Redemption Communities Are Starting!

FALL REDEMPTION COMMUNITIES

 Sign up for a Redemption Community: HERE“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

     The above quote by Abraham Kuyper, a turn-of-the-century Dutch theologian, led to something we say a lot at Redemption Church: “All of Life is All for Jesus”. From our conviction about how God’s Word should be read and taught through on Sundays, to Church leadership, to Children’s ministry--we believe that there truly is not a single aspect of life that God doesn’t deeply care about. The Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ truly is the hope for every person, family, institution, and community in Tucson and the World. Because we believe this so firmly, we hold that Sundays alone don’t set us up well for living our lives as healthy disciples (followers) of Jesus. This is why we frequently and clearly communicate that community is not something nice to add into our schedules where convenient, but community is something we must diligently move toward as a matter of necessity. We believe that God designed us to be in relationship with one another and that there is simply no substitute for doing life with others in a shared pursuit of honoring God. Redemption Communities (RC's) provide a context for people to live out their faith in the support, stretching, and accountability that is inherent in true community.

     So, let this be your clear invitation and encouragement to get involved in a Redemption Community. You may have a few questions, so we’ll briefly answer some below. If you have more questions, please feel free to contact us so we can help you get connected to healthy, gospel-centered community:

Common Questions:

1. Do I have to be a Christian?  No!  The Church is the God-given tool through which the world can most clearly encounter, experience, and understand the gospel through God’s Word (the Bible). Communities should be the safest place to ask questions and ‘taste and see’ what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus.
2. Can I just check one (or more) out before committing? Yes. In fact, it is completely fine to just show up and check out a group. If it’s a great fit, great. If you want to see what others are like, you can go to a few before landing.
3. How are they structured? They can be different, but the general theme is to eat, pray, learn, and grow together. This tends to happen by discussing the primary sermon passage from Sunday, but sometimes groups will go through a topic or question that has come up.
4. What should I expect? We believe God can work in whatever way He chooses (sometimes in big & exciting ways), but we’ve grown to embrace and expect God to work through the seemingly mundane & normal. We don’t expect that every week will be ‘mind-blowing’, but through reflection and consistency over time we see that God has been forming and transforming us in profound ways.
5. Is there a schedule or are they ‘on-going’? We do follow a ‘college town’ calendar, launching most things in September or January and pausing for rest and evaluation in the summer. While some groups may take a break in the summer and others just do things a little differently, we don’t break from the value of community. Instead, it is a good time to reflect and consider if schedule, relationships, life-stage, or mission-emphasis has led to making a change in the next season.
6. I already have community outside of Redemption, should I still join an RC? Perhaps one of the greatest effects of the Fall (when sin entered the world through mankind’s rebellion & turning away from God) is isolation and fragmentation. Because our tendency is to hide from God and one another, like Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, we need to fight against that by inviting people into the whole of our lives. Redemption Communities are structured to move us toward others in consistent, revealing, committed, and gospel-centered community. We encourage everyone to prioritize community within the local church. RC's are of course not the only source of community in our lives, but these other sources should not replace or happen at the expense of a solid & consistent community through the local church.
7. What about kids? In light of the fragmentation discussion above, we don’t like to separate families… especially in the name of community. So, your kids are welcome and each group figures out how to best care for and grow everybody in the group, including the kids. Your kids are not a reason to avoid or postpone community, but all the more reason to move toward it.
8. Okay I'm in--how do I get started?  Chances are, if you come on a Sunday you’ll be invited to one by somebody. If not, this is your invitation! Fill out a Connection Card and ask to be contacted, contact a leader below, or just show up! (You can sign up for an RC by filling out this form: HERE)Here are the three RCs meeting in Tucson this Fall:Jared & Trish CarterThursday evenings at 6:30pm3728 E.Fairmount St. Tucson, AZ 85716Jared:  jared_carter@hotmail.comStephen & Kelsey CollinsWednesday evenings at 6pm316 E. 12th St. Tucson, AZ 85701Stephen: stephencollins@redemptionaz.comDave & Kyra GoffeneyTuesday evenings at 6pm205 E. University Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85705Dave: davegoffeney@redemptionaz.com