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Where do I park?Parking is free on Sundays. You can find a spot on the street or in the nearby parking garages.
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Does Red Tree value music?At Red Tree, we have a high view of the arts as a good gift from God; the arts help us explore what it means to be human, and in our liturgy, theologically and musically rich songs and instrumental meditations are modes of praise, thanksgiving, and spiritual nourishment.
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What does a typical order of service look like at Red Tree?Our order of service (liturgy) reflects the drama of the biblical story of the gospel, not losing sight of either the holiness or the grace of God in Christ. Here is a peek: With astonishment, we respond to the Lord’s call to us, commanding us to enter into his presence to worship him. Amazed by this invitation, everyone joins together to celebrate in song, from the person with the raspiest voice to the most highly skilled musicians in our midst. In other words, we all put our gifts on the table to celebrate the King who calls us his own possession. We’re reminded of the holy purity of God when our ears hear his word from the scriptures and we humble ourselves to honestly tell him that we have done the unthinkable – we have sinned against him. We do this corporately, as his bride, with one voice. This is certainly a moment with gravitas. We are amazed once again to find that he does not throw us out. Instead, he assures us that we are cleansed by the blood of his Son. Our response is to celebrate yet again in song, prayers and offerings, using all our talents, treasures and words to express to God how immense is his worth. God extends our dramatic conversation by speaking to us through the preaching of his Word. A carefully studied passage from the bible is proclaimed to everyone present, whether believing or unbelieving. God, through his Word, does the work only he can do to transform our minds and renew our hearts. He saves some people and revitalizes others. He convicts and cuts into hearts and he heals and binds up our wounded places. All this through his Word. The rich celebration is not over. God, after speaking to us, sets a meal (a meal meant for a wedding, not a funeral). This meal is none other than the Lord’s Supper. He invites us to partake in order to be strengthened by his grace for the coming six days of life in this world, until we gather again next Sunday. Since the meal is so extravagantly rich, we can’t help but to raise our voices and use our gifts and instruments again in awe and joy filled song. God has the last word to ensure we remember why we have reason to continue, even after we leave worship, in a celebratory mood. His last word is a word of blessing to us, his people.
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What is the music like at Red Tree?We reflect a “world music” approach in our services. While we sing in English, the musical vocabulary draws on instruments and styles from around the world. We also draw from the centuries old musical traditions within the Christian Church; in this way, we hope to represent the Church in space and time. Our music anticipates the day when people of every nation, tribe, and language are gathered in complete reconciliation. Lyrically, we are committed to a rich gospel-centric theology in our worship. The liturgical framework of our services gives us the freedom to explore different styles of music within each section, from the instrumental reflective moments to the congregational call to worship, confession, and communion. The collection of psalms, hymns and original songs that we lift up to the Lord in worship are the fruit of our endeavors toward a multi-cultural and reformed liturgy.
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How do I get there?Our worship services are held in the Pendleton Ballroom located in the Michigan Union (530 S State Street, Ann Arbor). Check out the map below to find directions.
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What is the point of your worship services?All week long we’re bombarded by lies and disappointments that cause us to run spiritually dry. Our gathered service of worship is a time of spiritual renewal as God encounters us through biblical preaching and encourages us through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Our worship services are dramatic, technically speaking, because every worship service is a drama, portraying the reality of the gospel story: We come as unworthy sinners; God calls us into his presence; we are swept off our feet by his gracious gospel promises; reminded that we are new creations in Christ, transformed into people who long to hear our savior speak and, upon hearing his Word, are filled with gratitude and awe-filled praise.
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What should I expect in the worship service?Our worship is celebratory, yet reverent. Our hope is for you to experience worship services marked by a “joyful gravity.” Our worship is rooted, incorporating liturgy and practices from the ancient church. Our worship is real, with weekly liturgy crafted by the pastors and contextualized to the uniqueness of our contemporary cultural context. Our worship is renewing, with preaching that is expository (unfolding scriptural passages rather than focused on a particular topic); liturgy that is participatory (everyone participates rather than the worshippers seeing themselves as an audience at a concert); and sacraments that are observed regularly (we dine at the Lord’s Table weekly to find nourishment for our souls as God intended).
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Are kids welcome in the worship service?Over time, worshiping together as a family (including younger children) will prove to be a powerful and formative rhythm. You have no idea how the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of your children and how deeply this will make an impact for generations to come! To serve young children in worship, we have Red Tree Kid's bags available. The bags are full of resources to help your child engage our worship service.
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Will I feel awkward as a visitor?We will never single you out as a visitor and will make every effort to warmly welcome you. We are eager to meet you. Please know that our Hospitality team will also be stationed in various places to answer any questions you may have.
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Do you offer programs for kids?The Red Tree Nursery is available for children ages 0 - 3 years old. For children ages 4-7, we offer Kids’ Bible Time which provides an age-appropriate bible lesson with a corresponding song and craft that point our children to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Families with school-aged children are encouraged to worship alongside their children.
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How do I register my child for the nursery?You can register in advance by following the link below! This will allow you to avoid filling out information upon your arrival. When you register in advance, your child will be ready to be received into our wonderful nursery! Click HERE
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