What are you asking me to do?

Dwell: An Enduring & Faithful Presence is a generosity discipleship journey. Therefore, the ­first thing we’re asking you to do is open yourself up to the Lord’s work in you. This means asking God for grace to hear Him and grace to respond to His leading. Some practical ways to take this discipleship journey include:

• Commit to attending all six weeks of the Dwell series.

• Participate in a Community Group if you are not already in one.

• Engage in personal reflection with God in the Dwell series book.

• Talk with your friends, spouse, and family about what this commitment will mean for this next exciting season of your life.

We are also asking that you make a faith-stretching commitment to give generously, as the Lord leads you. Follow His leading. Finally, we ask that you prepare to be amazed! The Lord promises in His word to “increase the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Corinthians 9:10). We anticipate an unprecedented impact from our collective Dwell commitments – something only God can do. We’ll celebrate this for the next two years! Please mark your calendar for Commitment Sunday, February 5.

How long is my commitment?

We are asking that everyone make a two-year commitment. The fulfillment period will begin on Sunday, March 5, 2023 with our First Big Give, and it will culminate on March 2, 2025.

If I am committing to the Dwell initiative, how does this change my giving to the General Fund and other funds?

During this two-year period, every contribution to Redemption Hill Church is a contribution to the Dwell initiative. You will not be asked to designate your giving to a particular fund. This “one fund” approach helps us see how all our mission is connected, and it allows us to celebrate the total generosity of Redemption Hill Church in a clear and unifi­ed way.

Are there additional ways, besides cash, that I can give more to Dwell?

Be creative as you’re exploring ways to give Dwell. We included gifts from stored resources in this initiative to encourage you to ask, “Am I honoring God ­with what He’s already given me?” You might have valuable assets that can be converted to cash in order to make a greater kingdom impact. You might have stocks, savings, property, or other assets. You also might have stored resources that God has blessed you with in the past that He just might be calling you to give out of during this time. If you need help facilitating gifts of property or stock, contact Kristy Riedel at bookkeeper@redemptionhilldc.org for transfer instructions or assistance making this type of gift.

What if I’ve never given to Redemption Hill Church before?

Dwell was designed for you to be able to participate right alongside those who are already giving. Dwell is a “one fund” generosity initiative, meaning that it’s different than a traditional capital campaign where you are called to give an extra gift above and beyond your normal giving, thus creating TWO STEPS for people who are not yet giving. By doing a “one fund” initiative, we’re saying that every dollar given to Redemption Hill Church over the next two years goes toward Dwell. That means you don’t need to already be a regular giver in order to participate and make a difference. If you’ve never given before, this is your chance to get in the game and join the work God is doing. We really hope you will.

What if I’m new to Redemption Hill Church?

Dwell is about growing as disciples and ful­filling the mission of Jesus. There’s no prerequisite for participating. You can do that whether you’ve been here 10 years or 10 days. We would love for you to make Redemption Hill Church your home church and join us in Dwell. If you’re ready, this is a great way to put a stake in the ground and make this your church.

What if I am severely in debt right now? Am I still supposed to give?

If you are currently seeking to pay off debt, we commend you for that and encourage you to stick with it! If you need help getting on a budget and putting together a plan to get out of debt, we’d love to connect you with a Redemption Hill Church member who counsels people in this way. Please contact Pastor Eric McPherson for a referral or advice about next steps. We also encourage you to consider that paying off debt does not preclude giving to the Lord. Everything we have – including the resources we use to pay down debt – is a gift from Him. Giving while at the same time responsibly paying down debt can be a way to honor God for giving you everything you need, while trusting Him with your future.

What if I’m a student or live on a fixed income?

The New Testament gives examples of generosity from people who are not considered wealthy compared to others. Jesus teaches His disciples about generosity by showing them a widow who gives two coins (Luke 21:1-4). Paul teaches the Corinthians about generosity through the example of the poor and persecuted Macedonian church (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Consider this: if you participate in Dwell according to whatever means God has given you, it could be the thing He uses to spark generosity in others! That’s how the kingdom of God works. And that’s the spirit of Dwell!

What if I work on commission or rely on bonuses?

Dwell is about your total, prioritized, gospel-driven generosity to God’s mission at Redemption Hill Church. We believe that God calls us to action in times of hardship just as much as He does in times of abundance, and that looks different for every person. Dwell is about a heart surrender - one that is only accomplished by seeking the Lord and responding to His call and His Word. We would love for 100% of us to be a part of Reach so that we can all be supporting, loving, encouraging, and praying for one another through this spiritually stretching season at Redemption Hill. If you have questions or would like help thinking through your unique situation, reach out to one of our pastors, or our Treasurer, Rich Kang, at treasurer@redemptionhilldc.org.

I won’t be in DC for the full 2 years, should I be part of Dwell?

The truth is that none of us know exactly what our future will hold. That’s the beauty and challenge of taking steps of faith! Even if you’re not sure if you’ll be a part of Redemption Hill Church for the full span of the next two years, we invite you to still commit to generosity and be a part of this life-changing endeavor God has for our church in this season. If needed, you may modify your commitment at any time. But often, people have continued to support Redemption Hill Church even after they’ve left the area – as a ministry they continue to be a part of into the future. If you happen to move out of the area, we would love for that to be your story!

Additional Questions?

For more information, visit dwell.redemptionhilldc.org.

If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to speak personally to any of our pastors or elders, or submit a question via email to elders@redemptionhilldc.org.