Mission

Redeemer Presbyterian Church

is a community of faith,

provoked by the Redeemer's love,

to serve Sugar Land and beyond.


+ a community of faith +

"The gospel is the power of salvation for all who believe." (Romans 1:16) The defining mark of this new church will be faith in the message of God to redeem and restore a broken world. The assurance of the gospel is the hope and promise that God sent His Son to give life back to our world and to our souls. To be part of the Kingdom of God is to taste a community defined by faith and to experience the reality-defining hope that changes hearts, minds, and communities. The Redeemer Jesus Christ brings that hope in the gospel and creates a new humanity where all who are weary, sick, and broken can find rest and peace. Redeemer Sugar Land will seek to be defined as a church about the work of seeing the lives, families, work places, and communities of Sugar Land made more beautiful by God's grace in the gospel of Jesus Christ.


+ provoked by the Redeemer's love +

It has been said that, "You cannot love what you have not experienced." The power of what the gospel offers is the ability to experience Love personally through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. As we encounter the message of God entering our world to make Himself known, of His giving all of who He is to our world's redemption, we will be provoked to something great. We will be provoked to carry on His mission of loving others and redeeming a shattered world. His Love creates and provokes a new heart that not only transforms, but that also enables those transformed to be agents of further change. Redeemer Sugar Land will be a mission of effort of those who have become agents of redemption, provoked by the Love of God, in the power of the gospel for Sugar Land. Anyone who experiences the Redeemer's love will be provoked to love others with that same divine love.


+ to serve Sugar Land and beyond +

The greatest promise of God is that He is about redemption: "I will make all things new!" To be a follower of Christ is to embrace His vision for this world as our Redeemer. Our understanding of this mission of God will show itself most clearly in how we love our neighbors. Redeemer Sugar Land will seek to lead people in serving our neighbors by longing for, actively engaging, and reaching out to those who live in the Sugar Land/Fort Bend County area with the gospel. This defining mark of loving others as Christ has loved us will lead the church toward serving the greater Houston Metro area as well as taking part in ministries nationally and internationally. Serving others will not be one simple aspect of Redeemer Sugar Land, but rather loving others as Christ has loved us will be the defining mark of this new church.


BELIEFS

God


We believe that God exists and rules over this world he created. He exists in the form of one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The word "Trinity" is used to describe God's being. God is good, which means that his actions are not capricious or vindictive toward his creation, but are always designed to bring about only what is best for his people. In his rule, he is concerned with both compassion and justice.


Jesus


We believe that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is both fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit; his mother was a virgin chosen by God to give birth to this baby who would become the Savior. Jesus lived a sinless life and yet died a criminal's death on the cross. He was buried, but three days after his death, he physically rose from the dead, completing a plan God instituted before the first man was created. His life and his death are now substituted for those who place their faith in what he has done. Jesus ascended to Heaven and now rules from there, making all things new, anticipating the day when he will make a triumphal return to this earth.


The Bible


We believe that the Bible is a faithful and true guide to what we are to believe and how we are to live our lives. We believe that this book is unlike any other. Everything we need to know about God and how to have a relationship with him and his people is contained within its pages. Through them, God changes us, healing our brokenness and restoring our beauty. 


Becoming a Christian


We believe that every person who has ever lived on this earth, except Jesus, is deeply flawed. Our brokenness separates us from God's perfection, so we are incapable of reaching him on our own. Jesus is our way of reaching God. When God begins to work in our lives, he makes us aware of our need for a Savior, and he lovingly draws us and adopts us into his family. Our sinfulness does not count against us and our goodness does not count for us. Jesus' life of perfect obedience is credited to all who repent and believe.


Tradition


We unashamedly embrace the historical creeds of the church (e.g., The Nicene Creed and The Apostles' Creed) and stand alongside Christians down through the ages. Our denomination has its roots in the reformation of the 16th century. During this time, several written statements of our beliefs were formulated: The Westminster Confession of Faith, the Heidelberg Catechism, The Canons of Dort, The Belgic Confession, and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. We do not believe that these documents are equal in authority with the Bible, nor do we believe that they are without errors, but we do believe that they are a clear and accurate summary of what the Bible teaches.


The Church


The Christian faith is not something that can be lived out alone. God has called his people down through the ages to live in community - the church. We face our struggles together and we taste the life of heaven together. And together we recognize the glory of the church's redeemer, Christ the Lord!


The World


We believe that when Jesus rose from the dead, he established his kingdom on earth. This kingdom is presently a partial reality of the kingdom that will be established when he comes again. As his followers, we are called to honor his rule by working to bring healing and beauty into this world. We are to seek justice for the oppressed, extend mercy to the hurting, take the message of the gospel wherever we go, and share what we have with others.


Other Churches


We joyfully affirm our unity with all committed followers of Jesus Christ, in any denomination. RSL prays for, supports and joins with others to bring God's healing to the whole community and the surrounding area.


RSL is an affiliate church of the Presbyterian Church in America. To learn more about the PCA, please visit: https://pcanet.org/

worship

Historically Connected


Trends come and go, but some things have a sort of "staying" power. That doesn't make the trend insignificant, but it does mean that there is something behind the trend worth knowing. To be a Christian is to be part of a movement of God that extends throughout the ages. It includes both those who came before us as well as those who come after us. Therefore, a genuine Christian community will be a community that stands on the wisdom of those before us and builds for the generations to come.


Presently Comprehensible


The incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ is a clear statement that God desires us to know Him. Jesus came that we might know God and to have life today. Even if you have very little experience with the church or if perhaps you have had terrible experiences, it is the hope of Redeemer to be a place where you can experience the power of God's love today. What the gospel offers is freedom to approach God through Christ and that hope defines our approach to spirituality and life.


Future Oriented


Jesus says that there is a day coming where He will personally wipe away every tear, that He will utterly remove all sickness and heartache, and that He will fully make new our souls. It is this great gospel hope that will guide and direct this community of faith. A longing for this promise of God is expressed and experienced as we gather to worship Him.

frequently asked questions

What kind of people attend Redeemer?

Redeemer is a young church where many different types of people gather. It is our desire that the Redeemer community would be as beautifully diverse as our city is. The Gospel breaks down all sorts of barriers that separate people and Redeemer is a community bound by that hope. 


How should I dress?

However you would like. Styles and preferences vary so come dressed comfortably. Shorts, dresses, sandals or boots.


What happens when I get there?

When you arrive, you can make your way to the information table. There you will find information on who Redeemer is and someone will be able to answer any immediate questions you may have. Grab a bulletin, a cup of coffee, and when you hear the music then you can begin to make your way into the Worship Service.


What about children?

We love children and they are welcome to stay in the service! Redeemer hires professionally trained and equipped childcare workers in the nursery for ages 0-3. You will find "Busy Boards" as you enter the worship service. They are clipboards with a worship bulletin and other things for your kiddos to enjoy during the service. Don't worry about your children making noise. It reminds each of us of the beauty of childhood and the gift of life.


What is the service like?

The worship service is a dialogue (of sorts) between the community and God. The service includes music, prayers (silent and spoken), readings from Scripture, greeting one another (friendly and brief), a sermon, an offering, the Eucharist (a celebration of an ancient meal also known as the Lord's Supper), and a closing prayer. The worship service lasts for just over an hour, give or take a few minutes.


Am I required to do anything during the service?

No. An invitation to join in the Eucharist is given to all who profess to believe the Christian faith. If you don't believe or are not sure, we ask you not to participate in this part of the service. We would not ask you to do anything that would compromise your conscience or authenticity.


Why does Redeemer meet at 800 Brooks St.?

Redeemer is a young church and though we have purchased land, she does not yet have a building of her own. However, part of the beauty of being in the stage that Redeemer is in is that we get to think creatively about how to use space in our city. We consider it a great privilege to use the spaces we have used thus far and we consider it a wonderful opportunity to care for others by caring for the facilities we meet in. A time will come when Redeemer has her own building, but even then the design will be for the building to be a place where others in our community can meet as well. We do not exist simply for the sake of ourselves. We exist to be an encouragement to our community and neighbors and we look forward to more chances to do so.

Vision

At the root of all our doctrinal commitments is the Good News that Jesus was raised from the dead and now rules over his entire creation. As the Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper once wrote, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!" What this means is that this Gospel is an announcement with power to change the world: to bring justice, to heal people, to extend mercy and forgiveness, and to unite across all barriers and lines. 


St. Paul says the Gospel is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." Therefore, we believe the Good News of Jesus Christ will have a significant impact in Sugar Land and beyond.



people

The Gospel changes people because it secures our identity and our future in Jesus rather than our own effort or status. We no longer take our identity from what others think of us or even what we think of ourselves, but from what God thinks of us in Christ (1 Cor. 4:3-4). This new identity removes any sense of inferiority (since we are beautiful in Christ) and superiority (since we are sinners standing only by grace.) Instead, we are given a new reason for joy. We rejoice that Christ sets us free from anxious self-righteousness and worry. We delight that our heavenly Father cares for and delights in us.

families

Those who believe in the resurrection of Jesus are made into a new family. This new family does not replace our natural families, but serves as a model family. Because we are brothers and sisters in Jesus, we are able to love and serve our natural families without using them and without fear of rejection. We are even capable of loving and forgiving family members who have mistreated us, because we have been recipients of God's forgiveness. The Gospel heals broken relationships.

churches

The Gospel unites us with other Christians. The Gospel breaks down all barriers (race, class, gender) and makes us one in Christ (Gal. 3:28). Therefore, we will celebrate what Christ is doing through other churches and ministries in the city. We will partner with them to learn from and serve one another (1 Cor. 12:7), to advance the Gospel (Phil. 1:5), and to demonstrate the reality of the Gospel to the city (John 17:21).

Sugar land

The Gospel changes our attitude toward the city, making us a church that serves the people of the Sugar Land area. We have not come to use the people of Sugar Land for our own advantage, but to strive for the improvement of others. We will recognize the tremendous spiritual receptivity of people in the suburbs. We will teach love and respect for our neighbors. This church is being planted in Sugar and for Sugar Land. God wants to redeem this place and this people and we are called into that act of redemption.

Society

The Church is the society of God's people and should serve as the model society in this world. Therefore, we strive to display and promote the healing of social divisions in Sugar Land. Because we have received every good thing in Jesus, we are free to give that which we have for the benefit of others. Our security in Jesus also enables us to learn from and be helped by those who are not like us. Christianity, therefore, serves as the basis for civil relationships in a pluralistic society. Christians should be the best citizens of the city.

Culture

The Gospel produces cultural renewal. First, all of our work matters to God. When the Gospel clears out religiosity, which makes religion and church work an idol, then so called "secular" work is as valuable and God-honoring as Christian ministry. Second, God matters to all our work. That means the Gospel enables Christians to work in their vocations both with excellence and Christian distinctiveness, thus transforming the culture in which we live from the inside out.