Change of Plans!

Sometimes in life we have it all figured out. We wake up in the morning and the day is planned and confidently we start working that plan. Some days we work the plan to perfection and we accomplish much. Other days, something happens to change those plans, or maybe we should say someone steps in and alters our plans for us.

Last Saturday Larry and I were able to go serve with some other Christians to give out coats in a local neighborhood. Along with free hot chocolate, free blankets, and free bibles, there were 700 coats to give to anyone who needed one. It was amazing to see how many people showed up. Larry and I prayed with some recipients, but the two that stood out to us the most had one of those "Change of Plans" days.

Ahsan and Aasat came to the area the day before seeking to get $5 from someone so they could get into Manhattan and have a good time. They asked the "wrong" person. Our friend Boto was there getting ready for the coat drive, and he seized the opportunity to share the gospel with these youth. He said he'd give them $5, but they had to pass out these flyers advertising a coat drive for tomorrow. So they passed them out. Then he said, "For $5 more, you can listen to me for a few minutes as I tell you a story." They were delighted.

Those youth prayed to ask God to forgive them that afternoon, and then they showed up on Saturday. They had plans to pass out Astrology Reading advertisements that morning, but God had different plans. Instead, they prepared Bibles with me and Larry to hand out to all the recipients. :)

As we stuffed the Bibles, we told them the story of Adam and Eve and how it only took one sin to separate them from God. We talked about sacrifice and how there had to be blood sacrifice to pay for that sin. Then we told of how Jesus is that sacrifice and that we now can have life through him by trusting in his work and not ours. We talked about many other doctrines of the Christian faith. Ahsan is Muslim and Aarat is Sikh. At the end of the day, they confessed they knew more about Christianity than they know of their own religions. :)

These youth had never heard the story of Christmas before Friday, and had never heard who this "Jesus" was (is).  But those plans were changed. God knows these young men and desires for them to follow Christ as their Lord, just like he desires you and me to follow him. Please pray for these two youth as they deal with this "Good News" of forgiveness, and the battle they are now in. Their families will not encourage their new faith if they indeed have come to faith in Christ. There is a spiritual battle going on right now...

The only negative aspect of the coat drive is this: The harvest was plentiful, but the laborers were few. We needed more people to pray with the recipients and to share the Good News of Jesus with them. So pray that more people will respond to the calling of God to labor and work the harvest that he is providing. Pray for more laborers! If we are not already laboring then I pray that God will change all of our plans, so that we will find ourselves doing the work of the Lord. That kind of "change" is worth going through.

God Opens Doors!

Our family is becoming quite adept at finding "free" things to do in our new city. Fortunately for us, there are many exciting opportunities for fun that carry a zero cost price tag! On Wednesday night, November 30th, the McGhees and Mayberrys ventured into Manhattan to Rockefeller Center for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Larry and Lindsey arrived early in the afternoon to secure a great spot for our families. We had two kids in Chorus and couldn't get there until later, so we arrived two hours after they did. We tried to get to their location for over an hour! It was pointless... so we thought. Finally we gave it one more shot. We tried a different route to fight the crowd of "half-a-million" to find our friends. We knew we were close, but we hit a snag and couldn't get any closer.

I asked a police officer if he would let me walk in a closed off section and go tell our friends we were leaving. He looked at me a little funny at first, and then he saw the little faces of our four kids. He asked, "Are you all together?" I said, "Yes sir. But if you'll just let me go tell our friends we are leaving, then I'll come back and get my family and go." For some reason, I felt like he wasn't listening to me at all. Then he asked, "Are you wanting to see the tree?" We all answered yes. He looked around and then said softly, "Let's see what I can do about that." He then opened up the railing where we were standing and said, "Follow me." So... we followed.

We felt like VIPs as we walked past the masses of "ordinary" people waiting in an "ordinary" crowd of people. People at the edge of the railing were looking at us like and envied our ability to go ahead of the crowd. Then we saw Larry, Lindsey, and Micah at the edge of the railing. I asked the officer, "Can these three come with us? They have a little one in a stroller, too!" (I'm not afraid to leverage the kid card at this point) He said, "Sure."

So we helped our friends over the railing, and the 9 of us walked up to a reserved section that had PLENTY of room for the kids to run around in while we waited for 3 hours until the Tree Lighting! Wow! I can't tell you how special it made us feel to be escorted to the "good" section based on NOTHING that WE did! We were able to go based on who we KNEW and his mercy toward us! Our generous NYPD Officer!

We were so close to the action, and as you can tell... we had Bieber Fever! It was such a fun evening and it cost us nothing.

I can't help but see the gospel in this event. In Christ, we gain access to the kingdom of God based NOT on what we do, but based on WHO we know. God's gifts are just that... generous gifts. God chooses us, and when we obey his invitation we do feel special... like VIPs. When we experience God's grace in our lives, we want to share it with others and bring others with us, and God wants to bring them too! And there is much more we could pull from this...

But of course, the kingdom of God is greater than any man-made event could ever be. God truly opens doors for his people, and the ultimate door has been opened by Jesus' death and resurrection. When Jesus says, "Follow Me," then let's enthusiastically and obediently say, "Yes, Lord."

So today we thank our friend, our NYPD Officer. And most of all, we thank our Lord Jesus Christ for the free gift of salvation that cost him so much.

The World is Here- NYC

There is a Christian truth that I hope to grasp. It's the principle that I must continually keep learning and growing in knowledge and faith. God has opened the door for me to join a group that is learning how to share our faith with others effectively and efficiently. When I am finished with this group, I will be commissioned by my peers to start my own group to train more Christians to do the same.

Sharing our faith can be a scary thing, but it doesn't have to be. Somehow we have been intimidated by the world and think we are forcing our faith on others if we share. Granted, some Christians error on that side and jam the gospel down the throats of people, but truly sharing your faith is sharing your story. It's communicating to others that we were down and out without hope, but God stepped in and restored us. There are few people who would be offended by hearing how "you" have experienced peace and victory.

As I learn how to better share my story with others, I pray that God will stir many more Christians to boast in the Lord and what he has done for them. I pray for a movement of God on my heart that leads me to love him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.

 These men comprise my new group. They are from India, Bangladesh, South Carolina, and Indonesia, and they all live in Queens! The world is here in NYC, and God has brought key people to faith in Christ and is using them to change the landscape of this city and the world.

This is why Larry and I (and our families) are moving to NYC to start a new church. We believe God is calling us to be part of this new mission work. We don't know all the answers yet. We don't have a map of the future detailing exactly HOW this church will come about. But what we do have is the willingness to admit that we NEED to continually grow in our knowledge and faith. And God will continue to use us while we grow. And we don't have to have all the answers before God uses us... we just have to obey what he has already told us to do.

Prayer Request:
Larry and Lindsey are moving to NYC next week. Please pray for Larry as he drives from Houston to NYC and unloads the moving truck. Pray for Lindsey and Micah as Larry is away. Pray for Micah's adoption to be on schedule, and pray for peace to overwhelm all of our hearts as we trust that God is good and he is in control!

Another Answered Prayer

Thank you for your prayers! Larry and Lindsey have their apartment in NYC, and it's only two blocks away from us. We are grateful that God opened another door for Connection Church NYC. Their new place is a GREAT location for meeting people and having everything close them (subway, bus, deli, laundry, and of course us!).

Thanks for praying for us, and let's keep it going. Please don't undervalue to the power of prayer. We need you to pray for us when we cross your minds. We need God to prepare the way, prepare us, and prepare those whom we will form relationships with to receive the love of God via the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I'll be back later this week with another report of what God is doing in NYC.

Pray for Larry and Lindsey's Apartment

Finding a place to live in NYC is different from anything I've ever experienced before. For our family, we didn't find our home until 10 days before we moved. Oh yeah, being a couple with four kids and two cats put us on the list of "not a chance" with most realtors. But God has a different list as he provided the perfect place for us in his perfect time. He gets full credit for finding this place since it was immediately after I had a meltdown telling him how impossible it was to find a place. Then I confessed my unbelief to him in prayer and decided to trust him for his provision and literally the next person I spoke to drove me to our eventual new home.

Larry and Lindsey are looking for their new place now, and Kari and I have already gone through this stress of finding a needle in a haystack. Most people who rent want roommates, not families. They like people gone during the day, multiple sources of income, and the absence of the pitter-pattering feet of children! They also want verification of income from potential tenants... Did I mention we are planting a church in NYC? Our income, in the world's eyes, is suspect at best. We are trusting that God is providing us partners to support us financially. There is no big "entity" to back us... there is no history of pay stubs... there is no security of a promised salary from a big employer.

But God is continuing to open doors. We have been searching for Larry and Lindsey's place for a few weeks now, but apartments come on the market quickly and are gone very quickly so looking too far  in advance is pointless. But we found one yesterday that we liked. :) Kari does a great job of finding apartments online and spotted one on the same street as US! It's two blocks south and we loved the thought of Larry and Lindsey being so close to us. We looked at it, sent video to Larry and Lindsey, and they are in the process of securing it as I type this. So far it looks good, but there are still some hurdles to clear.

We ask that you pray for this door to open up. For them to be at this location would be huge for us and them. Lindsey is having a baby in January and would be comforted to be close to us (and we would be comforted too), and it will allow us to easily get to each others place by walking since they won't have a car in NYC. The location is perfect for every reason; there is even a nice park two short blocks away!

We met their neighbors, too. Bob is on one side, and Ben and Emily on the other. Bob is an older man who seemed wonderful and even let our twins help him sweep some leaves. Ben and Emily just moved here from Atlanta for Ben's work and they have a few month old baby too. They probably need a good church to get "connected" with, huh? Connections are being made all over, and we are just beginning.

Thank you for your prayers, and we will keep you informed as we continue to partner together for Kingdom work!

Pivotal Month- October!

October is an extremely pivotal month for Connection Church NYC. Our Community Pastor, Larry Mayberry, and his lovely wife Lindsey are moving to NYC at the end of this month! Kari and I are super (maybe uber) excited to have them up here with us. Before they get here, there is much to be done to prepare for their move. We need you to partner with us in prayer for them, and here's how you can do that:

1. Pray for Larry and Lindsey's adoption of their son, Micah, to be done in a timely manner.

*Micah's paperwork will be filed next week, but the court date is "yet to be determined" and is contingent on many different variables as to "when" the date will be. Pray for the fficial adoption to be BEFORE October 31st, so we can keep on track! It's crucial to get Larry and Lindsey to NYC as soon as possible because of (prayer request #2)

2.  Lindsey is having a baby boy in January! (Blessings are abounding)

*Noah Kaid will be born in January, so we want Larry and Lindsey here in November and December to get adjusted to life in the new city, find their doctors, their path to the hospital, and prepare to launch this new church in the spring of 2012!

3.  We need to raise $20k by November 1st to move them to NYC, sustain them for three months, and cover all the expenses that are incurred when a family moves across the country, adopts a child, and gives birth to a child while starting a new church in the most strategic place in the world. You know... this is just the typical family move. :)

There are many other factors to pray for here. Larry and Lindsey are moving far from family and friends, so pray for them and their loved ones as they cope with "goodbyes." We are searching for their apartment, so pray for us to trust God to provide EXACTLY what we need for them...as He will certainly do. And pray for our focus to be eternal throughout this whole process and our hearts seeking to glorify Jesus alone.

"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Mark 8:36

Larry and Lindsey are moving to NYC to be part of what God is doing here. The world has come to NYC, and all of us desire to be used of God to see the world changed by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a battle ground unlike any other in the world. We cherish your prayers and your support.

When we reach NYC, we reach the world!

Update on Our Stolen Property

When our GPS, iPhone charger, and Car Roadside Kit were stolen by a thief who broke out the driver side window of our minivan, we thought we'd never hear anything more about it. You know how it goes... you report this type of crime to the police and there is NEVER enough evidence to lead to any sort of arrest. Catching these kinds of criminals is next to impossible. In our case, we even had some video of the vehicle while it was being broken into courtesy of the company next door. But it was too dark to make any conclusive identifications. (sigh)

The robbery happened Sunday night, and I reported the crime to the police on Monday at lunch. On Wednesday afternoon... the phone rang. It was Sergeant McKenna with the NYPD Intelligence Division. He informed me that he had my GPS in his possession and wanted to bring it to me to positively I.D. it. He knew it was mine, but he had to have my testimony to give the official word.

 

See? We have it back in our possession as of yesterday afternoon. Sgt. McKenna told me, "It's rare for us to recover items from this kind of break-in." After filling out some paper work, thanking them for their hard work, and shaking their hands, I left for home with my GPS in hand. We didn't have our iPhone charger or Car Roadside Kit, but we had the GPS. Oh yeah... I forgot to mention that they stole our stack of quarters we had in there for the parking meters. (huff--sigh--moan)

Tonight, it crossed my mind to send Sgt. McKenna an email to thank him again and let him know that I really do appreciate his work. So I looked on his business card and typed up a thank you. I hit "send" and off into cyberspace it went...

About 5 minutes later my phone rang. It turns out that Sgt. McKenna was still at the office at 10:30 pm filling out paper work for all his reports. He thanked me for my email and told me that he was about to call me tonight but thought it was too late. Then he got my email and thought he'd give it a shot. As it turns out, they DID indeed find our Car Roadside Kit. He told me I could come and pick it up tomorrow. YEA!

They have made an arrest and I will be testifying that "this suspect" did not have permission to have possession of my personal belongings. This guy is responsible for more than a dozen car break-ins and has some consequences headed his way. And he deserves it too. He's taken things that were not his. He's damaged other people's property. He's guilty... guilty... guilty.

But the more I think about this guy, the more I wonder how he got to this place in life. I know that God uses the law of reaping and sowing. For example, if you make horrible choices in life, then most likely you will have some horrible outcomes. But I also know that life gets really tough sometimes and it seems like there are no good choices. What is this guy's story?

Is he a scumbag who has been given chance after chance after chance and still chooses to take advantage of people? Or is he just a man who fell on hard times and was doing all he knew to do?When it's all said and done, does it really matter which category he fits in? He is guilty... right?

Right. He is guilty. But as a man who embraces the gospel of Jesus Christ, I am QUICKLY reminded of my guilty plea that I gave before God many years ago. I had sinned and fallen short of God's glory and knelt before a holy God in need of redemption. And today... I am guilt-free. I'm clothed in the righteousness of Christ. He has erased my sin by his grace and mercy. I'm no longer a slave to sin, but a child of God. Nothing that I did caused me to gain this standing before God. It was ALL Jesus. So there is no room in my flesh to boast in what I have done.

Do you believe this criminal can have the same story? Can he be guilt-free and clothed in the righteousness of Christ? Absolutely, he can. I know this because our righteousness is not based on our ability to keep the Law, but it is based on the Messiah's perfection in fulfilling it. I am CONFIDENT that this criminal can be a free man, not because I have confidence in his, or my own, ability to change, but because of the mercy and grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I'm pleased to have some of my possessions back, but I hope that these possessions are being used to bring glory to Jesus. And seeing people embrace Christ as their Savior brings much glory to him. Thank you, Jesus, for saving an undeserving sinner like me and pouring out your grace and calling me your own. I pray for this man who is guilty of breaking the law, and I ask that you would soften his heart and draw him to repentance. There, I know you will meet him with open arms and embrace him as your own.

Windows of Opportunity- Trials

When God spread the gospel around the world after giving his Holy Spirit to the church, he used a motivator that might scare you... he used persecution. When James wrote his letter (called James in our Bibles), the first subject he mentions is... trials. The Christian perspective on persecution, difficulties, and trials is radically different than the perspective of the world. At least the truly Christian perspective is.

Persecution is a good thing? Paul told Timothy that "All those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" in 2 Timothy 3:12, so it should not surprise us when these difficult times come. Unfortunately, too many Christians think God is 'ticked off'' at them when things go wrong, and they step back from their faith in Christ. However, if we will determine that living for Christ is worth it no matter what happens, then our lives will be drastically changed by the power of the gospel. Dear Christian, hang in there; God is on the throne, and his wrath has been fully satisfied by his Son, Jesus.

I went outside yesterday (Monday) to put the kids' bikes in the van so Kari could take them to the park. This is what greeted me. Someone had broken out my driver's window, stolen our GPS, our phone charger, and our emergency kit with jumper cables. They also took our stack of quarters for parking meters. Oddly enough, they didn't take any of our Christian CDs :). Hear me clearly, I do NOT (repeat- do NOT) think of this crime against us as Christian persecution. This had NOTHING to do with my faith. This is simply a trial of life that people of every faith go through. But as we go through trials like everyone else, we have the "window of opportunity" for Christ to shine in us.

My first reaction was a sense of "What happened?" My second reaction was the sense of "My property has been violated and taken." My third reaction was, "I want justice served to whoever did this." And my fourth reaction was, "I'm glad it was just 'stuff' that was taken and not people being hurt." Finally, my current stance on it is this: "God is giving me a window (yes... it's a pun) of opportunity here to be a witness for Christ."

Because of this event, I have been introduced the owners of the rather large business next door to my house. Their security cameras may have footage of the crime, and they are working with me to see if they can get anything conclusive from the video. So in one month's time since moving here, God is opening a window for me to get connected with these people that I would not have had otherwise. They actually want to help me catch this guy! Instant connection.

I've met my neighbors on the other side of the street. They have a camera they are checking too. Boom! Instant connection.

My neighbors on the other side of our house are very sympathetic towards us too. They reached out to us yesterday because of the crime. Boom! Instant connection.

Our landlord introduced me to his friend, Louie, yesterday. He stuck around because of our conversation about the crime. Then it came up that I was a pastor starting a new church in Astoria. He says he's very religious, but he doesn't go to church nor read his bible because you don't have to do those things to be religious. (He's actually right) But he doesn't realize that being "religious" leads to slavery where the grace of Christ leads to freedom. We will talk about that later though.

On top of all these "connections" God also reminded me of the simple truth. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where theives do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."~ Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21.

Where is your heart today? I was reminded that "stuff" is not important in life. God treasures people, and I want to treasure what he does. I pray God makes divine connections for me and you today. Let's look for our "window of opportunity" to join God in his work.

On the Ground in NYC!

The McGhees are officially "New Yorkers!" We are moved in and settled into our new home. Moving is a stressful event for a family. I'm not sure where I heard this so I can't provide the quote, but I've heard that moving ranks #2 in stress causing events for a person to go through. To add to the stress of moving, we came to NYC on the day of a rare earthquake (Tuesday, August 23rd). And our first official weekend was spent hunkered down in our home because of a rare hurricane named Irene (Sunday, August 28th). It was an eventful first week to say the least!

But God showed favor on us in leaving us unaffected by either potential threat. We were reminded of the powerless that we have, but immediately we were reminded of the limitless power of God. The worst of our damage was a leak in our roof from the heavy rain while many people suffered devastating effects from the wind and rain of Irene. I'm not about to guess as to why we were safe and others were not, but I will say with certainty that God is great and God is good. His plan is working in this world to bring glory to the name of Jesus and however he wants to do that is good with me (not that God needs my permission or anything).

We will be adjusting to new pace of life in the city over the next few weeks. There are many things different here and the first one is living without a Wal-Mart. I know... I know... We should have thought this through a little better. How will we function and "live better" without a Wal-Mart? Hopefully our survival skills will set in and we will find a way. ;)

We have met several neighbors, our landlord, and other people within the community. We can't wait to meet more as we are able to get "out and about" now that our home is set up. I've already started praying for these people and doing my best to remember their names for the next time I see them. I pray that my heart will be genuinely filled with the love of Christ when I speak to them so they will experience the gospel through our relationship.

God loves us immeasurably more than we can fathom. He's shown his love for us through the death, burial, and resurrection of his only Son, Jesus. Pray for our family to stay focused on the mission at hand. God has called us to exalt our Savior in all ways and to reach the people of NYC.

When we reach New York City, we reach the world.

Moving to the Big Apple!

God has been stirring our hearts to seek out how we were to be involved in taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. We seemingly had conflicting desires of wanting to reach people in the United States and wanting to reach people in other countries where the gospel isn't known. In April of this year, He gave us a clear vision for taking a step of faith and showed us that we didn't have to choose one or the other. We could be used by Him to reach people "over here" and "over there" by planting a new church in New York City!

We are teaming up with another couple, Larry and Lindsey Mayberry, from Houston, TX. I'll give more info on them later. You will want to hear how God providentially crossed our paths two years ago on an airplane. They are a wonderful couple who are in the process of adopting their first son and also expecting a child in January!

This new church already has a name, Connection Church, even though we don't have a building yet! Church Planting (starting a church from scratch) is an extremely challenging endeavor that takes a lot of commitment, time, and resources to accomplish. God has given us a vision and a mission for this new work. For example, our mission is to reach the people of New York City who do not know God so that they may realize that their purpose in life is knowing God and becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Our family is moving to NYC on August 22, 2011. We will spend the fall living as missionaries in NYC, traveling on weekends to recruit partner churches and individuals, and doing all we can during the week to find the best place and method for reaching the people of our community.

We need to raise $20,000 before August 22nd to cover moving expenses, housing expenses, and living expenses for 3 months. Larry and his family are moving in late October and we need to raise $20,000 for their family as well. We believe God has already prepared the way to support our families financially through people who believe in us and what we are doing. Larry and I are also committed to working full time in a secular job until enough resources are available for us to go full-time at this new church.

This is where you step in the picture. We need people like you to commit to becoming a "partner" in this new work. We need individuals and churches to share our vision of reaching NYC and supporting us in one of, or a combination of, the following ways.

1. Prayer- We need people to pray for the Spirit of God to empower everyone involved.
2. People- We need short term mission teams to commit to traveling to NYC and serving with us.
3. Financially- We need people to commit to supporting this work with their money. It takes a lot of money to live and plant a new church in NYC. Financial partners can give either as a one-time love offering, monthly support, or both.

Why New York City?

Jesus has given the church the great commission to make disciples of all the nations (Matt 28:19b). Right now, God has providentially brought the nations to NYC. This unique city is the most populous city in the United States with more than 8.1 million people. In Metro New York (population over 22 million), there are approximately 2 million Jews, 800,000 Muslims, and 400,000 Hindus, and Metro New York is the American hub for Russians, Chinese, South Asians, West Africans, Caribbeans, South Americans, and so on. Over 700 different languages are spoken in NYC!

Our families are moving to the Astoria neighborhood of NYC. It is one of the most diverse neighborhoods and has been referred to as, "Little Greece." This neighborhood has since diversified with an influx of Egyptians, Bangladeshis, Brazilians, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Peruvians, and many more people groups. Astoria is also a magnet for attracting young actors, musicians, and artists hoping to make it big in NYC. We will be planting this new church among thousands of people who do not know who the Son of God is. This will be a church within the United States that will be reaching nations all over the world.

We want you to join us in reaching the world for Jesus' sake. Will you commit to pray for God to continue empowering this vision? Will you pray about coming to NYC and serving with us for a few days next year as we get the word out about this new church? And will you commit to asking God how you can help by contributing financially? Whether your budget allows you to give $25 or $25,000, your gift will be vital in seeing this new church start changing the world by the power of the gospel. (the mailing address for contributions is at the bottom of this page)

There are so many different people groups in New York, but there is only one true God. People need to know God through His Son, Jesus. God desires our two families to reach the people of New York City in this way, and He wants to use each of us in special ways to bring people peace through Christ. Our families are committed to going above and beyond to give sacrificially to the work of God in this city. Our continual priority will be reaching people who do not know God and focusing on the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. However the Lord leads you to give, we thank you for your faithfulness to Him.

For the glory of Christ!



Daniel McGhee, Lead Pastor
Connection Church, New York, NY

Your Tax-Deductible Contributions can be sent to:

     Payable to:  Grace Baptist Church
                         12 Queen Street
                         Whitehall, NY 12887
Designated to:  Memo: Connection Church NYC