An Uncomfortable Return
In the latest in our Uncomfortable Blog series, Mandy Hudson considers what Freedom Day will look like for Redeemer, and draws on lessons learnt over the past 18 months (with some help from the Redeemer family).
As the country takes tentative steps towards what some are calling Freedom Day are you looking forward with anticipation or dread?
What’s church been like for you over the last 16 months? Have you thrived on virtual fellowship or pined for more in-person collective worship? This blog will explore the range of emotions many of us have on what may feel like an uncomfortable return to church life.
It also makes use of responses to a recent poll which was sent out to members of the Redeemer family, asking for feedback on their experience at Redeemer over the past 18 months. Thank you all for your honesty and the time you took to answer the questions! If you would like to contribute to the poll you still can HERE.
An Uncomfortable Return
Some of our congregation still have no choice about having to stay away from in-person church. These are those whose medical conditions and personal circumstances mean it is vital for them to stay safe at home.
But what about the rest of us? Have we made it back to UWL on a Sunday morning? Do we feel comfortable meeting up with more people outside and inside our homes?
Like many of you, testing, mask wearing, washing hands more regularly and social distancing are now all part of my everyday routine. From July 19th, however, it’s all change.
We asked some members of the Redeemer family for their views of how lockdown has affected their experience of serving God at Redeemer.
What have we missed?
Although many of us missed Sunday meetings in person during lockdown the Lord still blessed us. We certainly have also missed communal singing (but if you’ve been in an England fan zone recently you’ve probably still enjoyed a good bellow).
Our musicians have served us so well throughout the pandemic, I’ve adapted to letting their words and music sweep me deeper into the presence of God. I sometimes wonder if we are not already part of the great multitude described in Rev 7v9-17. Maybe that’s a little theological gymnastic over-reaching, but during the months of virtual and restricted participation I for one feel we’ve had a foretaste of the eternity which awaits us worshipping the Lord.
Building Community
Meet ups were listed by almost 2/3 of people as a source of blessing during lockdown, and have also been a vital point of contact. One person commented:
““Meetups have, for me, been a huge support during the tough parts of lockdown. Knowing that I am not alone in my struggles has been great, but also to be able to take my eyes off myself and focus on praying for others has also been hugely helpful!””
People have indicated that they have felt less connected to each other, especially when it comes to meeting new people at church. However, we have still felt closer to the Lord and he has taught us to serve him in new ways.
No-one was able to anticipate the huge shift the pandemic brought to all aspects of our lives over the last few months. I sometimes find myself wondering how different our spiritual growth as a church would have been if we’d never experienced the effects of the virus. Nonetheless, by the grace of God we have continued to grow. We can rest in the peace of knowing that Jesus has been walking with us through the fire of sickness, bereavement and isolation.
Another response to the poll said this:
“Jesus hasn’t changed. In hard circumstances, which we are undeniably experiencing, our relationship with Jesus ought to be the most reliable aspect of our lives, building our faith rather than undermining it.”
A hopeful return
I’m hopeful the Lord is leading us into a new season where more in-person expressions of church can happen. This certainly seems to be reflected by the majority of those at Redeemer, with over 70% of responses to the survey indicating that they returned to in-person gatherings as soon as restrictions allowed.
Some responses elaborated on this answer:
“I was desperate to get back to church meetings in person - despite the online ones being a decent substitute.”
“I have found in person meetings to be immeasurably better in every way than digital church. Being in the building together is so much better than sitting in my living room!”
I’ve been pondering two quotations from the Bible:
Exodus 33v14,
“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
and Proverbs 3v5&6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
These verses contain the promise of rest in God’s presence as we move forward and the encouragement that He will guide us as we submit to Him.
In-person church will be different from before the pandemic. We’ve learnt how to connect when disconnected (and I don’t just mean on zoom!). These unexpected circumstances have proved that although we may have been surprised and knocked off balance, the Lord has remained in control. I’m praying that despite the uncertainty, walking in post covid faith, we will advance in the confidence and security that comes from following Jesus our Rock and Redeemer. He will ensure our return to in-person church will fulfil all His plans for us and our community.
A reminder to reflect
As one response to the poll challenges us, this has been a difficult time for many, and however we are feeling about our return to '“normality”, it is important that we do not move on too quickly, or without reflection.
“We have been through the hardest collective time as a country since WW2, and I fear that a return to full in-person Sundays will dive straight into happy clappy songs, chatting over coffee, and picking up pieces of bread from a shared plate. Given what we’ve been through, I hope we are invited to mourn, connect more deeply and more sincerely with God and one another, learn lessons, and repent. Our country is significantly further ahead than others, and we should not forget them.”
Let’s continue in prayer and in discussion with each other to learn more about what the Lord has wanted to teach us during the last 18 months.
Written by Mandy Hudson
Mandy is a member of our Redeemer Family, a teacher, and a contributor to Redeemer’s latest book - Stories of Hope. You can pick up a copy on a Sunday morning!
A Greater Lent
As we look towards Easter, Steve Page’s poem challenges us to think about what lent is really about…
A week ago Shrove Tuesday marked the beginning of lent, and as we look forward to Easter here at Redeemer we’ll be publishing a series of blogs produced by Redeemer Creatives, the first of which comes courtesy of our resident poet, Steve Page.
A Greater Lent
Lord, save me from empty lent abstinence
Protect me from light hearted choco-resistance
And stir in me a longer lasting adherence
A dig down deeper resonance
That falls in step with your insistence
to follow a path of greater resilience.
Lord, save me from a temporary temperance
And lend me your eternal Spirit of endurance
That I might take this lent as a growth accelerant
And so come to stand a little closer
to your post-Easter presence.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3
We're Moving! - Planning & Preparation
Got questions about the move? Find your answers here!
In the second of our blogs focusing on our Sunday venue move, Toby Elliott looks at the practicals and the logistics, and try and answer some key questions you might have!
I love a plan. Anyone who has known me or worked with me would be quick to tell you that where I go, a detailed spreadsheet often follows close behind… I have come to learn that this is not the case with everyone, but I am happy to tell you that here at Redeemer we have many faithful and dedicated members of our family who play their part in the plan for a Sunday morning service! Many of these people are behind the scenes, and wouldn’t be noticed by those coming through the doors at 10am, but I know that if they weren’t around, their absence would definitely be noticed, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who serve faithfully behind the scenes to make sure Sundays at Redeemer run smoothly!
But what does this have to do with the new venue? Well, on Tuesday night a number of those that serve on or lead Sunday teams met at the University of West London to explore, ask questions, and get excited about our new Sunday venue. We know that moving to a new venue is likely to throw up fresh challenges and new plans will need to be set in place to make sure our Sundays run as smoothly as they always have (I’ve started on the spreadsheet already). Below are some of the questions they asked, questions that you might be asking too. We’ve tried to answer them as best we can so that you have an idea of what Sundays at the University might look like.
Where are we going to meet?
We will be worshipping together on a Sunday morning in the Weston Hall, which is the large lecture theatre in the centre of the university building. Refreshments and the welcome table will be located just outside the hall in the cafe space, with the kids meeting in a suite of rooms elsewhere in the building (more information on that below). You can find a map of the site here.
What security measures are in place?
The university has a dedicated security team that will be present on both entrances to the university site, each entrance is equipped with barriers that the security staff will open to allow people in and out of the building. Everyone who attends on a Sunday morning will need to sign in at the desk, to ensure that the security team know who is in the building if an incident occurs. This means the site is a very safe environment for everyone, especially children and vulnerable adults, however it will be important for parents to stay alert, as there is lots of space for children to get lost in the building!
Will I still get my cup of coffee?
Don’t worry, our refreshments team will still be on hand to provide with that caffeine boost before and after the service! With the larger cafe space outside of the main hall providing the opportunity to sit and chat over a hot drink, while allowing further ministry and prayer opportunities in the main hall for those who may wish to respond to what has been shared during the service.
Where will my children be meeting?
Children up to the age of 11 (School Year 6) will continue to join us for the first 15 minutes of corporate worship. Our children’s groups will then run in another area of the building called the Savoy Suite, which is a short walk away and will be clearly signposted from the main hall. The suite is only accessible using dedicated security passes which will be available to children’s ministry leaders only, meaning that the area will be off limits to anyone who is not part of Redeemer church. Due to the distance between the hall and the Savoy Suite all parents will be required to collect their children after the service, rather than the kids team bringing them back.
What about parking?
There are several residential streets around the university which will have parking available on a Sunday morning, but please make sure you check for any potential restrictions before you park anywhere! There will be dedicated disabled parking spaces available at the university site for those that require them.
Hopefully those questions cover much of what you might have been wondering about the move to the new venue, I’m sure that there will be fresh challenges that we haven’t anticipated yet, but we are very excited to be taking this next step in our journey as a church! Of course, we are not perfect, and it is likely that everything won’t run perfectly smoothly as we get used to meeting in the university, but what I can assure you is that the same faithful servers who have served us so well in the Town Hall will continue to do so as we move into a new venue! They may just require a little extra grace as they get to grips with the new plan.
My final question to ask is - ‘Will God be with us?’
I can answer this with an emphatic YES! We are expecting God to move amongst us in new and powerful ways through this time of transition and in the future, in Exodus 33:15 Moses speaks to God and says ‘If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here’. As we move we are praying that same prayer, in the knowledge that he will always be with us, as individuals and as a church!
More questions about the move? Contact us at hello@redeemerlondon.org
Look out for the third blog in the series, coming soon, where we’ll talk more about the purpose of the move, and the vision behind it!
We're Moving! - Pause & Praise
In the first of three blogs focusing on our change of Sunday venue, Pete Cornford encourages us to pause and praise God for what he’s done so far at Redeemer!
Redeemer Church is moving! From the 2nd of June we will be meeting in Weston Hall, at the University of West London! We will be releasing more information about the practicalities of the move over the next two weeks, so that you have all the information you need about the move before it happens. As part of the move we’ll be publishing 3 blogs, the first of which is this one!
In this first blog Pete Cornford looks back at our time in Ealing Town Hall over the last 5 years, and encourages us to pause and praise God for what he has done in and through us as a church!
London is a fast paced and vibrant place to live. What a privilege it is to dwell in this city!
I am so aware in my own life that I love the new and the next: pressing on for what today holds and getting excited about the future. I would like to consider myself an ‘enthusiastic optimist’, with a mindset that says ‘we can do it!’
However sometimes it is good to pause.
To stop.
To reflect.
To look back and be grateful, recognising all that God has accomplished.
Redeemer Church, London was launched on Sunday mornings, at Ealing Town Hall in January 2013.
The iconic, central location has served us so well. From the small downstairs basement we have expanded into the main Hall as you enter the building. There has been space for the children's work to expand from 1 child to regularly getting over 50 children in attendance. People have decided to follow Jesus, many have got baptised, couples have got married and families have celebrated the arrival of babies. Visiting speakers have inspired and taught us, people have been healed and there have been powerful encounters with the living God. We have dreamed, cried and laughed together as community…..
And I am very grateful!
If you have been part of the journey - THANK YOU.
Why don’t you pause now - reflect and be grateful for all you have!