A Request from the Rector: How Are We Church?
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the leadership of our church has sought to be guided by the central question: "What does it look like for us to be church during this time?" Notice we are not asking what to do "until we can be church again". We are not asking what to do in the meantime. That's because we are not waiting to be church again. We are church right now.
When Redeemer asks, “how are we church?”, Mission and Outreach are always on the forefront of our mind. So, what does Outreach look like when we are sheltering in place? Friends, we have seen powerful manifestations of church emerge in this area the last couple months. Our Mission ministry is being transformed: Our relationship with the neighborhood of Madisonville has only been strengthened as we have become a Community Champion for the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) assigned to John P. Parker Elementary School. Three times a week, volunteers from Church of the Redeemer, join school staff distributing food, personal hygiene items, class assignments, and more to CPS students. Many of these items come from parishioner donations. This time has seen a transformation at Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). IHN’s model of housing has had to shift dramatically from inside churches who provide food to individual hotel rooms and grocery gift cards. Through that transition we continue to support IHN with parishioner financial donations and by providing a lunch delivery for their staff.
Your financial commitment to Redeemer helps make this work possible. During a time of incredible uncertainty, your church is partnering with its community to foster stability for our neighbors on the margins. We are partnering with the people in our neighborhood most heavily impacted by this pandemic and economic shutdown because of you. Your giving helps feed and house people. Please give to the Church of the Redeemer as you are able. Whether it’s your first time giving, or you’re paying your pledge, or increasing your giving, your gift to this beloved community means the continuation of our ministries and the support of our amazing staff and leadership.
