Redeemer Central

The Practice of Service – Part 4: Kinship

In the Way of Jesus, to serve is to move beyond isolated acts of charity to tearing down the walls that keep others at a safe distance and welcoming the marginalised not as causes or projects, but as family.

In the final part of our series on the practice of service, David Armstrong explores how Jesus turns the social order inside-out, calling us past transactional mercy and into shared life around the table.

Part of the Practicing the Way series.

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🌿 How to support us

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our work financially at https://redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

~ Learn more about our building renovation project https://redeemercentral.com/the101project

The Practice of Service – 03: LIFTING OTHERS UP

In the New Testament, Barnabas is known as the "Son of Encouragement"—a man who consistently filled up the tanks of those around him through radical generosity, grace, and humility. In the third part of our short series on the practice of service, John Herron looks at Barnabas’ life to show us that Christian service isn't about grand, heroic gestures but quiet, daily acts of love, second chances, and lifting others up.

→ Part of the Practicing the Way series.

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🌿 How to support us

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our work financially at https://redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

~ Learn more about our building renovation project https://redeemercentral.com/the101project

The Practice of Service – 01: Love

Love is the hallmark of Jesus’ followers, but what does it look like? In the Way of Jesus, it means offering hidden acts of service to those right in front of us, allowing ourselves to be interrupted by unexpected needs, and overlapping our lives with those on the margins.

In the first part of our short series on the practice of service, David Armstrong explores how love isn’t just a warm feeling or a general sense of goodwill towards those in need. It is embodied, practical actions of self-giving service, modelled by Jesus and given to us as the hallmark of true discipleship.

→ Part of the Practicing the Way series.

Also includes some important family news as we see changes to our Senior Leadership Team and Board plus latest announcements.

Join a Table: View our Table Groups and request to join one: https://redeemercentral.com/tables

Chapters/Timestamps:

[00:00] Intro

[00:28] Call to Worship

[03:30] Family News: Honouring Naomi & Kerry

[14:07] Notice #1: New Nominees for Board

[16:43] Notice #2: Tables

[20:35] Sermon

[52:19] Prayer & Communion

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🌿 How to support us

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our work financially at https://redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

~ Learn more about our building renovation project https://redeemercentral.com/the101project

In Part 3 of our Community Life series, David Armstrong shares how even when we come to the table as a community, it’s easy to stay in the shallows and engage superficially, being present but feeling totally alone. The good news is Jesus demonstrated something different with his disciples: the power of sharing our joys and sorrows with one another. Through encouraging each other and bearing one another’s burdens, our time with our community can become deep communion with one another and with God.

→  Next steps:

As a new season of church life begins, we’re highlighting two ways we practice community together — Tables & Teams. Table groups invite community to be experienced face-to-face as we eat together and share life, while Teams allow us to experience community side by side as we serve together.

∙ Join a Table: View our Table Groups and request to join one: https://redeemercentral.com/tables

∙ Join a Team: Find out about each Team and signup to join one: https://redeemercentral.com/teams

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🌿 How to support us

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our work financially at https://redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

~ Learn more about our building renovation project https://redeemercentral.com/the101project

As we begin a new season of church this month, we’re highlighting two ways we practice community together — Tables & Teams. Table groups invite community to be experienced face-to-face as we eat together and share life, while Teams allow us to experience community side by side as we serve together

In Part 2 of our Community Life series, David Armstrong uses the metaphor of a potluck lunch to illustrate the power of participation and how serving on a team can help move us into a deeper sense of belonging.

We also hear Adrian McCartney and Louise Brown share how being part of Teams has helped them find connection & belonging in community.

Next steps:

~ Join a Team: You can view and signup for any of our Sunday focused Teams and Compassion Teams at redeemercentral.com/serve and on our Church Centre App

~ Signup Sunday: Join us on Sun 20 Sept (10:30am) for a catered brunch, a chance to meet our Table leaders & Serving Team leads and sign up for the year ahead

🌿 Support our ongoing work

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~ You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated

~ To learn about our building renovation project visit redeemercentral.com/the101project

This month we are launching a new season of Table groups — small, local expressions of Redeemer Central that gather in homes to form community, share life and practice the way of Jesus together.

In Part 1 of our three-part series Community Life, David Armstrong explores how the biblical vision of church as family and the subversive table practice of Jesus offer a radical antidote to the human disconnection we often experience. Looking through Genesis, Mark, Luke, and Acts, we discover the Kingdom of God where strangers become family, social barriers are dismantled around shared meals, and there is always room at the table for everyone.

We also hear from Tim Reynolds alongside Kerry and Campbell Mulholland who share how being part of Table groups have helped them find connection & belonging in community.

Next steps:

~ Tables Directory: All available Table groups for 2026-27. Launching later this month at redeemercentral.com/tables and our Church Centre App

~ Signup Sunday: Join us on Sun 20 Sept (10:30am) for a catered brunch, a chance to meet our Table leaders & Serving Team leads and sign up for the year ahead

🌿 Support our ongoing work

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~ You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated

~ To learn about our building renovation project visit redeemercentral.com/the101project

The Book of Psalms is a rich and diverse collection of ancient Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers that have shaped the worship and spiritual life of God’s people for millennia. Spanning a wide range of human experience—from deep lament and raw anger to exuberant praise and quiet trust—the Psalms give voice to the complexities of faith in the real world. 

We continue our summer series reflecting on these ancient writings and here John Herron opens up a heart-wrenchingly honest Psalm 51, written by King David as he grapples with his failings and seeks God’s forgiveness.

Chapters/Timestamps:

[00:00] Intro

[00:28] Welcome

[01:39] Call to Worship/Prayer

[04:00] Notice #1: Board & Staff Update

[10:01] Notice #2: Dinners & Learning Groups

[15:12] Notice #3: Sabbath Sunday

[17:30] Scripture Reading

[19:56] Sermon 

[54:33] Prayer & Communion 

🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

The Book of Psalms is a rich and diverse collection of ancient Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers that have shaped the worship and spiritual life of God’s people for millennia. Spanning a wide range of human experience—from deep lament and raw anger to exuberant praise and quiet trust—the Psalms give voice to the complexities of faith in the real world.

David Armstrong continues our summer series by reflecting on the awe and wonder of Psalm 24 and an invitation to rediscover God as our ultimate destination.

Chapters/Timestamps:

[00:00] Intro

[00:28] Welcome

[00:55 Notice #1: Tables

[02:18] Notice #2: Dinners 

[03:31] Notice #3:  Learning Groups

[05:23] Sermon - David Armstrong 

[35:00] Prayer & Communion 

🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciate

What happens when the gospel calls us to step past our safety zones and engage with the people we've deemed completely "beyond the pale"?

In Part 3 of our series, John Herron explores one of the most seismic shifts in the early church: the radical inclusion of the Samaritans in Acts 8. For centuries, a deep-seated gulf of bitterness, ancestry, and religion had divided Jews and Samaritans, making Samaria a boundary line no self-respecting Judean would ever cross.

By tracing the trajectory through Luke’s Gospel, John breaks down how Jesus spent His ministry intentionally preparing the soil to shatter these old prejudices. John challenges us to look past our own "holy huddles" and ask a transformative question for our lives and our city today: Who is our Samaria, and what happens when we realize the Spirit is already out there waiting for us?

🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated ~ 

How does a movement that starts in a tiny, hidden corner of the world explode into a global reality?

In Part 2 of our Before & After series, Adrian McCartney uses the vivid imagery of a 70-meter-long tapestry to trace the expansion of the early church from the Gospel of Luke into the Book of Acts. Moving from the narrow, traditional borders of Jerusalem, Adrian maps out a beautiful trajectory of a God who is constantly widening the circle.

By looking at the parallel threads of the Feeding of the 5,000 (Luke 9) and the first church conflict over food distribution (Acts 6), we see the heart of Jesus on display: a ministry where everyone gets filled, where control is shared, and where leadership is handed over to the community. Adrian challenges us to recognize that we are the living end of this tapestry—called not just to debate who Jesus is, but to show the world what He is like through our shared life, hospitality, and radical inclusivity right here in Belfast.

🌿 Give & Support

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church in the heart of Belfast, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community, and seeking the peace and common good of our city.

~  You can support our ongoing work by giving financially at redeemercentral.com/give. Your generosity is greatly appreciated ~