The Community Closet (CC)––a ministry years in the making––was birthed out of a sincere desire to meet the tangible needs of our neighborhood. In 2023, the Lord was gracious, and after years of prayer and preparation, the CC opened. Through the donations of the Redeemer East Harlem congregation and various churches, ministries, non-profits around the city, plus the many hours of serving from our faithful volunteers, the CC continues to be stocked with clothing and household items, all of which become blessings to our neighbors with material needs. We are so grateful for all those who make the ..read more

This week is National Suicide Prevention Week and sadly, deaths by suicide reached a record high in the US last year. Across our nation, someone commits suicide every ,11 minutes. ,Suicide is now the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34 and the 5th leading cause for those ages 35 to 54. According to the ,CDC, an estimated 12.3 million American adults seriously considered suicide, 3.5 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.7 million attempted suicide in 2021. If you, or someone you know has considered suicide, please know that this is not an isolated experience and you are not ..read more

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/286c68_77660965f9d440c49e3392860ed64f90/360p/mp4/file.mp4 Five days ago, on the morning of May 19, Tim passed from this world to Glory. Months before, May 19 was a date we chose at random as we planned a night for the family of 5 Redeemer churches to gather for the first-ever Redeemer Night. In hindsight, the date was never random. God, in his infinite kindness, knew the Redeemer family would need to be together that night. God knew we’d need to hug, cry, pray, trade stories, and worship together on the night of May 19. And that’s what we did. The last song we ..read more

As a teenager, I remember visiting my next-door neighbor who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She was a kind, hospitable woman, with a smile that would light up any room. During our time, she let me into her inner world. She posed questions like: is this diagnosis the result of some previously committed sin? Is God punishing me for something I have done? I knew enough about the Christian life to remind her that if we are in Christ our sins are paid for. That conversation confirmed that suffering might cause us to misinterpret our Christian experience. She, unfortunately, passed away a few m ..read more

Below are reflections from two REH staff persons who have been serving monthly at the Bowery Mission's East Harlem Campus, an all-male residential rehabilitation program. _____________________________________________________ When Pastor Justin first asked me to lead a chapel service at the Bowery Mission East Harlem Campus, an all-male residential drug and alcohol rehab program located at E. 115th Street, I sought wisdom from a friend who calls herself a ‘sober addict.’ She told me, throughout her healing journey, it was not those who spoke the best or taught her the most, but the ones who sho ..read more

Matthew 9:36 – 38 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” _______________________________________ Before the apostles are commissioned by Christ, the disciples have ..read more

In a few days we will awake on Christmas morning. And while there is much to celebrate as we reflect on the miracle of the incarnate Deity, it is also our reality that each of us meets Christmas morning unsatiated, in various ways. The colloquial phrases “Christmas Blues” and “Holiday Depression” developed as many found themselves feeling temporarily sad, rundown, and anxious during the Christmas season. The losses and imperfections in our lives tend to feel markedly pronounced on our most special days. Christmas morning often finds us outwardly smiling while inwardly longing. I remember heari ..read more

This was our 1st Easter Sunday gathering in-person! Last year we were online only due to Covid. This year we were able to gather at less than 50% capacity. Our registration filled quickly–– sorry if you were not able to get a spot! While we were sad we could not have everyone together with us due to capacity constraints, we were thankful to have 75 congregants join together to worship on Sunday! If you missed the service, you can always watch it later on our YouTube channel. We pray you are blessed by the reminder we serve a RISEN Savior ..read more

Let's take a walk down memory lane as we remember REH's 2020! In March, REH fundraised & gave away thousands of relief dollars to NYers in need through our “Need Help, Give Help” campaign. Throughout the spring, REHers helped pack & deliver free meals for homebound East Harlem seniors daily with Meals on Wheels & Union Settlement. In April, REH bought & delivered over 1,400 beverages & food items to doctors & nurses caring for Covid patients at the Mt. Sinai pop-up tents in Central Park. In June, REH co-led/organized a prayer protest march with other East Harlem chu ..read more

It has long been said a parent is a child’s first teacher. And today, many parents are considering whether to engage their children in age appropriate conversations about race and racism. But because we live in a racialized society, the decision to engage these conversations has largely been decided for us. If we remain silent, others voices will inevitably shape our children on these issues.  Apart from that, some parents don’t have the privilege to “just have conversations" on race/racism with their children as their family’s lived experiences include racism. So, if our neighbors are ex ..read more