Launch Week

What's life like for a pastor launching a new church location in a midst of an urban environment? The week before the grand opening is definitely crazy, but it has been so much fun! Everyone has been scrambling to get the theater and ministry center spaces ready for Sunday. I've been to launch meetings, home meetings in different parts of the city, and individual meetings with people who are either a part of the launch team or interested in learning more about the new church. I've had meaningful interactions with many different kinds of people. I mentored kids from Homewood this week, and I've spent some great time with local businessmen. I've hit the streets to have conversations with people in the East End, and I've hidden out in my office to get a few minutes of peace and quiet. I've prayed with people in buildings and out walking the streets.

This week has been a good example of how the best type of ministry does not happen in sterile, predictable environments. Effective urban ministers are able to navigate the streets and the strategy meetings in an office setting. We learn how to connect with many different types of people because there is so much diversity in the city. When the kingdom of God advances through something like a new church, we expect that there will be resistance and we persevere through it. This is the fun part of ministry... when God gives us a difficult calling and we are obedient to the calling no matter the circumstances. The more things get tough in launching North Way East End, the more I know that God is going to do something amazing through his church. The adventure takes a big step forward on Sunday moring at 10am with the grand opening. I can't wait... don't think I'll be able to sleep between now and then. The excitement is overwhelming!

Grand Opening

The grand opening of the North Way East End campus is this Sunday, January 29th at 10am. We will be gathering at 5941 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 in East Liberty. I know that God is going to be glorified by this new church! Come on out this Sunday and check it out. Bring your friends! Bring your families! This will be a day to remember for a long time as God's kingdom advances in the city of Pittsburgh!

Final Prelaunch Service in the East End

Tomorrow morning the final prelaunch service for the new North Way East End church will be held at 10am at 5941 Penn Avenue in East Liberty.  Power will be out in the ministry center so that electricians can finish the electrical work, so we will have the kids in with everyone in the theater once again. It should be a great worship service with a powerful message. This is our last big step before the grand opening of North Way East End next Sunday, January 29th at 10am.

Contrasting Neighborhoods

Urban ministry in the East End of Pittsburgh is full of contrasts. A couple days ago, I had the opportunity to go to a home meeting for the North Way East End campus at the home of a church elder in Shadyside. Shadyside is a great neighborhood with many people who will be attending the new North Way location. There are many beautiful homes, plenty of businesses and restaurants, and lots of assets in the community. Also in Shadyside, there are people who desperately need to know the love of Jesus Christ and our church is developing plans to reach out to the neighborhood in many creative ways. I really enjoyed the home meeting that included dinner, time to visit with people on the East End launch team, and time to dream about what God has in store for us.

I left the gathering in Shadyside to drive back to Homewood where I live. As soon as I arrived in Homewood, my family ministered in the streets to a man who was clearly in distress. It was cold out, and he needed help. This time of ministry only lasted for about 30 minutes, but we were able to demonstrate the love of Christ to a person in need in the brief window that God gave us. Homewood is a neighborhood in the East End that has many needs and also many assets. The needs and assets may look much different than Shadyside, but the fact remains that both Shadyside and Homewood have wonderful people that God made to be in relationship with him.

It is our goal as a new church in the East End to join God's mission to reach every single person in the city with the transforming and profound love of Jesus. The church is not a social club where we gather once a week to hang out with other Christians. The church exists to fulfill God's mission to reach the world, regardless of the neighborhood, socioeconomic status, race, or circumstances of people. This is a tremendous mission that God has given the folks involved in North Way East End to steward. My prayer is that God will give us the ability to be able to reach people in many different neighborhoods throughout the East End for months and years to come. This is going to be quite an urban adventure!

A Church "of" the Community

Many people think of church as being a building "in" a community where people gather to worship at a set time on Sunday mornings. These types of churches do not really make a difference in their communities. I think that the church should be a church "of" the community where we are deeply involved relationally around issues that move well beyond the walls of any type of church building. Following Jesus is a 24/7 relationship, so the church is not just about a Sunday morning experience. As followers of Jesus, our relationships should extend well beyond the "holy huddle" of relationships with other Christians or church members to enter into every part of society throughout the week. It is wonderful to gather together at a church building on Sunday mornings to worship the Lord, but we gather together to worship so that we can go out into the world to advance God's mission to reach every part of society throughout the other days of the week. God's profound and unending love transcends space and time (or church buildings with worship services at set times). So, my great hope with the North Way East End church campus is that we will be a church "of" the community, not a church "in" the community.

East End Update

Today was an unforgettable day! I worshipped God at a theater in the East End of Pittsburgh with over 100 members of the North Way East End launch team. I could really sense God's presence in the room, and I had a blast connecting with many long time friends and several new friends. This North Way church location is going to be absolutely amazing! One more prelaunch service next weekend, and then we'll be ready for the grand opening on January 29th at 10am.  The East End ministry center should be completed this week, so we'll be good to go with family ministries and office space very soon.

East End Home Meetings and Work Day

Last night I enjoyed my time at the first North Way East End home meeting at the home of some good friends. About twenty of us from the launch team discussed the logistics of the upcoming campus launch, which begins this weekend, and we dreamed about the future and what God might have in store for us. I heard some great suggestions from everyone... this is going to be an amazing church, and God will be glorified in many ways! There are still four more East End home meetings coming up. Let me know if you want to go. The dates are:

Thursday, January 12th at 6pm in Homewood
Wednesday, January 18th at 6pm in Shadyside
Wednesday, January 25th at 6pm in Fox Chapel
Thursday, January 26th at 6pm in Homewood

Also, we are having a big work day at the North Way East End ministry center at 5947 Penn Avenue in East Liberty this Saturday, January 14th from 8am-1pm. We need lots of help to prepare the space for our first prelaunch service at 10am on January 15th.

The Unpredictable City

One of the funny things about incarnational ministry in the city is that I never know what to expect from one day to the next. Life is very unpredictable in the city, and I love it! Last night a few kids from the neighbhorhood dropped in on our church small group at our home. We shared an unexpected late dinner together, and we talked a lot about some struggles that they are having in school and also some fun things that are going on in their lives. Today I helped a mentee get to school because he missed his school bus, his mom had just had a baby so she couldn't take him, his high school requires a parent or guardian to be with the student trying to gain admittance if they arrive a couple hours late, and so I helped him get into school by appearing to be a responsible adult. I did some writing at some coffee shops in the East End. I interacted with a homeless person. Generally, I just tried to have the mindset all day that God was going to use me no matter what happened or who he brought across my path. And a lot of different kinds of people cross paths in cities. I used to live in neighborhoods where I never had any unexpected visitors. I lived there intentionally in the name of "safety." But in living in a "safe" neighbhorhood, I never realized how many interesting people and experiences I was missing out on. I love knowing my neighbors, and being a part of what goes on in the day to day buzz of the city. Who knows, I might be life long city boy!

Empowering Young People

One of the most amazing things about having the privilege of mentoring at-risk youth over the past six years has been the gift of watching the mentees develop into empowered young people who are ready to succeed in life. God has opened the door to be able to mentor kids living in urban poverty, kids who are homeless, kids who are angry, kids who are desperate... the kids who would have normally fallen through the cracks of society. It has been heartbreaking to watch kids struggle through many ups and downs, but it has been remarkable to watch these resilient kids go through a profound process of transformation. Yes, many of the young people I work with face many challenges. However, they are becoming empowered to take on those challenges and overcome them. This is the work of the church in urban environments. Roberth Linthicum writes, "When the church builds networks between the poor and people of power which result in the observable improvement of the life of the poor, the gospel gains a credibility all the preaching by the church cannot provide. When self-confidence and self-respect of the poor are raised by networking to solve their own problems, the gospel gains a new hearing. It is a hearing based upon the respect the church has shown the poor. They are not objects to be ministered to, but people capable of taking charge of their own lives." I know God has big plans in store for the young people that I've had the joy of spending time with in Homewood.

East End Home Meetings

January is going to be an amazing month! There is much anticipation for the launch of the North Way East End campus on January 29th. Between now and the official grand opening, I'm looking forward to four home meetings that have been set up with the launch team. We're meeting in Highland Park on January 11th, in Homewood on January 12th, in Shadyside on January 18th, and in Fox Chapel on January 25th. These meetings are open to anyone on the East End launch team, and any friends they may want to invite who might be interested in learning more about this new church location in the city of Pittsburgh. These meetings are going to be fun!