Build His Kingdom, Not Yours - by Tammy Bowman

I’ve been reading the Old Testament and just finished the book of Deuteronomy. In the past, this has not been a favorite book of mine or one that I read through with much enthusiasm! However, this time God has opened my eyes to read some really awesome stuff that has been influencing me daily and I’d like to share a couple of my recent “discoveries.”

We are in the midst of preparing for our annual 180 Conference at Redeemer UMC in DeWitt which is filled with busyness, a little stress, and a lot of excitement. We are always amazed and humbled by this opportunity to connect with other churches and share ideas with them. It is our hope to offer practical advice, encouragement, and motivation to help pastors and church leaders face change with faith and unity.  Reading in Deuteronomy has helped to prepare me for the 180 Conference, but it has also shown me how to shift the focus of my life as a Christian to focus more on God and less on me.

“But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look, but you may not cross the Jordan River. Instead, commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead the people across the Jordan. He will give them all the land you now see before you as their possession.” Deuteronomy 3:27-28 NLT

I read this over and over and kept thinking “how could Moses do that?” How can he look at this awesome place, the place God had been leading him and the Israelites for so long, and know that he was never going there? He was never going to step foot on that land. He was never going to taste anything from the land that flows with milk and honey. He was not going to experience what it was like for the Israelites to receive that land God promised.  And Moses still had to commission Joshua. Moses had to encourage Joshua.  Moses had to strengthen Joshua.  God basically told Moses you can look but you can’t touch.  On top of that, He told him to teach another guy everything he knows so he can lead the people into the Promised Land.  How could Moses have brought himself to do that?

How can we do that? How can we as Christians do things that God has called us to do even when we might not get to experience the end result? How can churches continue to want to change and grow to reach people outside its walls when they might not be around to see it actually grow?  This is where I learned from Moses…it’s not about us at all, it’s all about God! It doesn’t matter what we think is right or fair or what we think we deserve or are entitled to. Moses had an amazing gift to lead and teach the Israelites. He could have kept that all to himself and had a pity party about not getting to enjoy the end of the journey, but he didn’t. He was full of all this wonderful knowledge and experience and he responded with humility to train the next leader. It shouldn’t ever be about getting people to depend on us for spiritual growth, but for us to help others become dependent upon God.   God’s plan is so much bigger than anything I can imagine, so for me to do things just based on the results I may or may not see in my lifetime is so ridiculous. We are called to build His Kingdom here on earth and to trust Him at all times, even knowing we won’t get to see or experience the end result.

Prayer - by Pastor Rod Kalajainen

I am currently teaching a series on “Prayer” during this season of Lent. It is five messages that look at New Testament passages of Scripture that deal with prayer – the kind of prayer that changes who we are, our faith, and the people we care about.

In Hebrews 5:7, the writer says this about our Lord: “While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.”

I do not fully understand the mysteries of how a sovereign God answers the petitions of human beings, like us, but it does seem clear that effective praying often involves more than just saying the right words, more than saying “Grace” at mealtime or “Now I lay me down to sleep” at the end of the day. Seeking God with our whole heart is a kind of praying that secures not just answers but the blessing of God that we all need. And seeking God takes time and some effort.

If Jesus Christ Himself prayed with “loud cries and tears” at times, then we can certainly feel free and unashamed in pouring out our own soul to God in prayer. If Jesus recognized the need to be alone with His Heavenly Father in prayer, then we need to find the time away from a busy world to wait on God and to persevere in prayer.

I am grateful for several faithful servants of God here at Redeemer that have committed to coming in to my office each Sunday morning before the first of our three services begin and praying with me. These members of our newest Prayer Small Group engage in heartfelt prayer for our congregation and have been a source of encouragement to me. On occasion, when they can’t be here in person, they have emailed me a prayer or sent it via a text message. Their faithfulness, I believe, has been rewarded. God is bringing lots of new folks to our church and He is making our hearts receptive to His Word.

And I am convinced that we will continue see God bless Redeemer Church as we are obedient and faithful to Him in prayer.

Pastor Rod

Clear Conscience - by Jack Hanneman

As I listened to Pastor Rod’s message on Sunday, February 7th entitled “Keeping Your Conscience Clear”, it resonated with me. As I reflected on my own behaviors, I realized that although I try to practice the 6 areas he mentioned … I fall short in nearly every category. Upon this reflection I decided I will commit myself to a renewed effort to address each one of these areas. I will not allow sin or darkness to erode my relationship with God.

If you missed Sunday, February 7th or simply would like to just listen to the message again, you can visit our website and click on the “Connect with Us” drop down box, then “Listen to Messages”. You can find out for yourself if your conscience is clear or clouded with darkness.

‘…Like a Little Child’ – Sue Campbell

Mandy Ward and I have the pleasure of teaching the 3 year old Kingdom Kids class at 11:00 on Sunday mornings.  A few weeks ago, our lesson was about how Jesus loves little children.  Our craft that day was coloring a red paper heart and attaching it to a popsicle stick.  The heart read:  “Jesus loves _____” and we wrote the child’s name on the line.  Our class likes to be adventurous, so Mandy and I thought we’d see if they’d like to walk around the church to show their hearts to the people they’d meet.  Before we left our room, we practiced holding our hearts up in the air and saying:  “Jesus loves you!” 

Once everyone was ready to go, we were off to see who we could tell our good news to.  First, we found the morning’s incident coordinator, Mr. Sosebee.  Our little group stuck our paper hearts out and announced “Jesus loves you!”  The kids were so excited when he said:  “Thanks, Jesus loves you too!”  Next we found Mrs. Keaton in the bookstore, and some ushers in the lobby.  Same thing happened with them too!

At that point, neither Mandy or I had to encourage them to keep finding people to tell – they were excited!  They told the kids and helpers in the nursery and practically ran down the hall to the Kingdom Quest and BRIDGE56 rooms.  It didn’t matter who it was, how big or small, how many or few, they were on a mission to deliver the news about Jesus’ love! 

Reflecting back, I can see why Jesus loves little children so much – they’re not afraid to tell anyone and everyone about him, and the more they do, the more excited they are about it!  Sadly though, as we get older, we tend to get more fearful.  We get concerned about what people will think, if we’d use the right words, if we’d offend someone… why do we make things more complicated than they need to be?

As we near Valentine’s Day and the season of Lent – it’s a perfect time to share the greatest news of all about love - let’s try to do it as simply and enthusiastically as a 3 year old - “JESUS LOVES YOU!”

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) - by Sandy Hrostowski

Ever hear of it?  It’s something a lot of people go through here in Michigan as a result of the colder weather and lack of sunshine.  It can have many side effects, like finding it difficult to wake up in the morning, craving carbohydrates (which can lead to weight gain) lack of energy and many others symptoms.

Take heart - there are ways to beat the Winter Blues and lift your spirits.

Make your environment brighter (open those curtains and blinds).  Be sure to get some exercise, even if it’s just going for a short walk.  I find turning on some of my favorite music helps me feel happy.  I also get great enjoyment out of helping others.  It lets me think about someone else for a while. 

And when all else fails, plan a vacation.  This is exactly what I did this week.  I’m going to visit my daughter and her family in Texas.  I will be spending time with my granddaughter and my two great-grandsons.  Doing this is certain to bring a smile to my face.

Remember to take time to talk to God, He is a great listener!

Keep up the Great Work - by Ben Barnes

Over the past year, I’ve been visiting other churches in our region for sound and technology training. In the dozen (or so) churches I’ve spent time in, I have seen some beautiful buildings, met some very nice people, and have consumed gallons of bad church coffee.

After looking back at all of the buildings and people (and coffee), I must say that I’m really proud of our Redeemer family. In visiting other churches, I have yet to experience the warm welcome and the incredibly hospitable people that I have found at Redeemer.

It’s great to know that our family is doing such a good job of welcoming our community in and making them feel at home. Keep up the great work!

10 years - by Suzie Unruh

This year, I will complete 10 years as a staff member at Redeemer Church. I sit back and think – WOW, 10 years!

I think about where I was physically, mentally, and emotionally. I was lost when I started. We had just moved here from the town, where I grew up, and from everything I had ever known. I left a job that I loved and had worked at for 7 years. I didn’t know anyone. My oldest was struggling with being in 5th grade - new friends, moving away from his biological father. We took a big financial hit selling our house for the move, and I was depressed. I would sit at home and watch our daughter, with nowhere to go, in fear that I might get lost (Meijer’s wasn’t even here yet). I had no one to visit and was missing my old job. It was tough! We didn’t go to church regularly back home and I wasn’t raised a Methodist. But, I responded to an ad in the newspaper not knowing which church was looking to hire, but knowing that I needed to get out of the hole I was in. The previous seven years, I had worked in the medical field at a highly professional level and I loved it. My only reasoning for looking for a job in DeWitt was the fact that I was fearful of Lansing, getting lost, and all these 496, 96, 69 highways. But, it was odd that I would apply at a church.

I remember the interview like it was yesterday, Pastor Rod calling and offering me the job. I remember the specific spot I was standing in our house when I got the call, and I remember his words. Most of all, I remember the feeling of hope, comfort, and thankfulness, knowing God was taking care of me and my family and that I was going to be okay. Even now, while I write this, I tear up remembering the struggle.

During the last 10 years at Redeemer Church I have found friends, family, tears, sorrow, love, support, and laughter. As a staff member, you experience more than the typical member of the congregation. I have seen loved ones die, the birth of babies, new marriages, kids growing up, and people’s lives being impacted daily.

I still miss my previous home terribly. I miss friends. I still miss my former job and co-workers. But, life in DeWitt is great. I never knew why I applied ONLY to this job after we moved here – but God knew. For that, I am thankful. I can’t imagine being anywhere else each day. I enjoy my job, what I do, the people I work with, and I am grateful for the congregation’s generosity that supports my staff position. I can’t say what the next 10 years holds for me. I can say the past 10 years have changed me … saved me.