Why. How.

Why

Believe it or not, I actually began to miss my students. I waited through September and October and then I just had to go back. I know, I know… I don’t have a temperature and I haven’t been smoking anything. Forty hours a week with them might have been a little too much of a good thing. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

I had no idea.

When I walked into the cafeteria… Jesus, I’m going to treasure this moment forever… like, fifty kids jumped up and rushed over, surrounded me, screaming and hugging. Some of the girls were crying. The boys were hugging me and giving me high fives and punching me. Their smiling faces… It was overwhelming.

I heard one of the boys say, “Damn, you’d'a thought Jay-Z come up in here!”

I suppose in the same way I’ve forgotten or forgiven all the nastiness they dish out sometimes, they’ve forgotten or forgiven all the times I called home and got them in trouble, chewed them out, pressured them, kept them after school, you name it.

I’ve been volunteering for a few hours each week, tutoring math and helping however I can. Parental involvement there is low for various reasons (often not at all the parent’s fault– they simply aren’t able). This is a justice issue that I believe churches should address. Equal opportunity is illusive so long as certain schools stink and others are great, and parental involvement is one of the success factors. I think churches can help, and I’m trying to lead by example. There are others at our little fledgling church who want to help.

We’ll help the teachers too. We’ve got another bunch of school supplies (thanks to Christ’s Church in Albany) that we’re going to deliver as a Christmas gift in support of these professionals who work with the “least of these.” Just a cup of water, really, but I know it would have made my day last year if a church had done it for me.

Put our relationship with this school– helping the kids, supporting parents and teachers, and all the potential for good in Jesus’ name, in the file marked: “Why We’re Planting a New Church in Manhattan.”

You can put it there next to our efforts to end human trafficking. Put it there next to my friend Jeff who gave his life to Christ and was baptized. Go ahead and put in others like Jeff who might meet Jesus through a new church that’s accessible and accepting. And put all the good that Jeff and others like him will do as they follow Jesus.

Most of all, put it there next to Jesus. After what He did for us, what wouldn’t we do for him?

How

A mentor of mine kind of pegged me to the wall recently. He said that the best gift we could give people here was not a new church. He said we should give a new church that’ll be here long-term. He said I should stay focused on fund-raising until we hit our goals and could ensure the long-term financial health of this new ministry. A new church won’t help anybody much if it’s only around for a couple years.

He was right. Nobody gets into church planting to be a money-raiser. I’ve got no problem with that at all, when I believe in the mission. And I do. But it’s not like that’s my favorite part of the job. For my favorite part, well, see the “Why” section above.

In response to that advice, our team has been all-hands-on-deck, doing what needs done though. We’ve worked particularly to secure the support of some significant partner churches. God’s provision through generous people has been incredible. We have almost 85% of the support we need to raise up front for this ministry. At Manhattan prices, that’s amazing.

Now it’s time to close the gap. We’re trying to raise or secure commitments for the rest by the end of this year, so that in 2011 we can shift our focus from laying the foundation to building the church.

Not just a new church, but a church that will be here long-term.

It’s kind of a crazy goal, but God has certainly done crazier things. Would you please pray that God would provide generously? There’s no limit to ministry opportunity here. Pray that He would provide more than we need.

And put His provision in the folder marked: “How We’re Planting a New Church in Manhattan.” Put it there next to my excellent team of capable, Christ-like friends. Put it there next to the hundreds of people praying and fasting every day for this church. Put it there next to the advice of good mentors, and the oversight of Orchard Group. Put it there next to people we’ve met in the neighborhood who are excited by the thought of a new church.

Then put the whole folder in God’s hands. Please pray!

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