Prayer partners,
We can’t believe it’s already 2019 and we are off to a great start! Next steps are unfolding for our church plant and we are excited to move forward in what God has planned for us. We are thankful for the Lord’s provision and goodness in all of it.
Read below on how God answered your prayers from last month:
1. Community Group Multiplication
Community Groups are the main way those at City on a Hill Church in Brighton will grow in understanding of the Christian life and see God’s transforming power in the natural rhythms of life. From August to December of last year, our church planting launch team (a core group of people who felt a specific desire to help us start City on a Hill Church in Brighton) met weekly as a Community Group to train and equip ourselves in the gospel, in community, and in mission within our neighborhood. We decided to multiply our one Community Group into two starting in the new year so that we would have room to grow and invite others in our area to join us. We are so excited to have multiplied (the first of many times to come!) and see the health of our church people grow.
Please pray the below for our groups:
-Gospel intentionality to live as disciples of Christ
-Community involvement that points others to Jesus
-Those far from Jesus to see the gospel displayed, declared, and delighted in within our Community Groups
2. Steps Toward Launching our Church!
Our meeting space has been approved! We are so thankful for God’s provision in allowing us a place to meet at Brighton High School, a local partnership we have built since moving a year and a half ago. Also, City on a Hill Church Brookline hosted an interest meeting for all those considering joining our church plant. We had approximately 50 people attend! Please pray for wisdom and discernment for those thinking of joining our church plant. Also pray for committed members to join our church planting team as we move towards establishing our Brighton Community Groups and begin our preview services in a matter of months.
3. Colborne Christmas Party
What a great time to celebrate the birth of Jesus with one another! We had over 25 people show up to our Colborne Christmas Party. At least half of those at the party were not attendees of the church but were friends, co-workers, or neighbors that were invited into the celebration. Dan shared with everyone the joy in why we celebrate this holiday, which encouraged further one-on-one conversations throughout the following meal. Please pray for A, J, B, and several other friends and neighbors that are learning more about the Christian faith. Pray for continued boldness to share about Jesus and for open hearts and a desire to join this community with those who hear.
4. Passion Conference
Each of our college students is in a crucial time of life with overall life choices and specifically with their faith. The Passion Conference was a great time to get away and refocus on the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection both for His glory and our good. We heard from Louie Giglio, Matt Chandler, and several other speakers from Bible passages like Romans 8, Hebrews 6, and Luke 7 speaking to the changing power of the gospel of Jesus. Our students were encouraged to seek the God of truth, to hide in God’s faithfulness, to guard against idle familiarity with the gospel, and being reminded that the good news of Jesus gives us a new hope. Passion Conference was not just a spiritual retreat but was a dedicated time of deeper conversations with one of our unbelieving students, a recognition that God is in control and makes sense of the chaos, and a realization that they are not alone. Pray for our students to seek out community rather than isolation, to experience the transforming power of the gospel daily, and to understand that the gospel IS all of life, not just a part of it.
Read below on how you can pray for us in the coming weeks:
1. Church Planting Team Expansion
Over the next several weeks, Emily and I will continue following up with individuals who have expressed interest in joining our church planting team for City on a Hill Church in Brighton (CoaH Brighton). Please pray for wisdom as we have these one-on-one conversations with the 10-20 people that are considering our team. Also pray for those interested in CoaH Brighton to discern if God is leading them to our church and what their next steps may be. Our hope is that 10 or more people from these conversations will commit to the church plant by the end of February.
2. New Semester for our College Community Group
Emily and I will start another semester of our weekly Community Group meeting with college students by the end of this month. We love having these students in our home and it is a great opportunity for us to welcome them into our family. Each new semester brings changes to schedules and new opportunities on campus. Please pray for our students to be bold on their campuses and live intentional lives for the sake of making Jesus known amongst the students. Also pray that our Community Group of students would be healthy and fruitful as we continue to invite those interested in learning more about the Christian faith and as we dive deeply into the Word every week. Our greatest desire is for these students to be equipped to do the work of ministry on their campuses, in their hometowns, and eventually in their own careers and homes once they graduate.
3. Preaching Opportunities
I am continually grateful for the opportunities to preach at City on a Hill Brookline, City on a Hill Somerville, and other churches in the area. Each preaching opportunity further solidifies the calling God has placed on my heart to pastor and shepherd. This weekend I will be preaching at a conference for high school and middle school students. Pray for me to be faithful to the Word each time I preach and for gospel clarity as we seek life change through an understanding of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.