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Caring Well Challenge

As you may recall, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA this past summer as a Messenger representing Redeemer Bible Church. While there were many topics discussed at this event, the main focus was determining how the SBC was going to respond to the findings of the Guidestone Solutions Report detailing years of improper handling of sexual abuse cases by cooperating churches and SBC leadership.

What I will remember as one of the most meaningful moments of my life took place on the second day of the vote when I raised my ballot in support of the recommendations of the Sexual Abuse Task Force. 
Throughout the weekend I had the chance to meet with survivors and those who have been working to make churches a safe place for survivors and a place safe from predators. These experiences caused me to realize that merely raising my hand was an empty gesture without working to implement change on a grassroots level.

Upon my return, I drew up a list of recommendations for our elders which included implementing the Caring Well Challenge here at Redeemer Bible Church––a recommendation with which they unanimously agreed.

To address the issue of abuse in the SBC and its member churches two things need to happen. One, there needs to be a systematic change of policies and procedures. More importantly, we must change the culture that has allowed predators to flourish.

Here are a few staggering statistics from the SBC of Virginia:

  • Child check-in systems are good, but only 4% of cases result in abductions.
  • Background checks are important, but less than 10% of abusers encounter the criminal justice system.
  • Policies are beneficial, but they must be contextualized and take into account how sexual predators commit their crimes.

But prevention is just one part of addressing abuse in the church. We must also meet the needs of survivors. One in four women sitting in our pews and one in six men have been victims of abuse.

For those of you asking how the Gospel fits in with all of this, I will share survivor and advocate, Rachael Denhollander’s words, “Trauma survivors are the unreached people group of our time. We expect missionaries to contextualize their people groups. We must do the same for the one in four and the one in six.”

The gospel calls us to champion the dignity of all people, including the vulnerable in our midst that have experienced abuse.

You will be hearing a lot about the Caring Well Challenge over the next year. At last Sunday’s Business Meeting, I gave a brief presentation explaining the history of the program and what it means for our church going forward.

At the 2018 Southern Baptist Annual Meeting, a motion was made to form a presidential task force to address the issue of abuse. In the fall of 2018, SBC President J.D. Greear, in partnership with the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission (an SBC entity), appointed a Sexual Abuse Advisory Group with the purpose of evaluating needs in this area and addressing opportunities to strengthen and enhance churches’ care for survivors, prevention, and response to abuse. 

During the first phase of this process, the SBC Sexual Abuse Advisory Group interviewed hundreds of survivors, advocates, outside experts, and pastors to hear their stories and learn from their viewpoints.
From this, the Advisory Group sought to develop resources and recommendations to equip SBC churches with the tools, strategies, and partnerships to more effectively care for survivors and to prevent abuse before it occurs. It was out of this effort that the Caring Well Challenge was birthed.

The Caring Well Challenge is a unified call to action on the abuse crisis in the Southern Baptist Convention. It provides churches with a simple, adaptable, and attainable pathway to immediately strengthen their efforts to prevent abuse and care for abuse survivors. 

Committing ourselves to being a part of this initiative provides our church an opportunity to link hearts and arms with, and to continue to learn from, other churches as we strive to be vigilant in caring for one another, particularly those who have been or are being abused in our church.

Over the next year, we will be implementing the eight steps of the Caring Well Challenge. The first of which will be building a Caring Well Team that will coordinate this ministry. They will lead our efforts to equip our leaders to care well for the abused and to enhance our policies, procedures, and practices related to abuse. This team will be introduced to the entire church body on The Caring Well Challenge Launch Sunday and will be available as a resource for our members.

I’ll close by sharing the words of Immediate Past SBC President Ed Litton. He began by reading Matthew 9:35, “‘Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.'”

He continued, “The word for compassion translates to a ‘moving of the intestines.’ Jesus experienced what we would call a ‘punch to the gut’ when he looked upon the crowds. If you see someone who needs something, don’t let your eyes look away. If we are not moved to action we will become indifferent. We need to also see the harvest of those that are burdened and broken down by their past trauma. We need to bring them to the only One who can truly heal their pain.”

I am honored and humbled to be able to serve our church body by coordinating the implementation of the Caring Well Challenge at Redeemer Bible Church and look forward to sharing more details in the weeks and months ahead.

Heather Ablondi–SBC Messenger

Unreached People Groups

A Call to Prioritize Unreached People Groups

[Romans 10:14-15 ESV] 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

[Romans 15:20 ESV] 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation.

As of today, approximately 7-10% of the world’s population professes to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Approximately 33% of the world’s population are non-evangelical Christians. “Non-evangelical” Christians profess to believe in Jesus but reject or do not follow the core teachings of Jesus. This leaves approximately 57% of the world’s population who do not believe in Jesus (Remaining Missions Task).

As evangelical Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. The only way to be saved from the wrath of God is by God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus said that those who don’t believe “are condemned already.” (John 3:18) Because humanity is lost without faith in Jesus, we devote our time, prayers, and resources to reach the lost around us and abroad. We send ministers to Bible college to equip the saints to bring the good news of salvation to his or her families, workplaces, neighbors, or any other situation that would call us to “give a defense for the hope that is within us.” (1 Peter 3:15) This is great news for the unbelievers who have access to the gospel through the witness of the local church. However, there are more unbelievers today in places where there is no possibility of meeting a Christian, than the population of North America, South America, Central America, Western Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East combined. (Frontier Peoples Overview)

Imagine being an unbeliever and having no believing Christians in your city. Now imagine that among your whole nation, there are no Christians that speak your language. Now imagine being that person who lives his or her life without hearing the good news and dies in his or her sins without the saving hope of Jesus Christ. This is the reality for unreached people groups (UPGs) all over the world. “An unreached or least-reached people is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance.” (Unreached Peoples Overview)

Furthermore, this is the reality for one in four human beings on the planet today. India alone holds 1.3 billion souls who have no access to the gospel. There are approximately 1.8 billion Muslims who have no access to the gospel. These are not people who have churches down the road, in the next town over, or the next city over. These are people who don’t have any person who knows Jesus Christ anywhere near them who speaks their language or understands their culture.

Therefore, we need to send missionaries where they’re needed most. There are many missionaries throughout the world today. For the purpose of this article, I will define missionary as someone who has the gift of teaching or evangelism who is sharing the gospel with people of a different language or culture than his or her own. As of today, for every missionary that the church sends to the unreached of the world, she sends 30 missionaries to places who have a Christian witness. (Remaining Mission Task) If we are going to accomplish the Great Commission, we must establish the unreached people of the world in our hearts.

Although this may seem like an impossible task, nothing is impossible with God. The wisdom of man or fleshly strength alone cannot accomplish this task. God has already established His church in places previously thought impossible by man with far less technology and resources than those that are in our grasps today. We are seeing this reality today as the global south (the countries south of the equator) are sending out more missionaries than America. (Sutter, 2021) These brothers and sisters live in abject poverty yet are answering the call to travel sea and land to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, let’s go where the gospel has never gone. Pray that the Lord would open the doors for believers to go into all the world. Pray that God would raise up a generation of missionaries who would recover the original calling of a missionary: “the call to die.”1 Pray that God would prepare the way by His spirit for the obedient missionaries from all over the world who will pioneer the gospel among UPGs. Pray for current cross-cultural missionaries who are serving in locations that are geographically convenient to reach UPGs, that they would equip the indigenous churches to send out missionaries to places that westerners have no access to.

Jacob Foster-ministry intern

Hyperlinks
Remaining Mission Task (joshuaproject.net)
why-still-unreached.pdf (joshuaproject.net)
frontier-peoples-overview.pdf (joshuaproject.net) (Unreached Peoples Overview, n.d.) https://joshuaproject.net/assets/media/handouts/unreached-peoples-overview.pdf
  _______________________
1 Call to Missions: A Death Sentence – BMW (biblicalministries.org)

Lottie Moon

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

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

As Christmas is fast approaching it is time to remember the sacrificial mission work of one of Southern Baptist’s early female missionaries. She was a pioneer in many ways but most important was her love for our Savior and the people she was called to minister. Lottie Moon was passionate about people knowing Christ. She didn’t hesitate to speak her mind. If you have been around Baptist churches, you have heard the name, but maybe you don’t know the story behind the name. This is a summary of Lottie Moon’s beginnings in Albemarle, Virginia, and her missionary work.

She was born Charlotte Digges “Lottie” Moon in 1840 to a family of affluent tobacco farmers in Albemarle County, Virginia. In December 1858 she dedicated her life to Christ and was baptized at First Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Lottie attended Albemarle Female Institute, the female counterpart to the University of Virginia. In 1861, she was one of the first women in the South to receive a master’s degree. She stayed close to home during the Civil War but eventually taught school in Kentucky, Georgia, and Virginia.

Edmonia Moon, Lottie’s sister, was appointed to Tengchow, China, in 1872. The following year, Lottie was appointed and joined her sister there. Lottie served 39 years as a missionary, mostly in China’s Shantung province. She taught in a girls’ school and often made trips into China’s interior to share the good news with women and girls.

When she set sail for China, Lottie was 32 years old. She had turned down a marriage proposal and left her job, home and family to follow God’s lead. Her path wasn’t typical for an educated woman from a wealthy Southern family. God had gripped her with the Chinese peoples’ need for a Savior.

For 39 years Lottie labored, chiefly in Tengchow and P’ingtu. People feared and rejected her, but she refused to leave. The aroma of fresh-baked cookies drew people to her house. She adopted traditional Chinese dress, and she learned China’s language and customs. Lottie didn’t just serve the people of China; she identified with them. Many eventually accepted her. And some accepted her Savior.

Lottie wrote letters home detailing China’s hunger for truth and the struggle of so few missionaries taking the gospel to the 472 million Chinese in her day. She also shared the urgent need for more workers and for Southern Baptists to support them through prayer and giving.

She once wrote home to the Foreign Mission Board, “Please say to the [new] missionaries they are coming to a life of hardship, responsibility, and constant self-denial.” Disease, turmoil, and lack of co-workers threatened to undo Lottie’s work. But she gave herself completely to God, helping lay the foundation of what would become the modern Chinese church, one of the fastest-growing Christian movements in the world.

Lottie frequently sent letters back home detailing Chinese culture, missionary life, and the physical and spiritual needs of the Chinese people. Additionally, she challenged Southern Baptists to go to China or give so that others could go. By 1888, Southern Baptist women had organized and helped collect $3,315 to send workers needed in China. Lottie Moon died at 72 — ill and in declining health after decades of ministering to her beloved Chinese.

In 1918, Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) named the annual Christmas offering for international missions after the woman who had urged them to start it.

Today’s China is a world of rapid change. It’s home to 1.4 billion individuals – one-fifth of the world’s population. Village dwellers flock to trendy megacities with exploding populations. It’s very different from the vast farmland Lottie Moon entered in the 1800s. But one thing hasn’t changed: China’s need for a Savior.

Her legacy lives on. And today, when gifts aren’t growing as quickly as the number of workers God is calling to the field, her call for sacrificial giving rings with more urgency than ever.

Walking in Unity

Walking in Unity
Ephesians 4:1-3
In the book of Ephesians, Paul writes about the believer’s position and practice. The first three chapters of Ephesians speak of the believer’s position and the last three chapters speak of the believer’s practice. Both are required to be understood to walk in obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I want to share with you about walking in unity, Ephesians 4:1-3.

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

In verse 1, we are told how important it is to “walk in a manner worthy of our calling.” Paul is imploring us to live our lives in a manner that illustrates our obedience to the Word of God. Our daily walk “manner of living” should mimic that of Christ and correspond to our position as children of God. Walking worthy means that we are to balance our behavior with our position. God has “adopted us as sons through Jesus Christ in Himself” and we should live as someone who has been adopted by God’s great mercy.

We are also to walk in “all humility.” Humility is one of the key foundations of Christian living. Humility must permeate our lives and influence all we do. The word means to think or judge with lowliness and to have lowliness of mind. In Romans 12:3 we are reminded to not think more highly of ourselves but to think of ourselves with sound judgment based on the measure of faith God has given us. Paul, in Philippians 2:7-8, reminds us of how Christ humbled Himself even to death on the cross. He is our example.

When we are walking in a manner worthy of our calling, and in humility, we are to do so with gentleness and patience. Meekness and forbearance are some of the signs of a person who is humble. Many in our culture view meekness as a sign of weakness, someone who is a pushover, or lacks courage. This is not true of a Christian; this word means to be mild-spirited or self-controlled. King David was a great example of this type of inner spirit when he refused to kill Saul even though he had the opportunity. We should forbear in God’s love based on His graciousness and kindness toward us to achieve unity.

Lastly, we are to work “diligently” to preserve unity. This is not talking about ecumenical unity among different religions. This speaks of inner unity and unity within the body of Christ. We as Christians are to strive to be unified with other followers of Christ. We are to wrap ourselves in the “bond of peace” to glorify God in attitude and practice. Peaceful unity can be achieved by exegetically (the process of discovering the original and intended meaning of a passage of scripture) studying and meditating on the Word of God and applying the precepts of His Word. I pray your Christian walk will be with humility, patience, unity, and gentleness.

Rodney

Revival

Revival Follows The Honoring, Reading, and Obedience to the Word of God

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6 ESV


These words are prophetic words given by the minor prophet Hosea. Hosea was called to a prophetic ministry in a time of rebellion described earlier in the chapter under the reign of the wicked king Jeroboam II. The people of Judah were described as faithless and without an enduring love in verse 1. Throughout the chapter, Judah’s culture is described as a land full of “… swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed” (verse 2). After reading this, one can’t help but think of how this describes our nation today.
 

Israel was chosen by God as a special people, chosen above all the nations of the earth (Deuteronomy 7:6). “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 9:4-5). God passed over every other mighty nation, full of all the world’s wisdom and military might, and chose a small nation to reveal Himself. It was to the Israelites, and them alone, whom God chose to reveal His ways. It’s important to note that God was not obligated to have this kind of mercy on any nation, but, in His love, He chose Israel.
 

Let’s fast forward about a century after the utterances of Hosea, to the reign of King Josiah. Please read the full account of Josiah’s reign and reformation in 2 Kings, chapters 22 and 23. To summarize, during the reign of Josiah, the law of the Lord was recovered after a century of the raging rebellion described above. After Josiah read the Book of the Law, likely the book of Deuteronomy or another book from the Torah, he tore his clothes in anguish and did away with the idolatrous practices. This was arguably the greatest reform done by any king in Israel. In fact, he was the first king who ordered Judah to keep the Passover described in the law since the time of Israel’s judges (at least 400 years).
 

Today, we find ourselves in a nation and culture very similar to ancient Israel. Our churches are being shuttered because of an epidemic of moral failures that comes from a disregard of God’s word and His law. We’ve been blessed with affordable and accessible bibles, as well as, arguably, the greatest Christian writings from people like Jonathan Edwards. God doesn’t owe America, or any nation the gift of having accessible bibles. Study the history of the middle ages, when having a Bible was unheard of, and to be found with one was a death sentence. Because God doesn’t owe us His mercy, and He is not a respecter of persons, we must take heed to the prophecy “since you have forgotten the law of the Lord your God, I will also forget your children.” Jesus said to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).
 

I believe God is calling those who have reverence and adherence to His word to sound the alarm like Hosea did. God has blessed us with a church that exalts the Word of God above everything else. My prayer is that this letter would move us to gratitude for the blessing of our church, and we would be moved to pray for Redeemer Bible Church, other local churches, and our nation to remain standing on the Word of God; and if not, to repent and not take for granted what we’ve been given, lest it be taken from us and our children. 

Jacob

Prayer

“This, then, is how you should pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  Matthew 6: 9-13

At Redeemer Bible Church, we believe in the power of prayer and a God who deeply desires to fellowship and commune with his people through prayer.  For many, however, prayer can be an intimidating mystery … when and where should I pray and how should I pray?  Fortunately, we do not have to manufacture answers to these questions ourselves because God provides us with encouragement and guidance through his inerrant Word.  In response to the when and where question, the apostle Paul encourages us to “pray in the Sprit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” Ephesians 6:18.  Elsewhere, the scriptures remind us to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Although there is not one universally accepted right or wrong way to pray, for those who still wrestle at times regarding how to pray, we can again take our cues from the scriptures and the words from our Savior found in Matthew 6: 9-13:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name, …” Our prayers should acknowledge the awesome, holy and righteous God to whom we are praying while simultaneously exhibiting a robust reverence towards our heavenly Father.  Acknowledging God as our Father can help us remember that he is our creator and the source of all life and truth.

“[Y]our kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. …” We should be praying for the coming of the New Jerusalem and the return of our savior, and ‘oh what a happy day’ that will be!  Until that day comes however, our prayers should focus on the will of God and the accomplishment of his will here on earth.  The lives we then lead here on earth should be in accordance with the will of God as it is outlined for us throughout the scriptures.

“Give us today our daily bread. …” As we daily look to God to meet our physical needs, we can also be confident that he will meet us regularly in prayer to supply our relational, emotional, and spiritual needs because he is Jehovah-Jireh (“the Lord will provide”).

“And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. …” As we confess our own sin and debts, our God is faithful to forgive us from our transgressions. Just as God promises forgiveness to us, we are also called to forgive those who have sinned against us. Beyond just simply confessing our own sin and forgiving others, it is God’s desire that we be reconciled and restored to him and to one another as we acknowledge our brokenness and need for a Savior.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Since God is our shield and protector we ought to call out to him regularly to protect us from any and all attacks directed at us from the evil one who continues to roam the earth like a roaring lion looking to devour and destroy God’s people.

For those of you that may not already be aware, or are new to Redeemer Bible Church, we have a prayer team that faithfully and regularly prays for the needs and various ministries of our church, our local community, and the world around us.  We also meet corporately once a month to pray for these things as well as simultaneously seeking the blessing and favor of God.  If you would like to partner with us in the ministry of prayer here at Redeemer Bible Church, we are always interested in welcoming new people to the prayer team.  Please feel free to contact me (my email) with prayer requests any time or to be added to the prayer team.

As you pursue an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father and daily seek to draw near to God, may Christ reveal himself to you in new and fresh ways through the power of prayer!

Joyfully in Christ,
Michael

Praising God

Praising God, No More Moments of Silence!

Sometimes I feel like I don’t praise God enough. After all, He is the one and only true God. But if I believe that, which I do, then why don’t I speak of Him more and give Him praise for all things in my life.  He brought the world and all its fullness into existence by simply speaking His Words (Gen. 1). He certainly is almighty, sovereign, and worthy of the praises of all creation. I could write a book about the sovereignty and holiness of God, but the Bible already does that. The point is, that we are here for a purpose in this world. We are the creation of God and Him alone. Praising Him and thanking Him in all things should be a natural response to who He is. Praise is important to God, and He is worthy of it.  From His people, it is the testimony of His greatness, goodness, and sovereignty to the people around us. When we praise God great and mighty things happen! People are changed.

 What happens when we praise God? The Bible tells us “You are Holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” (Psalms 22:3) God inhabits the praises of His people. When we begin praising God He joins us, and His presence is with us, and He becomes more real to us and others. Did you know that God moves into action when we praise Him! This verse actually when translated in Hebrew means “God dwells in the praises of His people.”

 We should never take credit for what God does in our life or in the world. He alone is worthy of praise, and He dwells in this acknowledgment that is due Him and Him alone. We live not of ourselves, but we live because God has created us and sustains us through His goodness and Grace. (Psalm 100:3) We belong to Him and Him alone. God hates a proud look and a deceitful heart (Prov. 6:16-19), but He is pleased when we acknowledge Him in truth and praise.

I love the passage in Acts 16:25 when the apostle Paul and Silas were arrested and locked up in the dungeon of a prison. Instead of crying and cursing their situation, they began praising God and singing hymns. It was then at the midnight hour the jail shook, and doors were opened. God began to move in the midst of their praise and worship. In that same verse, we also see the words “The prisoners were listening to them.” As a result of their praises during difficult and unbearable times, others heard them, observed them, and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for their own salvation.  

There is no time in this world for “Moments of silence!” It is time for the church to stand up in boldness and acknowledge God in praise and worship. Not just on the good days but also in the midst of our worst circumstances.

On this side of heaven, we will never understand why bad things happen to good people in this world, but we know one thing. God is good, He loves us (John 3:16) and there is a purpose for everything that happens in life. We must remember “The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1)

I hope that today we will praise God more in all things. Even when life is hard and difficult to understand. Trust God with all your heart and give Him praise! The world is watching the church. The world is listening. No more moments of silence! Let there be boldness through praise and worship from the Church to Jesus the Messiah. The one and only true God. Amen

Rev. Dalton Lilly

Redeemer Bible Church Stafford

Redeemer Bible Church Stafford (Update)

For those who may not be aware, Redeemer Bible Church is planting a church in Stafford.  Praise God!  For all of you who have been walking through this process with us, Pastor Vic asked me to send out a short update to keep you up to speed on our progress. 

Why are we planting a church?

  • The local church is primary in God’s redemptive plan for sharing the gospel and making disciples.  Those involved with this church plant have felt God’s calling and leading to be part of this commission in Stafford.
  • The local church should be local.  For the handful of families that drive from Stafford to Spotsy each Sunday, this church plant represents an opportunity to gather for worship and outreach in our community where we live, work, go to school and do life.  Our aim is to strengthen and compliment, not compete with, the other biblically faithful Christian churches already established in Stafford.       
  • From the beginning, Redeemer Spotsy set out to be a church that plants churches.  Sending out Redeemer Stafford is the first step towards this goal.

How will the church be organized?

  • Unlike other church models, Redeemer Stafford will not be a satellite campus of Redeemer Spotsy but an autonomous cooperating church.  This means that both churches will hold to the same core beliefs with regard to the Bible, theology and church governance/essentials (link to RBC cooperating agreement).  We will also share the same name, Redeemer Bible Church, and continue to seek ministry partnerships together (i.e. orphan care, short term missions).  However, Redeemer Stafford will be led by its own team of elders and ruled by the church members in Stafford. 

Where will the church meet?

  • Since Aug of ’21, North Stafford Baptist Church has expressed a desire to potentially join with Redeemer Stafford.  We have held two combined church services with North Stafford Baptist and are in ongoing conversations with their elders about becoming one church.  Should this happen, we will come together as Redeemer Bible Church of Stafford at their current location (11 Meadowood Drive, Stafford). 

When will weekly Sunday church services begin?

  • Since last October, we have been meeting weekly on Sunday evenings for small-group home Bible studies and once a month for church services at North Stafford Baptist.  
  • Our goal is to begin meeting for weekly Sunday services on August 21st

How can you pray for us?

  • Pray for unity between North Stafford Baptist and Redeemer Stafford.
  • Pray that more people would be called and equipped to fill key leadership roles within the church (elders, deacons, ministry leaders).
  • Pray that in all of this, the families of Redeemer Stafford would be filled with joy and stay focused on our primary mission of exalting God, growing disciples of Christ and making the gospel known through our words and deeds!

You can find more information on our website (redeemerstafford.org) and you are welcome to join us this Sunday from 5:30-7:00pm at 11 Meadowood drive for our monthly worship service and see for yourself what God is doing through Redeemer in Stafford.

On behalf of the elders and families that currently represent Redeemer Bible Church of Stafford, we genuinely want to thank each of you for your steadfast encouragement and prayers on our behalf.  I can say without hesitation that Molly and I have never been a part of a church family that has supported and loved us like you have over the last three years.  Your example has transformed our lives. 

We love you, church.

In Christ,

Pastor Justin

Missions & Men’s Ministry

Mission Ministry

Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

In Acts 1:8, He told us where we need to go to fulfill His commission: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem (local and surrounding area) and all Judea (the Commonwealth of Virginia) and Samaria (United States) and to the end of the earth (the world).”

This year we are planning several mission trips to Rwanda, Guatemala, and possibly in the US. A young adult trip is being planned for Rwanda, evangelizing and disciplining students in Kigali. Josiah (IMB Missionary) is asking for a married couple to commit to a two-year, temporary assignment, to support the discipleship and evangelism efforts working with local church plants. This is a salaried, fully funded assignment. If you are interested, please contact me.

In May we will conduct a missions information meeting for those who are interested in leading or participating in a mission trip.
 
Pray: For wisdom and insight as we discern God’s will and that the laborers will heed God’s call to go out into the harvest.

 

Men’s Ministry

The purpose of the men’s ministry is to help men be the men God has called them to be. 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
 

  • March 18-20: Redeemer Men will be attending the Be Strong Men’s Conference at SWO (Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters).
  • We are planning two Legacy (Dying to self and living for Christ) events this year. The first will be April 9th

Pray: God will grow our fellowship of brothers together so that we can be the iron that sharpens each other by calling one another into accountability based on the principles of God’s word. 

Rodney Swann

Parenting

Parenting

Children, obey your parent in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor you father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-4 
(Sermon follow-up)

For many of us, it is easy to honor our father and mother. For those of us who were blessed with godly or moral parents, they are worthy of honor because their actions are honorable. But some of us are not in this category; unfortunately, some of us were abandoned by our parents or suffered physical or emotional abuse growing up. How do we honor such parents? Should we honor them?
 
With the help of the Holy Spirit, the first way to honor an abusive parent is to come to a place of forgiveness. We all must forgive those who have wronged us, no matter how grievous the wound. This will honor your parent and bring a measure of healing to your own heart. This does not mean that you should allow the abuse to continue. It is important to set up appropriate boundaries. If conditions allow, you can discuss those boundaries with them and explain why they are needed. In many cases though, this may not be fruitful or wise. It is not possible to provide good counsel for each individual circumstance in a general sermon or newsletter. If you have suffered abuse from a parent (biological parents or other caregivers), I would encourage you to seek a mentor or Christian counselor if you need help establishing proper boundaries and working through forgiveness.

Honoring our parents means that we work to ensure that they are cared for, especially as they age. It does not mean that we meet their every expectation or desire. But we should maintain involvement and connection with them (again, assuming abuse or neglect is not an issue). Few people have ever expressed regret over giving their parents too much of their time, but many have regretted losing connection with their parents. I know how easy it is for the weeks to slip by, but I am reminded of how important it is to stay in touch.   In closing, I want to address the discipline of young children.

As I detailed Sunday, the Bible uses the word “rod” in describing how to discipline a child, but the “rod” itself is not described. It is important to never wound your child, so the use of a proper “rod” will ensure that you get their attention and correct their heart attitude without abuse. A good “rod” for young children is a simple one-gallon paint stirrer. Again, if you have questions, please reach out to older parents who have successfully raised their children.  

God bless,
Bob Sawyer
Elder