Redeemer Community Updates 2025
Redeemer Community Updates
2025
Redeemer Community Updates 2025
Redeemer Community Updates
2025
Community Updates 2025
Dear Redeemer Community
This year we are preparing some developments within the Redeemer family to strengthen our foundation for the future. These updates focus on the practical and organizational aspects of church life — where we gather (our building), how we are led as a church (leadership team) and how we are governed as a charity (board of directors) and you can read a summary below. If Redeemer Central is like a thriving plant, then these ‘behind-the-scenes’ elements serve as the trellis, providing the support needed for our community to grow, flourish, and thrive.
We plan to work these things through over the next year, keeping you informed each step of the way, and letting you know how you can participate in the process as members of the community.
We’re hosting an online Redeemer Community Meeting for Thursday 6th February via Zoom. This is open to everyone who calls Redeemer home. Our Senior Leadership and Board will share before giving opportunity for questions or queries you might have via a Q&A time. The event details (inc. Zoom link) can be found below (click here to jump).
We hope these developments will lead to a strengthening, allowing us to grow and thrive as a church in this next season as we seek to live out the good news of Jesus and his Kingdom.
Grace & Peace,
David Armstrong (On behalf of SLT & Board)
“Practicing the Way of Jesus together through simple, generous & inclusive community and working for the peace & common good of our City”
Summary of Updates
1. Building | The Place we Gather
As we continue to pursue full ownership of 101 Donegall Street, we’re glad to share that solicitors are now engaged in positive negotiations with the current owners. Due to legal and practical considerations related to heritage buildings we know this will take time, but we are delighted things are moving forward.
In the mean time, we continue to invest and improve the building as best we can and raise funds through a mix of venue hire, grant funding, community fundraising, and partnerships.
When: Ongoing. AWAITING CONSERVATION SURVEY DUE BY END OF MARCH 2025.
Why This Matters
Our building is more than a physical space—it is a heritage building with a beautiful story, a home for our community, a place of worship and a hub for connection and mission. Investing in it will ensure a welcoming place for both our church family and the wider community for years to come.
2. Board | The Way we are Governed
Over the past year, our board has greatly benefited from a strategic planning and governance review resulting in several recommendations. As a result, we plan to appoint additional board members this year to expand our board’s personnel, skills, and capacity.
WHEN: BOARD RECRUITMENT process now open to the entire Redeemer community, accepting expressions of interest and nominations for these positions. Click the button below for all the info.
Why This Matters
Good governance and a strong board are like the trellis that supports the vine. It provides accountability, stability and support for the vision and ministry of our community.
3. Leadership | The Way we are Led
Our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) embrace joyfully their responsibility for the overall spiritual direction and care of our community. We have developed a shared conviction that a local church like ours should be led by elders; men and women who are called, who meet scriptural qualifications, are commissioned by apostolic oversight and recognised by their congregation.
This year — through a process of discernment involving the whole Redeemer community — we hope to transition from a Senior Leadership Team to an Eldership Team — men and women who are recognised as elders by our community and who commit to leading and caring for the church through the enabling help of the Holy Spirit.
WHEN: MORE TO FOLLOW LATER IN 2025
Why this matters
The New Testament consistently models the appointment of elders (Titus 1:4-5), publicly affirmed through the laying on of hands (1 Tim 4:14, 5:22, 2 Tim 1:6). It recognizes their commitment to lead and care for the church while empowering them through the Holy Spirit.
Establishing an Eldership Team would allow us to fully embody our belief in inclusive, egalitarian leadership and enable a process that involves the participation of the Redeemer community.
4. Network | The Way we Relate
Over the past 15 years of our journey, we have been blessed by relationships with other churches/networks that have provided love, support, accountability, and healthy oversight. We are searching for a new church network that aligns with our values and can support us as we live out our mission.
It will take time to explore our options so in the interim we believe it is wise to put something in place to provide that accountability and spiritual covering. We are reaching out to trusted friends of Redeemer — both local and international — to serve on a Spiritual Advisory Board to offer guidance, wisdom, and support.
WHEN: MORE TO FOLLOW LATER IN 2025
Why This Matters
Our desire for wider affiliation is rooted in both Scripture and our conviction that local churches thrive in relationship, not isolation.
Engaging in relationships with others provides accountability, spiritual covering and Godly wisdom, that supports our SLT/Elders and helps our church strengthen as we pursue our mission.
Meetings so far
Redeemer Community Meeting: Online Q&A
This meeting was open to all who call Redeemer home. Our Senior Leadership & Board shared before giving opportunity for questions or queries via a Q&A time.
When: Thu 06 Feb, 7:45pm
Where: Online via Zoom
We’d love to hear from you
Ask a Question
If you have any questions or comments about the Community Updates 2025 you can submit them here. Thanks in advance for your participation.
You can also reach out directly to David Armstrong (SLT Team Leader) or Daniel Saunders (Chair of Board) and they would be happy to help. For questions & queries regarding the Redeemer Board Process please speak to Daniel Saunders (Chair of Board) or Joe McVey (Blueprint Development Consultancy) who is helping us with the recruitment process as an independent third party.
Board 2025
Board 2025
Recruitment Process Now Open
Board 2025
Board 2025
Recruitment Process Now Open
Board 2025
In recent years we’ve been discovering who we are as a community and growing our mission to our local parish on Donegall Street. We believe this next phase should build on that, with a focus on sustainability and our board have an important role to play.
We hope to move towards greater financial stability, developing our staff team and increasing income generation through giving, venue hire, grants and fundraising. We also continue the stewardship, investment and potential ownership of our building at 101 Donegall Street.
Structuring ourselves well as a church and charity will enable us to serve our community effectively for years to come.
2024: Review
Partnerships are vital to us and North Belfast Heritage Cluster, with its expertise in heritage sites and strategic planning, has been instrumental in supporting us. Over the past year, they have provided us funding for a Strategic Planning and Governance Review, that has assessed how we as a charity are structured and managed. This review was facilitated by experienced consultant Joe McVey (see FAQs below for Joe’s bio) and has been invaluable in helping our Board reach this stage.
2025> : Sustainability & Growth
The conclusion of the Strategic Planning and Governance Review has led to a number of recommendations and changes that might help us as we move forward. Our Redeemer Senior Leadership Team and Board of Directors have discussed these recommendations and settled on a model that frames governance as the “trellis that supports the vine.”
This involves:
Expanding the size, skills and capacity of our board through appointment new board members
Introducing more structures and systems to provide the necessary support for our ministry and protect and care for our people.
We believe these steps are essential for healthy growth and will serve us as a church well for this next season.
Expanding the Board
The Process
To expand our Board of Directors we propose the following open and transparent process of recruitment for new board members:
Inform – Through this webpage and various Redeemer Family Meetings we aim to highlight the vision and the need for an expanded board, and provide opportunity for our community to discuss and query what is involved in the role.
Discern – We hope and pray that individuals from our community with diverse backgrounds and skill sets will step forward to serve on the Board. We are looking to fill key roles such as Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary as well as those with expertise in areas like HR, law, finance, and architecture.
Recruit – In the first half of 2025 we plan to conduct an informal recruitment process, overseen by an independent consultant Joe McVey (for bio see FAQs below). This process will include written expressions of interest, discussions with existing Board members, and input from members of Redeemer Central. We may also offer prospective members a “shadow” period to explore if the role is a good fit.
Appoint – At the mid point of 2025 we hope to appoint the new Board members and introduce them to the Redeemer Central community.
Support – Ongoing training and support will be provided to the board to ensure it is equipped to serve effectively.
What does a Board Member do?
You probably are wondering what a board member does. To help we’ve put together this PDF that contains info on the role and what is involved.
Joining the Board
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
If you would like to be considered for the role of a voluntary board member please click on ‘expression of interest’ and complete the form.
NOMINATE SOMEONE
If you know a trusted person in the community who would offer experience and skills in the role of a board member you can, with their permission, nominate them for consideration. Click ‘nominate someone’ and complete the form.
OFFER SUPPORT
If you do not feel being a board member is right for you, but you would still like to offer some of your skills and experience to help the new board team, please click on ‘offer support’ and complete the form.
We’d love to hear from you
If you have any questions or comments about the Community Updates 2025 you can submit them here. Thanks in advance for your participation.
You can also reach out directly to David Armstrong (SLT Team Leader) or Daniel Saunders (Chair of Board) and they would be happy to help. For questions & queries regarding the Redeemer Board Process please speak to Daniel Saunders (Chair of Board) or Joe McVey (Blueprint Development Consultancy) who is helping us with the recruitment process as an independent third party.
FAQs
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You can read more about the current Senior Leadership Team and Board here
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The North Belfast Heritage Cluster is a group of voluntary organisations that own or care for an historic building in the North Belfast area. Their collective goal is to deliver heritage-led regeneration. This simply means making better use of what people care about – the collection of historic buildings and the real stories connected to them – to support economic and social development in north Belfast. It is about using what’s special about the area to create a more confident sense of place.
You can find out more about the cluster and those involved here: https://greatplacenorthbelfast.com/about-us/#northbelfastheritagecluster
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In 2024 Joe McVey led the strategic planning and governance review of the Redeemer Central board and in 2025 he will oversee the expansion of our board process.
Joe has extensive experience in regeneration and development across local government, private enterprise, and the community sector, with a strong focus on strategic planning, evaluation, and facilitation.
Before founding Blueprint Development Consultancy, Joe established and led the Economic Development Section within Belfast City Council, Northern Ireland’s largest local authority. He played a key role in developing and implementing policies and strategies in economic development, tourism, arts and culture, and European affairs.
Joe has also worked internationally as a development consultant in Nigeria, Russia, and Bulgaria. He holds an Honours degree from Queen’s University Belfast, along with a Master’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Business Improvement.
Actively engaged in the voluntary and community sector, Joe currently serves as Chair of Volunteer Now and the Community Arts Partnership and is a Trustee of the Building Change Trust. In June 2015, he was appointed as a Commissioner with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
In 2010, Joe was awarded an OBE for his services to the voluntary sector.