Christmas Hope

I got this today from a friend at New City...

Hope you are feeling the real spirit of Christmas but hey, you aren't alone if you aren't. It was good to hear your struggle with it Sunday. I have lost a lot of loved ones around this time of year so it kind of dies with them in a way. But I find that music has helped me. So I thought I would share a song that has helped me. "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is poignant for sure. Especially this section:
And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
'For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

’Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth He sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!’

It has inspired me more than any other song this Christmas.

Thanks to you, for sharing your struggle and your hope.

Stop Going to Church

In the deep south going to church is a way of life. It is almost impossible to find someone from the deep south who doesn't have some kind of church background. There are those who attend church every time the doors are opened, those who attend the main weekly gathering, those who come to funerals - weddings - Christmas and Easter, and those who grew up going to grandma's church.
I grew up going to church. At different stages in the life of our family we went between weekly and every time the doors were opened. One thing that I never really grasped going to church as a kid is that Jesus doesn't want us to go to church. What He desires is that we BE the church. There is an enormous difference between the two.
Going to church is an activity - perhaps a frequent an important activity, but an activity none the less.
Being the church invades every area of our life - it is who we are, not what we do.
Going to church always keeps a line between us and them. It is easy when we go to church to say things like, the church (they) should do this, or that. The church should help with this or that, or, be more active in missions...
Being the church erases all lines. It isn't us and them - it is US - WE are the church. So instead of saying that the church should do this or that, it is WE should do this or that.
Going to church tends to separate our lives into parts - the secular, where we live, and play, and work, and the sacred - where we go on Sunday to do religious things.
Being the church takes away the false dichotomy of secular and sacred. Our life is lived as the sacred body of Christ as we go about life - living, playing, and working.
Going to church promotes for weekly surface relationships and shallow conversations.
Being the church means that we take risks as we enter into gospel centered relationships that are deep and personal. It means that we move beyond the facade of a Sunday morning community meeting and dive into 'doing life together.'
Going to church makes it easy to hop, skip, and jump around from one church place to another in search of the place that offers the right mix of what suits you.
Going to church makes it easy to stay unplugged, never serving, never using the spiritual gifts God has given.
Being the church means that the body of believers is not complete unless I am plugged in and serving in my God given, God gifted area. It means that I understand that this is not only a matter of what i receive from others in the family, but what I give to them - I am being built up and I am building others up - I am being served and I am serving. Without that balance I am missing out and others are as well.
I think these are some of the reasons why Jesus doesn't want us to Go to church.
This January we start a new teaching series entitled Stop Going to Church start being the church. It will be a call to all of us to re-think Church and ourselves. I hope that at New City Church we will never be comfortable GOING to church.

Here They Come - It is Official

The temporary board for Macon's City Watch program agreed that J.D. Thorne was the man for the coordinator position!

J.D. came to town yesterday afternoon to look for a place for he and Corrie to live. I went with J.D. to see several cool lofts downtown - then we had dinner with Brad Evans at White Lightening BBQ - hung out for some Poetic Peace at the 567 then headed to our house for the night. J.D. looked at some other downtown properties, met with the City Watch Board and headed back to Dothan after lunch at Michael's on Mulberry.

In about 2 weeks we'll see J.D. and Corrie again - this time as they move into their new downtown space! God has done an amazing thing. It almost doesn't feel real - on top of a growing church and some really great guys, God would add Tyler and Sarah (and the wee V), Patrick and Jennifer (+ 7), and J.D. and Corrie as well - I don't know what else to say.

Some of The Men of New City Celebrate Christmas

That's Clint, Paul, Heath, and Greg
Studs at New City - and yes, Heath is Single!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

City Watch Support

I have had the opportunity to be a part of a small group of downtowners concerned with crime and the appearance of crime downtown. The group has been working on some solutions. After a couple of meetings it was recommended that we establish a "Neighborhood Watch" in the city-center called City Watch.
City Watch will have a coordinator who acts as the community 'minister' (their suggestion, not mine). He would coordinate monthly meetings to include residents, business owners, city officials, and service providers. He will spend a great deal of time on the streets and in businesses - getting to know everyone in the 15 block radius. And there's a lot more...
The really cool part is that the position will have a $1,200 p/month budget that includes $ for a loft apartment in the area. The current candidate for the position is JD Thorne. JD and his wife Corrie took a leap of faith, believing that God wanted them working with us in Macon, they quit their jobs and put their house on the market. Just this week Corrie was offered a teaching job in Macon AND as of yesterday New Town Macon will offer initial support for the City Watch - MEANING, JD and Corrie will likely have a place to live - a 2 bedroom downtown loft - and financial support that will bring them to Macon right after Christmas!
It also means (if JD becomes the coordinator) that we will have a staff member of New City Church in every downtown business - being the community "minister." I could write pages on how amazing all of this is, but hopefully you get the idea!

UPDATE - I had the task of presenting plans to a packed board room at New Town yesterday. The room was filled with some very powerful people - including the Mayor. After I presented our info there was a unanimous vote to approve our request for start-up funds.
I just received an e-mail saying that at the conclusion of the night, one of the individuals on the board stepped up and and agreed that HE would pay the full $4,800, so New Town is out $0 and the entire program is privately funded!

Vote For Pedro - I mean the 567

Hey the 567 was nominanted for Best New Business of the Year in the 11th Hour's Reader's Choice Awards! That's pretty cool. So - if you think the 567 IS the Best New Business, vote for it.
Visit the 11th Hour - HERE - and Vote Today!

That is dangeously close to begging for votes isn't it?!?!

Engaging thePoor - Q & A Sunday

This Sunday will be a first for us - a Question and Answer based teaching time. To finish out what has been a really good sermon series (I can say that since Cameron did most of the teaching;) this Sunday Cameron and I will answer questions about the topic.
We hae been taking questions throughout the series and have some really good ones. If there is time, we will field some questions that may come up on Sunday.
Should be a lot of fun.

The Adventure!

Sunday I posted about a strange/cool/crazy visitor to New City - David Wray. He got out before I really got to talk to him - I wrote Sunday, I didn't get nearly enough time to talk to David - maybe I'll find him downtown tomorrow.
Well, I didn't see David Monday.
Then, between a couple of meetings on Tuesday I got a call from David.
Long story short - After finishing things up downtown I picked David up in Forsyth - he spent a good bit of the evening hanging out with the fam. We ate, talked, and hung out for hours. David has decided he might like to hang around Macon for the winter - he likes what we are trying to do downtown. Though he isn't a Christian, he wants to help out. (Reminds me of another recent conversation)
So - I have spent a lot of time listening and talking with David - sharing a Christian world view with a truly post modern spiritual seeker - fun.

Newnan, GA Church Plant - in a BAR

I met Alex Early months ago - while he was still in school in London. In September he moved back to Newnan, Georgia. Alex had been working with a team of guys on the ground in Newnan and when his plane landed - things got crazy! God seems to have some great plans for Newnan and Alex and crew are getting to enjoy His work! Listen to this:

Months ago Alex had hoped to that they could find a place to meet on the Square in Newnan - not many options. One option was a bar - The Alamo. That door seemed to close

Alex and crew began working on building their core before 'officially launching' the church. 13 people met in his home.

within a few weeks that # trippled and they were running out of space.

One of the visitors was the owner of The Alamo - who quickly offered their bar, RENT FREE.

Only 2 months in they are running 80+!!! (And still haven't "Officially Launched."

Alex and the church will hear this week about his A-29 application and assessment results. Pray for Alex, his leadership, and this new church.

Below are some pics of the church in a bar - and their 1st baptism!

You Never Know Who Might Show Up

I didn't get nearly enough time to talk to David - maybe I'll find him downtown tomorrow.
David heard about us through the "Come to the Fountain" crew.
Here's what David wrote on his 'Info Card' at New City:
I would like to be loved without judgment
Other - just passing through. Thanks for the warmth & vibes

by Eva Dameron
Daily Lobo

David Wray is riding his BMX bike across the United States and writing a book about it.

"I've got the introduction written," Wray said. "It's kind of hard to be experiencing everything and still find the time and focus to take notes. I'm definitely going to tie in a lot of other angles, like spirituality, politics, art, freedom."

Wray left Monterey, Calif., in June and arrived in Albuquerque mid-September with a 130-pound trailer strapped to his bike. He's staying at the Albuquerque Bicycle Park BMX track, where he bathes in the janitor's closet and helps maintain the track and supervise bike races.

Before he started the trip, he was a calibration technician, using skills he learned in the Navy, working in California and living in Portland, Ore. He said the job was trying his integrity.Then he lost his job, his house and his fiancée - all in one fell swoop. Facing credit problems, he took his car to the Monterey, Calif., coast on June 6, and he tried to blow out the engine.

That didn't work, so he left the car there with a note on the steering wheel that read, "This car belongs to the Navy Deferral Credit Union." Then he got on his bike and left town."I've just had it," he said. "I've had it. I've had enough of expectations. I've had enough of manipulations, whatever angle that comes from - whether it be family or relationships or job or just everything that had weighted me down and kept me from doing things that I really wanted to do. I'm going to live this adventure and see what happens."

Wray began BMX racing at 12 and got well-known after winning some big races, he said.

He rode through Death Valley for three days in 120-degree weather, he said. He can't go faster than eight miles per hour, because it's a single-speed bike hauling a 130-pound trailer. He went through Las Vegas and Colorado and ended up in Albuquerque via Taos and Santa Fe. Wray said he has been resting in Albuquerque while his broken shoulder heals, but he's fine with that because he's not racing against a deadline.

"I am planning on ending up in Maine," Wray said. "That's the one state that I've never been to. From here, I'm going to keep heading south. I've never been to Roswell.

From there, go through Dallas, Austin, Houston and then New Orleans. And from there, I'm going to go through Mississippi.

"In Mississippi, he said he wants to see the crossroads from the legendary story of Robert Johnson, the grandfather of delta blues. "I've recently learned it's actually a railroad crossing, but in the legend it's told as a dirt road crossing," he said. "He's there at midnight, and he's got a guitar on his back. And he's not sure what he's going to do with his life.

"Then, Robert Johnson meets the devil. "And the devil's like, 'If you make this deal with me, I'll give you this guitar sound and that'll be your signature on history,'"

Wray said. "So I want to go to that spot and then, from there, see what happens. Maybe I'm due for a deal - and I'll make one."

After A Year and a Half...

Me and the boys hit the track - with our photographer - Amy!
This was my first trip back with Robby since he had his bad crash - and broken femur.
Robby's bike had been sitting too long and we couldn't get it running, so he rode his cousin's pit bike. I rode my bro-in-law's Yamaha 450f. The fever is now back - full force!

You're Gonna Get Mugged

When we tell people that we are getting ready to move downtown, the reactions are pretty amazing. We don't normally spend much time answering because people aren't really asking - they are expressing their fear and concern. So, here I want to answer - where normally I don't:
1) Oh, no!
Oh Yes!
2) Really, you can't live where you are and minister downtown?
No. That, for us, would be like missionaries called to Uganda but choosing to live in London. We have been called DOWNTOWN. Like missionaries to Uganda, we will move to the place, people, and culture we are called to.
3) Downtown is so dangerous.
Well, sure, so is the bathroom - lots of people are injured and killed in the shower. But, I know what you are thinking - gangs, guns, thugs, and violence. The crime rate in the downtown area is actually lower than other suburban areas. So, statistically we will actually be safer than most of you!
4) You're gonna get mugged.
That was just this week! See above, and avoid all malls, shopping centers, WalMarts, and grocery stores.
5) I didn't think there were any decent places to live downtown?
Wow. Have you been downtown? some of the most beautiful homes and neighborhoods can be found downtown.
In fact, I wanted some of you to see one of the neighborhoods we are looking at - home of the Pink House. This hood is about 7 blocks from the 567 and the Capitol Theater. The homes are late 1800s for the most part. There are several churches just down the street - St Josephs Catholic Church - a beautiful Cathedral, First Baptist which is right across the street from St Joe's, and the Unitarian Universalist Church! There are 3 parks - 1 just separated from the Pink house by another home, another less than 1 block away, and Washington Park is only 2 blocks away. The streets are beautiful old brick. There is a coffee shop 1 block away as well as a huge library. It is quiet with little traffic - and I could walk or ride my bike to the office...
I understand that not all of New City's people will move downtown - that's OK - it REALLY IS. But WE - My Family - have been called to move to the city.
So - Enjoy some pics of the area:

Coming SoonER

From Patrick's Blog - Burning Vapor:

As many of you know by now our timetable has jumped ahead by a month. We had once planned on leaving in January and that has been moved to just a short couple of weeks. Jennifer and the girls will leave on Dec. 6th and the boys and I will follow in my truck shortly after. So here is what it looks like approximately:

Dec. 6th: Jennifer and girls fly to GA

Dec. 9th: Packing the moving truck

Dec. 10th: We begin preparing the house to sit on the flooded real estate market.

Dec. 12th: The boys and I will begin the 2500 mile drive to GA.

Dec. 17th: We arrive (Lord willing and the crick don't rise - as my grandfather used to say)

You can read more here.

Quoted - Good or Bad

Chris Horne and I talked about the city and New City over a cup of coffee at the 567 earlier this week. Here's a peek:
Keith Watson planted New City Church in downtown Macon because he believes its revival is vital to the growth and survival of the city, an opportunity that excites him as a citizen and a Christian...
My favorite:
“It’ll help with the homeless—it’ll be a help and not just a kick in the butt,” Watson says.
You can read the article here.

Weekend Review

2nd Friday Gallery Talks

The Nov-Dec Artist at the 567 is J. Alan Gibson. Alan lost his sight a few years ago yet continues to paint. His artwork is bright, bold, sometimes whimsical and funky - always beautiful. Friday night brought our best art crowd yet - a mix of Alan's fans and New City folks. Alan answered questions, talked about his work, his blindness, and his current battle with cancer.

Saturday Night on the 567 Stage

Josh Daniel

Josh is Middle Georgia born and raised, but now lives in South Carolina. Josh brought a mix of originals and covers of singers like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Jr., and Waylon Jennings. Our crowd was smaller than usual, probably because Josh is a new artist to Macon and doesn't yet have a following. But as usual the music at the 567 Cafe was great.

NCCd's Sunday

We started a new sermon series entitled Engaging the Poor. The first sermon was a foundational message for the rest of the series. We talked about 3 Main things:

1) Engaging the Poor is more than a homeless issue. A 2006 Brookings Report notes that there are now more 'poor' in America's suburbs than in all of our cities combined.

2) God has a heart for the poor. We read dozens of passages in the Old and New Testaments supporting God's love of the poor and Jesus' ministry to the poor.

3) How we view the poor is a reflection of our understanding of the gospel as a) Jesus became poor so that in Him we might one day be rich, and b) the gospel is all about our poverty, weakness, and desperate need for help.

Our MC's should be hopping with discussion over the next few weeks!

Our 4th Sunday (December 7) will be a Q and A Sunday. We are fielding questions via e-mail and text messages now through Dec 7 and we (Cameron Barham and myself) will attempt to answer those questions as the sermon - should be fun!

The Power of the Kingdom Present

Acts 26: 28 Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian."
I had a great conversation this morning with a downtown friend. He may or may not be a Christian - though spiritual and having a 'Christian' background, I think C. wrestles with Christianity. He is also intrigued by New City's relationship with downtown. So, in the conversation this came up:

C: So, explain to me you vision for the church and the city?

Me: Well, the short is city renewal - we describe it as transformation. In leadership, we often ask the question, 'If the Kingdom of God were present in the city today, what would it look like?' We believe that the church should be a glimpse of the Kingdom, therefore we should see tangible transformation because of the presence of the church.

C: Like what?

Me: Well, if the Kingdom of God were present in Macon, would there be homeless people?

C: No.

Me: We don't believe that our presence will eliminate homelessness in Macon, just as we can't usher in the true and final Kingdom. However, if the Kingdom is present in and through us, then we should make a positive difference in the homeless community.

If the Kingdom were fully present there would be no crime. So, as a church, we ask, 'How can our presence make a difference in downtown crime?'

If the Kingdom were fully present, would there be ugly, broken buildings?

C: No.

Me: So we desire to see a tangible change to the buildings downtown. We will - through volunteers - help the Facade Squad when they line up facades to be worked on.

We believe that the church, as a glimpse of the Kingdom should be an agent of transformation in our city.

C: Keith, that's why I love you guys. Hearing what you say makes me want to believe. I feel like the King that Paul pleaded his case to.

The conversation was soon interrupted and C was out the door. I was awed that such a Kingdom vision would carry such power.

29And Paul said, "I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains."

the Kingdom Present

At New City Church we talk often of our mission - Gospel Transformation. We also talk about the tangibles of Gospel Transformation and often ask the question - What would it look like if the Kingdom of God were present in downtown Macon?

The short answer is everything bad would be made good as God redeemed a city. If the church is present in the city and if the kingdom is present in and through the church - then there should be tangible evidence of transformation and redemption in the city - glimpses of the coming kingdom [an already/not yet Kingdom view]. In other words - very practically speaking - New City Church should make tangible differences in our city as the Kingdom of God is moving in - in and through us.

One of the things I commonly hear from people with regards to downtown Macon is that it is a dangerous place. This is a pervasive perspective. People are afraid to visit downtown. So, if the kingdom of God were present - would people be afraid to visit downtown? No. Now - I know that our presence will not wipe out all crime - that will only happen when the Kingdom is ultimately brought in by Jesus Himself. But, should our presence in the city impact crime? Yes.

How?

An interesting development is underway. A week ago I was asked to meet with a downtown developer and a New Town Macon employee. The topic was security downtown. From that meeting I was asked to be a part of a board who would seek ways to increase security and help change the perception that downtown is a more dangerous place [statistically it is 'safer' than North Macon]. The developing board includes business owners, a member of the College Hill Corridor, developers, New Town Macon, and myself. This group met yesterday.

One of the possibilities recommended by Josh, with the College Hill Corridor, is that we form a proactive Neighborhood Watch that would include businesses and residents. This neighborhood watch would coordinate with a Macon PD foot patrol being added in January. The Neighborhood Watch would also work with the city on, among other things, adding emergency call boxes all around downtown.

The really interesting possibility is this - There is another neighborhood near Mercer doing this and the coordinator for the Neighborhood Watch is a Centenary Methodist Church staffer. He receives some funding from a federal grant for this oversight. Josh explained that he - the coordinator - does not proselytize - but does serve as the neighborhood minister. He knows everyone in the neighborhood and everyone knows him. Josh suggested that we look into doing the same thing through New City Church. New City Church has a guy coming as early as January - his job description (in part) before this meeting ever took place was oversight of the 567 and city renewal.

Josh is getting some info together for me, New Town Macon's board will hear of the plans tomorrow and may offer some start up funding - and JD, coming on faith with no job lined up for Corrie, and no income from New City, may have a free place to live and a little money.

This is far from being a 'done deal' and may never become a done deal - but I am constantly amazed at the avenues of opportunity God is graciously giving to New City church as we seek to see Gospel Transformation in our city!

A Thorne In Our Side

No - I didn't misspell thorn - and really it is 2 Thornes, not 1 - and they are really not in our side but ON our side. Crazy couple # 3 has made public their plans to move to Macon in the very near future to join NCCd in seeing Gospel transformation.
JD and Corrie Thorne will be coming from Dothan Alabama where JD currently serves as a youth pastor and Corrie currently teaches school. JD finishes his Masters work at New Orleans Baptist Theological in December and will also finish out his position as youth pastor in December. JD has been through Acts 29 Bootcamp and assessment and will be a great addition to New City. Pray for Corrie as she searches for a teaching job and is actually visiting Tuesday to talk with a school. Pray for JD as he will seek to raise some outside support in order to dedicate as much time as possible to New City. Pray for me and JD as I have a meeting Monday with a group of city leaders to discuss downtown security issues - our involvement may help JD and Corrie with a place to live - We'll See!

SO - Here's where we stand with incoming, providentially provided leadership at NCCd:
Today Tyler and Sarah (and baby V) joined us for their official 1st Sunday. Tyler will oversee bands and worship.
Coming in January - Patrick, Jennifer and Family McConnell. Patric is a GREAT generalist who has experience in most every area of the church. He will likely oversee our MCs and be our 'How' pastor - you know, How do we do this, and how do we do that!
Also coming as early as January - JD and Corrie Thorne. JD will likely head up the 567 and much of our Community Relations.

I'm taking a few days off!

A Church for the City

Check out this short of several pastors on being a church for the city...

A Church for the City (Reprise) from The Austin Stone on Vimeo.

We Are Jonah... In Need of the Gospel

We conclude our Jonah series this Sunday and as we do we see Jonah forced to answer the question, am I really so different than the people of Nineveh?
Like Jonah, New City Church is called to a city. A city inhabited by many people who seem so very different than us on the surface. But, in reality, this week, we are forced to answer the same question as Jonah, am I really so different than these people?

Crazy Things Happen in 3s

They say BAD things happen in 3's.
I have even read that GOOD things happen in 3's.
I just posted about the addition of 2 crazy families to New City - guys leaving their jobs or their homes in order to serve at New City - guys with YEARS of church experience. Well, today I got a call from the third crazy dude heading our way! He and his wife are putting their house up for sale ASAP - they are talking to some schools about a job for Mrs. Crazy here in Macon and today he told his pastor and other staff members what their plans were. That pretty well seals it.
So - they are working on a timeline and shooting for the first of the year.
When they go public (at their current church and with family) I'll post a name and pic for Mr and Mrs Crazy (III).

Halloween Downtown Style

Check out the Thriller Halloween Parade from 06. This should be fun to watch - they have been practicing for weeks! Come catch Under the Gazebo at the 567 - we'll take a break for some THRILLA action and then get back to it.

It is Official - They Must Be Crazy

So - what does a church planter do when he is completely overwhelmed, treading water, and unsure of which way to turn because life is soooooo busy? Pray for help!

So - I have been - we have been - and God is answering. He has answered through a lot of great people in the church doing a lot of good stuff - AND he is answering by making some people CrAzY!

Like - The McConnells

A family of 9

Moving in January from Spokane WA (yes that is WASHINGTON - as in Washington STATE) - and YES - that is 9, NINE) The pic is Patrick and his sons, Caleb, Noah, and Josiah. I couldn't find the whole family - maybe they don't all fit in one picture? They are awesome! 3 Boys from Ethiopia, 2 Girls from Washington, 2 Girls natural and from GA - what a great mix.

Patrick will continue in Macon as the Executive Director of Grace Giving International and work for NCCd for FREE. He is already working - at least in his head - thinking about areas of need, priorities... Patrick will serve as the HOW Pastor - that is, he will work hard at figuring out all of the "how do we" questions. Patrick has served as a pastor in 2 different churches and in numerous capacities. Pray for Jennifer, Patrick and the crew! Pray that God keeps them a little crazy!

And then there are the CrAzY VerSteegs!

Tyler, Sarah, and little V on the way!

Tyler has served in a staff capacity at 2 churches here in Macon. He has been a youth pastor and has led worship and overseen multiple bands. Tyler has resigned from a paying church job so he could help with this NON-PAYING church job! Their last Sunday is this Sunday, and then they're here!

Pray that they stay crazy too!

Crazy.

Give A Peach

Brooks Hinton came up with our promotional poster for the big city-wide food drive. Give A Peach is a play on ABB's Eat A Peach album.
Our partnership work hasn't been done yet, we'll be working to spread the word all over the city. So - bring canned goods to our service Sunday or drop them off some other time at the Cox Capitol Theater or the 567.


Click here for a recent 13 WMAZ story on the critical need.

Lead Conference

It has been quite a week! I headed out of town right after church Sunday for the l o o o o n g drive to St Louis. Cameron, Jason, Heath and I picked up Matt Adair in Atl and we met Paul coming in from the airport, and Patrick and Noah coming in from Washington state. We all made the long trek to attend LEAD inthe church for the city - a conference and A-29 Boot Camp combo.
IT HAS BEEN A PACKED WEEK
I will give some insight from conference speakers in the next couple of days... but we have heard from some great guys a lot that applies very strongly to our church and city! i am really excited about our future in Macon and as a church...more later!

Engaging the Poor - 2

I have just gotten off the phone with The Big House Foundation. This is a group turning the Allman Brothers old home into an Allman Brothers Museum - the Big House Museum. The call was in response to a critical need in the community. Macon's food banks are running out of food. People are already being turned away and food is being strictly rationed. So, The Big House Foundation would like to partner with New City Church, the 567, and the Capitol Theater to launch a city-wide food drive. We will work next week to grow our city partners and Launch the drive the first of November with a Press Conference.
Of all the churches downtown, it looks like New City will lead the drive and distribution.

Engaging the Poor

Our downtown location offers New City Church some incredible opportunities to be and proclaim the Gospel. One of those opportunities comes in engaging the poor of our city.

Currently we have a number of people ministering to the poor - with the Macon Rescue Mission, in a Sunday afternoon meal in Third Street Park, and through countless encounters on our streets. Engaging the poor in our city raises some tough questions:

Is giving money to someone begging the best way to convey the love of Jesus and the Gospel?

Or, does it simply enable the cycle of poverty and dependence to continue?

Are to give without question?

Or is stewardship a part of the equation?

How can we best bring honor and glory to those who beg of us?

Tough Questions - and questions we are beginning to ask in leadership and work through as a gospel community. Look for more info coming soon and feel free to share your thoughts.

Here's a thought from Jessica Scott's blog - a New City downtowner and a nurse:

Words of Wisdom
"you can touch the sick, the leper and believe that it is the body of Christ you are touching, but it is much more difficult when these people are drunk or shouting to think that this is Jesus in His distressing disguise. How clean and loving our hands must be to be able to bring that compassion to them."

~ No Greater Love, Mother Teresa

We had three homeless people ask us for money Wednesday night downtown. I had a patient curse at me this week and another drunk schizophrenic threaten to kill someone in the ER waiting room. My roommate literally washed a homeless patient's feet because they smelled so bad.

I was fighting to remember......"whatever you do to the least of these my brothers, you do it to me." Matt 25:40

MCs Have Begun

It is official - Our Missional Communities have begun to gather!
So far only 2 of our 7 have met, but the stories are already beginning to flow:
Greg and Wendy's MC hung out for over 4 hours on their first night - eating, talking, praying, and enjoying getting to know one another. Greg said he was a little uncertain and apprehensive about how well things would go he was amazed at how at ease and comfortable everyone in the group was and he and Wendy are excited about their next gathering!
Clint and Helen had a full house last night. Like Greg there was some apprehension about gathering with a group of people that you don't really know. Clint said it didn't take long for that to diminish! Everyone just 'clicked' together! There was great discussion, several people sharing some tough life struggles and an incredible time of loving one another and praying together. One person from the group told me this morning that she could really sense the Spirit joining this MC and cannot wait to see all that God is going to do in and through their group.

No pressure intended toward the other MCs gathering this week - hopefully an encouraging post instead. Know that you are being prayed for this week!

Vision Caught

I met with one of our building's owners today - he wanted to run by me the possibility of giving (that's GIVING) the church part ownership of the 567 as a contribution. He explained that he doesn't normally give to churches, but felt like our mission and vision for the church and it city should be supported. That's the Vision Caught - caught from a different perspective. Here is a guy who doesn't attend our services, has met with me only a few times, yet sees the transforming impact we are trying to have on our city! No details on the building, just a conversation - more to come as he talks with attorneys and cpas. Yeah - that's crazy.

I stopped him during the conversation and explained that we have really outgrown the 567 and are not interested in buying the building. He stopped me and said, that doesn't matter. The church would simply own a portion of this building until it is sold - in fact, we could do what we wanted with our portion of ownership.

Then we went for a walk around the block. I shared with him our vision and future space needs. I told him about a building 5 or 6 blocks away that looked like a great fit. He didn't like it. Not the building, but the location. He wants us right in the heart of the city. And that's where e want to be. So we talked about a number of building possibilities. BIG buildings for a BIG future in downtown Macon. That's really all I can say on that one - we aren't rushing anywhere. We have a great home for now - but who knows what God might do in the future!?!?

All cool stuff - a great meeting. But the best part of the meeting came when I got to answer 2 questions from a guy who grew up Episcopal and attends church twice a year to make his mom feel better:

1) Is Ghandi in heaven today - why or why not?

2) Why do you think your church is growing so fast?

The answer is the same - the Gospel! I hope that vision is caught as well.

This Sunday with Jonah

Week 3 of We Are Jonah
From the belly of a great fish Jonah cries out and God intervenes to have Jonah released from the fish.
This week - Repentance and Mercy

DGM Interview - Total Church

The following interview may be helpful in understanding New City's Missional Communities.

Ordinary Life with Gospel Intentionality
September 24, 2008
By: David Mathis
A pair of Brits have a provocative book appearing in the States this month. Tim Chester and Steve Timmis published Total Church in the UK last year, and enough readers here have found it helpful to prompt Crossway Books and Mark Driscoll’s Resurgence ministry to pick up the title in the Re:Lit series. You can watch Tim Chester introduce the book at Crossway's blog.

Chester’s and Timmis’s refrain for what they are advocating in the book is “ordinary life with gospel intentionality.” They make a case for the church’s need to exercise “dual fidelity” to the content of the spoken gospel and the context of a relational community.

Tim Chester kindly agreed to answer a few questions below for the DG blog.

DG: Tim, what do you and Steve Timmis mean by the title Total Church?

Tim Chester: The phrase is actually adapted from the world of football (or soccer in the States!). “Total football” was a style of play associated with the Dutch international side in the 1970s.
“Total church” is our way of capturing the idea that church is not one activity in our lives. Church isn’t a meeting you attend or a building your enter. It’s our identity, our community, our family. It’s the context for the totality of the Christian life.

DG: How would you summarize the message of the book?

TC: Total Church argues for two core principles: We need to be gospel-centered and community-centered.
Being gospel-centered means we’re word-centered (because the gospel is a message; it is good news), and it means being mission-centered (because the gospel is a message to be proclaimed; it is good news).
I think most conservative evangelicals are strong on this. But we also need to be community-centered. The Christian community is the biblical context for evangelism, discipleship, pastoral care, social involvement, and so on. That doesn’t mean meetings. It means the shared life of the community.
One of our catchphrases is “ordinary people living ordinary life with gospel intentionality.” It means doing the chores, having meals, watching sports, and so on with an intention to talk about Jesus, to pastor one another with the gospel, and to share that gospel with unbelievers.

DG: At several points in the book, you mention the value of hospitality. Do you see this virtue as lacking in the church today, and is there is an especially significant need for it in the 21st-century church?

TC: Here’s what I think is the key issue. In the book, we tell the story of a young man who invited us to do some street preaching with him. When we said it wasn’t really the way we did things, he clearly doubted our courage and commitment.
We began to talk instead about a whole life lived in mission and community, in which we were always looking to build relationships and always looking to talk about Jesus. By the end of the conversation, he admitted he wasn’t sure if he was up for that.
He wanted evangelism you could do for two hours on a Saturday afternoon and then switch off. Tick. Job done for the week. He didn’t want a missional lifestyle.
I think that’s the issue with hospitality. People want to put church and evangelism into a slot in the schedule. But we need to be sharing our lives with others—with shared meals and open homes. That can be demanding, but it’s also wonderfully enriching.

DG: The book’s double emphasis on both gospel-speaking and relationship-cultivating is rare. What or who have been some of your most memorable influences on this “dual fidelity” to gospel and community?

TC: Our main influence has been The Crowded House which Steve and I lead together. We began as one household congregation and have grown into a family of small church planting networks. Some of our congregations meet in homes; others gather on Sunday in a building but function as smaller missional communities throughout the week.
Although the book isn’t the story of The Crowded House, it does capture a lot of what we’ve learned doing mission and community together.
We’re Reformed and evangelical, so many of our key influences are fairly predictable—the Reformers, the Puritans, and, more recently, people like John Stott, John Piper, Tim Keller, and the guys from CCEF.
In terms of our understanding of community and mission, the evangelical Anabaptists have been an important influence, and we’ve also tried to learn from the experience of missions around the world.
Individual writers include Roland Allen, Robert Banks, and Lesslie Newbigin.
Another important influence has been biblical theology (through people like Graeme Goldsworthy, Ed Clowney, and Elmer Martins). Biblical theology is important because people often have a very individualistic view of the gospel: “It’s all about me and God.” And an individualistic view of the gospel leads to an individualistic view of mission. But the Bible is the story of God saving a people, a community, a new humanity.

DG: Can you give us some idea what being gospel-centered and community-centered looks like in practice?

TC: Let’s take evangelism. We encourage one another to build relationships with people and share the gospel. But we also encourage one another to introduce people to the Christian community.
That doesn’t necessarily mean inviting them a church meeting. It means welcoming them into the network of believing relationships by inviting them to the cinema, to go shopping, to a meal—Christians and unbelievers together.
Jesus said all men will know we are his disciples by our love for one another. We want people to see that love—to see the gospel-shaped relationships of the Christian community.
Or let’s take pastoral care. We often have a very professional approach to pastoral care—it’s something done by a pastor or a counselor. But Paul tells the whole Christian community in Ephesus to speak the truth to one another in love.
The context is the gospel community, and the content is the gospel word. So we try to create a culture in which we encourage one another to challenge, comfort, console, exhort, and rebuke one another with the gospel in the context of ordinary life.
If I’m moaning, someone will challenge me to find joy in Christ. If I’m anxious, someone will exhort me to trust in my heavenly Father’s care. If I’m ashamed, someone will comfort me with the grace of God.
It might be another leader; it might be a new Christian. It might be in a scheduled meeting; it might be as we tend someone’s garden together. It’s all about ordinary life with gospel intentionality.

New City a "Highlighted Downtown Business" (2)

Today was New Town Macon's Annual Meeting. I and a host of downtowners attended - elected officials, business owners, media... The meeting was a celebration of the past year (18 new businesses opened) as well as a preview of several things in the works (over 100 new apartments in the near future with more after that - recent studies suggest that downtown could have 189 new residents per year for the next 5 years) - exciting things ahead!

Included in the 4 page color booklet of info was the 567 logo and the following paragraph:

One of our business success stories is New City Church, which meets at th Cox Capitol Theater. Parishioners come from all over Middle Georgia - Forsyth, Milledgeville, Warner Robins, Lizella, and Macon - to worship. In fact, part of the church's vision is to encourage members to move their families or businesses to the city, and four members recently moved downtown to be closer to the church. New City also runs the 567 on Cherry Street as a gallery and "listening room" for local artists and poetry reading.

New City was the only 'business' highlighted. That is really exciting - especially when you consider we are less than 1 year old and we're a church. On top of that I was approached by someone I had never met who wanted to talk with me about our volunteering to help with some downtown projects. She and I talked about Missional Communities, Our worship gatherings, music, and the fact that she and her young family had no church. Both grew up in church but have been away for years. She was interested in a visit. Do our presence, activities, and the 567 really make a difference downtown? Probably bigger than most of you think!

We Are Jonah, Pursued

Last week we kicked off our series - We Are Jonah by looking at the first few verses and discovering several ways that we indeed are like Jonah - Called to God's Mission, Called to a city that serves as a regional center, and like Jonah we have been running in rebellion.
This week we'll see Jonah caught in a great storm and deceived by sin. We'll see that the pattern of running isn't new - it started in the garden. But so did something else... something beautiful - the relentless pursuit of a loving and merciful God. We are Jonah - pursued.

Catch Last Week's Message Here.
Tune in for this week's Live Stream Here.

Repent 23 Times

Immediately following our closing prayer on Sunday I was stopped by one of our New City kids - Autumn Ray.
Do you know how many times you said "repent" today? She said.
No, I replied, I really don't.
23 times! She said as she pointed to the piece of paper she had kept track on! 23 times you said repent!
That works out to be about once every 2 minutes!

Our Saviors

Currently being debated is a Bill that is said to be our savior from financial disaster. Each Presidential candidate claims he will lead this charge to rescue us. Each candidate says that he will be the one to end waste and work for 'Main Street' (that's you and me).
So did you see what was added to the Bill of Salvation?

SEC. 503. EXEMPTION FROM EXCISE TAX FOR CERTAIN WOODEN ARROWS DESIGNED FOR USE BY CHILDREN. (a) In General.--Paragraph (2) of section 4161(b) is amended by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C) and by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraph: ``(B) EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN WOODEN ARROW SHAFTS.--Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any shaft consisting of all natural wood with no laminations or artificial means of enhancing the spine of such shaft (whether sold separately or incorporated as part of a finished or unfinished product) of a type used in the manufacture of any arrow which after its assembly-- ``(i) measures \5/16\ of an inch or less in diameter, and ``(ii) is not suitable for use with a bow described in paragraph (1)A).

Apparently a pretty big part of our economic problems has come from a 'Certain Excise Tax For Certain Wooden Arrows Designed For Children.' Who would have ever guessed that these wooden arrows for children would cause such problems? I knew they might 'put an eye out' but never guessed the huge impact that they might have on the banking industry. I guess I am thankful that we have such good and honest men and women fighting for us 'Main Streeters' in Washington DC, and thankful for their great wisdom and intelligence (sarcasm intended).

We Are Jonah

This Sunday we begin a new sermon series in the book of Jonah entitled: we are Jonah.
I have seen the Vegie Tales version of Jonah, I've sat through Sunday School lessons on Jonah, but I cannot remember hearing a sermon series from the book - so I am excited.
I am also amazed at just how much like Jonah we really are! This week we'll intro the series and look at the first few verses. We'll answer the question, 'is Jonah simply a myth or is this the telling of a true story?' And we'll see how we run just like Jonah ran.
Hope to have the live streaming video back up this week. For those unable to join us in person, try the New City Church website for a feed.

New Ploy - Marketing "Community"

We just finished a sermon series on "Community" as we prepare to kick off our Missional Communities at New City Church. We have had a good number of people sign up for one of our seven MCs, but we don't have 100% - so I am working on some new ideas to help us reach 100%...

1) We could excommunicate everyone NOT in an MC - or kill them, like in the Spanish Inquisition. (I think that is extreme - and not a GOOD extreme)

2) We could offer a Money Back Guarantee (someone would probably catch on that we don't charge for an MC, and we don't require giving to the church either)

3) We could Market Better - Yeah! That might do it.

HMMMMM - We just need a marketing slogan...

How about this one (because I LOVE stupid church signs) -

COMM NITY - Its Just Not The Same Without U

Thats good stuff isn't it?

Or Maybe this one -

Without U its just Comm Nity - and what the heck is that?

I just wish we had a church sign!

Build, Don't Watch!

I don't know 'church' in every culture. I do know church in my culture. Church in my culture is primarily a place - we go to church, or a nebulous institution that is outside of us - the church should feed the poor, or do this, or that.
What I find is that only rarely do we understand that WE are the church. People, believers, followers of Christ are the church - not a building or an institution.
Even as I write this, and even as you read this, I am sure that we are in agreement - at least in the realm of knowing the truth that the church is people. The real difficulty comes not in knowing, but in living this truth.

Our church gathers at the Capitol Theater on Sunday mornings - but the Capitol Theater is not our church. The followers of Christ who gather there ARE the church.

The church should ___________________ (fill in the blank) - means that the PEOPLE - Mike, Chad, John, Cameron, Paul, Merry, Amy, ADD YOUR NAME HERE_________... should__________________ (same fill in the blank).

What I am getting at is this - YOU are the church. No, not you alone, but YOU as a part of US. So the mission of the church is YOUR mission. And the needs to be met in the church are to be met by us - which includes YOU - as does our vision.
Notice in our vision the action involved.
The call to Christ is a call to His body - the church. It is also a call to His mission. It is a call to BUILD the kingdom, not sit back and listen to others talk about it, or even to watch and cheer them on.

Vision
It is our dream that New City church downtown be a people engaging its culture at work, at play, and in worship.

We dream of a church that shapes culture, not runs from it or chases after it.

We dream of a church that celebrates the arts and looks for creative ways to engage our culture, a church willing to cross traditional lines and take significant risks to bring Jesus into the public square.

We dream of a church with multiple campuses, each campus strategically placed to engage its culture.

We dream of a church intent on planting new churches that will engage cultures around the world.

We dream of a church whose people are a multiplying movement of disciples of Jesus Christ, disciples who look like Jesus, love like Jesus, live like Jesus.

We dream of a church where people connect in authentic relationships and nurturing small groups to love one another, encourage one another, build one another up and serve one another, the community, and the world.

The call to Christ is a call to His body - the church. It is also a call to His mission. It is a call to BUILD the kingdom, not sit back and listen to others talk about it, or even to watch and cheer them on. The call to Christ is a call to action - not from duty, as if you might 'pay Him back' but a call to follow Him, to walk as He walked, to be His hands and feet.
Are you watching - or are you building? Are you living the mission and vision, or do you just 'like' it?
If you want to engage but aren't sure how or where, e-mail me, I'd loe to help.

Meet Bill - Never a dull moment downtown

Meet Bill - He's in construction - a wood worker. Walks with a cane. Maybe hasn't had the easiest life. Bill stopped in this week to check out the space, maybe see about playing one day. I invited him to do 30 mins or so Saturday before the Red Swill plays. No - I've never met or heard Bill - just seemed like a good chance to take.

So today Bill shows up, guitar in hand. He thought maybe I should hear him since he hasn't played in years and I have never heard him. So - we opened the doors to the 567 - plugged Bill in - mic in place - Bill freakin' rocks! He can flat play the guitar!

So - right now - I am enjoying live blues!

Supposed to be working on sermon - but this is a sweet little break.

Come meet Bill - Saturday night at the 567 - 7:00PM.

(Dang this is fun church)

New City a "Highlighted Downtown Business"

I received this e-mail today from New Town Macon and thought I might share with you what crazy stuff God does in our midst:

Pastor Keith –

We are tracking new “businesses” downtown and want to highlight the church in our annual report that we are working on this week. Can you tell me when you opened; what investment has been made in the church; number of members or avg on attendees and any other anecdotal info that we should highlight about you being downtown.


Thank you,
Laura

I sent lots of info - we'll see what happens!

Oh Dorian

I had a great conversation with Sean Pritchard today - Sean is a high school student in Macon who also books and works with bands all over the place. October 4 Sean has booked some great artists for the 567:
Aaron Lee Martin from New York
Besides Daniel
TannerMerrit (From O Brother)
And Oh Dorian
I am pumped. Here's a clip of Oh Dorian - she will be a great sound at the 567 - but this is a warning - the truth and pain of her lyrics are not always easy - PG

Racism, Unity, and the 567

One of the questions I frequently get is - What is New City doing in the area of racial diversity in the church? Having been a part of a church plant several years ago (before I really knew what a church plant was) in which most Sundays my family was the fairest skinned of all, I know that breaking down THAT wall is one of the hardest of all! While some of the problem rests in racism from both sides, the issues are really much more complex than just color and a fear, hatred, or dislike of other colors. Culture, preferences, and upbringing are just a few non-racist obstacles that keep churches segregated.

Last night at the 567 I had one of those 'moments.' You know - when BANG! something comes to you like a light switch being turned on - a WOW! moment - a HOLY COW! moment - a THIS IS REALLY COOL! moment. Last night was the second night of a kickoff with Platinum Sound and Media where they will use the 567 to showcase many of their recording artists. It was primarily a night of R & B - and it was sweet. The talent was amazing. I looked around the room and saw a diverse group of colors and ages smiling, singing, clapping, and enjoying the art of music. And in our midst was not only a diversity of color and age - but a spiritual diversity as well - one of the keyboard players I had met a couple of months ago, he is a Christian who plays in his church, Andrea and Trace and family (from Platinum) are Jehovah's Witnesses, there were unchurched, there were New City folks, and many I didn't know.

And then the MOMENT - HOLY COW! in a small way it is happening! WOW! for a couple of hours at the 567 race didn't matter at all - we were a mixed up group of people unified over good music.

THIS IS REALLY COOL - this is MY OFFICE - this is our church - this is beautiful!

I don't know where all this will go - what all will be changed, but I am awed with the work of God in our midst and constantly amazed at the opportunities presented to New City Church. I have never seen anything like this!

What is New City doing in the way of racial diversity in the church? Come by on Tuesday night for Poetic Peace, or check out Thursday's in October as Platinum Studios continues R & B Nights @ the 567 and see for yourself!

An Artist at Heart

Who says I'm not an artist?

The kids LOVE to be buried in the sand. So, I bury them.

But its just not enough to BURY them.So I shape the sand into things.

Like a race car, or a boat,...

or a Hot Dog in a bun!

We Have Vacated

Catching up on some blogging.
Saturday started a family vacation to the beach- something we haven’t done in a couple of years. But before we could head out, we had the first game of the season at FPD’s Viking Football League. It was a great battle on the grid iron – Robby’s team fought like true warriors to the very end. They were down 7 – 6 with seconds left and the ball on their own 1 yard line after an incredible goal line stand. The last play of the game – a sweep – the pitch to the back bounced into the end zone and the other team recovered for a TD as time expired and Robby’s team fell 13 – 6. It was a great game and a lot of fun. I am one of Robby’s coaches this year and it has been great for me.
After the game – a quick shower for Robby and we were off for the sand, sun, and Gulf of Mexico. The place is beautiful, the beach unscathed by Ike - but the ocean is a little rough (which is great fun for us). For the first beach trip since Ivey was born, the kids LOVE being at the beach more than the pool! We’ve been riding waves, splashing, and building sand castles!
Sunday morning I took a short vacation break to watch our first ever New City Church downtown live streaming video – Thanks Howie! Pretty cool tech stuff. So – we will work toward setting that up as a regular, weekly thing.
OK – time for some sun screen (mostly on my head) and we’re off to the beach again!

First Art Show @ the 567

Tonight was our first art show at the 567. Unfortunately we picked the same night as the Museum of Arts and Science opened a HUGE art exhibit. So our crowd was not great. But for our first show it was good.
The slower crowd gave me some great conversation time with Craig Burkhalter, the artist. Much of Craig's work has reference to spiritual matters, the Bible, and religion. So I got to probe a little and listen a lot. Craig's girlfriend also came by. She wanted to hear all about the church - our history, our start, why we started, what our services were like, our affiliations... She and Craig had already talked about coming to check us out - now they will in the next few weeks.
The conversation with Craig didn't stop with Craig, or his girlfriend. Michael's on Mulberry sent one of their folks over to set up and sell cold beverages. So, from hearing our conversation - he and I began to talk. He stopped going to church several years ago - tired of the fakeness of institutional Christianity. Through a series of topics that included depravity and good works I was able to share the beauty of the gospel - Jesus came because we couldn't do it on our own.
So - an incredible night that most of you missed! The art is good stuff. Seeing the 567 re-set for an art show was cool - lights focused on the art, room to move and take in, and enjoy the creations of an artist. Being able to ask the artist questions was great. But talking with new people about God and Faith, the Bible and beliefs, and sharing the Gospel was beautiful. I could write more, but I will leave it there - God is doing His thing and I'm pumped to be a part of it!
Oh yeah - Crai actually sold a piece tonight! Yet another cool thing.

Jesus is a Friend

Happy Friday - I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Live Streaming of Services

NewCityChurchMacon- Broadcast your self LIVE

Sunday Update

New Sermon Series: Community

It is a really exciting time for New City - we are preparing to launch our Missional Communities (MCs). We will start with 7 MCs the 2nd week in October. We will have 5 Macon MCs, 1 Milledgeville MC, and 1 Warner Robins MC. Our vision from the start has been small communities meeting in homes throughout middle Georgia on various nights of the week. In essence, our vision is that New City would be a church of house churches that gather together for worship and celebration on Sundays. We are taking the next step toward seeing this vision become a reality! Today we had many, many people sign up for their MC.

The Numbers:

I am generally interested in numbers only in that they represent people. Our goal is people transformation. If we aren't reaching people with the message of the Gospel, we will not see people transformed by the Gospel! So, what are the numbers. January thru May we averaged about 106 in attendance. We lost a chunk of people when Mercer took a break for the summer. BUT our summer average only dropped to 105 as we have picked up several new families. Over the past 4 weeks since school started back our average has jumped to 140. The big question - How many will we be able to move into the heart of NCCd, Missional Communities?

I am thankful that I have been able to work full time as a church planter. We are breaking even financially as a church - in part thanks to some individuals who continue to give though they don't actually attend New City.

The 567:

The 567 has been everything we imagined and MORE. The musicians have been fantastic. Every musician has enjoyed playing the 567 stage and so far every musician wants to come come back. The amazing thing about that is that many of these musicians make several hundred dollars for a night playing in a good bar. We can't pay any of them - they basically play for tips.

Next Friday, September 12, we will have our first art show. The artist - Craig Burkhalter. Craig has some beautiful work that you can check out HERE.

Right now the 567 schedule - Mondays a local band led by Scott Baston practices, Tuesdays are open mic nights for Poetic Peace, Wednesdays are practice nights for NCCd, Thursdays beginning in October will be R & B nights hosted by Platinum Sounds recording studio, Fridays and Saturdays will be music nights as well.

Some Things You Don't See

Monday - Labor Day - while many were hanging out at the lake or grilling in the back yard with friends, we had a New City crew at the Ronald McDonald House cooking food, serving the residents, and washing dishes. While they were there, they prepared snacks for the chemo center's patients downtown.
Today those treats were hand delivered by a couple of our NCCd Mercer students, Ashley and Meredith. Here is what Janice sent me (she's the one behind this service opp - and who was having her own round of chemo).

Ashley and Emily were wonderful with the chemo patients today. They had the snacks in a red bucket and went to each patient and caregiver asking them if they wanted a snack. Everyone enjoyed the snacks but the most important ministry was that these girls took the time out of their day to minister to these folks during their difficult time. They showed warmth, compassion and gave each the sense of God's peace as well as the concern and caring of a friend who does not know their name. I
was blessed by just watching as the girls made their way around the chemo room. Thank you Keith for helping to make this possible.
Love, Janice

P.S. Connie Carey took me today to chemo. She was so impressed with the snack ministry! The girls were great representatives of New City Church!

Sunday morning before New City's service several of our folks headed to the Macon Rescue Mission to lead residents in a worship service (songs and music, children's teaching, and preaching). From the Mission they headed to New City - with a young lady who was homeless and had nowhere to go. Following the service this young lady was fed and taken to a nearby hotel. Some personal items were purchased for her and her room and meals were provided for several days. Her physical needs were met as several tried as well to meet her spiritual needs in Jesus.

A couple of weeks back on a Sunday morning our college crew had a special breakfast on campus and then headed to NCCd with new students and lots of great breakfast leftovers. They proceeded to fix plates of food and hit the streets taking a warm breakfast to those on the streets and inviting them to church.

One of our NCCders has many unbelieving friends - she weeps for them, and prays for them, and walks with them and tries to BE and PROCLAIM the Gospel to them.

Another has a boyfriend who had given up on church. She managed to get him to New City - and he's come back again and again!

Every week I hear of things that seem to often go unseen. I could type on and on about the conversations that I have had or that others have told me about. It is beautiful. In so many ways New City is becoming missional in our lifestyles and being Jesus in our city.

Death By Love by Mark Driscoll

I am officially adding this to my 'Wish List' of books.


You can read more about the new book or order a copy (or 2) from HERE.