2018 Marks 5 Years of The Redemption Movement and #OneontaRides

This upcoming Spring, The Redemption Movement will celebrate our 5-year anniversary of the public launch of our church, as well as the #OneontaRides ministry. The growth of these two ministries actually parallel each other in such a unique way that it’s impossible to tell the story of one without telling the story of the other. In fact, when I’m out giving rides on Friday nights and I’m asked, “How did this free ride service get started?” This is what I tell people:

When my wife Laura and I started the church in 2013, we were looking for a way that our new church could serve the community. In particular, we wanted to meet a need that wasn’t already being met, as well as have it be something that our small church with its limited resources could actually do. During this time, we took an assessment of the community’s needs and prayed about ways we could help.

We came up with a list of 30 different outreach activities we could do. Giving free rides home from the bar was one of them. We then organized the different activities into a community service campaign called “30 Days of Kindness.” 

For the campaign, a night of designated driving was scheduled for Saint Patrick’s Day, and the public launch of the church was to be held on Day #30, Good Friday, 2013.

Out of all 30 service projects performed, the night of designated driving was the biggest hit. Giving the public free rides home made the biggest impact as far making a difference and connecting with people. Therefore, a few months later we scheduled a second designated driving outing, and then a few more outings a month or so after that. It didn’t take long before we found ourselves downtown offering free rides every weekend, thus making it a full-blown service.

#OneontaRides continued to grow in some exciting ways, like the addition of multiple vehicles, and adding a Kindness Station in 2015. Today, it’s a ministry that’s credited with providing more than 6,000 safe rides home to the local community, and it’s super exciting to see new people volunteer and more community groups get involved.

It all makes for an exciting story that we’ve documented extensively with our Ride Reports blog articles.

All the while, The Redemption Movement continues to host weekly worship gatherings. It’s here where a community of servants gather and where the vision, co-mission, and passion for the free ride outreach comes from.

Five years in and #OneontaRides is such a big part of The Redemption Movement that it’s what our little church is known for. Subsequently, it’s grown into such a major activity that it literally takes more resources to operate than what our little church can come up with, requiring us to regularly seek out help and funding from outside of our congregation. But no worries, the impact of this exciting outreach continues to be worth the work, and we’ll continue to expand it in ways that the Lord allows for. 

As we think about the next five years of The Redemption Movement, the continuation of #OneontaRides is a given. That said, the vision for the future is for us to be a church that does much, much more than just take people home from the bars, especially when it comes to discipleship. What other ministries and services will come out of The Redemption Movement in the next 5 years? Why, that depends on the gifts and talents of the people that grace our doors!

If you’re looking to grow in the Lord and have your passion for helping people get plugged into a movement that’s changing lives and giving people hope, then volunteer with Kindness Team and check out the next Thursday evening gathering at 148 River Street. It’s never too late to get plugged into our “loving community, that loves the community.” 

Seeing Sacrifice in Salvation. Philippians 1:6

From the Anchor sermon series "Rejoice." Message "Joy from Grace" preached by Pastor Ryan Alsheimer. Communion message by Pastor Kaler Carpenter.

Growing up in church, I’ve seen this verse often shared when someone's discouraged, like if plans don't work out or if ministry is difficult. And while this Bible verse certainly encourages during a hard time, for the fellow saints Paul was writing to in the church of Philippi, they understood this promise to be mean more.

For Paul's original Roman audience (and for us today), this promise is about salvation and sacrifice.

You see, Paul is a master missionary, and as such, he regularly borrows from the customs and rituals of the culture he’s ministering to, in order to teach truths about the Gospel.

In this passage, the language used by Paul points to a religious sacrifice commonly performed in ceremonies across the Roman empire, like the Roman colony of Philippi. And when Paul uses the Greek words for “to begin” (enarchesthai) and for “to complete” (epitelein), he is pointing to the technical terms denoting the beginning and the ending of this well-known sacrifice.

NT commentator William Barclay explains this ritual. He says that the following sacrificial actions were called “the beginning”, or enarchesthai: 

A torch was lit from the fire on the altar and then dipped into a bowl of water to cleanse the water with its sacred flame; and with the purified water the victim and the people were sprinkled to make them holy and clean. Then followed what was known as the sacred silence, in which the worshiper was meant to make his prayers to his god. Finally, a basket of barley was brought, and some grains were scattered on the victim, and on the ground.

And the word used by the Greeks for completing this entire ritual is the same Greek word used by Paul, epitelein, “to complete.” 

Therefore, Paul is communicating that the life of every Christian is a prepared sacrifice to be offered to Jesus Christ. 

And, it’s a sacrificial work that’s God’s already begun. It’s the same imagery Paul uses in Rom. 12:1 when he instructs the Roman Christians to “present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” 

For followers of Christ, the completion of this sacrifice and our salvation happens on the day of Jesus Christ, i.e., when the King of Kings physically returns and we stand before him, face to face.

On this day, we will be duty bound to present to the King a mark of our love and loyalty.

And on this day, the only gift that Jesus Christ will desire from us, is ourselves.

So then, we are called to live lives that are worthy to be offered to King Jesus. This is such a high calling that it can’t be achieved by our good works. Only the grace of God can enable you to be a living sacrifice that’s holy and acceptable to God, and this grace can only be obtained through the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, by having is body broken and his feet and hands nailed to a wooden cross.

Therefore, when we come to this table, we are remembering what Jesus did, and we are presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice before the living God.

And as we partake in the bread and the juice, we’re reminded that, us being found acceptable before a holy God, is only possible because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

It’s not about how good we are, or what we do or don’t do.

Instead, it’s all about Jesus Christ and what he did.

That’s the Gospel, and that’s the Good News we declare when we come forward. So, stand, and if this describes the good work that God has begun in you, then come to this table.

Hope Found in the Manger, the Cross, and the Crown. Titus 2:11-14

From the Anchor Christmas Eve communion message "Someday at Christmas."

What makes this passage so fitting for Christmas Eve is that the three main points of the Gospel are clearly seen:

The Manger (v. 11). For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 
The Cross (v. 14). Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us.
The Crown (v. 13). Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

With the Gospel, it’s Jesus’ death on the cross that gives meaning to his birth in a manger, and it’s the life that Jesus lived and his victory over sin and death that redeems us with new life, and gives us a blessed hope.  

When you fully understand this Gospel story, you can’t help but see parallels and foreshadowing of the cross in the Christmas story.

As tragic as it sounds, you begin seeing clues in the nativity scene of Jesus essentially being “born crucified.” 

• Jesus was laid in a manger in Bethlehem. Likewise, he was laid in a tomb outside of Jerusalem.
• At the manger, Jesus is pictured with Joseph and Mary on each side. At the cross, Jesus is also flanked by two people, but they’re thieves. In both scenes, Mary looks upon Jesus.
• At the manger, baby Jesus is swaddled in a cloth, perhaps by Joseph. After Jesus’ death on the cross, his body is wrapped in a linen burial cloth by Joseph of Arimathea.  
• And the course wood of the manger and its placement outside, points to Jesus’ death on a wooden cross, which takes place outside where he was naked and exposed to the elements.

Yet, there’s more to this story than a baby being born to die. It’s only a 6 mile journey between the manger and the cross. This journey, is the story of Jesus’ incarnation. The journey of his obedient life is what brings salvation to all men, and his resurrection brings redemption to the world. 

David Henson, an Episcopal priest, says, "But it wasn’t his death and crucifixion that set things right in the world. Rather it was his incarnated life that shows us what a world set right might look like. It looks like the kingdom of God — the hungry fed, the wealthy and powerful doing violence for their own sake toppled with nonviolence and solidarity, the oppressed raised up, the outsider welcomed, the end of condemnation and guilt pressed upon us by religious elites, the end of a life absent of hope, full of death. It looks like shalom. Like Jubilee. Like life lived eternally."

I believe that this, is what blessed hope looks like (the crown). 

Therefore, when you come to this table, you are declaring that your expectation and your hope are found in the the coming of Jesus Christ.

In the same way that a royal visit by a king means that everything gets cleaned and decorated, having this blessed hope means living a life that’s pure and marked by good works, so that you are always prepared for the coming of the King of Kings.  

So tonight, may your journey from your seat to the table, be symbolic of your journey from the manger, to the cross, to your crown, and from death to new life. And may partaking in the juice and bread be a declaration that your hope is found in Jesus Christ.

 

4 SUNY Oneonta Students Receive an Inspiring Ride Home in the Kindness Car [Transcript]

Transcript of a ride home that I gave to four female SUNY Oneonta students from downtown through The Redemption Movement’s #OneontaRides free ride service, around midnight on 12-15. For this ride, the Kindness Car was at capacity and all four passengers were encouraged by the following conversation. Making the ride extra special, is the fact that I broke my ankle just an hour prior (I didn’t know that it was broken). Instead of going to the E.R., I decided to finish the night and take people home. After having this conversation, I’m glad I did.    

Girl 1: I honestly can’t thank you enough. It’s really nice. Thank you so much.

Kaler: We’re happy to serve your needs.

Now what church are you guys with?

It’s a church called The Redemption Movement. I’m the pastor of it. 

Can you please redeem me? In all seriousness...

Girl 2: This is a really stupid question, like, what kind of a religion is this?

It’s Christian.

Christian. Not Catholic, but Christian?

Right, but I think Catholics are Christian, you know? 

Catholics are Christian, of course. 

Pastor, like, I’m serious, I made some stupid choices. 

Like, we all have. I’ve made stupid choices.

Like, in all seriousness, can you please like, help me. I’m sad now. I’ve had a lot to drink tonight.  

Tell ya what, at the end of the ride how about I pray for ya? 

Thank you so much!

I was talking to my friend the other day about this. I was confirmed Roman Catholic or whatever, and you know how you have to do that interview thingy with the priest? I remember in 7th or 8th grade confessional, they told me that I wasn’t going to go to Heaven because I don’t go to church every Sunday. Is that true?

That is not true.

Alight, well the priest was a liar.

Well this is one of the differences between Protestants and Catholics.

I’m literally like old now and I remember that from 7th or 8th grade. Like, it still scars me every time I think about it.  

Salvation and Heaven, that comes from faith in Jesus Christ. 

I literally have so much faith and I literally think about God so much.

If you put your trust and hope in Jesus...

I do. That priest was like trying to mess with me. 

I hate to say that it’s all about making it to Heaven because it’s about so much more than that.

No, I know. But he was trying to scare me. He was like, “Why don’t you go to church?” And I was like, “Ohhh yikes!”

I really am trying to be a good person, but I feel like people just take advantage of that. 

Yep. You know, that’s part of the package. 

No, literally, she was trying the other day and people literally take advantage so much. I try so hard not to. 

I do this ride thing and I get people that take advantage sometimes and ask me to go to house parties. 

No seriously, please don’t think I’m doing that. This is my first ride and it is amazing.

Like, I’m also really cold. I’m not going to lie. I don’t want to be a liar. It’s really cold and I didn’t want to wait for the bus. 

That’s what it’s about. 

Like, I’m not here to lie and all.

Sometimes we give rides to people that just don’t want to be cold, and sometimes people are just…

I’m also ssslighty drunk.

Whether you’re slightly, severely, or completely sober...

Exactly.

 ...we give anybody and everybody a ride home.

(All 4 girls) Thank you!

Like, I honestly I can’t thank you enough. Do you want money?

No. Not while we give rides. This is free. 

Does the church take donations?

Yeah, we do online and we have a little gift box at the tent, so we do it like that. But we’re not fundraising and this isn’t about money. So hold onto your money tonight. 

Girl 3: You know what you should do to give back? Go in your purse and get some money...

You know what, if I get to pray for ya, that’s going to make my night. I’ll be happy to pray for you. That’s why we’re going out and doing this.

Oh my God. Thank you so much.

What’s your name sir?

My name is Kaler.

Kaler, I’m going to pray for you.

Oh, you know what, I’ve been doing this for years and no one’s ever prayed for me.

No, I’m going to pray for you. Like, I pray every night and I’m going to pray for you. 

Genuinely know that, before I fall asleep tonight, I’m going to think of you and and your family. Like, I don’t know who you are but I’m going to think of you. 

Ahhh.

I literally sound like a lying piece of shit, but I am literally going to think of you.

Girl 4: This is great. This is so positive. I’m loving it.

We call it the Kindness Car. 

This is a lot of kindness. I’m loving it.

Okay, I sound very drunk and stupid right now, but I genuinely think of people and pray for people at night. 

I’m (name given). Nice to meet you.

My grandma is Christian, she’s very, very religious. But I feel like, you know, she preaches all this Christianity, but she doesn’t give back or be kind to people. And that’s one thing, I’m not resentful, but I think, you know, it’s very hypocritical. I think, you know, to be Christian you need to give back. You know, that’s part of the thing is being a good person, and not always is she. And I think what you’re doing is exemplary. It’s wonderful!  

Yeah. I’m trying to show what Jesus’ love is like.

Exactly! Jesus’ love is giving back to people, it’s being kind and showing others love and help, and that’s what you’re doing.

So I’m crying because this is, no no no, because I literally stress over the stupidest stuff, and I get so mad and upset over the stupidest things. 

And I don’t think of little things like this.

And then, yeah yeah, in retrospect, like this, stuff like this is real.

You know, especially with the season of Christmas, this is so exemplary, you know. This is the key!

I wouldn’t be too down on your grandma. Because, when it comes down to it, we’re all hypocrites on some level. So, I think that’s what’s cool about Jesus and the Gospel, is that the Gospel redeems even hypocrites. So, the point of it I think is, the longer you follow the Christ, you look less hypocritical, more and more. 

Can I please, like, I’m being so serious, I am coming to your mass on Sunday, because I believe this.

Sure! I’ll give ya’ll cards.

A card would be wonderful!

I sound so bad, but I genuinely miss religion. I went to private school like all my life, elementary school through high school, I went to Catholic school, and I kinda miss it.

You guys going to be around this Sunday at all? 

Yes we are!

This Sunday is like big Christmas production.

I would love to go!

That would be awesome!  

I went to Catholic school but I never went to mass with my family because we just didn’t do it. But like, I miss praying in Catholic school. I never thought I would say that because I hated the uniforms, I hated it. I went to an all-girls privatized high school. I don’t know, I just miss it now, now that I think about it. 

See I used to go to church every Sunday when I was little with my parents, but you know, I kinda got away from it. But you know, my mom, this past year getting chemo and everything, that really affects your faith, you know?

That’s rough.

If you don’t have something to get you through that, you got nothing. 

Yes.

So, I mean, maybe I’ll start going to church because I am very faithful, you know? I would love to go to this church!

I’ll hook you up, yeah. Actually, I’ll give you the card, I’ll write some info on there. My phone number is actually on the card. If you see me, it’d be awesome if you sat with me and my family. 

That would be wonderful!

I’ll introduce you guys.

Yeah so, seriously, like this ride, obviously I was so upset about something so small and this made my night.

Yeah. That’s why we go out. You know, when people serve you and show you kindness when you don’t expect it, it changes everything.

Oh my God, this is so meaningful.

I do this every Friday. I love meeting people.

Like, I hope that you get the appreciation that you deserve. 

Thank you so much.

Well, I mean, that’s not why. We’re not doing it for ourselves, but there’s a lot of good vibes.

Yes, but coming from an outsider, I really hope that you’ll keep doing this. Like, this is really, really good. 

Why thank you. I appreciate hearing that. (Pulls up to dorm) Okay well, you know what, if I saw you at church that would be huge. That would make me so tickled pink. So I’m going to write it right here.

Yes, can I please have. I’ll take it.

So this is a church called Anchor. It’s 6pm, Sunday, at 12 Grove. Do you want me to write that for each of you? (gives invite card to Girl #1)

Yes, I would love one.

6pm, 12 Grove, Sunday, Anchor. There’s like multiple churches represented here. (hands invite card to Girl #3)

And if we go we just walk in, and it’s just like, it’s okay?

Yeah, like I said, this is actually my phone number, my cell. So if I know you’re coming I’ll introduce you to my family and we can hang out.

That would be amazing actually.

That’d be wonderful. That would be so nice.

(hands invite card to Girl #2) Thank you so much. (door opens)

Wait (Girl #1) I got to pray for ya, remember? What do you need prayer for?

Wait, I’m getting blessed (sorts out who’s who now that the car dome light is on).

We can all use some prayer.

I’ll do a group prayer. Any special requests?

Umm, my mom, and my life, and yeah.

Mine’s umm, my parents’ health.

Yeah, my parents and my family.

Alright, so kind of a common theme here. (Asking Girl #4) You wanna get in on this?

Yeah sure, we’ll do family. 

We’ll do family, alright.

Family and, I’m going to be selfish, and just that I find happiness.

I agree with that, happiness.

Alright, I'll do this short and sweet. Lord God, I come before you with joy that we can take this random moment and just focus on you, and your goodness can be reflected in this car ride. I pray that the love and joy experienced here will spread to each one of these young girls’ families, and that you’ll fill their hearts and lives with happiness when they go home and see their families, and that happiness will spread, and it will even affect their health. I pray for your miraculous touch on the health of their loved ones. And I pray ultimately God that these young ladies, that tonight when they pray and they think about this ride, that they will feel your love, in a real and tangible way. God, just bless them, bless them I pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thank you so much.

Thank you that was so nice.

Happy to serve. So we do this every Friday so let’s stay in touch.

Okay, we’ll see you Sunday hopefully!

Hopefully, that’d be so awesome.

I will pray for you. For all good things. Thank you.

That’s awesome. You’re welcome. Have a good one. (3 girls exit the car, leaving Girl #4 to be taken home).

That’s so nice.

Yeah.

I bet that doesn’t happen often does it?

It does actually.

Really!? 

Yeah, I mean, the prayer thing I probably only get to do that like once or twice a night.

That’s actually surprisingly more than I expected. I just feel like, some kids aren’t as appreciative. 

Yeah well, I mean like, if I was driving a taxi cab, I would hate it. Because if you’re doing something and people are paying you to do it, you know, they have an expectation. Like, a “you work for me” kind of a thing, and that would be absolutely miserable.

Yeah yeah.

Because like, you flip it on its head and you’re like serving them, it’s like, “What? What? No no. Ahhh.”

Yeah yeah, they’re like, “No money? This is free!?”

Yeah, so if you take like, the person in the worst mood possible, and they might even be angry or belligerent when they get in, but after it all kind of connects…

Uh huh. I was in a pretty bad mood before this, but after hearing all of that I was like, “I can’t even be angry anymore.”

Exactly.

Like, they’re all just happy to be here.

Yep. We call this the Kindness Car. With the volunteers we call it the Kindness Team, we got a Kindness Station and Kindness Baskets. I’m basically Kindnessman. I mean, like Batman has like a Batarang and a Bat Car and all of this stuff.

Yeah really! That’s amazing. That’s just so nice that people do that selflessly.

Well, it’s like the name of our church is The Redemption Movement, and I threw that word Movement in there intentionally because I believe that things like redemption and kindness can be like a movement where it spreads and grows, like the card says “Scatter Kindness.” So, the cool thing is that I started this whole thing years ago with just like, me, a friend, and a car, and it’s blown up into multiple cars, and we got that tent, and we got this giant team of like dozens of volunteers. And so it’s just like, for all of the crap going on in the world that gets you depressed, it’s like, the thing that you don’t hear about is the steady movement of kindness and love.

It’s just so necessary though. I feel like this world is just depleted of it and everyone is just so unhappy and going on with their lives. And this is just such a great thing.

I mean like, I work really hard to write about this and put it up on social media and spread the word, and ultimately that’s not because I’m trying to brag about what we’re doing.

Right.

But I know that people read it and they’re like, “Ahhh,” and their day changes. So that to me, is worth all of the work, if someone is blessed by it. (pulls up to her dorm)

Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

You’re welcome. Have a wonderful night.

Thanks. You too. Have a great night.

You too. God bless.

What Does Faith that Overcomes the World Look Like? 1 John 5:1-5

I came across an old parable that I think nails this question. It goes back to a time before school buses and kids had to actually walk to school. The story goes like this:

A man once met a boy walking to school. The boy was carrying on his back a smaller boy who was clearly lame and unable to walk. The stranger asked the kid, “Do you carry him to school every day?” “Yes,” said the boy. “Why, that’s a heavy burden for you to carry,” said the stranger. “He’s not a burden,” said the boy, “He’s my brother.” 

For the older brother, love for his family turned the burden into no burden at all. 

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all loved by our Father and called to follow His commandments. His commandments are not a burden, but a privilege and an opportunity to show our love.  

For Jesus Christ, he was given the most burdensome command ever passed down from a Father to a Son--to lay down his life and atone for the sins of the world, for you and me. 
Jesus’ response to this burden:

“Why, my brothers and sisters are not a burden. But rather, obedience to this command is a privilege, it’s an opportunity to show love.”

This is why the Bible says that, for Jesus, the cross was a joy.

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

This means that, for Jesus, breaking his body, being unfairly beaten, getting pieced by nails, spilling his blood... it was all a joy!

You know, it’s tempting to look at Jesus hanging on the cross and to feel sorry for him. But, the cross isn’t to be a pity party. While on the cross, I feel like Jesus would respond like the older brother, with love and say:

“It’s not a burden. This is for my brothers. This is for my sisters.”

Therefore, it’s because of what Jesus did, that we have victory over the evils of the world, and we can have communion with God.

When we come together as a family, we experience the presence of Christ in a unique way--a way that helps us to overcome.

You know, it’s been said that goodness is easier in the company of good people. When we come to this table, we come as together as a family--and therefore, our faith, “faith that overcomes the world,” is strengthened in Christ’ presence.

So tonight, come to the table, bring your burdens, your trials, your temptations and connect with each other, experience the love of Christ, and find the power to overcome.

From the Anchor sermon series "Blessed Assurance," Message: "Overcoming the World."

Have Your Group Sponsor a Night at the Kindness Station

If you’ve ever visited the downtown Kindness Station or received a free ride home in one of the “Kindness Cars,” you may have noticed something unique about the Kindness Team volunteers serving you. That being, the makeup of the Kindness Team itself. Why, the team is a hodgepodge of people representing different groups from the community, and many volunteer for a variety of reasons.

While this weekly outreach effort is organized and overseen by a single local church, The Redemption Movement, its support in recent years has come from a coalition of community groups that are all united by one thing, showing kindness. These organizations include; multiple local churches, student groups, local businesses, local nonprofits, and more. In fact, this message of community unity is communicated to every person we serve by having each group displayed on the back of the “Kindness Cards” that we pass out to the public. 

Also, another demographic at the Kindness Station are individuals that don’t necessarily represent any group. They just like showing up and serving up some kindness. And that’s cool too!

The best part about making this a community activity instead of just a Redemption Movement ministry is that it’s allowed us to accomplish so much more. And it’s in this spirit of "doing the most good" that we open up the Kindness Station to the community in new way: Have your group sponsor a night of the Kindness Station!

An Example of How Sponsoring the Station Allows Us to Do More

This is an idea that we tried for the first time last November after SUNY Oneonta sorority Pi Delta Chi reached out to us about volunteering at the Kindness Station. After realizing the size of the group that we had to work with, I proposed the idea of having the sorority sisters volunteer on a Saturday night--a night when our current group of volunteers aren’t typically able to serve. Pi Delta Chi was able to commit to a Saturday, which made it possible to do the Kindness Station for two nights in the row for the first time since starting the station in 2015!

The outing went so well that we’d like to extend the invitation to other community groups to come and sponsor a night of the Kindness Station. It’s a great way to gain exposure for your group, get credit for community service hours, and of course, make a difference in your community.

Click here to learn about more benefits to volunteering.

What’s it Look Like to Have Your Group Sponsor the Kindness Station?

Officially sponsoring the station as a group is a little different than having an individual volunteer on their own, inasmuch as the arrangements will have to be made with Pastor Kaler beforehand. This way, we can make sure that there’s enough volunteers to pull it off. Planning ahead like this will also ensure that every volunteer will know what the Kindness Station is all about and end up with a job to do.

As a minimum, a group sponsoring the Kindness Station will want to provide coverage of five volunteers throughout the night. A typical night of service lasts from 10pm-3am. This can be broken down in a few ways: a team of five from your organization can commit to serving all night long, or arrangements can be made so that a larger group can take individual shifts at the station, or a group larger than five can serve all night long at the station and additional volunteer responsibilities will be added accordingly.  

Some of the ways you or your group can volunteer:

• Running/restocking the hospitality table.
• Welcoming people to the Kindness Station.
• Providing breathalyzer testing.
• Distributing free winter clothes.
• Canvassing downtown with “Kindness Baskets.” 
• Riding along in the cars and assisting with the rides.
• Driving people home (for trained volunteers only).
• Setup and teardown.
• And more jobs/acts of kindness can be created for larger groups. 

Currently, Friday or Saturday nights during the school year are available for having a group sponsor the Kindness Station, as well as nights when there’s a special occasion that calls for the service, like Saint Patrick’s Day, OH-Fest, etc.

To make arrangements for your community group, student group, church group, business, or any other group to sponsor a night at the Kindness Station, call Kaler at (607) 434-2564, or email rm.gigs@gmail.com. 

55 Retail Workers Shown Kindness During Thanksgiving Sales

For families across the country, Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate traditions. For The Redemption Movement, our Thanksgiving tradition takes us to Oneonta’s Southside Mall for a special act of kindness: blessing retail workers with care packages that includes a $2 bill and a bag of candy. 

For 2017’s Thanksgiving AoK, the Carpenter family and Kindness Team member Pat Raczkowski visited JCPenney, Southside Cinema, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Within an hour, 55 care packages were delivered, bringing cheer and thankfulness to many workers unable to spend the holiday with their families.

Over the past five Thanksgivings, this makes a total of 330 care packages that our little church has given away. Each care package includes a thank-you card and a $2 bill, meaning that we’ve passed out $660 in cash to retail workers since 2013 (along with a whole lotta chocolate)!

Read more about previous Thanksgivings: 2013, 2014, 2015, & 2016.

This year, we assembled the care packages right after the family Thanksgiving meal, an enjoyable task thanks to the help of a friend. We then piled in the car with the kiddos and headed to the mall. But, unlike most at the store, we weren’t on a mission to shop.

Highlights from the outing include:

• The first young lady we encountered literally cried after I gave her the care package. She was overwhelmed with emotion and told us how happy the simple AoK made her.
• One woman from JCPenney remembered us from previous years and commented on how much our kids have grown (our youngest son was in a baby in a stroller during last year’s Thanksgiving outing).
• We gave a care package to a mother who was sad because she didn’t get to spend Thanksgiving with her kids. I suggested that she give the candy to her kids. She replied with a laugh and said, “Yeah, we’ll see how the night goes.” 
• One young man was so excited about receiving a care package that he had a difficult time gathering his words to say thank you. I was able to leave him with five cards to pass out to busy cashiers nearby and he vowed to “carry on the message.” 
• Many workers told us how much they were in need of an act of kindness like this, and many more asked about our church.
• We even encountered workers that we already knew and are friends with through the ministries of our church. It was so cool to be there to support our friends in such a special way. 

Giving away all 55 care packages went by really fast. The stores we visited were super busy and things were, unfortunately, too hectic to allow for deep conversations with the people we ministered to. But, each worker now has our contact information and the seeds of relationships have been sown. At the end of the day, spending this much money is way more fun/meaningful than dropping $100+ on discounted merchandise, and I look forward to doing it all again next year!

Bonus Act of Kindness: Helping Out My Cashier With a Free Ride Home 

While shopping the day before for supplies pertaining to this Thanksgiving outreach, I overheard a cashier complain about the OPT buses not operating their late bus like usual. She didn’t find this out until it was too late, meaning that she would have to walk home in the cold weather. During checkout, I introduced myself and gave her my #OneontaRides Kindness Card so she could call me after her shift was over for a ride home. Thankfully, the woman took up my offer and called me an hour later for a ride. It was an enjoyable ride and we got to talk about church most of the way.

Typically, we only offer free rides home like this on the weekends, but every once in awhile I’ll encounter a need like this that’s too compelling to ignore. It’s all about being open to the needs around you when you’re going through your routine. Often times, we may only view cashiers, clerks, customer service specialist, merchandise stockers, etc., as there to serve our needs (and not really “see” them at all). But, whenever we take a moment to slow down and view the world through God’s eyes, it’s my belief that purchasing stuff will take a back seat to the needs of others--and, isn’t that what Christmas is all about?