Sermon preached by the Rev. Richard Lampert
Pentecost II Mk. 4.26-34 Ezek. 31.1-14

When you’re dedicated and faithful enough, the seeds will always grow!

It just isn’t true, but, we wish it were so! Pastors & businessmen alike talk about some of the major myths of growth like: (a)If you are dedicated enough your church will al-ways grow and (b) all God ever expects is faithfulness. They speak about church growth conferences where dedicated pastors finish leaving feeling more guilty, frustrated, inade-quate than when they arrived. These men and women are faithful to God’s Word! They pray feverently! They are solid preachers! Sometimes their churches just refuse to grow. Why? Maybe it’s just a poor fit? Or, maybe the pastor is running out of gas? Perhaps the leaders have the will, but not the updated skills nor right tools? Maybe the timing is bad? Maybe the church just doesn’t pray hard enough or work hard enough? Let’s change the metaphor: If you’re dedicated and pray hard enough, your life and your job and your men-tal health will all always be fine! Tell that to the thousands who have now lost their jobs, to the man/woman who’s spouse just died, to a young child cancer patient, to a person drown-ing in the giant spiderweb of depression & inactivity! Where’s my growth? Where’s God? Continue reading ‘Sermon — 14 June 2009’ »

World-renowned atheist Richard Dawkins and popular Christian apologist debate the question in film series at the Church of the Redeemer

The Church of the Redeemer in downtown Sarasota invites the public to join in the discussion — Is God a Delusion? Continue reading ‘Is God a Delusion? Film series & discussion’ »

The Women’s Outreach Ministry of the Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota recently donated $2,000.00 to the Evalyn Sadlier Jones Child Care and Learning Center at the Pines of Sarasota, to enable the Center to purchase four large, all-weather play tables for the children’s outdoor recreation and learning area. Two of the heavy-duty tables will be for “Tots” and two for “Toddlers” to use in outdoor arts and crafts and learning exercises. Continue reading ‘Women’s Outreach Donates Play Tables to The Pines’ »

A Free Progressive Recital & Reception — Public Warmly Invited!

October 3, 2008 / Sarasota, FL — On Sunday, October 19, several downtown churches are hosting an “Organ Spectacular,” as part of an international event initiated by the American Guild of Organists and designed to celebrate the magnificent music of organs and the talented organists who play them.

Ann Stephenson Moe & Dan Cartlidge

The Sarasota Organ Spectacular will be a progressive recital of Widor’s Symphony No. 5, performed in five movements, by five area organists, on the organs of four downtown churches.
Charles-Marie Widor was organist of Saint Sulpice in Paris in the late 1800s. His organ symphonies were notable for the translation of orchestral sounds into organistic terms.

The community is warmly invited to this free recital, which includes an opening reception.

The Organ Spectacular will begin at 6:00 PM with a wine and cheese reception at the Church of the Redeemer, located at 222 South Palm Avenue; followed by a 7:00 PM Evensong service with the special work being the performance of the First Movement – Theme and Variations — of Widor’s Symphony No. 5, played by Ann Stephenson-Moe, Redeemer’s Organist/Choirmaster.

The recital will then progress to an 8:00 PM performance of the Second Movement — Allegro cantabile — at the First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak Street, performed by Carol Hawkinson, Organist.

At 8:25 PM, Dr. Robert Reeves, Minister of Music at St. Boniface Church on Siesta Key, will perform the Third Movement – Scherzo – at the First United Methodist Church, located at104 Pineapple Avenue.

At 8:50 PM the recital will progress to the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1031 South Euclid Avenue, where the Fourth Movement — Adagio — will be performed by Gregory Chestnut, Organist/Minister of Music and Fine Arts.

At 9:15 PM the recital will return to the Church of the Redeemer for a performance of the final Fifth Movement — the famous Toccata –by Daniel Cartlidge, Assistant Organist/Choirmaster for Redeemer.

With the exception of the 6:00 PM reception, all times given are approximate. A nightcap of coffee and dessert will be offered in Gillespie Hall at the Church of the Redeemer after the final recital.

For more information about this event, contact Ann Stephenson-Moe at the Church of the Redeemer (941.955.4263) or contact any of the churches and organists identified in the bio/background detail which follows this press release.

The Church of the Redeemer — conveniently located in downtown Sarasota — is offering a fun, faith-filled, and educational Vacation Bible School session for young children throughout the Sarasota community.  Children who have reached age 4 by 9/1/08 through those entering 5th grade for school year 2008-09 are invited to join in the many wonderful activities offered during the one-week session which takes place Monday through Friday, 9 am to noon, August 11 -15. 

The theme of this year’s Vacation Bible School is “For I Know the Plans I Have for You.”  Activities include interactive study of lessons from the Bible, water-sliding, painting, singing, and more.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enroll your child in a stimulating, Christian “summer camp” environment conveniently located in downtown Sarasota.  The entire week-long session requires only a $10 registration fee and includes a mid-morning snack for the children.  Some scholarships are available to those in the community who have need of financial assistance. 

Advance registration is required and may be done by phone at 941.955.4263, or by visiting www.redeemersarasota.org/vbs.html, and following the instructions for registration.

Sarasota, FL / 05 July, 2006 – High school youth from the Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota recently returned from a week-long Senior High Mission Trip to Biloxi, Mississippi. The purpose of the mission effort, called “Building on the Bayou,” was to perform much-needed site-clean up at buildings and homes devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Continue reading ‘Redeemer Youth Group Returns from Mission Trip to Biloxi Building on the Bayou’ »

Sarasota, FL / 24 January, 2006 – Thanks to the inspiring talk given by Betty Gentry, co-founder of the Orphans Hope Project/Uganda, at a recent Episcopal Church Women’s meeting at the Church of the Redeemer, over $3,000 was raised in support of poverty-stricken orphans and widows in Uganda. The entire amount raised, according to Gentry, will go directly toward the Project.

Nearly 60 people from the church and Sarasota community attended the talk on Wednesday, 11 January, and many were moved to make donations to Orphans Hope on the spot.

Continue reading ‘Children at the Church Sew “Dolls of Love” for Ugandan children Church of Redeemer Women Raise $3,000 to Aid Orphans Hope Project/Uganda’ »

Sarasota, FL / 20 December, 2005 – Betty Gentry, co-founder of the Orphans Hope Project/Uganda, will speak about her experiences helping orphans and widows in poverty-stricken Uganda at the Church of the Redeemer on Wednesday, 11 January, 2006. Gentry is a life-long Episcopalian who has worked as a missionary in Uganda for over 22 years. She spends several months each year in Uganda working alongside her Orphans Hope Project co-founder and Ugandan native, Edward Gitta Mussisi.

Continue reading ‘Missionary to Uganda To Speak at Church of the Redeemer’ »

Sarasota, FL / 7 July, 2005 – A group of young people from the Church of the Redeemer’s Youth Program recently returned from a week-long mission in the Dominican Republic. Led by the church’s Youth Minister, Scott Merritt, the group traveled from Sarasota to the Dominican Republic to do mission work for the Santo Tomas Episcopal Church located in the small town of Gautier, about 30 minutes outside of Santo Domingo.

Continue reading ‘Local Church Youth Group Performs Mission Work in Dominican Republic’ »