Transition Transition

It’s been a whirlwind of transition here in Shepherd’s Bush, with seeing old friends go and welcoming new friends into the community that God is cultivating through New City. We've had to say goodbye to our summer interns, some long term members, as well as our short term missions teams.

We have known that this transition is part and parcel of being involved in church planting yet whenever we have had to say goodbye, it still hurts a lot. Whenever we have to welcome new faces, it’s scary because in the back of my mind I ask myself, will the time come when we have to say goodbye to them also? It's tough.

It is a struggle that will never end as God keeps us uncomfortable in this place that we should never call home. It is a good struggle because it reminds us of the new city that God is drawing us into. This is a city where people will never need to say goodbye, a place of no tears, only joyful communion in the presence of God.

Brothers and sisters, please pray as our hearts are healed from departing friends and also for our hearts to take courage and hold onto hope as we welcome and grow as a new group at New City.

We’ve had a great summer with our brothers and sisters from Covenant Church, Doylestown (http://www.covenantdoylestown.org) coming to help us out with our kids’ ministry for two weeks. We had just under 50 children come to our annual kids’ club week and have been urged by the parents to make kids club longer and more frequent.

Through our 'Open Church' ministry, we’ve welcomed in several people who have become regular attenders to worship with us. A few of these people have now started to explore the meaning of baptism and have shown the desire to be baptised.

There have been times where I’m lost as to what we’ve done to cultivate a community that is growing steadily, but I’m reminded again that God moves and advances His gospel whether we’re ready for it or not. We are all in a privileged position to even be involved in His redemptive plan to loose the chains of sin and to see the captives being set free.

Please pray that we would continue to be hungry for God to move in these ways.