Prayer partners,
Fall is kicking into gear and things are settling into another new normal with those around us. We’ve had a rainy fall so far, but we are looking forward to the opportunities that come with the cooler weather. After a very busy season from May to September, God has brought us into a small season of rest with a couple of retreats in the near future.
Read below for updates on last month’s requests!
1. Movie in the Park
On September 7th, City on a Hill Brighton hosted our second movie in the park for our community. We had around 300 people attend! Not only did this community event have a great turnout, but each person heard the core values of our church: Gospel. Community. Mission. We had one couple start coming to City on a Hill and made connections with many others as they passed on their information to us through a raffle and survey. These large events are designed to be a launching pad for deeper friendships to form and we look forward to continuing the work of spending time with those in our community on a more personal basis!
2. Community Groups and College Ministry
The month of September was full of college students moving back to Boston and starting classes along with Community Groups coming back in full swing. Many new students are in search of a church home when they move here, so we utilize the month of September to do a lot of college ministry outreach. Last month we took our college ministry students out to a free lunch after each Sunday in September (five total), held one college party at our home, and hosted our College Community Group with dinner beforehand each Thursday night. It was a busy but very fruitful month of reconnecting with students that returned to Boston and building new relationships with international students, short-term exchange students, and students new to or exploring the faith. Pray for our Community Group each Thursday night to make the good news of Jesus very clear in our words and how we live our lives. Also pray for the many students exploring Christianity joining us to come to faith in Jesus Christ.
3. Cornerstone Vision Trip
We are beyond grateful for faithful church partners to support us with their time and with their people. Emily and I had a great visit with the small team from Cornerstone as we planned the logistics of working together next summer. Cornerstone will help us host a version of Vacation Bible School for our community that will serve the kids in our neighborhood through sports and the Word of God. This is an especially special partnership for me personally since I partially grew up at Cornerstone during my high school years and that is where I began to understand the good news of Jesus. I’m looking forward to the conversations ahead and seeing this church’s ministry come full circle in my life as we seek to share about Jesus with the children in Brighton.
How to Pray for Us This Month:
1. City on a Hill Network Retreat
This weekend City on a Hill Church will gather at a retreat center in New Hampshire to focus on “Revival through the Ordinary: How God Brings Extraordinary Change Through Ordinary People”. Our hope is that people see all of life as an opportunity to display and declare the good news of Jesus. City on a Hill Somerville, City on a Hill Brookline, and those committed to City on a Hill Brighton (our new church plant starting in May 2019) will spend dedicated time to get away with one another and dive deeper into the family culture of our church. Just like any family vacations together, so does our church body! Please pray for the three times City on a Hill Brighton will get to meet over the weekend! These gatherings are extremely important in building the culture and foundation of our church and we look forward to doing so with the team we have. Also, please pray for me as I speak at the retreat on Saturday about living life on mission in everyday life and for Emily and I as we speak on a panel related to missional living.
2. Colborne Community Night
Each month Emily and I host a complex-wide get together for our neighbors. These gatherings are meant to be a springboard for deeper friendships and community outside of these monthly events. We are planning to watch a popular Boston event called Head of the Charles, a rowing regatta, together the third weekend of October. Pray for intentional time with our neighbors and for Emily and I to show them the love of Jesus well by serving and caring for them in the busyness of their lives!
3. Marriage Retreat through North American Mission Board
The North American Mission Board (NAMB) is a domestic missions agency designed to reach North America with the good news of Jesus and they are an active partner in the new church Emily and I will start next year. NAMB supports us with financial assistance, but also with resources and gifts specifically geared to take care of a church planters’ family. NAMB has organized a marriage retreat for Boston area church planters and their spouses on October 26 & 27. This retreat is a short reprieve to get away from the demands of life and church planting. Pray for rejuvenation, continued health in our marriage, and special time with other church planting couples from Boston.
4. Business Trick or Treat
Each Halloween, Brighton Main Streets, a non-profit organization seeking community growth that we have partnered with in past community events, puts on an event called Business Trick or Treat. Brighton, a neighborhood of Boston, holds almost 50,000 people in just four-square miles. That’s a ton of people! As you can imagine, it’s a lot of apartments and multi-family homes, which makes trick or treating on Halloween that much trickier for young families and kids in an urban setting. Brighton Main Streets created Business Trick or Treat, an alternative way for kids and families to walk through the business district of Brighton Center for their usual trick or treating. Every business on the main street passes out candy, ending with a pizza party at our local YMCA. It is our hope to host a City on a Hill table that serves both kids and their parents as an avenue to meet families in our neighborhood and gift them with something as simple as a candy bar and a smile.
Pray for:
-The ability to serve and be a part of Business Trick or Treat
-Relationship building with the families that live in our area
-Goodwill and favor for City on a Hill Brighton as we seek to be in the community and for the community