November 2016 Update

Dear MA Partner,

In this issue, we celebrate the birth of a church in Fairfield, CT!   
And think about what that means!  According to the apostle Peter, the birth of a local church represents nothing less than the birth of a “chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation! (1 Peter 2:9).  To put it differently, the local church, just being the church as carefully designed and choreographed by apostolic design with Christ as the cornerstone (Eph 2:20), is the very epicenter of God’s kingdom power, the place of God's real, if mediated, temple-presence, the family of God! 

And the significance?  Let’s put it this way.  The Gallup Poll describes the religious demographic of Fairfield CT, like New England generally, as the most non-religious region in America.  The 12 least religious states in America comprise the entirety of New England.  Church attendance in New England States is the lowest in the country.   For instance, 31% of people in New England have never attended a religious service, 14% attend religious services once a week, and less than 4% can be classified in terms of gospel believing.   

Humanly speaking, the situation appears bleak!   But not so to the apostle Paul!  So significant is the birth of the missional church that the apostle Paul considered a place “reached” only if there was a missional church planted there! (Rom 15:22).  How so you ask?  Lesslie Newbigin summarizes it this way:

"It is impossible to stress too strongly that the beginning of mission is not an action of ours, but the presence of a new reality, the presence of the Spirit of God in power…the church is not the source of witness, it is the locus of witness….The presence of a new reality, the presence in the shared life of the church of the spirit who is the guarantee of the kingdom of God!" 

On October 23^rd, we celebrated the the birth of a church by installing church planter Andrew Holbrook and with the initiation of public worship in Fairfield, CT.   Check out the video of CPC Fairfield's “conception to birth” below.  We are also excited to welcome to Mission Anabaino New City Presbyterian Church and pastor James Kessler.  We invite you to read about their ministry in Columbus, OH below.


Affectionately and Enthusiastically, 

 
  Rev. Dr. Preston Graham Jr.
  Executive Director, Mission Anabaino
  Sr. Pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church New Haven

The Birth of a Church

It is the vision of CPC Fairfield to welcome all people into a life with God as we worship Him, love together, and live for others is the vision for our growing PCA church plant called Christ Presbyterian Church Fairfield. Over the last year, a team of seven adults moved to Connecticut to share the good news of the Gospel and seek the flourishing of the local communities in Fairfield and Bridgeport. The training for building a church that embodies the fullness of Christ that we received through Mission Anabaino has helped us tremendously as we've labored in one of the most spiritually under-served parts of the United States.

Everyday we are seeing evidence of God's presence as we trust the Lord and extend out into our God-given spheres of influence – in the marketplace, in our own families and neighborhoods, and on the college campuses of Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University, and the University of Bridgeport.

We, along with a multi-generational core team of approximately 30 other adults and children will launch public Sunday morning worship services on Sunday November 6, 2016! Pray for us as we find our home in God and see him make a home for himself in the midst of our community through his church!  Visit us at online here. 

MA Welcomes New Global Church Plant

Behold I am making all things new. -Revelation 21.5

Truth. Love. Hope.
At New City we use three values that shape how we pursue life as the Church:

The Truth of Christ. At New City we want to talk about Jesus all the time. Whether in our preaching and teaching, among our community groups, in the music we sing and communion every week, we want to proclaim the truth of Jesus. But to proclaim Jesus means that we must proclaim the truth about ourselves too. Jesus coming to earth was the final statement against human self-sufficiency. Jesus came to Earth because we needed him. This is a church that needs Jesus! When we proclaim that truth we create a humble, sacrificial, welcoming, courageous church.

The Love of the Cross. This is a community that should love one another like Jesus loved us. That means we invest in smaller communities (we call them community groups) and train our leaders to help care for our families. It means that we take hospitality very seriously; our time, treasure, and talents are not for us but for each other and those who do not yet know Jesus. If we want to be Christians and have Christ at our center, we should expect to be split open for the same sorts of people for whom He suffered. Our posture toward the world is not conflict but invitation, not suspicion and judgment but grace. 

The Hope of the Kingdom. The calling of the Church is not only to proclaim the truth and embody it, but to be front line of the new kingdom Jesus brings. There is a rich history of Christianity creating the language and the motivation for movements that seek the common good. Whether abolitionism or the civil rights movement, the creation of hospitals and schools in impoverished communities among many possible examples, there is an undeniable connection between the Kingdom of God and the hope of the world. We believe the church should be the place where healing and renewal spring out into surrounding communities. Our city should know we exist, even if they have no intention of ever entering a church. Hilliard should benefit because we are here.

Visit us online here.