Emphasis on the basics makes First Redeemer crown-worthy

J. Gerald Harris

Though only nine years old, First Redeemer Church in Cumming has led the Georgia Baptist Convention the last three years in the combined increase of Bible study enrollment, Bible study average attendance and baptisms. The church, where Richard Lee is pastor, now averages just more than 2,000 in Sunday School.

Those who are astute baseball fans know that only fourteen times in the history of the Major Leagues has "The Triple Crown" been awarded to deserving players. The award is given to the hitter who leads his own league in three hitting statistics: (1) home runs, (2) batting average and (3) runs batted in. The last player to accomplish this amazing feat was Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox in 1967.

First Redeemer Church in Cumming, where Richard Lee is pastor, has won "The Triple Crown" among Georgia Baptist's largest churches. In the last three years First Redeemer has led the state convention in three combined notable categories: an increase of Bible study enrollment, an increase in Bible study average attendance and in baptisms.

The church, only nine years old, started in September of 1996 with 87 people. The pastor states, "It was a humble beginning and those 87 people included quite a few children."

Lee is quick to give God the praise for the rapid growth of the church, now averaging 2,012 in Sunday School, but also credits his staff for much of the success the church has experienced. He has primarily built his staff from people he has nurtured as laypersons. Many on staff have had a long relationship with him and he insists that his ministry team shares his passion for Bible study and evangelism.

Richard Lee preaches in First Redeemer's 2,250-seat worship center. In the past Lee has served as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor's Conference and currently is a member on the board of the National Religious Broadcasters.

Maintaining focus

The First Redeemer pastor has served as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor's Conference and currently serves as a member on the board of the National Religious Broadcasters. Although he is in frequent demand as a speaker at conferences and conventions and the author of twelve books, his focus remains on his church where he maintains a ministry that is people centered.

First Redeemer is situated on a sprawling 50-acre tract of land on Old Alpharetta Road just south of Cumming. The campus is beautifully landscaped, containing approximately 150,000 square feet of floor space.

The worship facility, with a seating capacity of 2,250, is the centerpiece of the campus, but the Student and Family Center is a spacious, multipurpose building that engages in a flurry of activities. This imposing structure houses a full gymnasium, a full service kitchen with a dining room that could seat 1,800, and the Coffee Lodge where the staff proudly brews Starbucks Coffee. The facility also features a "hotel-like" prophet's room where missionaries and guest speakers can be comfortably accommodated.

The athletic fields are well groomed and have become the playground for the 3,500 people involved in the sport's programs of the church. Lee commented, "Since we have about 70 percent of the participants in our sports programs that are not members of the church, we use this ministry as a tool for evangelism. Every coach is trained and required to witness to every member of his team; and each year we have hundreds saved through this ministry."

The Forsyth County church has been forced to purchase a large number of modular units to accommodate the needs of the growing congregation. The offices of the executive staff are located in one of these units.

International impact

The church has two morning worship services with approximately 3,200 gathered. Services are televised to 42 cities in the United States and 210 foreign countries. Arbitron, a television marketing research group, estimates that the First Redeemer There's Hope televised service is seen by 76,000 regular viewers in the Atlanta area alone. Lee is now turning his attention toward having There's Hope provided on the Internet.

J. Gerald Harris

Amenities at First Redeemer Church include the Coffee Lodge as well as a prophet's room, where missionaries and guest speakers are accommodated.

One of the church's most strategic ministries is "There's Hope for the Hungry." Last year the church fed 25,118 people, 8,826 families and distributed 320,592 pounds of food at a cost of $500,000. As a result of this strategic ministry 411 prayed to receive Christ and were referred to a church near their home.

The Vacation Bible School at First Redeemer was an invaluable mean of outreach to the community with more than 1,500 in attendance and 177 coming to faith in Christ.

First Redeemer also has a conservatory of Music and Fine Arts designed to enhance talent, skills and performance. The conservatory presently attracts 150 students and provides private lessons from qualified Christians.

But the heart and soul of First Redeemer is the Bible Study (Sunday School). The church enrolled 1,948 in Bible study between 2001 and 2004. Their average Bible study attendance increased by 693 during that time period and the church baptized 381 new converts. Those combined statistics qualified the church to be awarded "The Triple Crown" by the Convention's Sunday School and Open Group Ministry Department.

The First Redeemer pastor commented, "I hope we will be building educational buildings for the rest of my ministry, because that's what it's all about."