Redemption Story - How did we get here?
“No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself.” -Seneca The Younger
Birthed six weeks before a pandemic, Redemption was set to be marked by adversity. We are ok with that, why? Because without adversity, can anything good be proven? Without adversity can the goodness of God truly shine? From Genesis to Revelation a season of adversity is always followed by a great move of God. We are ready for that move.
“Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
-The Apostle Paul
Redemption launched on January 26th, 2020; Six weeks later, the pandemic moved us to online only. We made Converge history by having not only one of the largest launches but also raising the most money out of all church plants, neither of which seemed to matter at this point. Adversity. We have endured hardships as a church family from my divorce, to the loss of loved ones, to faithful members of Redemption moving across the country, to Sunday night services, to moving locations five times in three years. Despite all of the adversity, one thing remained true, God was moving. From classes and community groups, to countless outreach events, to the 20+ block parties, God has used Redemption to bless each other and our community.
We continue to hustle like it’s day one, keeping our noses to the grindstone and our gaze skyward. To establish ourselves as a staple church in our community for our neighbors we need to cross these waters and find a permanent location. At Redemption we believe, “if better is possible then good is simply not good enough.” So we continue to pursue better, to pursue excellence. Why? Because we have neighbors, family, and friends to reach with the good news of Jesus. And together, with great sacrifice and a humble grit, we will accomplish our mission of “helping our community meet, know, and live for Jesus,” because nothing else is more important.
Birthed six weeks before a pandemic, Redemption was set to be marked by adversity. We are ok with that, why? Because without adversity, can anything good be proven? Without adversity can the goodness of God truly shine? From Genesis to Revelation a season of adversity is always followed by a great move of God. We are ready for that move.
“Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
-The Apostle Paul
Redemption launched on January 26th, 2020; Six weeks later, the pandemic moved us to online only. We made Converge history by having not only one of the largest launches but also raising the most money out of all church plants, neither of which seemed to matter at this point. Adversity. We have endured hardships as a church family from my divorce, to the loss of loved ones, to faithful members of Redemption moving across the country, to Sunday night services, to moving locations five times in three years. Despite all of the adversity, one thing remained true, God was moving. From classes and community groups, to countless outreach events, to the 20+ block parties, God has used Redemption to bless each other and our community.
We continue to hustle like it’s day one, keeping our noses to the grindstone and our gaze skyward. To establish ourselves as a staple church in our community for our neighbors we need to cross these waters and find a permanent location. At Redemption we believe, “if better is possible then good is simply not good enough.” So we continue to pursue better, to pursue excellence. Why? Because we have neighbors, family, and friends to reach with the good news of Jesus. And together, with great sacrifice and a humble grit, we will accomplish our mission of “helping our community meet, know, and live for Jesus,” because nothing else is more important.
The Giving Initiative Plan - What Are We Doing?
1. Implement a vision casting campaign during the Spring of 2023 to communicate and fund the vision with a 3-year capital campaign.
2. Initiate a strategic initiative to raise the capital that will be needed for a down payment and needed renovations to pursue a location when it comes available. We do not want to miss out on what God has in store because we are not prepared.
3. Continue to develop strategies and initiatives to reach our community with the hope found in Jesus.
2. Initiate a strategic initiative to raise the capital that will be needed for a down payment and needed renovations to pursue a location when it comes available. We do not want to miss out on what God has in store because we are not prepared.
3. Continue to develop strategies and initiatives to reach our community with the hope found in Jesus.
How Are We Doing This? - The generosity of US!
Would you prayerfully consider being a part of this historic moment in Redemption’s story? We can only do it… together.
This project is the first of many future God-sized dreams and God-sized moves that Redemption will take. We cannot do this without God and without his stirring of our hearts to give toward this initiative.
In order to be successful- we need gifts of all sizes. Gift amounts are not limited to this list. This list purely shows the types of gifts we need to be successful. Gifts above these amounts, in addition to funds we have been saving towards this project already, can help move the needle in God-sized ways and help us increase the pace of our search and incur less debt.
LEGACY GIFTS
1 $100,000
2 $50,000
KEY GIFTS
4 $20,000
4 $15,000
6 $10,000
CORE GIFTS
25 $3,000
We ask that gifts and offerings are made via written check and mailed to the below address or given online at redemptionstl.com/give
1229 Folger Ave, Kirkwood MO 63122
This project is the first of many future God-sized dreams and God-sized moves that Redemption will take. We cannot do this without God and without his stirring of our hearts to give toward this initiative.
In order to be successful- we need gifts of all sizes. Gift amounts are not limited to this list. This list purely shows the types of gifts we need to be successful. Gifts above these amounts, in addition to funds we have been saving towards this project already, can help move the needle in God-sized ways and help us increase the pace of our search and incur less debt.
LEGACY GIFTS
1 $100,000
2 $50,000
KEY GIFTS
4 $20,000
4 $15,000
6 $10,000
CORE GIFTS
25 $3,000
We ask that gifts and offerings are made via written check and mailed to the below address or given online at redemptionstl.com/give
1229 Folger Ave, Kirkwood MO 63122
FAQ's
Q: What will the money be used for?
A: The money during the initiative will be used to buy a building for the first permanent home of Redemption.
Q: Will the money only be used for a building or will it also go toward operations and outreach?
A: The plan for this giving initiative is to use the money for both a building and staffing growth.
Q: If a suitable building does not come available in a reasonable amount of time, what happens to the initiative money?
A: The money would be saved into an escrow account for us to use at the appropriate time. It will not be used outside of anything other than building and staffing.
Q: What are the boundaries of our building search?
A: Roughly 50% of our people are coming from Kirkwood so we are prioritizing Kirkwood and Glendale as our "A Zone." We will consider locations outside of Kirkwood/Glendale--the surrounding areas--but those locations make up our "B Zone."
Q: If I’ve never given before should I start with this?
A: Likewise to a January 1st New Years Goal to become healthier, God often uses special times and initiatives like this to start and cement great spiritual practices in us, like giving. So this is a great thing to start with.
Q: Should my commitment be above and beyond my regular tithe?
A: It should. At Redemption it is our conviction that God wants us to give 10% of our income to our local church. The gifts for this strategic initiative are above and beyond that 10%. However, if you are not currently cheerfully giving 10% of your income to Redemption, consider this an opportunity to take a big leap of faith and take that step of obedience to grow in your giving journey.
Q: Are we pledging to give across time or are all gifts expected to be given at once?
A: Both are completely acceptable. We will have four “First Give” giving Sundays across the month of May for a portion of the gifts to be given and for the other pledges to be made. Pledges that are made will be expected to be given within a three-year period.
Q: What happens if there is leftover money?
A: First, we will praise God for his generous faithfulness and second we will use the leftover money for the next initiative to see our neighbors meet, know, and live for Jesus.
Q: What are the top priorities we are looking for in a building?
A: Our building search profile involves a building of 6-12k square feet (if more than this, we will need to lease out a portion. We will need parking for a minimum of 100 or more cars to effectively serve the amount of people we expect in the future. Outside of these two requirements there are other desires like vaulted ceilings in a portion of the building, road frontage location, and large lobby windows etc. but these things are not a must.
Q: What is the search criteria (needs vs wants), price point, location, and timeline?
A: We have our search criteria broken down into zones to begin with. We planted in Kirkwood and we desire to stay in Kirkwood if possible. Kirkwood is our A Zone. Anything directly touching Kirkwood then is our B Zone. Finally, anything directly touching the B Zone is our C Zone. The goal is to stay in the A or B Zone. Our timeline desire is “God speed” and that means as soon as he moves, which may be tomorrow, but as we know, it may be a year or more. We move at his pace, we can’t force his movement.
Q: How will having a building benefit Redemption? (What other activities/initiatives will a building allow Redemption to accomplish?)
A: First off, beyond the basic improvements of ministries and outreach work two things often grow a church. Those things are the addition of staff members and the move from a church planting situation into a permanent building. So by all statistics, Redemption will grow because of a move into a building. Furthermore, we will be greatly impacted by a move to Sunday mornings. Depending on the building and what it can offer, we will use the building to hold community events for groups like the Chamber of Commerce, we will allow Bible studies and community groups to meet at the church, and this will also allow us the space to start new ministries like a student ministry. The other ways a building will impact us we will only one day find out. A lot of that impact will be determined by what the building itself offers and or restricts us from.
Q: Would we consider lease parts of the building for one-off-events or ongoing?
A: Absolutely. This will be a great way to make extra money for the church, to get the community into our church building and get them comfortable with the building, and this will be a way we could be good stewards of all God has blessed us with by using it like the servant who was given the 10 talents in Scripture..
A: The money during the initiative will be used to buy a building for the first permanent home of Redemption.
Q: Will the money only be used for a building or will it also go toward operations and outreach?
A: The plan for this giving initiative is to use the money for both a building and staffing growth.
Q: If a suitable building does not come available in a reasonable amount of time, what happens to the initiative money?
A: The money would be saved into an escrow account for us to use at the appropriate time. It will not be used outside of anything other than building and staffing.
Q: What are the boundaries of our building search?
A: Roughly 50% of our people are coming from Kirkwood so we are prioritizing Kirkwood and Glendale as our "A Zone." We will consider locations outside of Kirkwood/Glendale--the surrounding areas--but those locations make up our "B Zone."
Q: If I’ve never given before should I start with this?
A: Likewise to a January 1st New Years Goal to become healthier, God often uses special times and initiatives like this to start and cement great spiritual practices in us, like giving. So this is a great thing to start with.
Q: Should my commitment be above and beyond my regular tithe?
A: It should. At Redemption it is our conviction that God wants us to give 10% of our income to our local church. The gifts for this strategic initiative are above and beyond that 10%. However, if you are not currently cheerfully giving 10% of your income to Redemption, consider this an opportunity to take a big leap of faith and take that step of obedience to grow in your giving journey.
Q: Are we pledging to give across time or are all gifts expected to be given at once?
A: Both are completely acceptable. We will have four “First Give” giving Sundays across the month of May for a portion of the gifts to be given and for the other pledges to be made. Pledges that are made will be expected to be given within a three-year period.
Q: What happens if there is leftover money?
A: First, we will praise God for his generous faithfulness and second we will use the leftover money for the next initiative to see our neighbors meet, know, and live for Jesus.
Q: What are the top priorities we are looking for in a building?
A: Our building search profile involves a building of 6-12k square feet (if more than this, we will need to lease out a portion. We will need parking for a minimum of 100 or more cars to effectively serve the amount of people we expect in the future. Outside of these two requirements there are other desires like vaulted ceilings in a portion of the building, road frontage location, and large lobby windows etc. but these things are not a must.
Q: What is the search criteria (needs vs wants), price point, location, and timeline?
A: We have our search criteria broken down into zones to begin with. We planted in Kirkwood and we desire to stay in Kirkwood if possible. Kirkwood is our A Zone. Anything directly touching Kirkwood then is our B Zone. Finally, anything directly touching the B Zone is our C Zone. The goal is to stay in the A or B Zone. Our timeline desire is “God speed” and that means as soon as he moves, which may be tomorrow, but as we know, it may be a year or more. We move at his pace, we can’t force his movement.
Q: How will having a building benefit Redemption? (What other activities/initiatives will a building allow Redemption to accomplish?)
A: First off, beyond the basic improvements of ministries and outreach work two things often grow a church. Those things are the addition of staff members and the move from a church planting situation into a permanent building. So by all statistics, Redemption will grow because of a move into a building. Furthermore, we will be greatly impacted by a move to Sunday mornings. Depending on the building and what it can offer, we will use the building to hold community events for groups like the Chamber of Commerce, we will allow Bible studies and community groups to meet at the church, and this will also allow us the space to start new ministries like a student ministry. The other ways a building will impact us we will only one day find out. A lot of that impact will be determined by what the building itself offers and or restricts us from.
Q: Would we consider lease parts of the building for one-off-events or ongoing?
A: Absolutely. This will be a great way to make extra money for the church, to get the community into our church building and get them comfortable with the building, and this will be a way we could be good stewards of all God has blessed us with by using it like the servant who was given the 10 talents in Scripture..