Help Us Build Redemption City
We believe that just as Jesus has placed a desire in us to give our lives to the building of Redemption City, he will give others a desire to support this new work. You can help us build Redemption City by:
- * Gather Monthly With Redemption City at 11am in the Chapel of ClearView Baptist Church (June 2, July 14)
- * Sign Up for Email Updates (info@redemptioncity.com)
- * Pray Consistently for Redemption City
- * Give Financially to Redemption City at www.RedemptionCity.com/give
- * Attend the Launch of Redemption City on August 11, 2013
The 5 Core Loves of Redemption City
Love Jesus – We love Jesus deeply, rather than all the weak, unsatisfying gods of this world. We are prayer- fully and passionately basing our lives on his word.
Love His Church – We are an imperfect gathering of disciple-making disciples. We love the church consis- tently through small groups.
Love His World – We are relentlessly committed to reflecting Jesus’ love to those far from God, whether they are religious or non-religious.
Love His Service – We identify needs and gifts in the church in order to make an attractive and acces- sible gathering for the church and the world.
Love His Mission – We are radically devoted to making disciples locally and globally. “All nations” will constantly be the scope of our mission.
Jesus is Building a City – Redemption City
Jesus is building a city. Although our story begins in a garden, it ends in a city. It’s a city where every citizen loves Jesus, his church, his world, his service, and his mission. Scripture shows us that this city will come in its fullness in the future (Rev. 21-22). And while it will be fully unveiled in the future, it is present in our midst. Right now, Jesus is inviting people to be born again and to become citizens of his city, Redemption City. As they trust Jesus as their Savior, Lord, and Treasure, they become citizens of his blood-bought city. And as they live out their citizenship they become salt and light in the cities in which they live (Matt. 5:13-16). Jesus is building Redemption City through born-again citizens, as they love him, his church, his world, his service, and his mission.
So we aren’t just asking you to consider helping us put another church on the map. We’re asking you to help us build a city. Let’s build a city in our city that loves Jesus, his church, his world, his service, and his mission. Let’s show our city what Redemption City will look like. Let’s be a city that loves and serves our city and the cities of this world so that they might meet Jesus.
Redemption City Church – Why Plant a Church in Nashville Metro Area?
Since its founding in 1779, Nashville has been a strategic place of opportunity and influence. Although Nashville initially was known for its important river port and railroad center, it has become a major center for several industries. Perhaps the Nashville metro area—an area consisting of over 1.6 million people— is most popularly known as “Music City,” since it is a hub for pop, rock, bluegrass, Americana, jazz, classical, contemporary Christian, blues, and soul music. But it is also known as the “Athens of the South,” since over 24 colleges and universities call it home. Of course, the metro area is also a hub for book publishing houses, and the healthcare, finance, and transportation industries. These realities make the Nashville metro area a place of great influence and diversity, attracting people from all over the globe to its opportunities. Thankfully, the Nashville metro area has a wide range of churches. As such, it is fair to ask if the Nashville metro area is in need of another church. I certainly asked this. In short, the answer is. “Yes.”
There are at least three key reasons why the Nashville metro area needs another church. First, about 70-75% of people do not attend an evangelical church at all.[1] This means 1.2 million people out of the 1.6 million people in the Nashville metro area stay home each Sunday, without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. While we’re grateful that this is a higher percentage than other places in the world, the work is far from finished. Secondly, the percentage of unchurched people in the Nashville metro area is growing. In the targeted area, population growth rate is 3.5%, which is well above the national population growth rate. Unfortunately, it is also well above the rate of growth for the church in the area. This means the percentage of the population attending a local church is shrinking every year. Thirdly, church plants typically reach the unchurched faster, 6-8 times faster than established churches.[2] While established churches must become more evangelistic, they must also plant new churches. This reality led Peter Wagner, a leading thinker of church practices, to say, “The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches.”[3] These three key reasons lead us to believe that the Nashville metro area needs new churches. We plan to plant Redemption City on the southside of the city in Franklin, TN.
[1] David T. Olson, The American Church Research Project, 2006. David T. Olson, The American Church Research Project, 2008.
[2] Aubrey Malphurs, Planting Growing Churches: For the 21st Century, Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001, 43-4.
[3] C. Peter Wagner, Church Planting for a Greater Harvest: A Comprehensive Guide. Ventura: Regal, 1990, 7.
C.S. Lewis on Community
“In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all his facets. Now that Charles is dead, I shall never again see Ronald’s [Tolkien’s] reaction to a specifically Charles joke. Far from having more of Ronald, having him “to myself” now that Charles is away, I have less of Ronald…In this, Friendship exhibits a glorious “nearness by resemblance” to heaven itself where the very multitude of the blessed (which no man can number) increases the fruition which each of us has of God. For every soul, seeing Him in her own way, doubtless communicates that unique vision to all the rest. That, says an old author, is why the Seraphim in Isaiah’s vision are crying “Holy, Holy, Holy” to one another (Isaiah 6:3). The more we thus share the Heavenly Bread between us, the more we shall have.” – C.S. Lewis
The Church Fathers and the Death of Christ
“Because of the love he had for us, Jesus Christ our Lord, in accordance with God’s will, gave his blood for us, and his flesh for our flesh, and his life for our lives.” Clement of Rome, Letter of the Romans to the Corinthians
“The Father of all wished his Christ take upon himself the curses of the whole human family, knowing that, after he had been crucified and was dead, he would raise him up. . . . His Father wished him to suffer this, in order that by his stripes the human race might be healed.” Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho
“When the Son of God became incarnate, and made man, he commenced anew the long line of human beings, and furnished us with salvation in brief, comprehensive manner. So what we had lost in Adam–namely, to be according to the image and likeness of God–that we might recover in Jesus Christ.” Irenaeus, Against Heresies
“And so it was that two wonderful things came to pass at once: the death of everyone was accomplished in the Lord’s body, and death and corruption were completely done away with by reason of the Word that was united with it. For death was necessary, and death must be suffered on behalf of everyone, so that the debt owed by everyone might be paid.” Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word
“Christ, though guiltless, took our punishment, that he might cancel our guilt, and do away with our punishment. . . . Confess that he died, and you may also confess that he, without taking our sin, took its punishment.” Augustine, Reply to Faustus the Manichaean