What's in a Name?

(Justin Chappell)

A name tells a story. 

Consider the street names near your home. Someone came up with those names, and there was almost certainly a degree of intentionally and purpose embedded in the chosen name — even the not-so-original suburban street names! The same degree of intentionality and purpose is embedded in the name of a church. For that reason, a couple of convictions have shaped the naming process for the “Longmont church plant.” First, a name must be vision-formed. It needs to tell you why we exist. Second, it must be uniquely and specifically focused on place. It should reflect the realities of Longmont. So, in order to understand our name, you need to know a little about Longmont…

I’ve learned that people in Longmont really want their story to matter. There’s a shared longing to write a better story for yourself and share in the stories of others. I believe this is why more and more people are calling Longmont home each year (and very few leave). It’s a place of beauty and unexplored opportunity — especially the opportunity to craft a more meaningful story. And if you had to choose somewhere to do that, wouldn’t you choose a place like Longmont?* But what if we can’t write a better story? What if the frustration and brokenness of our stories can’t be crafted away? This is where the Gospel offers unprecedented hope — the hope that Jesus can redeem our stories and rescue us into his more true and satisfying Story. 

In many ways, Longmont is just like any other city in the Front Range of Colorado. It’s filled with stories of joy and sadness; delight and sorrow; satisfaction and longing; connection and loneliness; adventure and boredom. There’s beauty and brokenness all around us; but we have our own take on these realities. While sharing in the unique stories of my city I’ve become more and more burdened to see them found whole and given new life in the Redeemer’s Story. This particular burden has given birth to a particular vision, for a particular place, and it’s uniquely reflected in the name we’ve chosen...Redeemer Longmont. 

And with that, we can now officially retire the placeholder of “to-be-named Longmont church plant.” A praise worthy retirement, indeed.

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A name absolutely matters; but eventually the name becomes the vehicle for describing an experience. What does Apple or Twitter mean apart from your experience of their products and services? The same is true for the local church. The name Redeemer Longmont wasn’t pulled out of a hat, but what does it actually mean apart from your experience of it? The vision for Redeemer Longmont is to embody the redeeming story of Jesus in all of life for all of Longmont. This is a vision anchored by invitation and experience; the invitation to be found whole and flourish in the Redeemer’s Story, and the experience of a community loving fully with the Redeemer’s courage. With this vision before us, wouldn’t it be wonderful if our name was simply the vehicle for describing a greater and more satisfying experience of Jesus in, and through, our community? 

This is the hope behind our name. Join us in praying this vision for Redeemer Longmont to life!

*https://smartasset.com/mortgage/top-boomtowns-in-america-2019