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As Easter, or Resurrection Sunday if you wish, approaches, reminders of new life are abundant.  As I look outside and see the sun shining in the sky and the thermometer hitting 60 for the first time in what seems like forever I am reminded that the cold, grey is passing and that new life is right around the corner. 

This is the season where we are reminded that Jesus defeated death, rolled away the heavy boulder that blocked the tomb, and emerged from his grave ALIVE.  Victorious. Death was defeated and life now reigned in its place. 

We have a tradition where we baptize new believers on every Easter.  It is another opportunity to celebrate new life.  We have the opportunity as a church to celebrate new life together and to rejoice over what God is doing in our community. 

As I think through what God is doing at Redeemer in bringing about New Life, I am reminded of something in addition to celebrating the new salvations.  I am reminded of another form of New Life. 

God has been doing something special in the Redeemer Kids and Redeemer Youth.  These things are also signs of new life.  Just a few that I want to celebrate with you as a church: 

  1. God has been growing our children's ministry to the point where we had to recently create a new classroom and new class to keep up with the growth!  What a beautiful "problem" to have. 
  2. The body has responded by having more and more volunteers to teach in our children's ministry.  Praise God for a church who sees the necessity of raising up young people as disciples and who see the importance of our children having a life long love of Jesus! 
  3. We have begun a new catechism class to teach our older children- the children who are not quite youth group age but still in the Redeemer Kids Ministry.  They have been learning to theological explain and defend their faith. 
  4. Vacation Bible School had over 80 kids our first year and we are anticipating over 120 children this year. 
  5. We have over 50 children who regularly participate in Redeemer Kids
  6. Our youth ministry is growing like crazy.  We have seen teens professing new faith in Jesus and teens who were already saved growing in their faith and making Jesus their own. 
  7. We've developed a youth worship team who has led us on Sunday morning, lead our youth in worship each Monday and are going to be assisting in leading us on Easter.
  8. We have 6 young people who have gone through the baptism class because they are expressing their new faith in Christ and desire to proclaim that before the body.

The reality is- if there is not an influx of young people it is difficult to maintain young life into the church.  It's tough to have new life if we only have older saints. 

While there are many aspects of new life to celebrate here at Redeemer, the young people are amongst the fruit that we rejoice in the most.  Praise God that He is producing new life by continually working amongst our young life and for all of the faithful saints who have invested themselves in seeing young life become new-life in Christ! 

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