Friends and Family,
WOW! We can’t begin to express the amazing things God has done this past month. City on a Hill Church in Brighton had our grand opening on Sunday, September 8th with over 120 people in attendance! While several of those came to support us from out of town (thank you to those of you who made the special trip!), many guests also came from the community and many non-Christians attended our service and have returned since that first worship gathering.
Our new church has begun to settle into a healthy rhythm of church life and regularly have between 70-80 people each week now that all of our out of town visitors have returned home. Attendance numbers are not the metric of success for us, but we can use them to praise the ways God has brought many to our church. We are very excited that many of our new guests are looking towards church membership as well as getting plugged into our Community Groups.
As we continue to grow in health and stability as a church, please be sure to pray for the below:
1. Community Group Connection and Growth
City on a Hill Church in Brighton currently has seven Community Groups (we have grown from one to seven in the last few months!) with approximately 8-12 people in each group. These groups study the Bible, care for one another as a family, and are sent out on mission to a particular group of people in our specific neighborhood. This Sunday, we will begin connecting our guests that are interested in being a regular part of CoaH Brighton to our current Community Groups.
Pray that each group would:
-Welcome any newcomers well
-Display and declare the good news of Jesus clearly at each Community Group
-Be led with truth and grace from God’s Word by our awesome leaders
2. “I Am” Sermon Series
Our church began with a short series on our three core values: Gospel, Community, and Mission. We are now in an 8-week series going through the “I Am” statements of Jesus as found in the book of John. We are regularly having around 75 people each Sunday, many of them guests and non-believers! Pray for the good news of Jesus to create life change in those that do not know Him and for the Christians to be continually transformed by the truth found in God’s Word. This week I will be preaching from John 8 on Jesus saying, “I am the light of the world”.
3. CoaH Network Retreat
City on a Hill's annual retreat will be from October 18-20 this year at Camp Spofford in Spofford, NH. Donald Whitney, a prominent Christian author on spiritual disciplines and more, will lead our church network specifically in the topic of praying the Bible. Our church will learn about praying through the Bible, asking why should God answer our prayers, and looking at the motives needed for answered prayers. There will be devoted time for individual and guided prayer as well as testimonies and Q&A. Pray for each person to better understand the Bible, prayer, and the character of God after this weekend away together. Also, please pray for strong relationships to be built for all those who attend, whether a long-time member or someone who is brand new.
4. Business Trick or Treat
Each Halloween our neighborhood of Boston hosts a business trick or treat where families take their kids down Brighton Center to trick or treat at all of the locally owned businesses and shops. This event is a great opportunity to serve over 1,000 families that show up from our area as well as to support the local businesses around us. We will be hosting two separate tables at Business Trick or Treat this year to pass out candy, share church information, and to engage with our neighbors personally.
Pray for:
-Our relationships with the local non-profit organization for our neighborhood and our local YMCA to grow in health and depth
-Many opportunities to share Jesus with the neighbors we meet
-Continued goodwill from our neighborhood towards our church