What’s Happening – September 4, 2026

Newsletter

We have officially entered the “-ber” months: September, October, November, and December. Somewhere in America, people are already pulling on sweaters, sipping hot cider, and watching leaves turn brilliant shades of red and gold. Here in Florida, starting September mostly means we continue sweating while pretending that the appearance of pumpkin spice everything somehow changed the temperature.

So I would like to begin this week’s newsletter with a simple congregational prayer: “Come quickly, fall weather.” We know patience is a fruit of the Spirit, but surely praying for a cold front does not count as grumbling. May the Lord, in His kindness, send us a morning when we walk outside and discover that the humidity has finally loosened its grip upon the land. We are reasonable people, at this point, 75 degrees would feel like the Garden of Eden.

Of course, September is also the gateway to Fall ministries in the life of the church. Footballs are flying, groups are gathering, and there are plenty of opportunities ahead to worship, serve, grow, and enjoy life together. So while we wait expectantly for the first glorious hint of cool air, take a few minutes to read through what is happening at Redeemer and consider where the Lord might be calling you to join in.

Upcoming Events

Business Meeting – This Sunday, September 6 at 6pm

All Redeemer members are invited to join us for a Business Meeting on Sunday, September 6th at 6:00 PM as we continue working through our proposed Statement of Faith together.

This is important work for the life of our church. A Statement of Faith is more than a document we keep on file, it helps us clearly say what we believe, what we teach, and what will guide us as a congregation in the years ahead. We want to take the time to work through it carefully, ask good questions, and seek unity around the truths we confess together.

Please make plans to be there. Your presence, questions, and participation matter as we prayerfully consider how to express the faith we share.

Upward Flag Football is Underway!

The whistles are blowing and the footballs are flying! Upward Flag Football practices began this week and will continue on Thursday evenings at 5:30 PM. Please pray for our players, coaches, families, and volunteers as we use this season to encourage kids, build relationships with families, and point them toward Christ.

And mark your calendar for our season-opening game on Saturday, September 19 at 8:30 AM! Come out, grab a spot on the sideline, and help us cheer on the kids as we kick off the season together.

Make a Connection Saturday — September 12th

This month, instead of gathering for our normal Men’s and Ladies Breakfast, we’re going to try something a little different. We’re calling it Make a Connection Saturday. The goal is simple: use that Saturday to spend time with someone from Redeemer you know by name, but don’t really know yet. Invite them out for a meal, go fishing, hit a few yard sales, take the kids on a hike, work on a project together, or just sit down over a board game and talk.

One of the gifts God gives us in the church is not merely a room full of people to worship beside, but a family to share life with. Those relationships usually don’t grow by accident, somebody has to make the first move. So begin thinking now about who you might ask. Then don’t overthink it, just make the invitation.

Maguire State Missions Offering

Every September, Florida Baptists join together for the Maguire State Mission Offering. This year’s theme is “Immeasurably More,” and every dollar given through the offering goes directly toward planting new churches in Florida through Send Network Florida.

Florida is growing rapidly, and every new neighborhood, apartment complex, and community represents people who need to hear the good news of Jesus. We may never meet the church planters or sit in the churches our gifts help launch, but we can stand beside them through prayer and generous giving.

Pray for God to raise up faithful pastors, establish healthy churches, and use our churches together to make Christ known all across Florida. The statewide goal is $1 million, and every dollar collected goes straight to church planters.

Fourth Watch – Fridays – 0400

Every Friday morning at 4 AM, men gather for Fourth Watch, a time to seek the Lord before the noise and responsibilities of the day begin.

There’s no breakfast, no entertainment, and no elaborate program. We’ll open the Bible, talk honestly, and spend serious time in prayer for four things. For the Lord’s guidance, for our own hearts, for one another, and for our families. Bring your Bible. Come looking for the Lord.

Fourth Watch is open not only to the men of Redeemer, but to Christian men throughout our community who want brothers who will encourage them, challenge them, and help them keep watch over the things God has entrusted to them.

Food Pantry Needs

Our food pantry allows us to respond when families in our church and community find themselves facing an unexpected need. While you are at the grocery store, or placing your next pickup/delivery order, please consider adding a few extra shelf-stable items. Canned vegetables, soups, pasta, rice, cereal, peanut butter, canned meat, boxed meals, and other basic staples are always helpful.

A Simple Way to Give Faithfully

Giving is one of the ways we worship the Lord, trust His provision, and support the ministry He has entrusted to our church. Of course, Sunday mornings can be full. Between conversations, children, serving, singing, listening, and getting out the door, it is easy for even good intentions to get crowded out. Through our online giving page, you can give a one-time gift or set up recurring monthly giving. This helps make generosity a steady and prayerful rhythm. Thank you for giving faithfully, generously, and joyfully as we seek to glorify Christ, cultivate holiness, and love generously together.

The Bridge

Last Sunday we saw Jesus remind us that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. God’s rest is a gift, not another burden to carry. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, and in Him we are invited to stop trying to prove ourselves, stop adding to His finished work, and receive the rest God has provided.

But Mark does not really leave the Sabbath behind when chapter 2 ends. The scene simply moves from the grainfields into a synagogue. There Jesus encounters a man with a withered hand, and men who seem far more interested in whether Jesus will break one of their rules than in whether this suffering man will be made whole. They are watching Jesus, but not because they want to follow Him. They are watching for something they can use against Him.

The danger of hard-hearted religion is that it can become so concerned with being right that it stops caring about people. Jesus looks at the man and sees someone who needs mercy. The Pharisees look at the same man and see an opportunity to build a case. Jesus asks the piercing question: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” And they say nothing.

Perhaps that is one of the tests of whether we have really entered the rest of Christ: Does His grace make us more gracious? Does receiving mercy make us more merciful? The One who gives rest also gives compassion. This Sunday, as we continue into Mark 3, we will see both the anger and grief of Jesus toward hearts that have become so hard they can stand in the presence of mercy and resent it.

Pastor Logan

Weekly Life Together

Wednesday Night Dinner, Kids, and Prayer

Join us each Wednesday evening as we gather for a shared family meal and time together.

Sunday Morning Bible Study and Worship

Sundays at 9:30am is our Bible Study hour. From children to adults, each class is focused on helping us grow in understanding of God’s word and encouraging one another to live out our faith.

Then at 10:45am, we come together for corporate worship as one body. Our aim is simple: to humble ourselves before the throne of Jesus our King and to joyfully worship Him side by side as families. Kids and adults all share in this time as we sit under the same truth and fix our eyes on Christ together. Check out this playlist of some of the music that we will sing together in worship.

Breaking Bread Groups

Throughout the week, we gather in homes to discuss God’s Word and to pray for each other as we do life together. We currently have groups that meet on Sunday afternoons, as well as Tuesday and Thursday nights. If you are interested in joining or starting a group, please talk to someone in leadership.

At Redeemer Baptist Church our mission is to Glorify Jesus by Growing in Holiness and Loving Generously. Please leave a quick Google review and like or follow us on social media. It’s a small thing that helps more people in our community find us.

Redeemer Baptist Church | 20545 SW 5th Pl, Dunnellon, FL 34431

(352) 489-1788 | RedeemerRomeo.com

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