Mission Ministries

MATTHEW 25: 31-46

OUR CONGREGATION

Redeemer is a family of Christians who together serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Holding our first worship service in 1925, Redeemer officially organized as a congregation in 1930. In 1953, the church established our school as a community outreach, offering a good Christian based education while spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ our Savior. Accredited by both the Middle States Commission and the National Lutheran Schools Association, Redeemer School celebrated its 56th Anniversary in September, 2009. We are a member congregation of the Lutheran Church–Missiouri Synod, a church body of over 6000 congregations worldwide.

OUR FAITH

Our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of the world is based upon the Holy Bible. We believe that all the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments are the revealed Word of God, verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Bible is the only source and standard for life and teaching.

In celebration of God’s love for the entire world and the consequent diversity of His Church, Redeemer Lutheran Church and School actively seek to make and nurture followers of Jesus from every walk of life and from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds.

OUR MISSION OUTREACH

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28: 18-20)

Everyone is welcome to attend our church services and hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Communion is offered at each worship service.

Locally- Redeemer has the following ongoing missions:

Redeemer Lutheran School- Please see our website

Westfield Food Pantry – A collection of non-perishable boxed and canned food items are donated by the congregation and delivered to Holy Trinity School.

Adult & Children Used Clothing Drive – Donated clothes are taken monthly to the Market Street Mission in Morristown, New Jersey.

Grooming Kits – Kits are made up of a towel, washcloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, soap and other items and then given to the homeless in need.

Charity Corner – The Charity Corner was started in 2007 and had a very successful first year, being able to contribute 65 chemo caps to the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital, 18 pediatric chemo caps going to a kid’s camp in Ohio for the summer of 2008, 30 blankets to Project Linus for hospitalized children and a total of 24 scarves were made and given to our college students. Two beautiful Prayer Shawls were given out as well. This year there are several charities that will be focused on. “Cubs for Kids” in which sweaters, scarves and outfits are being made for teddy bears and they will be handed out at Christmas time to children in homeless shelters, Premi-baby items and scarves for mariners. All of this is done with the help of our knitting and crocheting group called “Hands for Warmth.”

Blood Drives- Blood drives are held periodically in Luther Hall.

Hands for Warmth- A group meets each Monday morning at 10:00 am from September to May to knit and crochet a variety of items for nursing homes, homes for unwed , and other projects.

E-Mail Prayer Chain- Redeemer has an e-mail prayer chain that everyone who is in need of prayer is welcome to use. The mission of prayer for others is so vitally important and one that Redeemer takes seriously. The e-mail address is praytoday@comcast.net

Global Missions

“Missions of the Heart”- Each month a different mission organization is chosen to be our focus. Mission monies collected for that month go directly to the chosen organization. Some of the missions receiving support are Lift High the Cross, World Vision, NJ District, Food for the Poor, Home First, Daughter Church Planting Fund, Grace Initiatives.

Mission of the Year – Our Mission of the Year is dedicated to Dr. Kristen Schmaltz, serving as a medical missionary in Guinea, West Africa. She works to meet the medical needs of Guineans as a medical team member of Compassion Evangelical Hospital. Planning for the hospital started in 2004 and it is now up and running. The Out-Patient Clinic opened on November 28, 2007. The hospital was established with the purpose, “To give the best medical and surgical care that can be given according to the means that God provides and to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all who come.”
Kristen was born in Lansing, Michigan, but considers Christ Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas, her home congregation. We are proud to say that Kristen was a member of Redeemer from 1969-1981 and was also confirmed at Redeemer. She studied biology and psychology at Albright College, Pennsylvania, recieved her medical degree from the University of Texas in San Antonio, and did her residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.

Please pray that Dr. Schmaltz will be able to offer the medical care and also the spiritual care they need in Jesus. Please pray for all our medical missionaries, asking God to use them as effective witnesses of His love in Jesus Christ and keeping them safe.
Redeemer Lutheran has pledged to support Dr. Schmaltz with yearly financial, emotional, and prayerful commitments. We also have an ongoing collection of used eyeglasses to send her. This mission has been a wonderful experience of faith and mission outreach for our congregation.