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What We Believe:
The Bible is our all-sufficient rule for faith and practice and is summarized in The Nicene Creed and The Apostles Creed. To further understand our doctrines, please read our Articles of Faith and The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, 1886, 1888. Upon these principles and beliefs we base our service to God and His Church.
The Nicene Creed:
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, Begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Apostles Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic (universal) Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral 1886, 1888:
We, Bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in Council assembled as Bishops in the Church of God, do hereby solemnly declare to all whom it may concern, and especially to our fellow-Christians of the different Communions in this land, who, in their several spheres, have contended for the religion of Christ:
- That we believe that all who have been duly baptized with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, are members of the Holy Catholic Church;
- That in all things of human ordering or human choice, relating to modes of worship and discipline, or to traditional customs, this Church is ready in the spirit of love and humility to forego all preferences of her own;
- That this Church does no seek to absorb other Communions, but rather, co-operating with them on the basis of a common Faith and Order, to discountenance schism, to heal the wounds of the body of Christ, and to promote the charity which is the chief of Christian graces, and the visible manifestation of Christ to the world; But furthermore, we do hereby affirm that the Christian unity...can be restored only by the return of all Christian communions to the principles of unity exemplified by the undivided Catholic Church during the first ages of its existence; which principles we believe to be the substantial deposit of Christian Faith and Order committed by Christ and his Apostles to the Church unto the end of the world, and therefore incapable of compromise or surrender by those who have been ordained to be its stewards and trustees for the common and equal benefit of all men. As inherent pats of this sacred deposit, and therefore as essential to the restoration of unity among the divided branches of Christendom, we account the following, to wit:
- The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the revealed Word of God.
- The Nicene Creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian Faith.
- The two Sacraments, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord, ministered with the unfailing use of Christ's words of institution and of the elements ordained by Him.
- The Historic-Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the unity of His Church. Furthermore, Deeply grieved by the sad divisions which affect the Christian Church in our own land, we hereby declare our desire and readiness, so soon as there shall be any authorized response to this Declaration, to enter into brotherly conference with all or any Christian Bodies seeking the restoration of the organic unity of the Church, with a view to the earnest study of the conditions under which so priceless a blessing might happily be brought to pass. Note: While the above form of the Quadrilateral was adopted by the House of Bishops, it was not enacted by the House of Deputies, but rather incorporated in a general plan referred for study and action to a newly created Joint Commission on Christian Reunion.
About Our Worship Service
Our mission is the apostolic empowerment of God's people for service through convergence of Scripture, Spirit, and Sacrament to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Christ the Redeemer Church can be described as a Spirit-filled church. We are charismatic, sacramental and evangelical in our style of worship. The principle model we use for our public services at Christ the Redeemer Church may be found in the following scriptures:
Psalm 149:1-5 Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourine and harp. For the LORD takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy (NIV).
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (NIV).
From these passages, five primary aspects of worship emerge. Praise and Worship, Teaching, Fellowship, the Breaking of Bread, and Prayer. The word "liturgy" means "model of worship." Every church uses some type of liturgy ormodel. Our liturgy for worship is described as follows:
Spirit - Praise and Worship
Our worship in song is a blend of contemporary songs and select, spiritually rich traditional hymns. We utilize many biblical forms of worship such as:
Clapping and Vocal Praise: Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands, all you people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph (KJV).
Lifting Our Hands: Psalm 63:3-5 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you (NIV).
Variety of Instruments: Psalm 150:1-6 Praise the LORD. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD (NIV).
Praying and Singing: I Corinthians 14:15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind (NIV).
Prophesying from within the congregation: I Corinthians 14:3, 30-31, 40 Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way (NIV).
Fellowship
In our service we practice what we call the "passing of the Peace." This is a time to greet one another in Christian love. We use a form of greeting that
is a combinatio n of biblical greetings. We say to one another, "The peace of the Lord be with you," and respond with, "And also with you."
Luke 24:35 While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you" (NIV).
The Greek word for fellowship is koionia which means "shared life."
Ruth 2:4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The LORD be with you!" "The LORD bless you!" they called back (NIV).
Scripture - The Word of God:
The apostle Paul mandated how the churches should give proper place to God's Word. I Timothy 4:13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public
reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. (NIV). Our emphasis upon the Word of God is primarily expressed in two ways:
Readings: In both the Old and New Testaments we find the use of public reading of scriptures used in worship.
Reading, standing, and responses: Nehemiah 8:5-6 Ezra opened the book. All th people could see him because he was standing above them; and
as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!"
(NIV).
Jesus read in the synagogue: Luke 4:16-17 He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the
synagogue, as was His custom. And He stood up to read (NIV).
Preaching and Teaching: There is a release of power, conviction, instruction, and direction in the preaching and teaching of God's Word. Our emphasis is on providing principle-centered teaching to equip all members with a growing knowledge of the Bible with practical guidelines for its application to everyday life. Acts 20:20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you, but have taught you publicly and from house to house (NIV).
Sacrament - Communion
The Lord Jesus Himself outlined the pattern and purpose for Communion. This sacrament is also commonly called the Holy Eucharist, the Breaking of
Bread, and the Lord's Supper. The New Testament believers celebrated Communion in all of their public services and even in their homes. We use
a liturgy based upon the apostle Paul's instructions:
I Corinthians 11:23-16 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes (NIV).
We also practice the sacrament of water baptism as described in Matthew 3:13-17.
Special Prayers:
During communion an opportunity for individual prayer is provided. You will notice Altar Prayer teams on each side of the church toward the front,
ready to pray for and minister to your needs.
James 5:13-16 Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (NIV).
Close of the Service
Closing Hymn: Matthew 26:30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives (NIV).
Final Blessing: Numbers 6: 22-26 This is how you are to bless the people of God. Say to them: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. (NIV)" and we add, "Now go in peace to love and serve the Lord." The congregation responds with, "Thanks be to God."
Service
How to Get the Most from Our Service:
Come prepared (on time, in prayer, with Bible, notepad and pen, well rested, open to God, ready to participate, and prepared to give.)
Join in (sing loud, pray hard, greet others, respond heartily, takes notes, listen carefully, give liberally and systematically.)
The purpose of this ministry, as stated in the mission statement is to prepare the believer for service. Not only does this mean preparing yourself as stated above, but going out into the world loving our neighbors, loving God, and sharing this love with the rest of the world.
Our mission is the apostolic empowerment of God's people for service through convergence of Scripture, Spirit, and Sacrament to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Christ the Redeemer Church can be described as a Spirit-filled church. We are charismatic, sacramental and evangelical in our style of worship. The principle model we use for our public services at Christ the Redeemer Church may be found in the following scriptures:
Psalm 149:1-5 Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourine and harp. For the LORD takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy (NIV).
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (NIV). From these passages, five primary aspects of worship emerge. Praise and Worship, Teaching, Fellowship, the Breaking of Bread, and Prayer. The word "liturgy" means "model of worship." Every church uses some type of liturgy ormodel. Our liturgy for worship is described as follows: Our worship in song is a blend of contemporary songs and select, spiritually rich traditional hymns. We utilize many biblical forms of worship such as:: Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands, all you people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph (KJV).
Psalm 63:3-5 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you (NIV).
Psalm 150:1-6 Praise the LORD. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD (NIV).
I Corinthians 14:15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind (NIV).
I Corinthians 14:3, 30-31, 40 Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way (NIV).In our service we practice what we call the "passing of the Peace." This is a time to greet one another in Christian love. We use a form of greeting thatis a combinatio n of biblical greetings. We say to one another, "The peace of the Lord be with you," and respond with, "And also with you."
Luke 24:35 While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you" (NIV).
The Greek word for fellowship is koionia which means "shared life." Ruth 2:4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The LORD be with you!" "The LORD bless you!" they called back (NIV).
The apostle Paul mandated how the churches should give proper place to God's Word. I Timothy 4:13 Until I come, devote yourself to the publicreading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. (NIV). Our emphasis upon the Word of God is primarily expressed in two ways: In both the Old and New Testaments we find the use of public reading of scriptures used in worship.
Nehemiah 8:5-6 Ezra opened the book. All th people could see him because he was standing above them; andas he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!"(NIV).
Luke 4:16-17 He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into thesynagogue, as was His custom. And He stood up to read (NIV). There is a release of power, conviction, instruction, and direction in the preaching and teaching of God's Word. Our emphasis is on providing principle-centered teaching to equip all members with a growing knowledge of the Bible with practical guidelines for its application to everyday life.
Acts 20:20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you, but have taught you publicly and from house to house (NIV).
The Lord Jesus Himself outlined the pattern and purpose for Communion. This sacrament is also commonly called the Holy Eucharist, the Breaking ofBread, and the Lord's Supper. The New Testament believers celebrated Communion in all of their public services and even in their homes. We usea liturgy based upon the apostle Paul's instructions: I Corinthians 11:23-16 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes (NIV).
We also practice the sacrament of water baptism as described in Matthew 3:13-17.
During communion an opportunity for individual prayer is provided. You will notice Altar Prayer teams on each side of the church toward the front,ready to pray for and minister to your needs.James 5:13-16 Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (NIV).
Matthew 26:30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives (NIV).
Numbers 6: 22-26 This is how you are to bless the people of God. Say to them: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. (NIV)" and we add, "Now go in peace to love and serve the Lord." The congregation responds with, "Thanks be to God."
Come prepared (on time, in prayer, with Bible, notepad and pen, well rested, open to God, ready to participate, and prepared to give.)Join in (sing loud, pray hard, greet others, respond heartily, takes notes, listen carefully, give liberally and systematically.)The purpose of this ministry, as stated in the mission statement is to prepare the believer for service. Not only does this mean preparing yourself as stated above, but going out into the world loving our neighbors, loving God, and sharing this love with the rest of the world.
Our earnest desire that the Savior's prayer, "That we all may be one," may in its deeper and truest sense, be speedily fulfilled;
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