The Redemption Blog

On the Cusp...

It seems I can’t help but see evidence of God’s grace everywhere I turn these days.

Yesterday I had another such moment.

We had our first sound check at Cutting Hall and we were all nervous to say the least.  The big test was whether or not their system could handle the God-glorifying, face-melting, cross-centered, gospel-saturated music Scott and the boys will bring each week.

The good news is that it definetly will!  

If there had been issues with it, it would have cost us thousands of dollars to rethink how we would launch. But, praise God it sounded amazing!!

Each time I go and stand in the balcony of Cutting Hall I have this moment where I catch a vivid glimpse of hundreds of people coming face to face with the God who loves them.  With one heart, one mind, and one voice, they praise the God who gave His life, in their place and for their sin.

Friends, this is what we stand on the cusp of.

Gospel transformation...

Gospel community...

Gospel mission...

Next Sunday, July 19 from 9:45-11:15 we have our first of two vision gatherings at Cutting Hall and you need to be there.  Cancel plans, postpone trips, do whatever it takes to gather with us.  I want you to get a glimpse of what I see.  I want you to hear about what God wants to do through the small group of misfits He has chosen to plant Redemption.

I can’t wait for you to see what I see!

iPhone pics from the sound check

Cutting Hall Directions

Posted by Ryan Huguley
Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision

Be Authentic

This week starts off our Servant Leadership series with the first of the 5 ways of being, Be Authentic.  I will often be referencing James Autry's book, "The Servant Leader" as well as a book by Howard Behar, "It's Not About The Coffee". 

Be Authentic.  "What does being authentic mean? Simply stated, it means be who you are. Be the same person in every circumstance. Hold to the same values in whatever role you have. Always be your real self.....Being authentic is, first, knowing yourself, then being yourself. Authenticity derives from our deepest, truest selves. How do we come to know ourselves? Only through what can be called the spiritual disciplines: silence, meditation, prayer."

This is probably one of the most important things in being a servant leader.  Another way to describe being authentic is wearing one hat.  Most simply put--be who God created you to be, and be that person ALL the time.  Being consistent with how you interact with people and being consistently reliable in the way you respond no matter what the circumstance, creates a vital sense of security and trust with the people you lead. 

The tough question to answer is are you able to be authentic in your current circumstances? You have to remember that you have choices.  It might take changing your attitude, changing companies, or even changing your career, but you owe it to yourself and your family to find the one hat that you can wear every day in every area of your life. 

Until next week.

It's Good To Have Brothers...

I was reminded today how good it is to have brothers and sisters in Christ to walk alongside with.

In preparing for the full scale launch of Redemption Bible Church, we have sought the wisdom and counsel of many different people.

We will be the first to tell you, we don't know everything and it is always good to get wisdom from others.

A new friend named Matt Stevens from Vintage 21 in Raleigh, NC took time today to chat with me, share some of his wisdom, and encourage me.

This reminded me how precious it is to have people in your life who are wiser than you and who are further along in life than you are, as well as have people who can use your wisdom.


We see this with Paul and Timothy and I can attest to the power of having these relationships.

I pray that you find people who pull you along and also that you find someone you can pull along too!

Posted By Scott Holthaus
Director Of Worship Arts

Links...

It's been a couple weeks since I've posted some links so here's a few extra!

• Interesting article on the Church here...

• Gary Rohrmayer on resistance in church planting here...

• 45 books the Desiring God staff are reading here...

• Ed Stetzer along the lines of what we talked about in our gathering yesterday here...

• James MacDonald reflecting on his sabbatical here...

• A list of the best commentaries for every book of the Bible here...

• Free audio download of Francis Chan's Crazy Love here...

• C.J. Mahaney on summer vacations here...

• Interview with David Powlison on Pastoral Literature: Part 1 and Part 2

Posted by Ryan Huguley
Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision

Home Sweet Home...

I'm happy to report the Huguley's are finally moved!  Thanks to everybody who helped it was probably the quickest and smoothest move we have ever had.  Here's a few pics of the new house:

Last Friday we closed...

Saturday we moved...

And the rest of the week we have been working on...

The living room...

The family room...

The kitchen...

Ava's room...

Thanks so much for all the help and prayers!  We love the new house and downtown Palatine.  Now it's time to get to work!

Posted by Ryan Huguley
Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision

What I'm Listening To

I've come across some good music the past few weeks and as any responsible director of worship arts should do, I must share.

First up is Phoenix. Here they are doing "Lisztomania" live on Jimmy Kimmel

Next, here is Manchester Orchestra's video for "I've Got Friends"

And finally here is Wilco doing "Wilco (the song)" from the latest album "Wilco (the album)"

Posted By Scott Holthaus
Director Of Worship Arts

What God's teaching me...

So I again need to take a quick break from a series.  Never fear, I will be back again next week deep diving into Servant Leadership.  This week I wanted to share what God is teaching me right now.

For my quiet time I have been in the book of Joshua. I wanted to share with you a passage from Chapter 1

Joshua 1:6-9
Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

The command here is clear--read the Bible, study the Bible, know the Bible, take action on the things you have learned, and finally meditate on it day and night.  This is what God is looking for from us, and I struggle to "find the time" to have a vibrant, consistent, devotional life.

At work we talk a lot about being willing to care enough about someone and their lacking work performance to have what we call a "fierce conversation" in order to ensure they get back on the right track again and enable them to be successful.  I am so grateful that we serve a God who cares enough to do the same for each of us as well.  While they are constantly averted, a fierce conversation is so often exactly what we need to get back onto the right track.

Until next week.

Posted by Tyler Drewitz
Ministry Development & Administration

New Redemption Site...

As we jump into a new phase of core group gatherings this summer we decided to simplify our website and make it more useful.  As part of that, Scott and I shot a video talking about our vision at RBC.  Take a second to watch this and then tell everyone you know about it.  Link to it, twitter about it, put in on Facebook, embed the video on your blog, whatever you can do.  We need help getting the word out! Thanks for all your faithful prayer and support!

 

Some Things Worth Your Time

Here are some things that have been helpful and interesting to me in the last few weeks. Check them out...

Emanual Lambert on Arts in the Church Plant

Bob Kauflin on Who Gets Credit In Songwriting

And here is a video of the band Athlete doing "Half Light"

Posted By Scott Holthaus
Director Of Worship Arts

Servant Leadership...

I am going to spend the next several posts walking through a Leadership approach that we will subscribe to and teach at Redemption; Servant Leadership.  While many would attribute the stir in servant leadership as a recent movement over the past 20 of 30 years to from men like James Autry, author of The Servant Leader, or Robert Greenlief, founder of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, the true origins of Servant Leadership come from Jesus.

Mark 10:42-45
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

So what does it mean to be a Servant Leader?  The text book definition is:  it begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead…The difference manifest itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test is: do those served grow as persons, do they grow while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?  How would you define a servant leader?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

We will be looking at the 5 characteristics that are true of servant leaders:
Be Authentic
Be Accepting
Be Vulnerable
Be Present
Be Useful

Until next week.

Posted by Tyler Drewitz
Ministry Development & Administration