#RedeemerRecommends - Confronting Christianity

Every year in the run up to Christmas I have the same conversation with frustrated members of my family as they desperately ask me what I want! As gifts is not high on my list of love languages I often respond with a shrug and an unhelpful phrase, something along the lines of  - ’Whatever you feel like getting me I guess?’

I have come to learn over the years that when someone is trying to be generous, it helps to be a little more specific than that! So this year I sent my family the link to the Gospel Coalition’s books of the year, as a sort of Christmas list! You can find it here, just in case you’ve got a friend or family member with a January birthday coming up and (like me) your gift giving ideas ran dry about half way through December….

One of the books on the list which I was lucky enough to receive this Christmas was Rebecca McLaughlin’s ‘Confronting Christianity - 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Hardest Religion’.

The book poses 12 common objections to the Christian faith, and flips those challenges on their heads, using them to point to the goodness of God.

McLaughlin is fantastic at confronting the general lack of biblical knowledge which seems to influence many people’s objections to the Christian faith, and focusing on the biblical truth which can provide clear answers to questions like ‘Doesn’t Christianity Crush Diversity?’ And ‘Isn’t Christianity Homophobic?’. She has also clearly done her research (as is to be expected with a book like this), and not only does she highlight biblical truth, but also aligns it with findings of modern science to construct arguments which provide answers to those with big questions for Christianity, regardless of their knowledge of the bible.

I have no doubt that this is a book which would appeal to those who would not call themselves Christian, but simply have some questions to ask. It will also provide a great foundation for those Christians who have friends who are asking questions, and would love some guidance as to how to answer them!

There are countless books out there which pose the ‘Big Questions’ of the world and aim to answer them, but what this book does so well is that combination of evidence alongside the biblical narrative. In every answer to every question this book is pointing unequivocally to the only source of true hope, the incredible, fully God, fully man, Jesus Christ. I will end this #RedeemerRecommends with a paragraph from the last page of the book, as McLaughlin brings us to the reason why all these questions need an answer, and why the story of the bible is the best place to turn.

In Jesus’s world, we find connective tissue between the truths of science and morality. We find a basis for saying that all human beings are created equal, and a deep call to love across diversity. We find a name for evil, and a means of forgiveness. We find a vision of love that is so much deeper than our current hearts can hold, and a true intimacy better than our weak bodies could ever experience. We find a diagnosis of human nature as shot through with sin and yet as redeemable by grace. We find a call to care for the poor, oppressed, and lonely, a call springing from the heart of God himself and grounded in the hope that one day every tear will be wiped away, every stomach will be filled, and every outcast will be embraced. But we do not find glib answers or an easy road. Instead, we find a call to come and die. (page 222)

Nativity Scene - A poem by Steve Page

Sunday night saw our very first Christmas concert at Redeemer, and our resident poet Steve Page was on hand to shed some light on his experience of Christmas over the years, and reveal some truth about the very first Christmas to those in attendance. Below is just one of the many brilliant poems he shared with us, and it can be found in his new Christmas anthology, which our host on the night described (correctly) as a perfect stocking filler! If you want to buy it you’ll find a link to at the bottom of the page.

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Nativity Scene

Stubborn love
faced down the years
of fearful hate
and stared intently as a child
from the stink of a manger
out into the poverty and
the oppression reflected
in captive eyes,
wide with hope
and wet with joy.

Generous love
cried out an almighty peace
into the dark stillness,
heralding a new start
with echoes of ancient promise.

Patient love
reached out with perfect timing
and embraced humanity.

Unfailing love.
Unfailing still.

A Choir at Christmas

I absolutely love carol singing. The last time I was in a choir was at sixth-form college and I’ve been craving a chance to belt out some Christmas carols ever since. 

It seems like I was not the only one in that camp this Sunday afternoon as 20 odd Redeemer folk gathered after the Sunday service for a choir practice. Headed up by Jo, Kayla and Anna, the Redeemer Christmas Choir will be performing at our Christmas Concert.

We ran through three different songs in a traditional SATB choir format, and for a bunch of amateurs, we sounded pretty pro. A traditional carol, a glee carol and a dancy lil number are featured in the performance.

As part of Redeemer’s ‘Love Ealing’ event we will be singing carols at Ealing Broadway shopping centre and handing out chocolates on Sat 14th Dec before our carol service the next day! So, come and find us, get in the festive spirit and eat some chocolates!

If you can’t make it to that (or if you really, really loved hearing us sing) then we will be performing the next day (Sunday 15th) as part of the Redeemer Christmas Concert at 6pm at UWL!

I am personally looking forward to seeing our resident poet, Steve Page, lifted up on strings in a white and gold leotard. Ok, that might be a joke, but his bass singing voice isn’t!

- Josh Gagel

Love Ealing

The first word when I think about God is LOVE.

The first verse I learnt from the Bible was John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son.

As a follower of Jesus I am amazed by His love for me

Love Ealing is one means by which Redeemer Church wants to demonstrate Jesus love for Ealing in practical ways. This will be as creative as the people taking part, and can be large or small: a wide range of activities, events and words are encouraged.

Below are some examples of ideas we have had already, plus some testimonies of how individuals have already been showing love to the people of Ealing!

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What we’ve got planned!

As we’re getting closer to Christmas we’ll be doing some carol singing in the Ealing Broadway shopping centre on Thursday the 12th and Thursday the 19th of December. At 7:30 on both evenings we’ll be showing some love to the people of Ealing as they do some Christmas shopping, and anyone is welcome to join us!

In January we will be showing love to the emergency services around Ealing, gathering people to go to their local police station, a&e department, and fire service with thank you cards and gifts. Blessing them in response to all they do for us over the busy Christmas season.

We’re also looking to bless and show love to those who are supported by Age Concern and Retirement Homes in the borough, and will be taking teams of people to build community with the older residents of Ealing by singing Christmas songs, playing games, and just spending quality time with them around Christmas.

Finally, we’re putting on two fantastic and free Christmas events on the 15th of December! There will be a carol service at 4pm, and a Christmas concert at 6pm, both events are at the University of West London and will be followed by mulled wine and mince pies!

We would love to hear about your ideas or to get you involved in one of the ones mentioned above, come and find us at the Love Ealing table on a Sunday morning!

How we’ve been loving Ealing so far…

The other day I was in Pret with a friend and we thanked the lady who served us, let her know that she was loved and gave her a Love Ealing business card, there was no big conversation as a result but it was great just to spread a little joy as part of our lunch!

I was walking through Ealing Broadway and I stopped to chat to some people who were asking members of the public if they wanted to switch their bills! Often I find it easy to walk past these people, but I decided to stop, encourage them for doing something which quite often can seem a thankless task, and I offered to pray for them! They were kind and asked me to pray that they wouldn’t get rained on! I also gave them a Love Ealing card and I walked away praying for them, it was only such a small thing but I am trusting that God uses it to plant a seed.

I came to the realisation that on my daily commute I walk past so many people that I never really stop to chat to. One of these people is Graham, who works at Chiswick Park tube station every morning. I felt convicted to do something to thank him for his friendly ‘hello’ each morning and tell him about Love Ealing. One morning, I asked God for courage and walked to the station armed with chocolate and Love Ealing business cards. As I gave these to Graham, he looked shocked and so happy to receive this small gesture of appreciation. I told him that how our church is taking a few months to love Ealing in practical ways and invited him along to Redeemer, pointing to the address on the back of the card. With a delighted expression on his face, we chatted about our weekends before he said ‘thank you so much Hannah’. We’ve connected everyday since and now know each other personally! I was struck by how little that took from me, but how great the impact was for him. What if we slowed down enough to notice and bless someone on our commute everyday?

#RedeemerRecommends - It's Not Too Early For A Christmas Album!

Christmas has come early for this week’s #RedeemerReccommends!

I have been working on arrangements for carols for this year’s Christmas events at Redeemer (find out more HERE) and inevitably that means listening to A LOT of Christmas carols, and I’m certainly not complaining, as there’s some fantastic Christmas albums out there!

I wanted to recommend one in particular which I have loved listening to recently, Joy to the World (Live) by Jeremy Riddle!

The album has got some fantastic live versions of Christmas classics like O Come All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, and of course Joy To The World, as well as a new recording of All Hail King Jesus.

In an interview prior to the EP’s release in November 2018, Jeremy talked about wanting to recapture the awe and wonder associated with the celebration of Christmas, and he definitely does so with this superb collection of songs.

You can hear more of his vision for the album below…

A Fresh Touch From Jesus

Recently we were blessed to have Stephen Van Rhyn, visit and preach to us at Redeemer. He is part of the leadership team for Advance, the group of churches we are part of, and he also leads Jubilee Community Church in Cape Town, South Africa.

When he visited and spoke to us he focused on the testimony of the blind man who was healed by Jesus which is found in Mark 8:22-25. It was a Sunday where God so clearly moved amongst us in worship and also through what Stephen shared with us! Our resident poet Steve Page has written the following poem off the back of his message, to which you can find a link at the bottom of this page, in case you haven’t heard it yet, or simply wanted to listen again!

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Double Touch

I need the double touch of His grace on my face, hinging on His mercy coupled with His ability to not assume, to not barrel past, but to rather ask (and twice ask) with His intentional hearing and His long compassionate waiting.

Jesus wasn't one for placing His touch 'in passing', but placing His touch with presence - His was an off-the-fence, no-pretence full in the face presence. He held back from the passing pack and exercised the knack of going far enough to reach a truer understanding, to reach out with both arms to allow Him to encompass all previous experience of mishandling.

He knew that truthfully the healing is secondary to the true medicinal touch, to the reassuring brush with acceptance, to the knowing that you've received close hearing and closer grasping - a meeting of more than minds, a confidence of souls truly embracing and only releasing once we have the assurance of knowing that we've been double-touched with honesty and that we're twice as much connected fully and gracefully with the One who never turned anyone away.

Mark 8:22-25
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

This Saturday! - Alpha Holy Spirit Day

This term I have had the privilege of leading the Alpha course, a group of us have been meeting every Wednesday to eat together, chat and get to know one another, hear some great talks from some great guys and girls at Redeemer about aspects of the Christian faith, and engage in some  exciting and thought provoking discussions off the back of the talks.

Coming up this Saturday though is a day which I’m expecting to be a real highlight of the course, as we join together for two sessions learning about the Holy Spirit. We run a day like this every time we run an Alpha Course, as the Holy Spirit is such a key aspect of our life as Christians, and we know it’s crucial that if we want to grow in faith, or even if we’re just working out what faith in Jesus means, it’s impossible to do so without a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

During the day, we will get the opportunity to learn about who the Holy Spirit is, what he does, and how we can be filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s a really exciting opportunity for people’s lives to be changed!

Last term on the Holy Spirit day, one of the guys attending was struggling with back pain, he asked if we could pray for him and during the prayer he described feeling a heat in his back, which was miraculously healed as we prayed!

I’m so excited to see how God is going to move and what he’s going to teach us about his Holy Spirit this Saturday. If you’re someone who wants to learn more about the Holy Spirit, or you’ve got a friend who you think might have questions, then you are more than welcome to join us!

The day will start at 10am, and finish at 2:30pm, with a break for lunch in the middle. You can find out all the details and sign up by following the link below!

CAP Money Course

This Sunday we start our next CAP Money Course at Redeemer, run by James and Alicia Dougherty. The course runs over three weeks on Sunday afternoons after church, in the Savoy Suite at the University of West London. It’s not just for those at Redeemer, all are welcome, and the course is completely free! It runs between 1pm and 4pm, with lunch included. Still wondering if it’s for you? Let me tell you more about it…

What is the CAP Money Course?

The CAP Money Course is a free course that will teach you budgeting skills and a simple, cash-based system that works. In just a few weeks, you will get to grips with your finances so you can budget, save and prevent debt. The CAP Money Course was devised by the award winning charity, Christians Against Poverty, in 2008. More than 1,100 churches run the course for their communities, with over 10,000 people benefiting from it each year.

Is the CAP Money Course for me?

Whether you feel pretty organised or whether it’s like a lucky dip every time you try to withdraw cash from your account, the CAP Money Course will help you take complete control of your finances. There are extra resources for those on low incomes, self-employed people, couples, families and those preparing for retirement – whoever you are, the CAP Money Course will be relevant to you.

On your local CAP Money Course, you will be supported by our trained coaches to take practical steps towards getting in control of your finances.

You can sign up for the CAP Money Course using the button below! I guarantee you it’s worth it!

#RedeemerRecommends - 9 Things You Should Know About Hinduism

This week Hindus across London and the rest of the world have been celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights!

As a result, our latest #RedeemerRecommends is a blog from Joe Carter, which is a summary of the Hindu faith, and is incredibly helpful if you’re a Christian trying to learn more about how to connect with those from different religious backgrounds.

If this blog interests you, then why not sign up to our event on Saturday - ‘Discovering Jesus through Asian Eyes’, as we seek to equip ourselves as Christians to better reach our friends, neighbours and colleagues who come from different cultural and religious backgrounds.

You can read the beginning of the blog, and find a link to the whole thing below…

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This week more than a billion Hindus across the globe are celebrating Diwali. The five-day religious observance, which is also celebrated by followers of Sikh and Jain faiths, is the biggest holiday of the year in India, the country with the largest population of Hindus.

Here are nine things you should know about Hinduism.

1. Although Hinduism is often treated as a single religion, it is more accurate to describe it as a family of religions that share common beliefs and characteristics. Some scholars claim that early Hinduism originated around 5500 BC, making it one of the world’s oldest religions. The term Hindu was first used by the Persians, dating back to the 6th century BC, to describe the people living beyond the Indus River. For more than a thousand years the label had no specific religious connotation. In the early 19th century, though, the term Hinduism was coined by British writers to refer to the family of Vedic religious traditions. Some modern Hindus prefer the name “Vedic religion” or sanatana dharma (“eternal law”) rather than the label Hinduism.

Breakthrough

One thing I love about Redeemer is the friendship and brotherhood I experience in my interaction with the blokes there.  I say ‘blokes’ because when we meet up there’s no pretence – there’s no divide between everyday life and seeking to live as sons of the Father.  Its’ all on the table.

On Saturday morning, we also had on the table (see what I did there) bacon, sausage, beans, eggs, as well as the token pieces of fruit.  We met at 8 for 2 hours of chat, testimony and prayer.  Every 2 months we meet under the banner ‘Breakthrough’ and share our stories of challenge and breakthrough as we follow Jesus.  

This month Noble Laryea told us a little of his family’s story - from coming to the UK as refugees from Ghana in the 70’s, to growing up in council housing with two parents holding down multiple jobs and his experience of church and coping with the death of his father as a teen.  I won’t try and do his story justice here – I suggest that you offer to buy him a coffee and you can get it first-hand. [Just be sure to clear your diary for a few hours.]  Instead here’s some second-hand wisdom from what I heard and took away to ponder.

1. Taking the knee. [Ephesians 3:14-19] At decision points in our lives, at each new twist of the road, we do well to pause and seek God’s face in prayer and to submit to His will. Taking the knee (actually both knees) is a physical reminder of our position under the kingship of Christ. Submitting to Him and trusting Him is key.

2. Seeking the kingdom. Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek first His kingdom. That can be daunting sometimes. Noble made it more personal for me by asking: right now, where you are – what does the kingdom of God look like? The point is that God’s priorities for us will change over time – so while you’re on our knees, ask: “What does Your kingdom look like for me right now? What adjustments do I need to make? What presumptions have I made based on the past? What does road ahead look like for me and mine from Your perspective?”

3. But God chose the foolish… And lastly, Noble didn’t spend much time on this, but referred us to 1 Corinthians 1: 25-29. Will you give Him your foolishness? Because God chose you for your foolishness – and He’ll take that and build His kingdom.

I love the brotherhood I’ve found at Redeemer – expressed through WhatsApp groups, over coffee, at breakfast and while on our knees.  That’s a Breakthrough. 

#RedeemerRecommends - Not Too Poetry

If you’re a regular reader of the Redeemer Blog, or you are part of the Redeemer family that meet together on a Sunday, then you will no doubt be aware of the talents of our resident poet - Steve Page!

It is with great excitement that I get to present to you this week’s #RedeemerRecommends, which features Steve’s second published poetry anthology!

Following on from his first book, ‘Not Too Big to Weep’, Steve’s second book is entitled ‘Not Too Old to Dance’.

Steve’s poems speak about and draw inspiration from his faith, his life in London, and his vast imagination. The book is split into sections, each described as having a slightly different ‘mood’, whether that be observing, writing, or dancing! Some of the poems will be familiar to readers of this blog, but I would encourage you (as Pete Cornford does in the foreword) to grab a coffee, dive in, and discover the joy, laughter, sorrow, excitement, and many more emotions hidden within the pages of this book.

Steve, you are such a blessing, and we thank you for sharing your gifting with us!

Alpha Starts Tonight!

Here at Redeemer we want to be a church which encourages people to ask questions, and seek deeper relationship with God. You might be reading this and have a friend who has lots of questions about your faith, you might have just started coming to Redeemer and are looking for deeper relationship with God, you might not be a christian, but you’ve got an interest in finding out exactly what it looks like to live as a follower of Jesus.

If any of the above applies to you, then I have good news! Tonight is the beginning of our next Alpha course! We will be meeting at Osteria del Portico every Wednesday night for the next 9 weeks, eating great food together, hearing a talk on an aspect of the Christian faith, and then taking time to ask questions and have friendly discussion together around the topic which has been spoken on.

Alpha is a fantastic opportunity to get to hear different people’s views, and discuss what we believe as Christians, and why we believe it is worth talking about! We also hope that over the 9 weeks you will get to build great friendships and learn things about the Christian faith which encourage you to dig deeper into what it means to be a Christian.

You can hear just one story of Alpha below:

We hope to see you tonight for Week 1 - ‘Is There More To Life Than This?’

Ealing Half Marathon - A Review!

Last Sunday we were out in force cheering on the runners in the Ealing Half Marathon, Josh Gagel takes us through exactly what happened on the morning….

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Drums? Bunting? Shouting? A megaphone?

What on earth was going on yesterday outside Ealing Town Hall?

Well of course it was us lot cheering on the half marathon runners!

 Despite the dreary weather, the Redeemer family came out in force to support those participating. Despite being somewhat rhythmically challenged I was fortunate enough to be part of the amazing drumming band that encourages the runners as they go past.

 Leslie Mailloux, a runner in the half marathon and a part of Redeemer, had this to say

 “As I was running up towards the town hall on the 11th mile I could barely feel my legs, but then I heard the drumming in the distance and it spurred me on to finish the race!”

The Redeemer runners did amazing, and we’d love to give them all a shout-out! Well done to Anna Unwin, Hannah Kinning, Jon Flower, Rich Smith, Mark Siburns, Lauren Siburns, Farayi Hobwana, Nicky Cornford, René, Tara Chandler, Bracken Pluckrose and Jess Bugembe. These guys were amazing and if you see them on Sunday then give them a massive pat on the back! (Not too hard though, they might still be a bit sore!)

Kayla Carter, who had a cameo drumming, had this to say

 “I’m flipping loving it, the atmosphere is great”

 Nico Ofoajoku was drumming but had a bit of trouble with our method of protecting him from the elements.

 “Currently I have seen no running because I’m too tall for the gazebo, but nonetheless I am drumming and encouraging everyone”

 Toby Elliott clearly had some bias towards a specific one of Redeemer’s runners.

 “My favourite part of this is that Mark ran past before Rich”

 All in all, a wonderful time was had, as always we were thoroughly impressed by those running, bring on next year, when rumour has it I will be running myself!

- Josh Gagel

Redeemer Live!!

Here at Redeemer we love music, and we are blessed to have many talented musicians, songwriters and poets amongst us! This Thursday there is a chance to see some of these gifted individuals in action, at Redeemer Live!

Redeemer Live is a live music and poetry event which is taking place at The Grange Pub in Ealing, at 7:30 this Thursday the 26th of September. The whole evening is a launch event for our next Alpha course, which will be running this term on Wednesday evenings at Osteria del Portico, and starts on the 2nd of October.

This is a fantastic opportunity to invite friends who might be interested in the Christian faith, who have questions about what Christians believe, or simply enjoy live music! There will be an opportunity on Thursday evening to sign up for the course, and to chat to those who will be leading it this term. 

We would love to see you on Thursday evening, bring your friends, have fun, and enjoy some great music and poetry.

And when you B.L.E.S.S....

Last week Steve Page shared a poem with us which reflected on how we read scripture, and he has followed that up with another encouragement, inspired by Pete’s message last Sunday ‘Disciples of Jesus BLESS’.

We hope you are inspired and challenged. How can you step out and bless someone this week?

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And when you BLESS
Be prayerful,
careful to be mindful
that God's presence is vital
if actions are to be blessful.

And when you bless
Listen,
just stopping and sitting
signals that you're willing
to be hearing
while your tongue stays stilling.

And when you bless
Eat,
yes feast over several courses,
invest is slower morsels,
be someone who pauses
to hear other people's stories.

And when you bless
Serve,
and not just in church,
but with imaginative verve
serve all of your neighbours
even those who are homeless.

And when you bless
Share,
yes dare to bare
a little of your story,
more of the messy history
that brought you here.

And, less you think
that you might have impressed,
be mindful that
we all put on our pants
one leg at a time
when we're each getting dressed, yes
we all equally need
God's ever forgiving kiss
so with no eye on who's looking
- just BLESS.

Join a Meetup! - Step Up - Mondays - 8pm

Here at Redeemer we recognise that we are not just a random group of individuals brought together by a shared interest in Jesus, but that we are a family of believers, and that being part of community is a crucial part of our life as Christians. That’s why we run meetups every term, to grow in our faith, to develop genuine friendship, and to encourage others to join our family.

Today sees the start of a new blog series, highlighting the meetups that we will be running this term!

First off it’s Step Up, which is being led by Sam Isaacson.

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The modern world is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.

How do you lead yourself and others in this challenging environment?

Come along to my meetup to pick up a full toolkit of life hacks that will help you understand yourself better, be more effective in work and life, and positively influence people.

It will be an absolute blast!

Sam Isaacson

#RedeemerRecommends - How Pornography Makes Us Less Human and Less Humane - a blog by Matthew Lee Anderson

Many of us as Christians will be aware of the damaging effect that pornography can have, whether that be on our own lives, on the lives of those close to us, or simply on the society in which we live.

Matthew Lee Anderson’s fantastic blog is the subject of this week’s #RedeemerRecommends, it challenges and stirs the soul, and inspires a desire for purity.

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Pornography deceives. Its sexualized depiction of human persons promises the viewer what it cannot deliver. But how pornography lies is difficult to see, if only because our eyes have gone blind from our frequent exposure to the medium. Pervasive consumption of pornography dulls the mind: if we delightedly give ourselves over to falsehoods, we lose our ability to sort truth from fiction. Sin has a compounding effect. The twin wraiths of confusion and ignorance preserve the charm of its false pleasures. It is easier for those drowning in a whirlpool of deceits to embrace their situation as “normal” than it is to escape.

The inescapable availability of pornography, and the corrosive “pornification” of all other forms of media, means that the most pressing challenge for Christians is rediscovering what purity feels like. C. S. Lewis famously proposed that spiritual mediocrity is the equivalent of playing with mud pies instead of taking the seaside holiday God offers us. Our situation is more dire, though: we are in danger of forgetting what the sea even offers. The warmth of sunshine that lifts our eyes and our hearts to heaven has been hidden by the stale pollution of our passions. Pornography is the only atmosphere we know: it has clotted our lungs, and we cannot get enough of it.

You can read the rest of the blog HERE.

And when you read....

Last Sunday we heard from Ted Sinn, the driving force behind the CBR Journal, about the value and the importance of reading scripture. This was as part of our current preaching series - ‘Follow Me’ which looks at how we live our lives as disciples of Jesus.

Our resident poet, Steve Page, wrote a poem back in 2018 which focuses on the same subject…

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And when you read
Don't rush -
Theres no need to read
with undue speed.

And when you read
Start with a suckle -
Work up to a nibble -
Until you can gnaw without a dribble.
I encourage you
Get down to the marrow
Like there's no tomorrow.
Savour each word
As food for your soul
And live as a model
As to how to live whole.

And when you read
Apply your mind daily,
Apply each word liberally
(especially to those out of the way
hard to reach places).

And when you read
Study
Sometimes with a buddy
But, study.
This is no hobby,
You can't afford to get sloppy.
It's as crucial for the soul
As five a day for the body
So study.

And when you read
Treat each word
Like a tutor;
It can teach you
How to live shrewder.

And when you read
Sustain it like a seed,
Ensure you pay heed
Cos it will never mislead.

And when you read
Do it to a plan,
Always with intent
And be sure
To finish as you began.

And when you read
Commit to it daily,
Commit it to memory
To avoid thinking lazily.

And when you read
Do it while a commuter
Do it on a computer
Do it with a kindle
Do it with audio
Do it with a paperback
Do it with a hard back
Do it from front to back.
However you develop the knack
Don't let yourself slack;
This Word is no throw back,
It will keep you on track.
So just read.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

2 Timothy 3:16

Believe In More

This year, one of the running themes of Newday was ‘Believe in More’.

Our resident poet, Steve Page, was serving on the Zone Hosting team, and wrote a poem around the same theme.

Ephesians 3:20-21 says:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

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Believe in more than
you can imagine
Believe in more than
you ask to happen
Believe in more than
what you have seen
Believe in more than
what you have been
Believe in more than
your faded lable
Believe in more cos
your God is able.

Immeasurably more than
all we ask
Immeasurably more than
all we imagine
Immeasurably more than
what we deserve
Immeasurably more than
mere human passions

Immeasurably wider
Immeasurably longer
Immeasurably higher
Immeasurably deeper
Immeasurably more
full to the brim
Immeasurable love
to the fulness of Him

Newday Highlights!

A couple of weeks ago, 18 of us from Redeemer headed up to the Norfolk Showground for Newday! A Christian event aimed at 12-19 year olds, where people from churches across the UK and Europe join together to learn about and worship God, camp together and soak in the summer festival feeling. Some of us were young people enjoying the services and seminars, some were youth leaders looking after our young people and seeing them grow, some of us were Zone Hosts, who were in charge of making sure the camping experience went smoothly for over 1000 young people and servers on the Purple Zone!

All of us have highlights from the week, and some of them are listed (or photographed) below!

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Amariah - Redeemer Youth

On the first night of Newday I gave my life to Jesus!

Gwen - Purple Zone Host

My highlight was being part of team Purple! It was a joy to work with wonderful young adults, who are so in love with Jesus, and happy and willing to serve him! 

Toby - Youth Leader

It was incredible to be in a meeting with 7,000 young people, hearing people respond to the gospel by shouting ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’, and seeing them run to the front, cheered on by their friends, as they made the best decision of their lives!

Esther-Maria - Purple Zone Host

Waking up each morning to the smiling faces of the zone host team!

Mude - Redeemer Youth

I loved hanging out with the other young people, and being able to help the younger youth explore their relationship with God more, seeing them respond to God during the week was a highlight for me!

Anna - Youth Leader

Getting to know and love the young people, and then seeing them give their lives to Jesus for the first time was an honour and a joy!

Kayla - Purple Zone Host

Hearing over the radio that there was a hedgehog in the showers! Unfortunately this became less of a highlight once I realised what ‘hedgehog’ was code for…

Miguel - Redeemer Youth (joined us from Spain!)

My favourite part of Newday was encountering God’s presence at the big top, and getting to make so many great friends with the church I went with!

Adam - Purple Zone Host

My highlight is in video form…

I’m sure after you’ve heard all of these highlights you will be up for joining us at next year’s event? Well you can sign up already!! Do so by following the link below, or email toby@redeemerlondon.org to ask about serving next year.