We believe that the church members are the ministers (equipped and empowered by their leaders). At Redemption, we intentionally limit the number of leadership-sponsored, facility-based events. This is in order to free and enable the members to engage one another throughout the week and display the redeeming work of Christ apart from the worship gathering from their homes, workplaces, marketplaces, and places of leisure. The primary gathering for fellowship and ministry work is the home-based community groups.
Community groups are where Redemption life happens. We gather together throughout the week in various homes to pray, worship, encourage, share meals, disciple, instruct, and plan for ministry. It is the ideas and skills of the body which inspire and implement the necessary ministries of the church. Children's ministry, local outreach, special events, etc. flow out of the mindset and passion of the people gathered together. One-on-one mentoring and discipleship relationships develop out of the personal life relationships grown in community. We are ordinary people empowered by the indwelling of an extraordinary God.
Sunday mornings are still the time for corporate worship and teaching, but the pastors aren't here to simply provide food, but to inspire and to train the members to take that spiritual food to their worlds. Sunday is the training ground, the community group is the launching pad for ministry by the people of God.
See what groups meet throughout the week at Redemption City Church here:
Ministry Model
Our goal is for the church itself to feel the burden to undertake ministry with their own personal gifts. The staff will be responsible for Sunday morning worship, prayer, and discipleship with help from the church, but the focus of ministry is not the work we do on Sunday morning but the work the church does the rest of the week in their own communities. By centering ministry on the community groups we hope to shift mindset of ministry to the people under the leadership and training of their elders. We want to train our people to hear the call of God, sharpen their gifts for ministry, and send them into service.
