Some random observations and statements...
Life is a Process.
Becoming Christ-like is a Process (being transformed from glory to glory)
New City Church will be driven to help people in the process of the Christian life - becoming followers of Christ, growing to be more Christ-like, and ultimately helping others in the same process.
New City church will not be Program driven. We will not be a church who has something going on for everybody. Programs too often stand alone as things we add to our lives. Things like - discipleship training, or Sunday school, or RAs and GAs, or men's groups, or women's groups. It isn't that the programs are bad, it is that often as stand alones, they end up serving no great purpose.
We have many people who have been a part of the discipleship program for years - they faithfully attend Wednesday night discipleship. But because this is a stand alone program they are no more Christ-like today than they were when they started. As a program, discipleship teaches people about all sorts of stuff - biblical, theological . . . we end up knowing a lot, but because this program is not connected to anything else, that's about all that ever happens - we learn more stuff.
As a process driven church, New City will not have many programs. We will fight to maintain simplicity. Simplicity means fewer programs with more intention. The intention being, help people come to Christ, grow in Christ, and help others do the same. We will focus on the necessary functions of worship/community/discipleship/service. Our large gatherings on Sunday mornings will be a time of worship and discipleship. We will sing songs of praise and adoration to our great God, hear testimonies of His work in the lives of His people. we will take of communion and witness baptism.
But, the majority of our process will take place in Life Groups. Life Groups will be small groups that meet throughout the city and surrounding areas. Life groups will have an element of worship as Christ is the central figure in all that the group does. Each Life Group will form a small community where the Christian life is done together. In Life Groups the message from Sunday will be rehashed and opportunity will exist for questions, answers, and personal application. Each life group will be responsible for forming a downtown ministry partnership to serve in our community. These groups will be led (I pray and will work to see) by Christ loving, missional people who understand the vision of New City AND who understand that life is a process. Ultimately these small groups will be mixed with people on various stages of the Christian life journey - each helping the other grow and reach others.
This simple process will lead us to see our mission fulfilled over and over again...
We exist to see the Gospel transform everything within our reach - ourselves, our church, our city, and the world.
