Church of the Redeemer Update

Greetings, Redeemer family! God is doing great things in the Youth Group at Redeemer, and I want to share a little bit about our retreat last weekend.

We began our time together with the Friday night performance of Beauty and the Beast at CHA, in which Katharine Battaglia starred. She was spectacular! I feel I should note that Ryan had never seen any form of Beauty and the Beast, so he was continually looking at me and saying, "How's it going to end?"

On Saturday morning, the Sr. High Youth Group met at Humboldt Park in Chicago, where we served at the 14th Annual Walk for Peace, which rallies the neighborhood against gangs and domestic violence. Though not everything went as planned for our service project, God certainly blessed our time at Humboldt Park. We arrived expecting to set up chairs, tables and booths for the celebration at the end of the Peace Walk. Unfortunately, those chairs and tables did not arrive until almost two hours after we did! While we waited, we noticed young men playing basketball on the edge of the plaza where we were. Kari—who has serious basketball skills—went over to the guys and started playing with them. We were all impressed with her boldness, and soon Ryan had organized a big group of city kids and Redeemer kids into a huge game of Knockout. I never made it past the first round, but Kari won at least once! Soon, our tables arrived and we hurriedly set them up before the 1,000-strong march arrived.

We followed up our service project with a time of fellowship, Bible study and encouragement at my apartment. God is working powerfully in each of our students' hearts. They are asking great questions and wrestling with tough choices. It has been incredible to see the way many of them have blossomed in their faith over the last few months, and I sense that this summer is going to be significant for many of our youth. Our time together was affirming and life-giving. While the students lamented that Ryan will be leaving soon, they all seem excited for the summer and for the new things God is doing in the youth group. Please pray for each student that comes into contact with Redeemer, and for all those peripheral—that God would use us to draw students to Himself, and that He would move powerfully in their lives. We trust that God has great things in store for each student, and for our group as we grow together. Please pray for Ryan and the volunteer leaders: Brooke Cantu (soon to be Brooke Block!), Dan & Kari ?, and me, as well as for the transition as Ryan follows God's call to plant a church.

Thank you for your continued support, and please ask any of us if you want to hear more about the Student Ministry!

Join us for week 2 of insights on parenting with Trinity's Dr. Perry Downs. Even if you missed the last class, this second of two sessions will be full of rich and helpful insight. Last Sunday we heard what teens wish their parents and other adults really knew about their world, and coming up this Sunday will be some principles to help in these relationships.

As we've stated before, these helpful sessions are not just for parents, but for all of us who care about the young people around us—so please join us at 9am in the Fellowship Hall.

In the next few weeks you'll be hearing quite a bit about our upcoming Redeemer team visit to St. Michael's in Musanze, Rwanda, and Sonrise School. We want you to know that you are a part of this team, although you are not physically traveling there, and that you are needed, in a variety of ways, to make it happen.

The Rev. Jay Greener, Jason Miller and Mark Rosengren will be traveling to Rwanda June 14-27, to spend time with church leaders, meet those involved with St. Michael's (our sister parish) and Sonrise School. They will be absorbing all they can so that we can learn as a church what God is calling us to in this relationship. Their time there will also involve laying groundwork for a follow-up Redeemer visit next year.

Here are some ways you can join the team:

Celebrate

Come to Newport Coffee in Bannockburn on May 30th from 6-9 for a special time of Rwandan coffee and live music. You'll have opportunity to record a video greeting to be sent along with our team, and you can contribute financially. This is open to the entire community, so bring some friends with you.

Pray

The Church of the Redeemer prayer team would like to invite all members of the congregation to join them in support of this ministry effort. There are several opportunities for the COR family to support Jay, Jason and Mark in prayer. One opportunity is to commit to a specific time and day of the week to lift each of them up in prayer for their safe travels and that the Lord's will be accomplished on the trip. Another opportunity is to join with others at the Wednesday night prayer service held from 7:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. at the EC church in Highland Park. A third opportunity is to select a day to pray and fast for the ministry team. A fourth way to support the ministry team is to faithfully pray through the prayer card being provided to the congregation this Sunday. Continue to look for more detailed prayer requests in future announcements.

Give

For us to physically go to Rwanda will speak volumes to the people there about our intention to be in relationship over time. This is the 15th anniversary of the genocide, so it is an important time to stand with them. It is not cheap to go, but it is the only way to communicate the value of this partnership, and also to receive what they have for us. Your specific gift to this work, over and above your tithe, is a gift directly to that relationship and the work of encouragement in the Gospel. Thank you. You can make a check out to Church of the Redeemer, and list "Rwanda Trip" in the designation line.

Total cost for team: $9,000
Received thus far: $4,400

Any funds received in surplus will go towards future Rwandan visits for Redeemer.

One more note...
We will be taking an all church photo immediately after our worship service on Sunday May 31st. Please plan on participating in this, as our 'family picture' will adorn the walls of St. Michael's following our visit there as a reminder of our partnership.

Redeemer kids would like to invite the entire Church of the Redeemer family to Party in the Park. It will be held during the afternoon of Saturday, June 27 at Everts Park in Highwood.

Please join us for fellowship, lunch, storytelling, games, crafts, and lots of fun!

There are volunteer opportunities available for the Redeemer Kid's Party in the Park. We are looking for people who would love to use their creative abilities to assist with crafts, music, decorating, storytelling or acting,taking photos, or planning the lunch. Please contact Allyson Entner at allysonentner [at] yahoo.com if you would like to be a part of planning this exciting summer event!

One of the principles of spiritual giving is equal sacrifice, rather than equal gifts. The widow in Mark 12 trusted God completely as she gave all, even though it was a 'small' gift. As each of us responds to God's promptings the work we are called to as a church will be supported and enabled. But it will take all of us doing what we can, and even what we can't, as we give by faith and trust God to provide more than we can offer on our own.

Thank you for praying and giving sacrificially that God's provision will be poured out in abundance.

Offering last week: $1,611

Offering needed each week: $6,600

Stay tuned for details on a class to be offered this summer at 9am on the Bible's insights into money, possessions and our role as stewards. Beginning June 14.

Are you a skilled musician with a heart for worship? Or perhaps you have the ears and desire to work behind the scenes to enhance our worship by running sound? The music team is always looking for individuals to join our team as worship musicians or sound technicians, helping to lead our congregation in worship each Sunday. Even if you are unsure about how your gifts and enthusiasm for worship might fit in with our weekly worship, come to learn more about other opportunities to serve our congregation in music and worship. If you are interested in joining the team or in hearing more about other ways in which you can serve our congregation in worship, we invite you to come to a brief informational meeting on Sunday, June 7th, immediately following the service.

Bill and Michelle Van Loon were recently in the Holy Land. Prior to leaving we prayed for them and sent them on their way for mission. We now welcome them back among us.

Bill and Michelle Van Loon "There is a vast difference between going and being sent. The prayers of the congregation prior to our recent ministry trip sent us to Israel and brought us back again. Bill, a board member of Jerusalem's Caspari Center (www.caspari.com), participated in meetings during our stay. There is an increasing hunger among Messianic congregations in Israel for quality training of teachers/mentors for children and youth. Caspari staffers already offer well-respected training workshops; board members and Caspari leaders strategized during their meetings about how to meet these needs as well as prayerfully brainstorm how to grow this facet of the ministry. Michelle spent two days in Caspari's offices cataloging news reports about laws that have directly impacted believers living in the land.

We also spent a bit of time in the prayer rooms of two congregations in Jerusalem, visited Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum) and wandered around Jerusalem. Michelle enjoyed a great day visiting with a friend living in the West Bank. We packed a lot into our time in Israel. Your prayers helped to shape that time into a blend of service, ministry and worship. Thank you for sending us."

— May 30th — Journey to Rwanda Coffee Night Celebration, New port Coffee, Bannockburn

— May 31st — Honoring of our High School graduates on May 31st rfhofacre [at] yahoo.com

— May 31st — Like to help with our Sonrise Benefit Banquet in October? People are needed soon, so attend a brief meeting following worship. Contact Michele.p.becker [at] comcast.net

— June 5th — First Friday Fellowship Dinner

— June 7th — Worship meeting zaholm [at] gmail.com

— June 14th — Newcomer's Luncheon, after worship

— June 27th — Family Outreach in Highwood. Contact allysonentner [at] yahoo.com