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!