Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer City,

As you have probably heard, beginning this coming Sunday, June 5, we will be transitioning to one Sunday morning worship service at 9:30am. This is an intentional decision on the part of our leadership. Due to all of the hard work so many have put in to help put on multiple worship services throughout the Fall and Spring, we are hoping this will give us time to rest and be rejuvenated towards the goal of seeing our attendance grow to 450-500 people on Sunday mornings. This remains our goal because we believe it will facilitate our strategy to plant churches in a more healthy and aggressive manner. So I’m putting us on notice. Let’s not get too comfortable. The mission is more important than our personal comfort. On August 14 we will go back to two services – 9:00am and 10:35am. Jesus’ love towards us compels us to make room for all the lost and the least in our city who would to come and hear the good news of the gospel. I read somewhere recently that the church is the only civic organization that exists for nonmembers. Like Paul, we are called to lay aside our own desires and become servants to all, that we might win more of them (1 Corinthians 9:19).

So as we head into this summer, I’m writing to ask four things of you. First, enjoy the next ten weeks. I am really looking forward to all being together in one service. I know many of you are as well. So come early. Come with energy. Lean in closer. Sing a little louder. We expect that by next summer we will have grown beyond being able to condense into one service again. So enjoy this last opportunity to do this.

Secondly, please don’t take the summer off. During these ten weeks, I am going to preach a series on the “Theological Vision” of our church. These will be important messages. Please make a point to be there. Come back early from vacation to be there. Let’s pack the church out every week as we talk about our mission and pray it into reality in our city.

Third, give generously this summer. We are, at present, significantly behind budget for 2016. We expected this. It is part of the cost of giving away 10% of our people and 10% of our income in planting the Southwest congregation. Charitable giving – to churches, non-profits, etc. - usually dips during the summer. Let’s not let that happen. There is too much work God has given us to do to be hindered by a lack of resources! If you are able, help us make up this difference during the summer months.

Lastly, I’d like to ask you to sneak over to Redeemer Southwest for a Sunday. The first summer for a church plant is hard. This can be discouraging to the core group and the pastor! Go and encourage them with your presence and your smile. They meet at the Howard Johnson at 10:00am

Looking forward to seeing all of you this coming Sunday at 9:30am. You are a joy to pastor. Praying you find rest in the coming weeks, but that your rest pushes you and our church forward in the mission.

For His glory,