A Letter from our Rector
Dear Redeemer Family Member,
Every Sunday morning, I stand up in front of the church for Welcome and Announcements. I have found myself saying nearly the same thing each week: “Welcome to Church of the Redeemer. It is an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to be with you today. I want to say a special welcome to those of you who are joining us for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. And I want to welcome those who are joining us on the livestream: It is a joy to have you with us.”
This past Sunday I realized just how deeply shaped by the last few years this welcome has been. I have always considered myself fortunate to be a part of this community, but it was not until the long period of isolation when we could not be together in person that I realized how deeply ingrained in my soul our shared time is – how profoundly life-shaping it is to be in the room with you as we pray and sing and thank God for the love that has saved us. I will never take it for granted again, our worship, our community, the relationships we have built with one another over the years.
And each week (each week!), I look out and I see the faces of people who are finding Church of the Redeemer for the first time. At a time when the prevailing narrative of churches is decline, the new life of hope embodied in those who are just now finding our community is something I do not take for granted either. I love saying, “for the first time or for the first time in a long time,” because this too is true: After much time physically disconnected from their church home, each week brings well-known and much beloved friends back into their sanctuary to reconnect and remember.
Just this past week, I heard from two long-time parishioners who were not able to join us in person. Both reached out in thanksgiving for our livestream. One wrote, “I sit at my computer this Sunday morning, overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the worship service.” Another way of being church that was simply not on our radar three years ago is expanding our understanding of connection and belonging.
Church of the Redeemer is a church that is growing: Growing spiritually, growing in number, growing in reach and impact on lives, growing in our understanding of who we are. Our commitment to Jesus, our commitment to love one another, our commitment to serve and care for our neighborhood, these things continue to be our lifeblood. You matter to your church. Your commitment makes us who we are. And I am asking you now to make a financial commitment to Church of the Redeemer for 2023.
We know that cost-of-living increases fueled by rising inflation have an impact on all of us. It is going to cost us more to facilitate our transformative ministries in 2023 than it did in 2022. As we continue to build back in the aftermath of the pandemic, your gift is more important now than it has ever been. If you are someone who has given in the past, I ask you to prayerfully consider increasing your gift this year. Your gift is an act of partnership with your community as we continue to know Jesus and grow in love.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Philip Hart DeVaul †
p.s. I know that money is a sensitive subject for so many: If you have any questions, thoughts, or concerns about your pledge, I invite you to contact me directly, and I’m glad to talk things through with you.
As you make your financial commitment to Church of the Redeemer for 2023, we encourage you to do so using the CoR Portal or CoR App. On the portal you look for the Giving tab under your profile and on the app, simply click on Give. In both cases you will be able to set up a pledge as well as recurring giving for the coming year.
Giving electronically offers parishioners an easy and consistent way to make their annual commitment payments. It also benefits Church of the Redeemer with a more regular income throughout the year and reduces processing costs overall. Our online system is secure and with our electronic payment method, you can increase, decrease, or cancel your payments at any time.
If you have not yet logged into the database, visit our website at redeemer-cincy.org/giving. There you will find links to pledge and set a recurring payment. If you need assistance setting up access, please contact Nancy Schwartz, Director of Operations.
You may also choose to pay your commitment with a donation of stock. The easiest way to donate stock to the church is to have the transfer handled by your broker or the company that holds the stock in safekeeping. For full instructions visit redeemer-cincy.org/stock-donations. If this is your preferred method, please fill out the commitment section below and mail it to the church c/o Debbi Alsfelder. This will help us know your intentions and apply them to our budget for 2023.
Lastly, you may fulfill your 2023 Commitment by check. Again, if this is your preferred method, please fill out a pledge card (located at church) and mail it to the church c/o Debbi Alsfelder.
If you have any questions or need help implementing one of the options for giving above, contact Debbi Alsfelder, Finance Officer.
Thank you again for your commitment to your worshiping community. Your commitment makes a difference to your church.
