If you’ve been part of our church community you’re aware by now that our continued financial strain has made it necessary for us to take the bold action of moving out of our rather pricey office space in order to bring needed relief and stability to our situation. We’ll use the basement apartment of our house as a temporary office until we can again afford space back in Williamsburg.

Course adjustment

However I sense in my spirit that this is part of a bigger, deeper, much needed “course adjustment” God is working out for our church which will include a revamping of our leadership and recalibration of how we go about our mission.  I have a feeling that what may appear to be a big step backward for us is actually God’s grace working among us. Read more ›

You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it. (2 Corinthians 3:3-4, The Message)

Subversion

We’ve just begun a new sermon series on the Parables. Jesus was a master at subversion. He appeared harmless enough – A carpenter from the backwoods of Galilee turned itinerate rabbi. At first glance he seemed ordinary but a closer look revealed more, much more. Below the surface, hidden from plain view he was starting a revolution whereby one kingdom would be thrown out and another put in its place; a kingdom that was much more livable than the present one. And he would do this without the means of military force or democratic elections. He would act subversively. Working from the inside out. Capturing and changing human hearts which eventually, like a growing seed or a bit of yeast in dough, would influence and change the whole culture.

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Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercies to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is true worship.  Romans 12:1

Over the last few Sundays we’ve been going through a series of sermons we’ve called, “Faith In The Face Of Suffering”. Someone said that a faith that only works when things are going good and doesn’t help us when times are bad is not worth holding on to. So we’ve been exploring a faith in God that helps us “suffer well” and found that it looks like Jesus. We’ve seen that when our trust in God allows us to respond to adversity like Jesus would or when we allow it to make us more like him, it can be said that we’re suffering well.

Suffering can be an isolating and lonely experience. And it’s easy to make the mistake of facing it alone. But this coming Sunday our final talk is going to be on how suffering well means suffering together as a believing community. You won’t want to miss this one. I think it’s going to be really helpful.

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Time, location & more information about the art show is here.

Starting June 13, all summer long we’ll be BBQing hot dogs outside the Trash Bar from 5 – 6pm (before our service).

Anyone is invited to have a free hot dog, $1 PBR (for those over 21) & hang out.

Our goal is to meet more people around, be hospitable & get word out about church at the Trash Bar. So come, hangout. Word is there will be some live music on the street too.

If you’re interested in helping us put this on, please contact Mike Turrigiano (miket@nycvineyard.org).

Throughout June, we’ll be talking about living life well through suffering.

Mike & Brendon will be talking about our perspective on God, how to suffer well, dealing with disappointment & the wrongdoing of others, how to even celebrate in suffering.

Our hope is that this series will provide pastoral help because all of us meet suffering at different points in life.

Join us Sunday morning and/or evenings as we explore these topics through June!

We had our Core meeting last Wednesday evening. This meeting is open to everyone that buys into the mission of our church and demonstrates that commitment with an investment of his or her time, energy and money.

We call them the “Core” because they are the foundation of our church community. Twice a year they’re invited to share a meal and to hear reports on church business as well as help brainstorm issues that our leadership is grappling with. The following is the vision talk pastor Mike gave to the group that evening…

Something precious

I want to remind us all of the preciousness of what God has given us as a community that we’ve found worth committing to and sacrificing for. We have something wonderful that shouldn’t be taken for granted because unfortunately it’s in short supply in many Christian circles today. When I think of it I’m reminded of a story found in the gospels…

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Interesting survey

Americans have always had a thing about happiness. We all have certain unalienable rights declares our Declaration of Independence. Among them, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

So then, a couple of centuries into the chase, how are we doing? Alas, only so-so. A recent Pew Research Center survey showed that just a third (34%) of adults in this country say their very happy. Another half say they are pretty happy and 15% consider themselves not too happy.

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Do you understand what God has made you a part of? Your’re  a member of the greatest and most effective community ever – the Church. We don’t just go to church we are the Church!
It has outlasted empires. Out distanced religions, idiologies and philosophies. Survived natural, political, sociological, economical upheavals. It’s been battered and bruised. Come to the brink of disaster. It’s shot itself in the foot more than once. And through it all when the dust settled the Church has remained standing.

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I know what a lot of you Leap Of Faithers are saying right now. “I’m really bummed out. Just when I was on a roll, it’s over. I was prayin’ everyday, gettin’ into Bible study, believin’ for big things. I had a good God-streak going. But it’s ended. What am I gonna do? I feel like I lost a friend… Quick let’s do another 40 days so I can keep this good thing going.”

I call this the “post-leap blues” and it doesn’t have to get the best of you. Even though Leap Of Faith is over the good things we learned and experienced don’t have to end.

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