Thought you'd like to know:Yesterday, we started a second morning congregation on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. We now have a 9:45AM service at East 37th St, and an 11:15AM service at East 87th St. We share the vision of transforming New York City by establishing new churches, and this is our next step. Lots of hard work, but, as the Scriptures say, 'thus far, the Lord has helped us'.
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by thy help I've come,
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
5 comments:
Justin,
What does a transformed NYC look like in your mind?
Great question. How 'bout this off the top of my head:
A transformed NYC looks like the Kingdom of God. It echoes the coming New Heavens and the New Earth. It looks like the way it will be. It has communities in the city willing to give God the Glory and live like its true. A transformed city is one where the REdeemed look redeemed. A transformed city is one where communities pray "may your will be done on earth (in the same way it is in Heaven)".
It is not the same as, but echoes something of this promise of the coming Kingdom: Isaiah 65:17-25.
Something like that.
From the passage, I gleaned the following list of concrete, measureable variables:
1. Lowered infant mortality
2. Higher average age of death
3. Lowered homelessness
4. Lower theft both: blue collar and white collar theft.
5. Lower violent crime.
Am I getting it?
Do you envision specific ways of working towards these goals in NYC? Another way of putting that is: How do you currently know/how will you know that this transformation you envision is happening or not happening?
J-man, nice use of "Come thou fount" - a hymn always says it best! (except when the Bible says it better...phew!).
Can't wait to see you!
Nt
Justin, how wonderful that you are starting a new church.
I pray that your congregation will be profligate in starting many more!
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