GRANDVILLE, MI – God sure has a sense of humor. Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM) Church Planting Specialist says “Fifteen years ago, a young punk kid named Josh Tovey graduated from my youth group in Grandville, MI where I served as a youth pastor. Josh is now my pastor at Redemption Church in Grandville, MI.”

 

Josh and his wife Stephanie and a group of close friends launched Redemption church on Easter Sunday in 2015. Ghramm’s family joined more than 300 people in celebrating the one-year anniversary.

 

He says that there are several phrases heard over and over at Redemption. “Jesus changes everything!” “Our mission is to connect people to Jesus for life change.” “God has you where he has you to advance the gospel through you.”  

 

Jesus is at the center of everything they do at Redemption. They believe their calling is to be a gospel-centered church, where the intentional proclamation of Jesus and His Cross are the prevailing themes. Their desire to see the greater Grand Rapids area redeemed is a God-sized vision where people will experience life change of which the fruit will be their going out and proclaiming their redemption story with others.  

 

Pastor Josh Tovey recently shared some statistics of Redemption’s first year.:

 

• At least 10 professions of faith.

• 20 people baptized from young children all the way to a couple in their 80’s.

• From Easter in 2015 to Easter 2016 the church grew from 173 attending to 322.  

• 129 adults in small groups, 75 children in the Kids Ministry, and 30 students in the Student Ministry.

• 131 people serving on the volunteer team.

• The church app was downloaded 517 times and opened 4,107 times. The messages were played 2,590 times.

• Giving grew from $8,000 in April 2015 to $15,000 in September 2015, and has been more than $20,000 a month this year.

• More than $14,000 has been given to missions and care needs both locally and globally.

 

Many of the people coming to Redemption consider themselves un-churched, de-churched, or are coming from churches where the gospel of Jesus is not central. The pastors recently led a three-week teaching series on “Owning the Mission.” The picture shared was of being on a battleship together and not a cruise ship. A battleship has a mission. Everyone needs to be focused on his or her specific role. We don’t always get to pick what we eat, where we sleep or what job we perform. Church is not about my desires. It’s about making Jesus famous in my life, in my family, and in my community.
 

For more on what God is doing in and through Redemption church, visit www.redemptionchurchmi.com or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/redemptionchurchmi. In a video the church put together to celebrate their anniversary, there are a number of testimonies of life change over this last year.  

 

Ghramm says talks are underway to make Redemption a multiplication center for church planting to train leaders and planters to send out all around greater Grand Rapids and beyond.  

He asks, “Please pray that the Lord uses Pastor Josh Tovey, their staff, their leaders and the people at Redemption Church to bring glory and renown to the name of Jesus in West Michigan and beyond.”