5 Prayers for New City Church in 2019
1) That we continue to grow numerically
From January to December of 2018, New City Church almost doubled in Sunday attendance. More
In all honesty, I don't have a church size number I hope New City might eventually be one day. But I do want us to continue to reach more people so as many people as possible can meet Jesus and grow in a relationship with him. So I am praying for continued growth in 2019.
2) That we would figure out our space issues for beyond 2019
Having our own facility from day one has been such a tremendous blessing. That being said, as we continue to grow, we are starting to face space issues. We will be sharing more in the coming months about possible future plans, but suffice to say
3) That our people would love Jesus more
The number one thing I want for the people of New City Church is not more Bible reading, more generosity, more church attendance, or less sin in our lives. All of those things are important, but they are not the most important. The biggest thing I want for all of us is that we would grow in our love for Jesus.
Now, the aforementioned things do help us grow in our love for Jesus, but they aren't the thing. The biggest thing God wants from us is our hearts. Joy and contentment is found in him, and our love for him (and by extension, other people) is the biggest indicator of our spiritual state.
4) That God would continue to provide financially through the generosity of his people
As New City grows, so do our expenses. While a church is not a business, it does cost money to accomplish what God has for us to do. We have bills, ministry expenses, staff that has to eat, and more :). Because of the generosity of our people, we are a self-sustaining church (as in we aren't living off any large outside churches or organizations). However, we do have a really tight budget. More margin in our budget would give us the ability to do a little bit more.
5) That my family would continue to love New City
If my family doesn't love New City, that cause of that would most likely be because of me (prioritizing work over family, never resting, not being intentional in my time with them). More than anything else, as my kids grow up, I want them to love the church. And if they don't feel loved by me (as a pastor) I don't think that will have a favorable view of the church.
As of now, Finley loves New City, Roman is too young to have any idea what is going on, and Christina enjoys our church family as well (and to those she isn't particularly fond of, I can't tell you anyway. Kidding!). The health of New City is probably in some ways tied to how my family views New City because if they had an issue with something, it's probably because there is an issue with something I'm doing.
And to everyone who calls New City home; thank you. I can't wait to see all that God does in 2019. We can do more together than we can on our own, so I'm praying big things for us in 2019.