave, a historic 25,000 square-foot building one block from Redeemer’s original location. This building is in need of complete renovation to transform it into a sacred place of formation, refuge, and hospitality for generations to come.
273 children at Redeemer
are under the age of 12.
40% of our church family is
under the age of 18.
24 babies were born into Redeemer families in 2025.
406 parishioners regularly
attend small groups.
75 students participate
in CCO each week.
A Foretaste of Eternity
“We first attended Redeemer soon after moving to Richmond in 2017, still broken-hearted over leaving our church and small group in Memphis, TN, three years before. The congregation was tiny at the time and we had three teenagers–the next oldest kids in the church were six years old! But we loved it and immediately all knew it was to be our church home. My girls became the go-to babysitters, and the young moms actually took them in as friends and became wonderful mentors for them. However, finding community was difficult for us. Making friends with teenagers in tow was so different from raising babies in community at our home church. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer about two years later, my first thought was that we couldn’t make it through the long journey of chemo, multiple surgeries, and radiation without our people. But this church stepped in and became our people through that hard year and a half. They relentlessly prayed over me, brought countless meals, drove my kids to appointments, gave thoughtful and generous gifts to make our lives more manageable through the fight, and rallied to pull together a wedding for my daughter while my brain was still in a medication fog. As important as it is having people support us through a crisis, we have found our weekly small group to be the place where we share life, in all its glory and brokenness, as members of the church. Redeemer is more than a wonderful place to worship, it is our connection to the body of Christ and a foretaste of eternity.”
Keri Smith, Parishioner
1801 Park Ave.
Originally built in 1910 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1801 Park 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. We look forward to continuing the stewardship of this building as a place of worship and refuge for our neighbors in the city.
Beholding & Becoming
How will owning our own building impact Redeemer’s ministries?
NURSERY & REDEEMER KIDS
The spiritual lives of our youngest parishioners are nurtured every Sunday through holistic, age-appropriate formation. With a beautifully designed nursery and kids’ classrooms we will be able to safely and thoughtfully care for a growing number of children in spaces that communicate belonging, delight, and intentional investment in the faith of our children.
SMALL GROUPS
The back and forth rhythm of corporate gatherings and small group fellowship can be traced back to the first Christians. Small Groups at Redeemer are the programmatic expression of this ancient practice. Every week, just shy of three hundred adults gather across Richmond. While many meet in homes, a permanent space will allow for additional groups to gather as well as provide available space for extracurricular small group events and midweek fellowship.
CCO
We are grateful for a strong partnership with the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO). Through this partnership, Redeemer provides support for college ministers who are seeking to care for students and help them experience the love of Christ. A permanent space will allow for weekly gatherings and mentorship, offering students a consistent and welcoming environment to belong.
JUSTICE & MERCY
Redeemer partners with local organizations to meet tangible needs throughout Richmond. With a dedicated kitchen, Parish Hall, and flexible gathering spaces, we will be able to host meals for the homeless, assemble care packages, and offer a space for our partners to lead their own initiatives. This building will expand our capacity to not only to serve our city, but to welcome others in as co-laborers in the work of justice and mercy.
ARTS, EDUCATION & CITY ENGAGEMENT
Through classes and creative events, Redeemer shapes thoughtful conversations around vocation, imagination, and intentional living in Richmond in this cultural moment. As we look towards a space of our own, we anticipate an increase of educational programming and an ongoing investment in Richmond’s cultural life.
SUNDAY WORSHIP
Every week we gather for a worship service rich with metaphor, symbolism, and wisdom that has been passed down through the ages. In a dedicated Sanctuary, our parish will be able to worship with greater beauty, consistency, and reverence. Our services will remain centered on scripture, sacrament, and song in a space designed to reflect the goodness and hospitality of the Gospel.
YOUTH FELLOWSHIP
Our 6th–12th grade students gather for evenings that flow from games and laughter, to good food, music and worship, to Biblical teaching and small group discussion. In a dedicated Parish Hall, Youth Fellowship will have room to grow, host outreach events, and welcome new students into a space that fosters connection and meaningful Gospel formation.
MEN’S & WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP
Our Men’s and Women’s Fellowships create opportunities for connection and spiritual growth through events like meals, lectures, and retreats. With a flexible, welcoming building, these gatherings can expand to include larger events, regular teaching nights, and spaces for prayer and conversation.
RVA MOMCO.
RVA MomCo. gathers mothers from across the city for connection, teaching, and support. With access to a Parish Hall for meetings and thoughtfully designed classrooms for childcare, this ministry will be able to grow and serve more mothers each year. From weekly gatherings to city-wide events, our building will provide a warm, dependable space where mothers and children alike are cared for and welcomed.
CHURCH PLANTING
Planting new churches has been one of the great joys of our parish life. A permanent home will allow us to train, resource, and send future leaders more effectively by hosting educational opportunities within our own space. As we continue to send out new congregations, this building will serve as both a place of formation and a reminder that the mission of the Church will always extend beyond our walls.
“CCO has become a lifeline for me during my time in college. It has brought me into a community of people who I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to know, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. Praying with and for one another, eating together around a table, and staying late to get a little more theological are just some of the ways I’ve been so blessed by this ministry. It has moved me to be more involved in Redeemer as a member, and in my broader community.”
— Olivia Pinkman, CCO Student an Parishioner
Deep human questions need more than doctrinal answers, they need embodied beliefs.
Our parish is organized around seven practices that address the deep human questions we all ask. Our dream is that as we practice this kind of Gospel Formation together we will embody the missional presence of Jesus to our friends, our neighbors, our coworkers, and our city.
Building What We Believe
There are times when we catch what at least seems like a glimpse of the Lord’s directive hand orchestrating circumstances for the favor of his people. Across our parishioners, Location Search Team, Real Estate Broker, and Vestry, we have noticed what appears to be God’s special provision for us.
We are beginning a fitting new chapter, preparing to move into a 25,000 square-foot building merely one block from the little white chapel on the corner of Park & Meadow where Redeemer had her very first interest meetings and public launch. The circumstances that allowed us to have the right people in place at the right time at an opportune moment to get the building under contract are beyond coincidental.
This building will allow us to:
Provide an intentional and accessible space for worship, seating 500+ in a sacred space designed for reverence and hospitality.
Dedicate the appropriate amount of space for Redeemer’s growing children and youth ministries.
Host parish-wide feasts and celebrations with an indoor fellowship space and full commercial kitchen.
Open our doors throughout the week for daily prayer, adult education, and ministry events.
Be a welcoming presence in the city through events, partnerships, educational opportunities, and more.
As we look ahead to the work we will do together to share resources, renovate, design, furnish, and steward this historic space, we are deeply grateful for the kindness of the Lord and the way he is providing for us.
We are not simply acquiring space. We are making a long-term, public commitment to investing in the renewal of our city. This new home will be a place of formation and belonging: a rooted presence for the common good of Richmond.
“There is no one more precious than one’s children and we appreciate how Redeemer views kids as vital, whole members of the church. Stepping into a volunteer role has allowed me to see firsthand how much training, protection, and intentionality Redeemer pours into their Kids’ Ministry. It is such a joy to play a small part in shepherding our littlest members in their love and knowledge of the Lord. Even more so, I love hearing my own children’s delight at the end of each of their classes and knowing they are being loved by the greater body of Christ and our community.”
— Kelly Fuqua, Redeemer Kids Parent & Volunteer
A Week at 1801 Park Ave.
“Since the beginning days of the Youth Ministry, we have been amazed to witness the rock-solid biblical teaching and sacrificial love of the wonderful adults who have been called to serve in this ministry. In their season of leading this ministry, Christian Hayes and Ben Murray provided formative models as Christian men, not only in pouring into our son but also in their roles as husbands and fathers.”
— Lilli and Matt Benko, Parishioners and Youth Fellowship Parents
The Work Before Us
Participate in the Story
This work can’t be done alone! Considering partnering with us in the work of building a sanctuary for the people of Richmond. Gifts may be given over the course of three years.
Frequently Asked Questions
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One Monument Parking Deck (just 2 blocks from 1810 Park Ave.) as well as available street parking.
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An internal capital campaign and historic tax credits.
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$2.1 million purchase + $7.9 million renovation = $10 million, total, all in.
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If you have a question related to the campaign and how this project is funded, please contact our Campaign Manager, Mallory Nix.
If you have a question related to the design and use of the spaces in the building, please reach out to the Rev. Dan Marotta.
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Item description
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Our Rector, the Rev. Dan Marotta, Alex Griffith our Senior Warden, Jason Vickers-Smith, and many of staff are involved in leading
various aspects of the project. -
WPA — Walter Park Associates
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JD Lewis Construction Management, Inc.
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We have no intention to significantly change the exterior, however many interior ceilings, walls, and floors will need to be replaced or significantly repaired.
We are working with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to ensure that the most important historical aspects of the building are preserved.
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Our architect, a small team of volunteers, and select staff are collaborating to make design decisions.
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Renovations began early 2026, and we believe it’s safe to assume the renovation process will take 18-24 months.