Super Bowl Party

This Sunday we will be hosting a Super Bowl Party at our apartment. Here are the details:


What: The Big Game in Hi-Def, Surround-Sound glory
Where: Our Apartment, 242 East 71st St. Apt. 2E
When: This Sunday, 5:30pm until whenever
What to Bring: A six-pack of your preferred beverage or a favorite hors d'oeuvres (chips/dip, wings, etc). We'll provide pizza.


Hope to see you then and feel free to invite anyone you like to come along!

Church Plant Moving Forward

The following is an email I sent out today to all of our Sunday brunch attendees, as well as some other supporters:

Dear All,

In my last brunch email, I wrote that we are moving into a new phase of the church plant. For those of you who were not with us on Sunday, here is what we discussed:

Over our first 10 brunches, we have had over 50 different people in attendance, over 35 of them twice or more, and there is palpable sense that God is doing something good in our midst. Amazingly, this has all happened purely by word of mouth.

After spending some time in conversation with my church planting mentors, both in NYC and elsewhere, it seems time to move into a
new phase. Over the past few months we have been gathering together those with some interest in being part of new church in Manhattan. Although we will continue this gathering in the coming months and years, it is now time to begin forming a core group of people who are interested in shaping the vision and values that will guide the growth of our new church.

The rationale behind this group is to build a common sense of purpose, as well as mutual affection, as we move towards launching public worship services a few months down the road. This group will meet twice a month even as we continue with our weekly Sunday brunches.

I will be in touch with you over the next few weeks about the formation of this "vision group" and I invite any of you who may be interested to participate.

We have had a very encouraging start to this endeavor and I look forward to what God has in store for the future!

rj

Mockingbird

I want to encourage everyone who reads this blog (all 4 of you:) to check out the Mockingbird Blog, to which I also contribute (along with about 25 friends) and which can be accessed by clicking here.

The Mockingbird blog is a truly wonderful melding of pop culture and Christianity, bringing the gospel to bear (in fresh ways) on everything from finance to sports, music, movies, current events, etc., always with a healthy dose of humor.

It is also becoming quite popular, with a regular readership of almost 1,000 and a monthly readership of over 4,000 (and growing!). Just this week, someone at Redeemer asked "if I had ever heard of it" and said how great it was.

If I had a "favorite things" list (Oprah), it would be right at the top. Ok, right after my iPhone.

Church as Therapy

Last week, one of the regular attendees at our Sunday brunches shared the following thought, which she had received from an Episcopal priest that some of us know and respect:

"Church should be a place that you walk out of feeling a little less burdened than when you walked in."

This idea lines up perfectly with the kind of church we want to plant, a church where people bring in their anxieties, fears, negativity, etc., and experience God's love, mercy, grace and forgiveness such that they are comforted.

Interestingly, at a recent cocktail party, a mother from one of my kids' schools, who attends church very rarely, said that, from her perspective, church should be "free therapy", that life is hard enough and that Sundays should help one survive the rest of the week. Amen!

As Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt 11.28).

Church Planting is Like Pregnancy

One of the tensions I constantly feel as a church planter is between moving too fast or too slow; fear of either launching the church before it's really ready or waiting too long and losing momentum.

As I was walking along 3rd Avenue yesterday, it occurred to me that starting a church is a lot like having a baby. That is to say, it takes time, it can't be rushed, and there's not much I can do about it except wait, watch and stay healthy, trusting that when the time comes, I'll know.

That being said, I am very thankful to have experienced church planters around me, "midwives" of sorts, people who have been through this before, who know what the various stages of the process look like, people I can call when something unexpected happens, who can let me know if the "pregnancy" is progressing well or not.

Thankfully, all of my advisors are quite encouraged by the progress we've made so far. But, like many expectant parents, I'm ready to have the "baby" now! Of course, having a kid is a lot more work than pregnancy...

To Collar or Not to Collar?

One (somewhat minor) issue that I have been thinking over is whether or not to wear a collar once the church is up and running and, if so, how often. I have always thought that I would own at least one collar for certain occasions (it can very useful in hospitals, for example), but never thought I would wear one regularly because, to be honest, I don't like them. They seem very stuffy and old-fashioned to me. I mean, just look at this picture - LAME-O!

That being said, in my current context, a collar might be quite helpful. Whatever you may think, NYC is actually a very institutional, conservative place. Credentials & authority matter, all the more so with Manhattan's many Catholics and Episcopalians, both lapsed and active. Also, a collar might make me look older than 18. To be sure, the collar will "turn off" some, but wearing one may draw more.

I remember one friend telling me how, the very first time he wore a collar on the street (on the way to the reception following his ordination!) he was accosted by a young man seeking relationship advice.

Any thoughts?

Good to be back in NYC

We just arrived back in NYC this morning and I must say, it is good to be back, bitter cold notwithstanding.

Even so, it was really good to get away for a while. New York City has a way of taking over one's life, or rather I have a way of getting caught up in it all, and it was psychologically salubrious to be in a place where I could get a bit of distance and perspective on everything. After having done so, I am even more encouraged about our church plant than before I left.

For the last 10 days, we were at Jaime's parents' ranch up in Northern California. Montague, to be exact, near Yreka. It's a high desert valley with Mt. Shasta looming over, very much like in the picture, just about as far away as you can get from NYC in every imaginable away, and while I was out there, suddenly many of the worries I carry with me every day in Manhattan started to seem quite inconsequential.

I know that, before long, I'll be swept up in the craziness once more, but the past week-and-a-half have been a must-appreciated reminder of the need to get away every so often, espeicially to a place where you are loved.