• The following words, when in practice, redeems or brings redemption to the world: Christ-centering, Gospel-entering, kingdom-building, faith-driven, missional, disciple-making, Spirit-filled, racial, relational, economic reconciliation, etc.

  • We abstract to the word redemptive to contain all of these. Redemptive work forms, challenges, elevates, and bridges.

  • Redemption in God’s story is creative restoration through sacrifice (after Creation and the Fall, and is the place “where the action turns”. Redemption gives way to restoration, which gives way to restored.

    • This sets the example for our work to follow.
      • God is and will redeeming all things in us, for us, and in a limited way, through us.
        • Things made right
          • This example spurs us to action: we create, build, risk, cultivate, sacrifice, restore

  • Being a Christian leader carries NO guarantee of acting redemptively. There are of course many many examples of “Christian” leaders and organizations acting exploitatively instead.

    • We all struggle and fall for idols like approval, comfort, power, and control instead of God.
      • We must have a constant and disciplined process of rooting out and repenting ways in our own lives where we exploit others in the name of living for ourselves.
    • The way to serve God best is to do the job as well as it can be done. –Tim Keller

  • The Redemptive way is a bet that we can trust God and God’s example enough to tolerate more risk for the sake of others. More respect, preference, grace and love for others. Our work becomes a small reflection, a demonstration, of the power of the Gospel.

  • Our work is familiar and strange; universal yet vaguely religious, relevant and approachable, yet something different.

Graveyard reflection

We go from dust back to dust in an unknown number of years. What really matters between those two lines? At the end of the day, did what those people do matter beyond a gravestone and a memory? Does what I did?

Is it more important to be remembered by millions as a government leader, musician, entrepreneur, etc, versus just a handful?

We aim to do work that: gives as many people as possible a shot (i.e. helps them escape a trajectory that won’t allow them to live long and use their God-given talents); then/or do work that helps people, who have their shot, build life-changing relationships.

–Jonathan, founder ([email protected])

Redemptive Studios is a venture studio creating stories, spaces, and products that help people better know themselves, better know others, and better know why they are here. We’re a 501(c)3 public nonprofit (ID: 41-2563753).