We want our website to be more than just information. We are not interested in a website full of static 'stuff!' We want to create a place packed with dynamic and interesting content - a site you might want to revisit regularly.
We want our website to be an extension of our vision and values - a place of community, conversation, creativity and interaction. The Collective is the place for that. It's here that you will find contributions from many different people, including those who are part of the Redeemer Community and, from time to time, some special guests. You will find things that made us think, laugh, cry, hope, and be challenged. It's a section that will keep on growing - so just keep on scrolling and watch more articles load.
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Like a cricket ball in the head
Ok. Here’s a thing. It's a kind of secret thing, but not for much longer. Secrets are not best kept on a website that has had over 1500 visits in the last few weeks. Here it is, you see, one of my favorite films is the 1939 adaptation of the L Frank Baum book 'The Wizard of Oz'. Even better is the book which I recently read to my 7 year old daughter. Towards the end of the book, after meeting the big angry green fake remote control wizard (you remember, right?) Dorothy and her band of imaginary and maybe-not-really-believable friends head homeward bound to Kansas. On their way they meet a wall over which they climb to find themselves in a miniature city made entirely of china. Here’s what happens.
Tags: Christianity, Church, Church planting, Made me think
No fun is no fun
“A little footling round about, will stop you going up the spout.” Mr Willie Wonka. He was right, was Mr Wonka. Too much seriousness and not enough fun is really no good at all. Too many frown-line, wrinkly things on your forehead telling all and sundry that your brain is overloaded and weighed down with heavy stuff. Not good. Not enough fun. Very bad.
Tags: Christianity, Church, Church planting, CityGroup, Life, Made me laugh, Made me think
Explosions in the sky
I love going to live shows. There's something thrilling about seeing a band live. Especially when that band is epic. Epic like Explosions in the Sky. They're an instrumental band from Texas, USA, and, man, I thought their albums were epic...right, if you have spotify (which i love...) search Explosions in the Sky and listen to the album ‘The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place’ as you read this.
Tags: Community, Made me think, Music
Viva la difference
Yesterday I had the privilege of being asked to go and speak at our Redeem:Women event. Privilege you say? Yes, it’s a women only event that Redeemer Central run to gather women together to worship, pray and hear teaching that is specific to them. So yes it was a privilege to be there. To be able to see the number of women that we have at Redeemer who are passionate about Jesus was really encouraging. So why was I, a man, there? I had been asked to come and speak to the group on the roles of women within Redeemer Central. No mean task! In the near future we will be publishing a paper on this, but in the meantime I thought I would share the overview that I gave at Redeem:Women.
Tags: Christianity, Church, Community, Life, Made me think, Newfrontiers, Preaching, Redeem:Women
Doing life
Truth be told, I love colloquialisms. Moving to Belfast from Canada got that much more awesome when someone asked me “are you okay there?” which I quickly found out means “can I help you?”. Amazing. Some of my other favourites include, but are not limited to, the following “faffin' about”, “minger/mingin”, “eejit”, “your man there”, “that's dead on”. As well as ending your sentence with “like”, “but” and “just”. I may not be able to say any of those things in an Irish accent but I can pull it off. I still refuse to say “wee” or call cookies "biscuits". Now coming from another country and growing up with the family I have, I brought with me my own colloquialisms (“for reals”, “sketch”, “wicked cool”, “sorry”, “epic”, “totally”, “heck yes!”, adding “eh” to the end of my sentences and adding “bear” to the end or middle of someone's name. For example, my sister calls her husband ‘Rybear’, his name is Ryan). One that has seemed to have caught on, other than “come on now” or “that's awesome” is “let's do life together!”.
Tags: Life, Made me laugh, Made me think
“You and I are gonna live forever”
Ryan is part of Redeemer Central. Read the story of his amazing journey from being a stereotypical kid brought up in a Christian home, to living it like an Oasis song, to finding something special in the city.
Tags: Christianity, Life, Made me laugh, Made me think
Anguish+anxiety+glory+grace
We love nurturing lots of creativity at Redeemer. Here is a poem that a member of our team Leah wrote and shared at our weekly gathering. A great bit of prose from a talented poet
Tags: Art, Made me think, Poetry, The cross
Genesis chapter -1
In the beginning before the beginning was God - Father, Son and Spirit, all in perfect unity and accord. They had a plan that would change everything for ever. This is Genesis chapter -1.
Tags: Bible, Christianity, Made me think, The cross
Repent of my repentance
Here is a great poem from the Puritans that you can find in one of my favorite books 'The Valley of Vision - A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions' Edited by Arthur Bennett . If you are looking for something to help you in your times alone with God then this is a great book of reflection, prayer and worship.
Tags: Christianity, Life, Made me think, Poetry
The parable of the other son
"An eye to which nothing is shown but black objects judges something dirty white or even darkly mottled to be whiteness itself." For the Pharisees and Scribes, grace hurt. The dark objects of legalism and religion had become resident in their hearts and minds. With no frame of reference for an unconditional love, the message of Jesus was difficult to take. Their frustration translated into accusations and questions that would eventually lead them to plot and kill the very God they professed to worship. In our culture where everything from money to affection is earned, unconditional grace needs to be guarded. Unless we are deeply affected to the core by the saving grace of God, how will anyone ever be able to write words akin to "my chains fell off, my heart was free I rose went forth and followed thee"?
Tags: Blog, Christianity, Made me think
Twenty-one lessons from 100 days
Here are some things we have learnt as we have travelled this church planting journey.
Tags: Belfast, Church, Church planting, Life, Made me think