Please join with us in giving thanks to our God who has led us and provided for us during these past several months. Let us share with you what we have experienced and where we are going at Redeemer Ann Arbor.
Morning Worship Services – After initiating morning worship services on July 16 at the Michigan League, we are now switching location for our morning service to the Lord of Light Church at 801 S. Forest until we move into our new building, hopefully in April 2018. We have averaged 51 in attendance at our morning services.
Equip Service – We have held a 5 pm service which we call “Equip” followed by a dinner together at Angelo’s Restaurant this fall. In these services, we worked through “Christianity Explored,” and now we are going through the Lord’s Prayer with a time of teaching, followed by discussion and prayer in small groups.
Formation as a Church – Redeemer Ann Arbor members covenanted together as a church on October 22, 2017. Pastor Aaron Carr from First Presbyterian Church in Trenton, our primary sending church, preached for us. We currently have 30 members.
Ecuador Missions Trip – Later this winter, Jim will lead a team of 8 on a trip to Ecuador to work with Acts 29 missionaries Steve and Sandi Youngren. Steve and Sandi oversee a training center in Lasso, Ecuador where they are working with a number of different Ecuadorian pastors. The Redeemer mission team will primarily work with a church in Ambato, Ecuador with the goal of forming a long-term relationship with this church. Another exciting part of the trip will be visiting Shell Mera and “Palm Beach” where Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and three other men were martyred in attempting to bring the good news of Jesus to the Aucan or Huaorani Indians in the 1950’s. The team will also have the opportunity to visit the Huaorani village where Elisabeth Elliot, Jim Elliot’s widow, and Rachel Saint, Nate’s sister, ministered for a number of years.
Men’s, Women’s and Campus Studies – Women have been meeting on Tuesday mornings to study, share and pray together. This fall they have worked through Ecclesiastes using Better by Tim Chaddick. Next week they will begin The Scars that Shaped Me by Vaneetha Rendall Risner. These meetings have provided wonderful opportunities to build some relationships with women from the community who are not yet ready to come to formal church services. Jim has led students in a study of the book of Romans in our Monday night campus studies. The men have met on Friday mornings to work through Men of God by Trevor Archer.
Building – Construction continues on 611½ East William Street. The basement has been fully excavated (by hand), underground plumbing is in place, and a number of other projects have been completed. The permitting process with both the city and this Historic District Commission took longer than anticipated, but the pace of construction is picking up now. We hope to occupy the building in April 2018.
We thank all of those who have prayed and supported Redeemer in many ways. To God be the glory!