Yesterday, we had our monthly church family meal. Every so often, it’s important to remind ourselves why these monthly lunches have become such an important part of our RWS rhythm.
Theologian Robert Karris said that if you read through the Gospel of Luke, you’ll see that “Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.” Jesus is always eating with people! It’s no small thing that when Jesus chose a sign for his people to remember him by, he invited them to a table: “Take this bread… drink this cup.” To sit at a table with Jesus is to share in his life.
Sharing meals is a way to share life, to deepen our experience of community. When you sit with others and eat food together, joy comes out as the walls come down. Tim Chester put it this way: “Meals are more than food. They’re social occasions. They represent friendship, community, and welcome.”
View our upcoming opportunities for community and connection in the text below.
Sunday, February 8 at 6:30 pm
Souper Bowl Party
Watch the Big Game at the W83 Ministry Center! If you can, please bring a can of non-expired soup for our neighbors in need. Doors open at 5:45 pm; join us in the Loft for food, drinks (for all ages), and good company. A suggested fee of $5 to offset food and beverage costs is encouraged. Please RSVP so we can have an accurate headcount for this event; click here to sign up.
Our annual retreat to Lake Champion is back! This year, high school and middle school students will attend “The Great Escape,” a special winter weekend of fun, spiritual growth, and deepening friendships! If you have a friend you’ve been wanting to invite on retreat, we are using the Buddy Pass System. This means that you can bring one friend who is not active at Redeemer West Side for FREE. We’re also looking for adults to serve as small group leaders. Register your child for Winter Retreat or sign up as a volunteer by clicking here. Registration closes February 15 at 11:59 pm.
Upcoming
- Feb 7 | Community Salsa Night
- Feb 8 | Common Table: Youth Sunday Meals
- Feb 8 | WS Youth Interest Meeting: Mission Nassau
- Feb 8 | Souper Bowl
- Feb 9 | Sing, Play, Speak
- Feb 11 | CFW Vocation Lab
- Feb 15 | Volunteer Choir
- Feb 15 | Spiritual Practices Workshop: Fasting
- Feb 18 | Ash Wednesday Youth Dinner
- Feb 18 | Ash Wednesday Service
- Feb 21 | City Wide Worship
- Feb 27 | WSY Winter Retreat: The Great Escape
- Mar 7 | Premarital Seminar
- Mar 18 | Family Night
- Apr 25/26 | RWS Conference: Redeeming Anxiety
Get Involved
| RWS Job Opening: Elementary Sunday Evening Staff Volunteer with West Side Youth at their upcoming Winter Retreat (February 27 to March 1). Lend a hand at our monthly Church Family Meals. Serve at our welcome table for one Sunday a month at RWS. Subscribe to our Neighborhood Engagement Newsletter. HFNY: Our friends at Hope For New York are partnering with City Wide Worship for a night of singing and praying! Join the worship on Saturday, February 21, to reflect on the Lenten season and how we can be kind and compassionate New Yorkers to our neighbors in need. HFNY: Hope For New York’s Rising Leaders Board is hosting a winter social on Thursday, February 19! You’re invited to this after-work event to connect with young professionals, hear how you can be part of a community helping neighbors in need, and see a can’t-miss view of NYC! RSVP today, and get a discount when you bring a friend. |
