Service Changes in the New Year

Redeemer Church Family,

It is hard to believe 2022 is almost upon us. It is even harder to believe that we were still meeting at a parking deck only a few months ago. 

It's truly incredible to look back at all the changes we've made to our gathered worship over the past 22 months. In March of 2020, we began streaming from an empty sanctuary, then to a parking deck, then a combination of the deck and the sanctuary, and finally to four services this fall. Our church family has weathered immense disruption, and the Lord has been faithful to hold us close to Himself and hold us together. For that, we are so grateful.

If you were at church on Sunday, you might have heard the announcement that we will be shifting once again with the start of the New Year. We hope that these changes will be more sustainable for our staff, ministries, and volunteers. 

Beginning January 2nd...

• We will offer three Sunday services at 8, 9:30, and 11:15 AM, and all services will have Children’s Ministry elements. Parents, be on the lookout for an email with more details from Regan, our Children’s Ministry Director.

• All services will be mask-optional. Our leadership has been watching the statistics within our local community and is encouraged by the relatively low levels of community transmission. While we hope this change is permanent, we will continue monitoring available data and adjust protocols if necessary.

• Our livestream will transition to a live-only broadcast and will not be available after the conclusion of the service. If you miss the livestream, you can still catch up with our sermon podcast.

As for the remainder of 2021... 

• Our Nine Lessons & Carols services are this Sunday, December 19th. For out-of-town members and those unable to reserve a ticket, we will have a livestream of the 4 PM service on our Advent website.

• On December 26th, we will gather at the Redeemer building for a single worship service at 9:30 AM.

In closing, the Senior Pastor Team wants to thank you for your grace and patience over the last two years. We often remark to each other that our church family is nomadic, and if you have been with us for more than a few years, you probably understand. None of us took "Pastoring in a Global Pandemic" in seminary. Your kindness, prayers, and willingness to adapt have made the ministries of Redeemer press on, and your resilience in trusting Jesus helped us to do the same. Thank you, brothers and sisters. 

We love you and thank God you are a part of the family at Redeemer.

Blessings,

The Senior Pastor Team

Joel Brooks
Lead Pastor

Josh Hausen
Executive Pastor

Jeff Heine
Shepherding Pastor

Afternoon Service Announcement & COVID -19 Precautions Update

Redeemer Church Family,

It has been an absolute joy to see our church family gathered solely in our sanctuary for the last five weeks. After months of worshiping at home, distanced at a parking deck, or separated between two locations, three services of collective praise in our sanctuary have been incredibly moving. We have said it before, but it bears repeating -- praise God for His providence and care over our church this last year!

4 PM Worship Service Returning August 15th
As we look forward to the return of more family members and college students this fall, we are preparing to bring back an afternoon service. Starting August 15th, we will be adding a 4:00 PM service in addition to our 8:00, 9:30, and 11:15 services. Our incredible Children's Ministry team will also be offering childcare and children's classes at all four services each Sunday (so please sign up to volunteer!).

Many of our long-time members have special memories of the days when an afternoon service was our only service option. As we work diligently to free up more space in our morning services, we hope you will consider joining us in the afternoon.

COVID-19 Precautions Update
Additionally, we wanted you to know that the elders of Redeemer have continued to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in our community, especially in light of the new Delta variant. Because of this, when our 4:00 PM service returns on August 15th, it will begin as a mask-required worship service for both adults and kids (Pre-K and up).

As always, if you feel more comfortable wearing a mask at any of our other services, please do so. Our 9:30 AM service will continue to be live-streamed if you are experiencing COVID symptoms or are currently uncomfortable joining us in our sanctuary.

If you are interested in scheduling a vaccine or want more information on vaccination, Christ Health Center, one of our local partners in Woodlawn, accepts appointments online.

We have also recognized that local school systems are implementing various mask strategies as they enter the new school year. Parents, please be on the lookout for a message from Regan, our Children's Director, for information on steps the Children's Ministry will be taking to ensure a safe learning environment for our children.

As always, we will continue to weigh local hospitalization, vaccination, and transmission data against our congregation's spiritual, emotional, and mental health needs. We will also listen to the advice of Redeemer's medical community, as well as state and local officials, as we chart a path that is right for our church family.

Lastly, we urge you to continue showing Christlike love towards our brothers and sisters, keeping in mind the many and varied ways people are hurting right now. If you are struggling, we urge you to reach out so that we can help. We are actively searching for ways to care for and accommodate members of our church family who need help.

Blessings,

The Senior Pastor Team

Joel Brooks
Lead Pastor

Josh Hausen
Executive Pastor

Jeff Heine
Shepherding Pastor

Celebrating Our Return

Redeemer Church Family,

This past Sunday, we announced our plan to return entirely to our Avondale sanctuary, with our final parking deck service on June 27th. Starting July 4th, our 8:00, 9:30, and 11:15 AM services will all be held in our sanctuary.

If you've forgotten, we started gathering at the parking deck on June 7th of last year. The Lord graciously provided that opportunity after we stopped in-person gatherings at the start of the pandemic. In the end, our church family will have gathered at the parking deck 55 times. Neither storms, freezing temperatures, nor summer heat prevented us from worshiping our Risen Savior as a church family. Praise God for His providence and care over our church this last year.

This isn't to say that we are back to normal. The damage from the last year is real and affects our church family in a variety of ways. We still have members who cannot return to in-person gatherings. Many are struggling with the trauma and stress of this past year's pandemic, isolation, and unrest. We must continue to show Christlike love towards our brothers and sisters, sacrificially caring for them. If you are struggling, we urge you to reach out so that we can help. We are actively searching for ways to accommodate those in our church family that need help.

Lastly, for those that can, we encourage you to examine what you will do with your newfound freedom. God has been teaching each of us lessons about what we need and what we value.

Now that we have experienced a year of loss, how will you turn to the Lord for healing?

Now that we understand the need for relationship and community, how will you re-invest in the unity and flourishing of our church family?

Now that we are free to move as we please, how will you declare the gospel to others?

Remember, our church family commits to one another and makes life together a core component of our lives - for our good, for the good of others, and for the glory of God. Let's keep praying for one another and looking for ways to stir one another up to love and good works for the glory of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Blessings,

The Senior Pastor Team

Joel Brooks
Lead Pastor

Josh Hausen
Executive Pastor

Jeff Heine
Shepherding Pastor

Announcing Our Transition Back to Avondale

Redeemer Church Family,

Recently, we announced that our staff had begun planning our return to our Avondale building for Sunday worship services. One of the benchmarks we laid out was vaccine distribution to the general public. As of April 5th, the Alabama Department of Public Health has extended vaccine availability to anyone aged 16 years or older in Alabama. With this update and the continued decline of COVID fatalities and hospitalizations, we are ready to announce the first part of our transition back to Avondale.

Beginning Sunday, April 11th, we will hold three services each Sunday, including two indoor worship services at our building in Avondale. One indoor service will be mask-required, the other mask-optional. We will continue to offer a worship service at the parking deck and a livestream. Our goal is to provide options that best suit our church family's diverse needs and desires during our transition back to Avondale.

Service Options Beginning April 11th

• 8 AM in Avondale - Indoor, mask-optional, distancing not required, without childcare or kids classes

• 9:30 AM in Avondale & Streaming Online - Indoor, mask-required, distancing not required, with reservation-based childcare for children aged 1 year to Kindergarten (expanding these offerings to older children as soon as possible so check our Gather page for more info)

• 11 AM at the Parking Deck - Outdoor, mask-on-the-move, with reservation-based childcare for children aged 1 year to Kindergarten

While we are still figuring out specifics on how elements like classes, the band, and communion will happen, we hope to bring back all Sunday activities soon.

Even with these changes, we recognize that the COVID pandemic is not over. We believe the caution we have exercised over the past year has been wise and necessary. Moving forward, we will continue to use caution when we feel it is appropriate. As we said a few months ago, coming out of this pandemic will be as unique and challenging as it was at the start over a year ago.

As we transition back to indoor services, three things will be critical.

We must continue to use wisdom in how we look out for one another's health and safety. We must continue to show Christlike humility toward brothers and sisters with differing views, opinions, and convictions regarding the pandemic. Lastly, we must look for opportunities to serve one another in the various needs we face every week, such as parking, greeting, children's ministry, and more.

The Elders continue to look forward and trust in the Lord's provision and guidance as we plan to return to our church's home in Avondale. We ask that you join us in praying for the Lord's direction, and we ask for your continued patience as we plan and prepare for the coming transition..

Blessings,

The Senior Pastor Team

Joel Brooks
Lead Pastor

Josh Hausen
Executive Pastor

Jeff Heine
Shepherding Pastor

An Update on COVID Safety Measures at the Parking Deck

Redeemer Church Family,

In light of positive developments regarding community transmission of COVID-19 and related hospitalizations, we will be relaxing the requirement to wear a mask at our outdoor worship gatherings.

The state-wide mask mandate, which began in June 2020 and was just extended until April 9th, requires face coverings for all indoor activities. Additionally, the regulations require masks outdoors where individuals cannot maintain six feet for social distancing. Out of an abundance of caution and at the advice of medical professionals within our community, we have gone beyond the state expectations and required continuous mask-wearing at our outdoor worship gatherings.

Beginning this Sunday, we will implement a "mask on the move" strategy, which has become a common practice in many facilities in recent months. We ask that you continue to wear a mask anytime you are not in your selected spot for the service. Once you have chosen a socially distanced seating area, you are welcome to remove your mask.

We believe this is a reasonable step for our outdoor services. Further, this move is also within recent suggestions and mandates established by state and local officials. 

Dr. Sarah Nafziger, UAB's VP of Clinic Support Services, recently stated that "Alabama isn't out of the woods yet" with COVID-19. At the same time, we recognize the growing spiritual, emotional, and mental health needs within our congregation.

As we have talked about numerous times in our study of Philippians, in Christ, we are given the ability to put others' needs ahead of our own. Right now, the needs of others in our community are diverse. For some, strict COVID protocols are helpful. For others, they are harmful. That is why changes like this must be carried out with both urgency and temperance.

We know the change to "masks on the move" won't suit everyone. We have diverse opinions in our church, including within our leadership. At times, it is hard to know what kindness should look like. But we do know this - the love of Jesus compels us to look out for one another and surrender our preferences to His Lordship. May we keep in mind His Lordship in view of the many and varied ways people are hurting right now. 

We are grateful for the way you are bearing with us as we seek to be faithful and follow the Spirit's leadership. Let's keep praying for one another and looking for ways to stir one another up to love and good works for the glory of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Blessings,

The Senior Pastor Team

Joel Brooks
Lead Pastor

Josh Hausen
Executive Pastor

Jeff Heine
Shepherding Pastor

An Update on Our COVID Planning

Redeemer Church Family,

As Jeff shared in an announcement before a recent Sunday service, it's been 51 weeks since we last gathered as a church family to worship at our church home. Recently, the Governing Elders met to discuss developments regarding COVID-19 and how best to start planning our return to Avondale.

Shepherding our church family during this pandemic has required a unique emphasis on physical health and safety. While we believe our caution has been wise, we are also experiencing the cost of severe disruption and isolation on us all - both relationally and spiritually.

Given a choice, we know you would likely prefer to be back in Avondale for Sunday worship. The staff and pastors feel the same way. But our response to the pandemic still requires patience and wisdom from everyone.

We must refrain from idolizing our facility or idealizing the effects of being back inside it. However, we should see the benefit of getting back to our roots in Avondale and the good of returning to the regular rhythms of corporate worship together.

We know that several other churches have already resumed indoor services. As you know, our seating limitations have long been an issue at Redeemer. Due to the scale of our sanctuary and capacity constraints, we were already offering four Sunday services before the pandemic. To resume indoor services with full health protocols in place, it would require 10-12 services to accommodate all members and regular attendees. That is why we have been waiting for the guidelines to relax, within reason.

As many of you know, the Alabama Department of Public Health has developed a multi-phase plan for rolling out vaccines, and our elders are diligently watching the distribution of vaccines across our state. As the Governing Elders monitor the distribution phases, we will be planning and preparing to return to Avondale in tandem with distribution benchmarks, particularly the move to "Phase 2" distribution.

Crucial variables like safety protocols, crowd size, childcare, etc., are all being carefully considered. We know we don't have all of the answers right now, but we also recognize that we won't get those answers unless we do the work now to prepare for the future. As we formalize our plans, we will communicate them to our church family as soon as possible.

Coming out of this pandemic will be as unique and challenging as it was at the start one year ago. Still, the Redeemer elders are looking forward and trusting in the Lord's provision and guidance as we plan to return to our home in Avondale.

We ask that you join us in praying for the Lord's direction, and we ask for your continued patience as we plan and prepare for the coming months.

Blessings,

The Senior Pastor Team

Joel Brooks
Lead Pastor

Josh Hausen
Executive Pastor

Jeff Heine
Shepherding Pastor

The Last Few Months Series

We just finished off The Last Few Months series with interviews of Meliah, Courtney, and Richard! If you missed the previous interviews, you can find them on our YouTube channel.

If you prefer podcasts, we now have audio-only versions on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

About The Last Few Months
The Last Few Months is a series of interviews with members of Redeemer's church family, capturing their stories, struggles, and successes since the beginning of the year. In a time of profound upheaval and change, let us celebrate where others have found hope and mourn where our family has experienced sorrow.

COVID Update

Redeemer Church Family,

This past Sunday marked the tenth worship service in the parking deck and the twenty-second since quarantine began. 

While we long for the day when we will meet together again in our Avondale sanctuary, we're blessed to have the ability to worship corporately, even in a space as unusual as a parking deck. As we have said before, we believe that the physical gathering of our church body is incredibly significant in our member's lives, and if any options are available to us that are deemed safe and wise, we should do it.

That said, we wanted to update everyone on our current plans, especially in light of the recent surge of COVID cases in our area. 

First, we are actively monitoring the situation in Jefferson County and our local community. The number of COVID cases has grown exponentially since quarantine began, and our staff has been diligently following along as local conditions change. 

Second, we have been listening to our local health officials' guidance and the wisdom of our own Medical Advisory Group. We are willing and prepared to move back to only live-streaming services if we are encouraged to do so by these experts. Currently, we believe that the parking deck services are still the safest way for our church family to meet, and we have no plans to move back to our Avondale sanctuary at this time.

Third, we are always looking for better ways to prevent the spread of COVID among attendees to our services. As local regulations stipulate, we will continue to require the use of face masks and social distancing at the parking deck. We have also proactively modified our event management procedures to better protect our attendees, volunteers, and staff. If you have comments or suggestions on how we could do things better, please let us know.

Lastly, if you or another Redeemer member is experiencing health issues or other significant hardships due to COVID-19, we would love to know how we can help. The church has set aside funds and has a team in place to help as needs are identified. Please send a message to our COVID Care Team to let us know.

In all of this, we encourage you to maintain or restart the regular rhythms of Sabbath worship. While many of you cannot attend the parking deck services due to a variety of reasons, we encourage you to set aside the 10 AM live-stream as a regular time to worship, pray, and be filled by the Word.

Blessings,

The Senior Pastor Team

Joel Brooks
Lead Pastor

Josh Hausen
Executive Pastor

Jeff Heine
Shepherding Pastor

Gathering Update

Redeemer Church Family, 

As you are likely aware, there are have been some new guidelines issued on both the federal and state levels regarding current COVID-19 restrictions. At this time, none of those updates permit us to make changes to our suspended weekly church gatherings. 

While all of the pastors and staff are eager to resume our Sunday services and Home Groups, the recommendations from health officials do not make that possible. For the foreseeable future, we will continue offering connecting points via streaming and online meetings.

Although this is not the preference of Redeemer leadership, our highest priorities must always be our love for God and love for our neighbor. More often than not, loving our neighbors requires sacrifice. During this global pandemic, loving our neighbors means looking out for the vulnerable among us, and thinking beyond ourselves and our preferences. 

Our church family has not been untouched by this pandemic. Not only are there many in our community hurting economically and relationally, but we have also had Redeemer members battling the COVID-19 virus throughout the past eight weeks. We thank God that those members are either fully recovered or on their way to full recovery.

While there are many unknowns at this time, here are two things we can say about the coming months. 

First, we will likely be resuming our church gatherings (Sunday services, Home Groups, bible studies, etc.) in phases. Probably smaller groups first and then phasing into larger crowds as it is reasonable and advisable to do so. 

Secondly, we know that no timeline will be satisfying. God created us for community -- a community ransomed and redeemed in Christ, our Lord. Our contact with one another during these times is both limited and found wanting. 

In closing, I want to turn our attention to a scripture that has recently been on my mind, 1 Thessalonians, chapter 2. Here, the Apostle Paul writes to a congregation of new Christians whom he has been forced to leave behind, saying in verse 17, 

But since we were torn away from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face...

While we, too, with great desire, long to see one another face to face again, we must remember that we are separated, "in person not in heart."  Let us not forget that we are united in Christ by the present and ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. Because we are bound to Christ, we are inseparably bound to one another. We are torn away in person, but not in heart. For the Lord has given us one heart, and a new spirit He has put within us. (Ezekiel 11:19).

We will continue to keep you updated as new information is announced and new guidelines are developed. May the Lord use this time for our sanctification in Christ. And may we grow in Him in both His patience and His peace. 

Blessings,

Jeff Heine, on behalf of the Senior Pastor Team