Back to Belmont!

We're on the move yet again. After two months at the VFW Hall, we've gone back to Belmont Elementary School at 751 Norwood Lane in Woodbridge (here's a Mapquest page to show you where it is). We're still meeting at the same times for worship and Sunday School, and we're hoping to expand our small group ministry into Lorton this fall. Check back here or at the main Redeemer EPC web site for more details.

We're Moving!

Starting Sunday, Redeemer is moving to the VFW Hall at 204 Mill Street in Occoquan, Virginia. We'll still be meeting at the same time--9:30 am for worship, 11 am for Sunday School--but we've been required to vacate Belmont Elementary School for the next two months.

As of yet, we're not sure where we'll be come September. We are currently negotiating for a permanent location at Gunston Cove Business Park on Gunston Cove Road in Lorton. Those negotiations haven't been completed, and when they are, if that is where we go, we'll still need for the space to be built-out to be usable. If that takes longer than six or seven weeks, we could stay in Occoquan, or could return to the elementary school. Either way, we'll let folks know.

For a map of Occoquan, check Mapquest.

Redeemer's Launch

It was really a launch weekend rather than a launch day, and started on Holy Saturday with an Easter egg hunt at the elementary school. We had nearly perfect weather, and a turnout of 56 children in all, only nine of which were members of Redeemer mission team households. So 47 kids and their parents came for a first-time event, to a church meeting in a public school that they'd never been to before, and I think they had a wonderful time. My wife told the story of Passion Week and Easter, and to all appearances the children ate it up. We had lots of opportunity to interact with the parents as well. They then sallied forth to find the 600 eggs we'd spread around the schoolyard. Everything went off without a hitch--it was amazing to me (and a testimony to my wife's organizational skills and the dedication of our team) that we were able to pull off something like this with nary a problem. Maryanne then spent all afternoon and into the evening making greeting cards to send to the families that joined us for the hunt. I'd like to think that getting a home-made card with a handwritten message conveyed to the participants how happy we were to meet them and how much we'd like to see them again.

Easter Sunday worship likewise went as well as we could have hope. We have 101 in attendance, many of whom came in response to personal invitations, many of whom came as a result of our advertising (though we don't know exactly how many there were of the latter, we know there were a good many people there who weren't connected in any way to either the mission team or our mother church, Faith EPC), and all of whom came because of a prompting, acknowledged or not, from the Lord. The music was excellent, the hospitality warm and genuine, and the atmosphere electric with the sense that the Holy Spirit was at work. I believe the sermon accomplished what I set out to do, which was answer the question, "Did Jesus really rise from the dead, and what difference does it make?" (That subject is the first in a series I'm doing on the most frequent questions that people ask as they are exploring the Christian faith; our advertising was based on the catch-phrase "Got Questions? There ARE Answers!") We've been contacting those who attended and left contact information this week, and getting some interesting responses, all positive so far. We'll see this coming Sunday how many return to explore further questions, and perhaps get to know us a little better.

All together, it was a marvelous weekend, one in which we saw the Lord at work among us, and one that has got us energized for what He's going to do in the future. It was a lot of work, but unquestionably a labor of love on everyone's part. I can thank the team enough for everything they did to bring it about, and I want to thank the countless people who were praying for us as well. All I can say is, praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Preparing for Maundy Thursday Holy Communion

“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

–1 Corinthians 11:27-28

“Paul teaches that one should come to Communion with a reverent mind and with fear, so that the mind will understand that it must revere the One whose body it is coming to consume.”

–Ambrosiaster (anonymous 4th century biblical commentator, Commentary on Paul’s Epistles)

Got Questions? There ARE Answers! (2)

That's been the theme of our advertising, and we really mean it. We don't claim to have all the answers, or all the answers to all the questions one might ask about God, humanity, and our relationship with Him. But there are a lot of answers to a lot of the questions that most people ask at one time or another. This Easter season, I'm going to be preaching on seven of those questions, and offering to all who wish to hear them the answers that God has given. Those answers won't necessarily be comprehensive, since God has given what He considers "need-to-know" information, rather than tickling our ears and satisfying every aspect of our curiosity. But He has gone a lot farther than the secular world, or even lots of the mainline Protestant world, will tell you.

The questions I'm going to be dealing with include:

*Did Jesus really rise from the dead, and what difference does it make? The answer: yes, and a lot! Come on Easter to hear the details.

*Why do people suffer? The problem of suffering--why would a good God allow people to suffer?--is one of the oldest with which humanity has wrestled. If you or someone you love is suffering, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually, you need to hear this message.

*Are there many paths to God? In a pluralistic society, the question of whether all of the world's religions are ways of salvation must be asked. I'd like to try to answer it for you.

*Are science and religion incompatible? From so much of the debate over evolution and creation, one would think so, especially when one hears the vitriol of the "new atheism." But the answer to this question is no, and is rooted in the nature of God.

*Is the Bible trustworthy? This is another one that has been ferociously argued about for over a century. I'd like to give you the opportunity to consider this from a reasonable perspective, rather than as part of a shouting match.

*How should I raise my children? More and more, children are being thought of as lifestyle accessories rather than as gifts of God. I'd like to show you a more excellent way to begin the process of seeing your children through to adulthood.

*What is the purpose of my life? Just about everyone has asked this question of himself or herself, and many find the answers they come up with on their own to be unsatisfying. I'd like to help you find the answer in a way that can transform your life.

Now, I don't expect to be able to deal with every aspect of these questions in a single message, which is why I'd like for these messages to be discussion starters rather than discussion enders. If you'd like to be part of the discussion, on these or any other of the questions that you have about life, I'd love to hear from you, and, if you can, meet you on Easter Sunday, March 23.

A Church for All People

One of the things that I love most about the way Redeemer has developed is that it is a genuinely multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-lingual congregation. And that's with a core group of 50! We have white, African-American, Hispanic, and Asian participants. I'm a Jewish Christian, which adds another dimension to our diversity. But it isn't diversity just for diversity's sake, much less to be politically correct.

We have stressed the wide variety of backgrounds and origins of our people for two primary reasons. First, we believe that Scripture makes clear that the Church is to be a mirror of the Kingdom of God, wherein people "from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" (Revelation 7:9) come to the throne of God in adoration and praise. Second, we desire to reach out to people without regard to their backgrounds or origins, and believe that the best way to do that is to have a wide diversity of members with whom others may feel comfortable identifying.

All in all, we're well on our way to embodying the variety of the Kingdom in a setting where at the same time "there is neither Jew nor Greek," because all are one in Christ. We think it's yet another reason to check us out come Easter morning.

Where is Belmont Elementary School?

It occurred to me that not everyone, even in Woodbridge, knows where Belmont School, where Redeemer will be launching on March 23, is. So here are the directions that the school itself provides:

We are located in the far North-East corner of Prince William County, Virginia, just about 200 yards from beautiful Occoquan Bay. From the Woodbridge, VA. area, drive to the intersection of Route 1 (Jefferson Davis HWY) and Occoquan Road. Turn to the East onto Dawson Beach Rd. Continue to the top of the railroad overpass to the first LEFT, Express Drive. Express Drive takes you past the VRE station, through a housing development and finally to the intersection of Norwood Lane. Turn RIGHT off of Express Drive and immediately jog to the LEFT. There you'll see us on the right. Welcome to Belmont Elementary School.

New "Coming Attractions"

I've updated the list of things that are happening at Redeemer over the next three weeks. With our public launch coming up on Easter Sunday, it's no surprise that there's a lot going on. Check it out, and feel free to join us at any or all of them.

A First for Redeemer

Even though we don't launch officially for another three weeks, we had our first infant baptism today. A 6-month-old little boy named Sean was received into the kingdom of God in a joyous celebration of the sacrament. In doing so, the congregation pledged to live Christ-like lives before this young man, and to join with his parents in raising him up in the way he should go, that when he is old he shall not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). I added a few drops from my bottle of Jordan River water to the font, beginning a tradition that I pray will be part of the life and practice of Redeemer for now and for all the years to come. We praised God for the grace that He poured out on our youngest brother, and for all the grace to come in his life. There's new life at Redeemer, new life that you are invited to join as we launch on Easter Sunday, March 23.

Today's Sermon Text

[Jesus said,] "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another."

--John 15:9-17

More Launch News

We continue to place ads in local media, with the latest being the South County Chronicle, and next up being the Old Bridge Observer. Our Tuesday Bible study is rolling along, and is open to anyone who would like to join Tom and Terri Schergen for an evening of fellowship and learning. We also have a growing list of people for whom we are praying as we prepare to send them invitations to the launch. If you've got someone in mind that you'd like to invite, by all means send their name along, and we'll be praying for them on Wednesday evening.

Last Sunday's Sermon Text

Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you." Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death." This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"

--John 18:28-38

A Small Setback, But We'll Manage

We've had a small setback in our advertising efforts. The folks at Cowles Ford had very generously provided the use of their sign on the corner of Route 1 and Occoquan Road to us for a couple of weeks prior to the launch. I found out today that we can't wrap the top of the sign with an informational banner about the church without having a special use permit, which in Prince William County takes 9-12 months to obtain (!). We can still use the letter board on bottom half of the sign, and I'm sure we will. But it would have been nice to have the whole thing.

Well, we've assumed that there would be problems along the way, and certainly our Adversary isn't going to let us launch without doing what he can to stop us. Needless to say, this won't. Keep praying for the Lord's protection for us, and for His work on behalf of Redeemer to make our efforts look trifling by comparison.

Publicity Going Out

The word is starting to go out about our launch. Last week I placed a half-page ad in the newsletter of the Lake Ridge Homeowners Association, and today I got ad copy for another half-pager in the Lorton Valley Star. We'll be placing ads in several other local newspapers, as well as doing a door-to-door campaign hanging signs on the front doors of people's homes in Belmont Bay, Lorton Station, and Lake Ridge. We've also gotten permission from the folks at Cowles Ford to place a banner over the sign on their old property on Route 1, one of the main north-south highways around here, and the closest main road to the elementary school. All in all, things are moving along nicely. Now we just need to get to Easter!

Today's Sermon Text

Today is the second in my Lenten sermon series entitled "The Way of the Cross."
Last week, on the first Sunday in Lent, I began with temptation. This week, the theme was servanthood as an expression of cross-bearing. The text was Luke 22:24-30:

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And [Jesus] said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

"You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

Our Webmaster, Richard Byess, is working on obtaining FTP privileges so that we can store MP3s of my sermons and make them available on the Redeemer site. I'll be sure to let readers know when that becomes possible.