PURPOSE

Because Christ is beautiful and has made himself known to us through his gospel word and sacraments, the Sacraments & Aesthetics Ministry Team (SAMT) exists to prepare the sacraments for gathered worship at Redeemer and to make our worship space beautiful and attractive, a space that is inviting and that raises the eyes of our hearts to look to Jesus. The SAMT will seek to fulfill its purpose through three avenues: prayer, vision and implementation.   

PRAYER 

The SAMT will pray: —> That many in Knoxville who do not believe into Christ and who are outside his church would believe and be baptized into Jesus at Redeemer. —> That God would give Redeemer many children who are baptized into Christ and that these children would grow up to be covenant keepers, believing Christ’s gospel all their days. —> That Christ’s people would taste and see his goodness and be changed by his grace into his likeness as we eat his body and drink his blood at Redeemer. —> That our worship space would become increasingly beautiful, inviting to people and pleasing to God, and more importantly, that we would become more beautiful in Christ at Redeemer as the living stones of his temple. —> That the worship of the living God would become the central event in the lives of all of Redeemer’s people, that we would hunger and thirst after Christ, such that one day in his courts is better to us than thousands elsewhere. —> That Christ’s Spirit would be present and active among us in worship and that his gospel would transform our lives through word and sacrament.

The SAMT is continually casting Redeemer's vision: —> The SAMT will interact with the Worshipping Leadership Team, the various other Worshipping Ministry Teams and the Advisory Team to receive and to help shape Redeemer’s vision for gospel worship as the wonderful, central experience of all Christian living and the great end of all Christian witness. —> By praying (see above) and studying biblical perspectives on the sacraments and aesthetics in worship, the SAMT will seek to keep its vision for worship fresh and vibrant, that it might serve Christ’s people sweet tastes, inviting waters, and beautiful expressions of Jesus in gathered worship. The team will seek to promote the importance and blessing of the sacraments to the congregation.

The SAMT has the following oversight and responsibility: —> The SAMT will interface with the MAMT, SOMT and LMT Ministry Teams and the Worshipping Leadership Team as to weekly and seasonal needs and opportunities in worship. —> The SAMT will prepare and present the elements of bread and wine/juice for weekly communion and for other special services. —> The SAMT will prepare and present baptismal waters as needed. The team will provide baptismal certificates to those who are baptized at Redeemer. —> The SAMT will seek to enhance the aesthetics of Redeemer’s worship space through the use of liturgical colors, the sign of the cross, more appealing and edifying baptism and communion presentations, etc. They will seek guidance from the Worshipping Leadership Team and the Team of Church Planters, as well as submitting themselves to Scripture in these endeavors.—> The SAMT will always be looking to involve more and more people at all levels of the worship service and will regularly recruit new members to its team. The team will establish and follow a rotating system of teams to fulfill its goals. —> The SAMT will work with the Worshipping Leadership Team, the Advisory Team, and the Finance & Budget Ministry Team in setting the SAMT budget for each ministry year.