How Redeemer is trying to advance the kingdom

When you tell someone about Redeemer Church London, one of the first questions you might be asked is about what denomination or group we belong to.

Well, here’s your answer - we are part of the ‘Advance’ network, which is a growing partnership of about 150 churches based across five continents.

Advance is a relatively new movement which was set up about a decade ago when the charismatic Newfrontiers network was split into different sections.

Among the group’s overarching goals are to see churches established worldwide which support communities, train leaders and grow in a healthy way.

Advance officially defines itself as ‘movement of churches joining together to advance the Gospel of Jesus through planting and strengthening churches’.

While it sits within the broader tradition of Protestant Reformed churches, many parts of services are similar to those in Baptist churches – such as baptising adults.

Redeemer is also involved in the Advance UK Church Planting Course (ACPC) which helps with training, resourcing and sending people to set up new churches.

In addition, we join with other churches at the annual Advance UK & Europe Conference - most recently held at London’s Westminster Chapel last November.

And Redeemer also sends a delegation to the Advance Global Gathering – with the 2026 event held in Cape Town in March. It’s all part of our work in building churches together.

For more information about the work of Advance, you can visit their website here.

You gotta have faith, faith, faith

We often enjoy hearing poetry during our services at Redeemer Church London, and this latest offering from STEVE PAGE was read last Sunday.

One of his prompts came from Romans 1:17 (‘the righteous shall live by faith’), where the gospel reveals that a righteousness from God is obtained by faith.

His second can be found in Joshua 3:13-17, where the path to the promised land was through the River Jordan – showing that sometimes, you have to get your feet wet!

You can enjoy Steve’s poem in full here:

FAITH

My faith is the certainty that gives me clarity to see

that there’s a path just beneath the current uncertainty.

My faith is a step, a one step at a time

not much of a leap, but me taking God's hand with mine.

My faith is a day-by-day hand-holding,

a minute-by-minute, front-foot treading of my boot in his footmarks

left for me as a blessing.

My faith is a choosing that needs repeated repeating,

a daily seating at his feet

It's no fleeting feeling,

it’s a morning-and-evening,

sometimes weeping

with both-knees kneeing.

Our faith is a decision

and decisions were made to be made,

so pray,

take him at his word and take the next step,

but don’t be surprised if you get both feet wet.

Because that is where you’ll find Jesus -

at the point where you're most at risk of getting out of your depth.

Our faith is the certainty

that gives us clarity to trust

that whatever our paths,

our God has gone before us.

What are Gospel Communities at Reedemer?

At Redeemer Church London, Sunday services are the biggest part of what we do – as everyone gathers together to sing songs about Jesus and hear a talk about the Bible.

But there is so much more happening during the week – including Gospel Communities, our small groups that run in 20 locations across the borough of Ealing.

These weekly gatherings give everyone in our community the opportunity to make new friends and grow in faith together by chatting about God’s Word.

The groups vary in structure and size but they all follow the same study notes each week which are based on what we’ve heard in the previous Sunday’s sermon.

In the first few months of this year we were looking at the Gospel of Mark, so each week questions were provided to help us dig deeper into the specific passages.

For example, questions on Mark 15:40-16:8 included: ‘What difference does the resurrection make to my life and walk with Jesus? How will I begin to apply that?’

We want Gospel Communities to give everyone at Redeemer a weekly opportunity to worship, read the Bible and pray together – while also helping us to build community.

For more information you can follow this link and see which group is closest to you – or email gc@redeemerlondon.org if you have any questions. We hope you’ll feel right at home!

Easter 2026: Why Peter's denial of Jesus offers us all hope

Easter 2026 is almost upon us, and we've got four services on the way at Redeemer Church London - one on Good Friday, and three on Easter Sunday.

Those of you joining us on the Friday will hear a talk about Peter's denial of Jesus – which you can read about in all four Gospels of the New Testament.

The story recalls how Peter denied knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crowed, despite previously insisting he would remain loyal.

Biblical scholars say his actions highlight human weakness but also the possibility of forgiveness - as well as how even the most devoted followers can fail.

We are reminded in this story how nobody is perfect – even one of Jesus’ closest disciples – which can help us when we may doubt our faith.

Later, Jesus gives Peter a key role in spreading his message following the resurrection – which also demonstrates the restoration, forgiveness and grace that is offered to us.

You can join us at one of our services this Easter to find out more about the eternal hope we have in Jesus - we hope to see you there!

• Good Friday service (x1) - 10.30am at UWL

• Easter Sunday services (x3) - 9.30am and 11.30am at UWL, then 6.30pm at The Hub

Supporting our local football club

At Redeemer Church London, we think it’s really important to build strong community within Ealing and look at joining forces with other organisations to help achieve this.

To that end, we're delighted to have been working closely in recent months with another local organisation with a great community spirit - Hanwell Town Football Club.

The Ealing area is home to four non-league football clubs, and Hanwell are the highest ranking of these, plying their trade in the Southern League Premier Division South.

The club were founded in 1920 and now compete in level seven of the football pyramid, which is three divisions below the Football League and six below the Premier League.

Known as the ‘Geordies’, Hanwell were created by men from Newcastle working locally who adopted the black and white stripes of Newcastle United FC as their colours.

Redeemer sponsored its first Hanwell match in January when the team got a credible 1-1 draw against high-flying Poole Town thanks to an equaliser from Dwayne Duncan.

Now, we are going to be sponsoring a second game this Saturday (March 15) as the 15th-placed Geordies take on Havant and Waterlooville who currently sit in 9th.

Sponsorship provides a great way for Redeemer to reach a new audience and advertise our services both at the match and on a digital billboard next to the busy A40 road.

We are really excited at this growing partnership and would encourage you to get along to the game which kicks off at 3pm. Tickets can be bought in advance or on the gate.

Prices are £12 for adults, £7 concessions (over-65s, students, NHS, emergency workers, and veterans), £3 under-18s and free for under-12s. The cost goes up by £1 on the gate.

Some of our children will be mascots, and we hope to see you there – up the Geordies!

'Red Folk': A poem about our children's workers

At Redeemer Church London, we have a series of children’s groups on Sunday mornings for those aged from three months up to 11 years.

The four different sessions - split by age brackets – help teach youngsters about Bible stories while their parents get to hear the sermon in the main service.

The groups are run by a team of dedicated volunteers each week - and you can find them wearing red T-shirts.

Church member STEVE PAGE wrote this poem all about them. We hope you enjoy it!

RED FOLK

The Red-Folk are well known to some, but less well known to others.

You see, the Red-Folk do their reddy-ness in the background with the smallest folk.

This means that bigger folk will only notice them if they have small folk friends.

The Red-Folk are quite distinct; I don’t mean their tomato redness, I mean their ability to fold themselves small.

Now, you may know that small folk are very used to legs and knees and big feet and are they are very, very good at winding their way through a forest of trousers and skirts to get to where they need to go.

But this can be tiring, and sometimes small folk misjudge the sway of a leg or a knee and bounce off them, falling back onto their bottoms.

This can sometimes be funny, but it is often painful and can spark small folk tears.

So, when small folk find that the Red-Folk just love to fold their legs and knees away and come down to small folk level, you can imagine the sheer joy the small folk feel.

Some Red-Folk don’t last long because their legs and knees begin to ache and the small folk noise becomes too loud and the Red-Folk miss ‘Big Conversation.’

But there are some Red-Folk who are excellent at folding their legs and knees away and who love nothing better than small conversations with small folk.

You see they have discovered that this is where small and precious truths are first planted to later become stronger big truths and they have seen that this is also where small folk plant big love in the Red-Folk’s big hearts.

So, if you are looking for the Red-Folk, you need to look down to where the small important conversations are taking place with the small important folk.

If you want to find out more about our children's groups on Sunday mornings, please contact our family worker Abi at: abi@redeemerlondon.org.

Looking for a Church in Ealing? What to expect at Redeemer!

If you’re based in Ealing or the surrounding areas of West London and are looking for a church, we’d love to welcome you to our vibrant community at Redeemer.

We have three services on Sunday - the first two are larger gatherings at the University of West London (W5 5RF) at 9.30am and 11.30am with a few hundred people at each.

You can expect a warm welcome as people arrive for the service and take their seat in the Weston Hall lecture theatre, which becomes our church for the morning.

Each service lasts 75 minutes, starting with about 30 minutes of singing which is led by the band. Some people stand up, some people sit and others share Bible readings.

The children and youth then go out to their groups, and everyone else remains in for notices. Then a speaker – often our pastor Pete Cornford – gives a talk for 30 minutes.

We finish with a song and a chance to ask someone to pray for you for anything you want. Refreshments are also served next to the hall in the large café area.

The third gathering on Sundays is a smaller one at The Hub (W5 2NX) at 6.30pm which might suit you if you’d like a quieter service (or if you work during the day!).

We asked several Redeemer members what they love about their church, and here’s what they told us:

Grace: ‘I love that our church is a community that cares deeply - it is naturally diverse and the people encourage, challenge and support each other to grow closer to God, to share His love, and to be a kind and fruitful family.’

Josh: ‘In Redeemer I experience a sense of belonging in a community that is passionately following God and loving people. Redeemer is unapologetically Bible focused, counter-cultural and so refreshing. It’s a safe place.’

Jonathan: ‘'The initial thing that struck me when I first started coming to Redeemer was the genuine sense of community. It went from small talk to being invited into people's homes and lives. In a city like London which can be a lonely place, having a church family that you can be part of is vital.’

Laurie: ‘The Redeemer welcome at services is warm and the energy at worship is spirit inspired. The preach feeds my hunger for Biblical knowledge and wisdom. The prayer is powerful and compassionate. The sense of family and friendship is heartfelt and a shining example of Christ at work within the community.’

If you’d like to find out more, email: hello@redeemerlondon.org. We’d love to see you soon!

Thoughts for the Week of Prayer and Fasting

We’re currently midway through our Week of Prayer and Fasting at Redeemer Church London, which began on Sunday and runs until this Friday.

There are meetings every evening at The Hub so we can pray for and with one another, while you can also get involved with virtual prayer meetings from home.

For a bit of inspiration from the past, take a look at these eight great quotes about prayer and fasting - which our pastor Pete Cornford mentioned in Sunday’s sermon.

• "If you want to humble a man, ask him about his prayer life" - Alexander Whyte

• "Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?" - Corrie Ten Boom

• "Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means for getting something for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself" - Oswald Chambers

• "Fasting without prayer is hunger strike. Prayer without fasting lacks depth. But when both are combined, they create an altar of fire that the devil cannot resist." - Apostle E.H. Guti

• "God does nothing but in answer to prayer" - John Wesley

• "I have a very busy day today; must spend not two but three hours in prayer" - Martin Luther

• "Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in Him a source of sustenance beyond food." - Dallas Willard

• "We can accomplish a lot with prayer and fasting" - Lailah Gifty Akita

Click here to read the full list of meetings for the Week of Prayer and Fasting this week, and how you can join us!

'When Heaven and Nature sang': A Christmas poem

We enjoyed a wonderful double Christmas carol service yesterday at Redeemer Church London, welcoming hundreds of you through the doors to celebrate the birth of Jesus together.

The services began with a new poem from church member STEVE PAGE who took one of the lines from ‘Joy to the World’, the events in Bethlehem and then a reflection of the Oasis band reunion. You can read his words in full below.

We hope to see you at one of our two Christmas family services this Sunday (December 21) at 9.30am and 11.30am at the University of West London.

Merry Christmas from everyone at Redeemer!

‘WHEN HEAVEN AND NATURE SANG’

The reunion had been planned for ages. They hadn’t sung together for… Well, it was difficult to remember the last time.

They had once been a successful duo, if not the most successful. So many hits.

The brothers had sung together from their earliest days. Always in harmony. Their songs would bring tears to your eyes.

They did their own compositions, which were A-MA-ZING, and they did covers, which is where you might have come across them – old angelic classics, like ‘Hosanna In The Highest!’. Or maybe you’ll remember their version of: ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord God Almighty Reigns!’ Gives me chills just thinking about it.

Well, after their big falling out, things hadn’t been quite the same. You might still see them together occasionally but never singing. Those days seemed to have gone.

They had slowly drifted apart, and we weren’t 100% sure this reunion concert was going to go well. The younger brother was a little temperamental you see. I think he felt upstaged by his big brother. You might remember reports of his more rebellious days.

But when the King of Angels, the first born of Creation - when Jesus asked them to sing… When he said how much it would mean to him, how could they refuse?

And so, on the night the opening act was of course the Angels – not just one choir – but the biggest gathering of the citizens of Heaven since creation – all the choirs of Angels singing in exaltation, filling the sky.

And they were loud I tell you – “Glory to God in the highest! Peace on Earth!” Their voices filled the heavens. You could feel it right down to your bones.

How could anyone top that?

And as their last note faded, that’s when we saw them - Heaven and Nature walked on stage – they embraced as we were cheering. I couldn’t believe they were together once again.

I thought I was ready but man, that sound? When Heaven and Nature sang, I mean! When Heaven and Nature sang, it resonated through all creation – the fields, the hills couldn’t help but repeat the resounding joy.

It was everything we could have hoped for – the glory of God’s righteousness, the wonders of His love! They sang their hearts out and we sang along, knowing every word. Everyone coming together to let Jesus know just how much He is adored.

You know, it was like Heaven and Earth had never been apart.

And by the end of their set the applause was deafening. They of course did an encore – it had to be: ‘Joy to the World’. Brilliant!

All the way home we kept the song going – glorifying and praising God for all we had seen and heard. The Messiah – bridging the gap, heralding peace between God and humankind.

“The wonders of His love! The wonders of His love!”

I can’t wait for when Heaven and Nature worship Jesus together again for a permanent reunion.

I recommend reserving your seats early.

Meanwhile – we have the set list. And we can sing.

Christmas poetry at Redeemer

“The Wonders of His Love” - Redeemer Church London carol service

Sunday December 14, 2025 at 4.30pm and 6.30pm

University of West London

There’s less than a week to go now until this year’s annual carol service at Redeemer Church London on Sunday.

Church member STEVE PAGE has been spreading joy with his poetry for years – and we often hear his latest offerings at our Christmas services.

Here, you can enjoy three he put together this time last year. We hope to see you this Sunday!

CHILDREN UNDERSTAND

Children understand loveliness.

They recognise the aroma,

the touch of love,

the echo of hearts

that rise to adore.

Children understand loveliness.

They recognise the savour,

the weight of feast,

the press of voices

that sing with laughter.

Children understand loveliness.

They recognise Christmas

within the heat,

the fire and glory

of Christ's forgiveness.

Children understand Christmas.

Look to them.

SAVIOUR

This month I call you Saviour.

Mostly, instinctively

I call to you as Lord-God and Father.

Typically these are the names

I call to mind at early dawn.

But this month you are Saviour

as I become more acutely drawn

to my need to call on your saving grace

on your sacrificial willingness

to cast off the trappings

wrapped up with heavenly glory

to embrace the blood and the mess

that comes with small town nativity.

This month I address

my Hosannas to you,

my divine infant Saviour.

GIFTING

When does a gift given become a gift received?

If a gift is not accepted, is it a gift indeed?

If a gift is left unopened is the gifting actually achieved?

(Is a gift not a gift if it is rejected?

Does it lose its giftedness when refused or neglected?)

Does the gift itself retain some kinetic gifted energy?

Or does it need the active catalyst of reception

to truly be the gift that its giver intends it to be?

This Christmas be sure to accept your full responsibility

to receive with a fully open heart as well as open hands

this gift I give to you from me.

(I've left the receipt in the bag.)

'The Wonders of His Love'

“The Wonders of His Love” - Redeemer Church London carol service

Sunday December 14, 2025 at 4.30pm and 6.30pm

University of West London

We're really excited to be hosting our annual carol service this year on Sunday, December 14.

This year's theme is "The Wonders of His Love" - which you might recognise as the final words in the classic carol, Joy to the World.

While you may be familiar with the song, what you might not know is it wasn't originally written as a Christmas carol - was never intended to be about Christmas!

The story goes back more than 300 years to when it was first penned by English minister Isaac Watts, one of history's most prolific hymn writers.

He wrote it in 1719 as a poem that paraphrased Psalm 98, not specifically for Christmas. This psalm refers to singing a “jubilant song with music” to God.

This poem was then discovered over a century later by American composer Lowell Mason, who gave it the music we know and love today.

The basis of Mason’s 1848 tune was attributed to George Frideric Handel and was released at Christmastime. It become an instant hit.

And there's every chance you'll be singing it on December 14 if you come to join us at the 2025 Redeemer carol concert in Ealing!

You'll be able to attend two services at the University of West London (W5 5RF) - one at 4.30pm, and the other at 6.30pm. We hope to see you there!

My testimony - Vince Wilkie

In the latest in our series of testimonies from Redeemer Church London members, VINCE WILKIE reveals how an extraordinary moment at his wedding saw the Lord reveal Himself when he least expected it.

I’ve been a born-again Christian for 11 years. One of my favourite songs is called ‘The Lord is Real’. The chorus is very pertinent to my testimony: ‘I know the Lord is real, this is how I feel, in time He will reveal.’

My testimony is about the time when the Lord truly revealed how real He was.

Time for me is going back to September 28, 2012. I'm sitting in a memory clinic at Central Middlesex Hospital with my mum and dad.

The doctor is telling us something we suspected for at least years, that mum had dementia, but we were also being told that she was showing early stages of Alzheimer’s.

As you can imagine for the family that was a very emotional blow, but as a family we would pull together and support our mum in her time of need as she had always done for us as her children and her husband. In holy matrimony we quote the lines in sickness and in health.

My mother and father were certainly true examples of that, and it was amid this time that I also sought to quote those lines as approximately two months after my mum’s diagnosis, I proposed to my then girlfriend and now wife.

In planning for our wedding one of the dreams I kept having and was so looking forward to, was my mum and dad being able to see me get married in a church and be there sitting alongside me at the head table as my wife and I would celebrate our union in front of our loved ones.

We know that mum’s condition would bring us challenges and we were ready to accept them, but even those challenges surpassed what we could ever have imagined.

Over the course of the next 11 months as we were planning for our wedding, unforeseen challenges with mum’s condition were coming to light as her physical mobility as well as mental capacity was decreasing.

Getting mum to physically attend routine health appointments became an impossible task, resulting in us having to arrange house appointments for her.

She had not left the house since that fateful day in September.

I came to the logical conclusion that mum was not going to be able to attend the wedding. The physical challenge and emotional trauma she was experiencing was too much for her to bear and the family to see.

This was a feeling of deep regret for me, I really wanted my mum to be there at the church. However I had to press on with the planning and preparation of the wedding.

The date was now Saturday October 5, 2013. It’s a mild dry autumn afternoon, it’s our wedding day. I am sitting alongside my brother who was also my best man, I’m looking around the beautiful church and constantly in my eye is the Christ on the cross in the altar.

As I gazed on the cross, my brother said to me: ‘Vincent, I need to tell you something. Don’t turn around yet, but mum is here, she’s made it.’

Tears of joy filled my eyes and I turned around and saw my mum with my dad walking hand in hand down the aisle.

I went to my parents, hugged them and made my way back to the altar, again I looked at Jesus on the cross.

The Lord had revealed to me when I least expected it, but when I most needed it, that He was real, and He had revealed this to me in time in his house. A whole 370 days later. My faith had now been sealed.

My logic was not God's logic. He works outside logic, He knew my heart’s desire and fulfilled my wish.  Trust in the Lord and He will reveal Himself to you and at the time you need it most.

Jesus had done the same thing to Peter on the banks of Lake Galilee when Peter - jaded and demotivated - had sought to find fish all night. Jesus spoke to him, revealed Himself and suddenly Peter was provided with a bountiful supply of fish and became one of his apostles.

‘I know the Lord is real, this is how I feel, in time He will reveal.’

My testimony - Esther-Maria Cornford

ESTHER-MARIA CORNFORD, who is part of Redeemer Church London, reveals in her testimony how God broke the shackles of her past and will never let her down.

Jesus Christ came into my life unexpectedly in 2017 and transformed me and my life in the most wonderful ways. Through Him, I have found love, freedom, and grace.

I grew up as part of an atheist family in Germany. My childhood and adolescence were largely marked by a series of traumatic events.

I witnessed the difficult breakdown of my parents’ marriage and several of their subsequent relationships, experienced physical and emotional abuse and neglect, and lost family members in a variety of different ways.

Often, I was left feeling hopeless, unworthy of love, lonely, and depressed. The lack of stability in my life caused me to be untrusting and confrontational. I felt that I could not possibly forgive the people who had hurt me. These negative feelings caused inner turmoil within me.

Yet, something changed when I was 13 years old. A friend invited me to go to church with her one Sunday and I went along, not expecting or wanting to meet God, but I believe I did. When I walked into this church, I felt a sudden rush of warmth flood my body.

In that moment, I felt secure and loved. I did not understand the feeling or Who or what was behind it, but I felt a clear presence.

From this day on, I took classes about Christianity for a year, got christened and confirmed in the Lutheran church, and started reading the Bible and praying sporadically.

This year was simultaneously one of the hardest years of my life, as I experienced abandonment and violence, got bullied at school, and lost my aunt and uncle in a car accident.

At 14 years of age, I stayed with my cousin, who had lost his parents in this accident, in hospital while he was undergoing operations and recovering from the crash. The hospital we stayed in had a chapel, which I visited to pray and ask God for help and strength, which he gave me.

But as the years went by I became more and more withdrawn. In order to deal with the memories, feelings, and more unfortunate life experiences, I turned to self-destructive methods, such as self-harming.

In 2017, I moved to London to study Musical Theatre. Within the first week of living here, I was once again invited to church by my dear friend, Reuben.

When I attended my first service at Redeemer Church London, I met Jesus Christ. For the first time, my eyes and ears were opened and I understood what I was actually saying as I was singing and worshipping.

I truly understood the Gospel. God revealed to me who He truly is: not some positive spiritual force, but a person who I can have a relationship with.

Jesus revealed Himself to me as a Brother and Friend. For the first time, I felt God the Father welcome me into His loving arms. More than anything, I felt grace, freedom, forgiveness, and love. I physically felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders and the shackles of my past breaking.

Jesus has changed how I view myself and my purpose in life because I no longer want to live for myself, but for Him. Firstly, entering into a relationship with Jesus has taught me that while humans have let me down, hurt me, and left me time and time again, He never will. Only Jesus can truly satisfy, heal, and make us whole.

Through spending time with Jesus, I have been able to start my healing process, grow, and forgive those I never thought I would be able to forgive.

Where I was once self-seeking, obstinate, and closed off, I am now open, humbled, and wanting to love everyone. I have found inner peace.

While I came to this country specifically to pursue a career which would allow me to act as someone else and entertain people with my abilities, I now want to always show others who I truly am in Christ Jesus, and use what God has given me to help others.

Therefore, I have even changed the career I am pursuing to fit my new purpose in life because God is worth it and my heart has been transformed completely.

No one’s life is perfect. Having Jesus in my life has not fully taken away all of my pain and grief. What He has given me though is a new perspective. He is my ever present help in trouble, my Lord and Saviour, who I can speak to and lean on.

However, more than that He is a holy and praiseworthy God. He has saved me from the disasters in my past because He is good and to bring glory to His precious Name.

Wherever you come from and whatever circumstances you have faced in your life, God can use them for your good and His glory, and He can bring healing even to the most broken of hearts.

Throughout the years since I've become a Christian, Jesus has continued to be faithfully at work in my life. Growing up I did not have positive male role models to teach me how men and women should relate to each other healthily. Yet now I get to give glory to God for the wonderful husband He has given me.

Together we have welcomed our first child and our expecting our second. Our daughters are a blessing and gift that I can only humbly praise God for.

God the Father has drawn me into closer relationship with Him every year - revealing Himself to me ever more graciously, sanctifying me, and showing me more of Who He is.

He has answered prayer upon prayer, He has been with me through some highs and lows, He has grown me, and He has blessed me.

I continue to give thanks to God for the way in which He has taken me out of brokenness into wholeness, joy, and a life I can live to the full through Him and by His grace alone for His glory alone.

My testimony - Mandy Hudson

Redeemer Church London member MANDY HUDSON shares her testimony on how God has helped her through tough trials in her life - and why her relationship with Him has given her purpose and meaning.

“I have made, I will bear, even I will carry and will deliver you.” (Isaiah 46:4b)

Mine was a difficult birth. I experienced lack of oxygen which resulted in Cerebral Palsy affecting my left side. The prognosis was bleak. At nine months, my mother was told I would be unable to walk, talk or really be able to understand, progress or learn.

God had blessed my mother with great determination and persistence. She set about a seemingly endless round of physiotherapy, speech therapy, ballet, horse riding and swimming.

I walked at 12 months, jumped waves at the seaside when I was three. At five, I went to the same mainstream school as my brothers. I still couldn’t speak very well, but I enjoyed learning, especially reading.

This is a story of how Jesus has transformed my life. In my family, that revolution began with my eldest brother becoming a Christian. The change in his character was extraordinary. He became much kinder and thoughtful towards his little sister.

When I went to secondary school, I started going to a Christian group my brother attended. I was given a booklet which explained how God had made the world perfect, but we had rebelled and wanted our own way. Sin had ruined our lives and the world. However, God had come into the world as Jesus. He had died on the cross for our sin and made it possible to be made right with God again and find our purpose in life.

There was a prayer at the end of the book which I said. It was the first time I felt the presence of God.

I discovered that Christianity is actually a relationship rather than a religion. My relationship with Jesus developed through long nights of pain as a teenager when my left knee was injured. This was the time God taught me about prayer. I found out prayer is a conversation in which I can pour out my heart to God. My circumstances don’t always change, but he always reassures me.

The years went by. I grew up, took exams, went to York University and I was even fit enough to get around by bicycle!

I’m writing about God’s continuing faithfulness.

God has not chosen to heal me physically but has instead used my disability to help others. I finished university, became a teacher and moved back into my parents’ home for 10 years. During these years I became a disability activist through the inspiration of the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP). God has put me in a unique position to campaign for the rights of disabled people from my own experience.

After completing a master’s degree, I was looking for the next phase of my teaching career. God opened the way for me to move to London. It was then the Bible verse at the top of this story came to my attention.

I began to realise that God had made me just as he wanted me – Cerebral Palsy included. He had borne me up throughout my life so far and would carry and deliver me the rest of the way!

I’d completely underestimated how physically hard I’d find living in London on my own. But no matter what, Jesus was there as my constant companion. This may seem strange to you, that a remote figure who lived thousands of years ago could offer us friendship, but it is true.

Life with Jesus isn’t always an instant cure to all the ills of life. In 2007 I found myself physically and emotionally exhausted once more. I was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and had to take 16 weeks off work. There were times when I felt confused, sad and frustrated, as if I was in freefall. I found myself again having to endure long, dark, sleepless nights, this time with whirling anxiety as well as physical pain. Thankfully, slowly, God helped me through. He helped me find a new rhythm of life with more variety. He even helped me to train as a swimming teacher!

I like activity and busyness, but that is physically and emotionally challenging every day. I believe God has continued to use me to campaign for disability rights through a local care co-op. Being a Christian means that I have learnt to see such good causes with a deeper spiritual perspective. My relationship with God gives me purpose and meaning in life.

I have recently retired from 37 years as a classroom teacher. I am so grateful that God has continued to demonstrate His faithfulness by enabling me to continue to work as a swimming teacher. In all the ups and downs of life I am living proof Jesus is my hope. Every day, I am thankful for the breath God has put in me. I pray you will discover that joy too.

My testimony - Stephan Amaranath

Redeemer Church London member STEPHAN AMARANATH shares his testimony, revealing how being assaulted nearly a decade ago left him questioning God - before the Lord provided him with the answer he needed.

Back in 2016, I was assaulted one Sunday evening, and found myself questioning why God had allowed it to happen. Following the incident, I started to question God: Where was he? Why would he let this happen to me? I thought he loved me? I felt very alone and needed answers. Why hadn't God rescued me?

I was born in 1991 in London into a Christian family where my mother in fact came from a Hindu background. My parents had given their lives to Christ and were born again Christians before I was born. I have four sisters, two of whom live in Canada - we were a very close family unit and I felt loved and safe growing up. Growing up in a Christian household, I attended church regularly from a very young age and very much enjoyed Sunday school.

Unfortunately, God did not figure much in my life during my undergraduate degree. Being away from home for the first time and being exposed to a new world I was unprotected from, my faith and God were not priorities. However, I started attending Redeemer Church London after graduating from the University of Sussex and moving back home in 2012.

The sense of community and being made to feel welcomed from the get go, is what I loved most about Redeemer. Being at there has helped me in my walk with God as I’ve had the opportunity to surround myself with people on fire for God and have had the opportunity for accountability with the men from the church.

I then went on to complete my masters at the University of Kent in 2019, which helped me land my current role working for the NHS.

I currently work with adults with learning disabilities. My past experience has been working with those with special educational needs and disabilities and I very much love my career to date.

Up until the time of the assault in 2016, I had experienced some setbacks and bad experiences such as being bullied, being mugged once before and being in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami (these are stories for another time). Despite these experiences, I did feel I was in control of my life and lived a fairly safe life, thanks to my family and upbringing.

But that assault in 2016 was different! I was shaken deep inside and was doubting the goodness of God as I never had before! To my surprise, God gave me an answer.

I got sent a short yet nourishing verse, “I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). Suddenly, I realised why I couldn’t feel or see God’s comfort or care that day. He is always there, whether or not I sense him. When I call out to him, he'll never fail me.

God doesn't take away hard times, but we can certainly find strength and hope knowing that he will always be with us and will help us through. If we have gone through life trusting in our own judgement, we may find it harder to submit to God and his plan for us. If we refuse to see God’s hand and direction in our lives, we may never know just how good he can be to us.

“Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8) We will face many hard times. Some of these are inevitable and beyond our control, but these can be endured with God’s help.

Some of our anguish and affliction is self-imposed and can be avoided, yet God still offers peace as we gather the courage to make the necessary changes in our lives. God’s forgiveness and affectionate approval can give us peace as we face hard times, even when the hurting we face is our very own fault.

He has the authority to guide us down the path of life; he has already conquered all the barriers that stand in the way!

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

My Faith

We are in the midst of a preaching series based on Hebrews 11, focusing on faith, and our resident poet - Steve Page - has written a poem to go alongside the series. We hope that it blesses you and stirs your faith today.

---

My faith is the certainty that gives me clarity to see
that there’s a path just beneath the current uncertainty.

My faith is a step, a one step at a time
not much of a leap, but me taking his hand with mine.
My faith is a day-by-day holding,
a minute-by-minute treading
of my boot in his footmarks left for me as a blessing.

My faith is choice that needs repeated repeating,
a daily seating at his feet,
it's not a fleeting feeling,
it’s a morning and evening both-knees kneeing.

My faith is a decision and decisions were made
to be made,
so pray,
take him at his word and take the next step,
but don’t be surprised if it involves you getting both feet wet.
Cos that is where you’ll find Jesus
at the point you find yourself out of your depth.

My faith is the certainty that gives me clarity to see
that whatever my path,
my God has gone before me.

Run and Fight

On Sundays at the moment you'll find us working our way through Paul's letter to the Corinthian church.  It's like reading a neighbour's post, but legal.  There's plenty from their life lessons for us to learn from.   1 Corinthians 9 uses the analogies of the runner and the boxer and the pictures they conjure prompted me to write an amplified version of sorts, with follows, after which is written the biblical original.

---

Runners Run.
One stride at a time
One push at a time
One lap at a time

And when the climb is steep
when you feel like
you're losing ground,
then every stride,
every push, every lap
that leaves you in the race
takes you to your prize

And every time you stumble
only to regain your feet
that is a victory that is worthy
of your team captain
our captain, Jesus.

Boxers Fight.
One step at a time
One blow at a time
One round at a time

And when life throws
all it has at you,
all at one time,
then every step
every blow, every round
that leaves you in the fight
takes you to your prize

And every time you hit the canvas
only to beat the count
that is a victory that is worthy
of your champion,
our champion, Jesus.

And we will not be disqualified
from the prize.

---

1 Cor 9 :24 - 27

24. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 

Parable of The Old River

John 7:37-38
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."

The river will find its course, I recall Miss Crabtree, my geography teacher, saying.  But it will be influenced by the terrain, by the obstacles in its way.  Yes, it will find its way down to the great sea, as it should, but there will be a few detours along the way. Its course will not be a direct one.

Then I learned about a river’s 'rejuvenation':  When it gets to its wide meandering stage, in its lower course, the river will slow. It looks like the hard work has been done, there's only a little way to go before it joins the sea.  But if later it hits hard rock, a restricting of the course it was seeking to follow, it will return to its narrower, fiercer youth.  It will flow faster, with a stronger current to force its way forward. The
meandering will end, the white-water will return. The river is 'rejuvenated'.

The river will do all it can to get to the great sea, fighting its way to the finish. It will get noisy, and the going will get rough. But the river will reach its intended destination – the sea.

The river is you. The hard rock... you know what that is. It's different for each of us.

God has given you what you need to rejuvenate, to rediscover the fierceness in your faith, you will find a way to the great sea.

By the way, I also recall Miss Crabtree saying that the faster moving turbulent water typically contains a greater concentration of oxygen, which supports greater biodiversity than the slower moving water.  Faster rivers mean more life.

God knows what he’s doing.

We're All Levites Now

At the end of January we celebrated all those that serve at Redeemer, and encouraged everyone in the family to get involved in one of our Sunday serving teams. Steve Page, our deacon for logistics, reflects on serving in his latest blog below.

---

Levites in Frocks

As a young Christian, when I heard or read bible passages featuring the Priesthood or Levites serving in the temple, I immediately conjured up the image of guys in frocks, waving incense; not exactly heavy lifters or people you’d invite to a party. As a bloke in SE London it wasn’t much to aspire to.

When I learned of the ‘priesthood of all believers’ (1 Peter 2:9) and understood that all those who have joined God’s family get direct access to him and that we don’t need to rely on any human go-between, such as a priest, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, it became a core truth of the gospel for me: the temple curtain torn in two, no hidden backroom just for the elite priesthood; an “Access All Areas” salvation.

But the image of frocks and incense persisted.

The Complete Picture

That has all changed now. I know that the Levites, the tribe that Yahweh put aside to run the Tabernacle and from which priests were selected, weren’t just guys in frocks. Reading passages in Exodus, Numbers and Nehemiah, I see that the Levites were given jobs such as taking care of the Tabernacle frame and equipment (Num 3:36); they were foremen (Neh 11:16); record keepers/ accountants (Ex 38:21); musicians and singers (Neh 11:22 & 12:8); tithe collectors (Neh 10:37); security guards (Num 1:50,51); and teachers (Neh 8:7,8). The whole tribe got involved, not just those with a talent for ‘bells and smells’.

We’re All Levites Now

And so it struck me, if under the New Covenant made possible by Christ we’re all priests, here to serve God and one another and all part of one body with all a part to play, then surely it follows that we’re all Levites now. We’ve all got a role to play to ensure Sunday worship comes off without a hitch – some with a flair for taking care of equipment and some for teaching (and perhaps some for both), and all with a calling to serve one another.

We’re all Levites now, but in the 21st Century the roles have changed a little: greeters, sound desk operators, coffee servers, teachers, toddler minders, un-packers, singers & musicians, money counters, administrators, and more: bringing God’s word for one-another, praying for each other and encouraging each other.
And none of these are mutually exclusive. All priests, serving one-another; all Levites, serving in God’s house. No false humility, just a willingness to do our part.

We're the New Levites:
the early risers, the cable layers,
the coffee makers, the sound checkers.
the purple greeters with a ‘good to see-yers’,
the smiling pray-ers, the red kids’ workers.
We’re all priests, cos we’re all believers
and I’ve got news for you – we’re all Levites too
We qualify by turning up,
with willing hands and open hearts.

We're the New Levites
and the rota's open.

---

Find out more about serving at Redeemer at redeemerlondon.org/serving

Trip to Thailand - 2nd part - God is at work even in the most unexpected places

As promised, here is part two of the trip to Thailand of Maria and Simona, where you can witness God's work in unexpected places! Let the adventure begin!

After the experience in Chiang Mai, we took a coach and travelled for 5 hours to Mae Sot, where we stayed at PictureBook, a lovely guesthouse co-run by students and some Burmese locals (Mae Sot’s population, although in Thailand, is 80% Burmese) . We were welcomed by Aaron, the founder of a foundation that works in over 30 communities, and who has been living in Thailand for over 10 years. Over the weekend, on top of an adventure-ready Thai-style truck🚚, seated at the rear (obviously with no belt or any safety measure whatsoever! lol), he took us on an extraordinary and discovery tour of the city and neighbouring areas where we could fully indulge in the beauty of Thailand's wilderness and scenery.🌿🌳🐒 We even visited the border between Thailand and Myanmar, and Aaron shared with us some incredible insights and information that you won't certainly find in tourist guides. Once there, backed by breathtaking mountains ⛰️🗻 and facing the “other world” and reality beyond the river, there was a very touching moment when we were invited to pray over the refugee communities from Myanmair trapped there. These people had to leave their homes and villages because of bombings. Now, stranded in Thailand, they can't work or go to school because they lack legal rights and proper documents. They're stuck here, afraid to go back home because they might be killed. Aaron also told us the sad story of the 200 casinos built along the border in the last 3 years for money-laundering purposes, the big scale of the scammers market, the local mafia who controls the villages, and the invisible and forgotten people by the riverside.

🤓Fun fact: the visit to the local wet markets! They were selling all sorts of stuff, including grilled rats and other very weird “delicacies”! I have videos to confirm it by the way! :))

🤓🤓Another fun fact: visiting a gemstone store where you could sit on the floor with the workers and watch them sift through sapphires, rubies, and other stones for hours was incredibly fascinating. I even bought some raw stones at an incredibly cheap price!

🤓🤓🤓Last fun fact (for now!): we ate raw cane sugar which the host picked for us from the bushes!

During our time at the S.T. Foundation, we had the privilege of hosting a CHE vision seminary. The staff was welcoming and enthusiastic about our visit, and they were eager to learn more about our collaboration in the future and see how the CHE approach can benefit their work. We were able to visit a total of five different communities with them, where we had the opportunity to experience local and refugee life from an insider's perspective. The residents welcomed us into their homes and were friendly and accommodating. Although they were curious about our presence, they were not bothered and seemed intrigued. We were able to observe the foundation's staff delivering training on practical topics such as good parenting skills and money management to the residents. The training room wasn't a fancy hall with desks, chairs, whiteboards and coffee breaks stations, but a cement grey room where people were also sleeping and doing daily life - we were seated all in a circle on the floor including the oldest ones, I never had such an informal and unique class!

And lastly, we couldn't leave Thailand without visiting the famous idyllic beaches🏖️🌊🌴, experiencing some of the jungle vibes, and even riding an elephant! 🐘Check out pictures for a taster!

FUN FACTS:

🌶️🔥🥢Thai food is very healthy and spicy! I fell in love with pineapple rice, sticky rice with mango, Pad Thai goong, garlic chicken, and other dishes I cannot even name!

🍍🍌🥭Tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya, dragon fruit, coconut and of course, mangos are absolutely delicious! They have nothing to do with the flavour of imported fruit we eat here.

👟🚫It is customary to take off your shoes and leave them outside when you enter every house, some buildings, and even shops!

🌳🌴Women and children living at the border put a white "cream" on their cheeks made with Thanaka soap, taken from the trunk of a tree, to protect themselves from the sun and show they are clean and have had their shower.

👍I felt really safe! People generally do not steal, despite being in need or not.

🚖📍Taxi services are very efficient, and I met some very nice taxi drivers who went above and beyond without expecting tips or extra money, especially the young gentlemen who drove me to the airport when I was panicking about missing my flight back to the UK - even though his English very basic, we ended up talking about Jesus!

🦋Fairytale and Disney-like butterflies everywhere!

🛍️🏬🛒People love spending a huge amount of time in the malls, which are a bit different from the shopping centres we are used to here in Europe. They have gardens, salons, spas, and other entertainment inside!

🥥🌴Real coconut ice cream and real pineapple cocktails!

🫶The BIGgest memory:❤️💕

I have experienced the presence of God✨💖 and His wrapping protection in unexpected places and circumstances (i.e. while having a panic attack while riding an elephant, being on a small boat at sea under a stormy sky, and feeling fearful of being trafficked in a taxi by myself when the driver suddenly took a dark shortcut in the middle of nowhere!!). The prevalence of Buddhism in Thailand, with its golden temples, scary dragons, majestic statues, and spirit houses, has reinforced my belief that the God of the Bible is the one true God. Only Jesus 💡✨ can provide true answers to life's biggest questions, and only through Him can one experience true joy and peace. I feel blessed to know this God and be known by Him, the God who came down from heaven to die on a cross for me, the only God who gave His life for us all.🙏✝️

Things I struggled with:

📌Few Christians: As a follower of Jesus, I felt sad about the small number of Christians in Thailand. A visit to a famous temple reinforced my Christian beliefs, as it mentioned that the first Buddha couldn't find the truth and settled for a compromise, 'the middle way”. The essence of life is rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, who declared, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.'

📌Communication Dynamics: Thai people are friendly, but their cultural habit of saying 'yes' to avoid conflict can make it hard to know their true feelings. Forming genuine friendships might take a long time, as Thais may need years to reveal their real selves.

📌Black Market Sex Industry: I was saddened to discover a thriving black market sex industry in a central district of Phuket. It casts a shadow on the vibrant culture, raising concerns about the well-being of those affected.

📌Language Barriers: Communicating in English was challenging in most cases which could prevent you from having deep conversations.

👇Bottom line:👇

My trip wasn't in any way what I had anticipated and this is usually the case when it comes to mission work. I was reminded quite vividly that it's not just about the immediate “relief” or tangible results you hope to achieve or the tasks you completed, but maybe it is much more about the many encounters and random conversations in a taxi, in a farm, on the beach, whilst riding an elephant, etc..it is about sowing seeds, giving locals or missionaries hope, preparing the ground and laying the foundation for a much bigger construction whose final look you might even not be able to see in this life!

✨🌍🌟I strongly encourage everyone to take the opportunity to go on a short-term, medium-term, or long-term mission trip or volunteering program abroad. Despite any challenges, cultural shock, or difficulties you may encounter, it will undoubtedly be an enriching experience for you and your life. After all, Jesus encouraged us to be the light of the world and to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, didn't he? So, what are you waiting for? 🌈🤗💪🌍

Grateful for the experience! 🫶