The Season of
Ordinary Time
Of all the names we could’ve given a season we chose to call this one: Ordinary Time … the Chris Tomlin of liturgical seasons. Originally it was “ordinal time”, as in: time as it unfolds; the ordering of our days. And there’s nothing ordinary about that. This is a season to remember Christianity isn’t a belief system, it’s a new way to be human, constituted (in large part) by a peculiar set of habits, rhythms, and practices that give shape to our days. And, how we live our days ends up being how we live our lives. Christianity isn’t just meant to be pondered, it’s meant to be lived… one day at a time. Maybe the best thing we can do during Ordinary Time is to lean into the practices of sabbath & tithing, weekly worship & daily prayer, community & solitude, peacemaking & solidarity with the excluded—to just keep showing up each week to remember who we are, what we’re here for, and to catch a glimpse of the world God imagines for us.
Thank you.
Thank you for your faithful stewardship and service to Redemption Church. Each act of generosity and sacrifice—financial support, service, prayers, & relationships—brings Redemption Church to life in tangible, touchable ways. This is faith-ing it: bringing our best to God, creating spaces where God can happen to us, where we can embody peace in our common life and extend that peace to our neighbors. Here’s a link to a quick financial update at the midway point of the year.
Redemption Church
Mid Year Financial Update
Redemption Church
Fall Volunteers Needed
Events
News and Notes
Compassion and Justice
In this season of Ordinary Time, we’re invited to live our faith not through grand gestures, but through steady, faithful presence—showing up, giving, praying, and serving. As we lean into practices that shape us—like sabbath, worship, and solidarity—we have tangible ways to embody that rhythm together. Join us in a school supply collection-turn in supplies by August 10 to support students in our neighborhood.
Be part of the Strengthening Families Program-12 weeks of helping families build stronger bonds, improve communication, and create a nurturing home environment where children thrive and families stay together. SFP kicks off on August 21, and is held on Thursday evenings. Help build deeper community through tutoring in our English Class starting September 8. And each first Saturday of the month, from 12:15–2:00 PM, we gather to distribute food with Harvesters, standing in solidarity with our neighbors.
Community Life
If you are looking for a place to have a contemplative conversation with other folks who have questions and thoughts about the life of faith, come to the Roundtable on September 21 to listen, learn, and hopefully grow.
Christianity isn’t just meant to be pondered—it’s meant to be lived, one meal, one moment, one gathering at a time. In this season of Ordinary Time, we lean into rhythms that remind us who we are and what we’re here for: worship, prayer, community, and joy. What better way to live that out than around a table with friends old and new? Join us on October 4 for our All-Church BBQ, where laughter, good food, and shared stories become sacred. It’s more than a cookout—it’s a glimpse of the world God imagines for us. Come hungry, come curious, come as you are.
These aren’t just events—they’re glimpses of the world God imagines for us. Let’s keep showing up for each other and for our neighborhood!
U18 Ministries
The U18 Ministry is committed to resisting the cultural pressure to ramp up stress as December rolls along. Instead, we intentionally front-load our necessary work early in the month so that we can slowly diminish our activity, carving out space for deep, quiet anticipation as we approach Christmas Eve. This is the sustained spiritual work of slowing down and welcoming Christ together.
Our central tool for leading this yearly rhythm in the home is the Advent Family Packet, which you can pick up at the children’s check-in table. The packet is our durable, spiral-bound tent calendar, designed to stand as a constant, tangible reminder of the Advent season on your kitchen table. We urge families to use the weekly prompts every Sunday evening at dinner and remember that Redemption families all over this city are joining you in this practice around that same time.
Beyond the home, we are excited about the All-Church Cookie Drop-Off on Sunday, December 14th. Staff gathers the congregation's baked goods, packages them with care, and sends our senior interns to deliver these small gifts of welcome door-by-door throughout the neighborhood. This is a powerful, tangible act of community connection that concludes our main ministry pushes.
The entire Decrescendo journey finds its end at our annual Christmas Eve Service at 5:30 PM. This service is exactly what we have been preparing for all season. We invite all U18 children and their families to attend as we light the final Christ Candle, sing, and share in the joy and mystery of the birth of Christ. It is the necessary conclusion to a season spent faithfully creating the space for the Word made flesh.