David Powlison, Russell Moore, and Eugene Peterson are just a few church leaders who have recognized how literature helps us understand relationships,...
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Features
Cormac McCarthy: Judges in the American Canon
Feb 09, 2012 | Mike Cosper
John Piper once said, "Cormac McCarthy is to the American literary canon what Judges is to the the biblical canon." I couldn't agree more.
New York City Churches Find New Homes
Feb 09, 2012 | John Starke
Churches race for space and labor for their constitutional rights.
The Evangelical Trinitarian Milieu
Feb 08, 2012 | Jason S. Sexton
We can do better, and have begun to in these hopeful ways.
Christian Image Is Everything
Feb 08, 2012 | Chris Castaldo
The shattered are eternally captivated by the beauty of the Savior.
Bad Art Doesn’t Exist Apart from the Good
Feb 08, 2012 | John Starke
Art is never simply for art's sake. It is a symbol pointing to something greater.
How Could Sinful Lot Have Been Righteous?
Feb 08, 2012 | Chris Bruno
How can Peter say 'righteous Lot' was greatly distressed by the wicked?
How to Pull Out of the Burnout Spiral
Feb 07, 2012 | Interview by Collin Hansen
Once our faith slips from a tight grip on Jesus, burnout is never far behind.
Justin Taylor
Different Ways that Paul Uses "Law"
February 9, 2012 | 7:45 PM CT
A 1983 article from Doug Moo breaks down the various way the Apostle Paul uses the term "nomos" (or law).
This Month's Top Articles
Tim Tebow Cancels Speech at Event Organized by Prosperity Gospel Preacher
February 1, 2012 | Joe Carter
The Denver Broncos quarterback refuses to lend his credibility to false teachers.
Carson and Keller on Jakes and the Elephant Room
February 3, 2012 | D. A. Carson and Tim Keller
The purpose of this post is not to provide a re-hash of recent events, still less to assign blame. It is to provide some theological and pastoral reflection on the interlocking issues with which we have been wrestling.
When Your Preacher Is Not John Piper
January 6, 2012 | Steve Burchett
Mature believers are easily edified, even by lackluster preaching.
Megachurch Pastor Eddie Long Crowned as "King"
February 3, 2012 | Joe Carter
The controversial Georgia pastor's bizarre coronation ceremony goes viral.
Book Reviews
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TGC Blog
New York City Churches Find New Homes
Feb 09, 2012 | John Starke
A couple Sundays ago, I announced to my congregation that we would be moving from where we currently meet---a New York City public school---to our new meeting space. We aren't moving because we've outgrown the space where we meet, but because the city has ruled that churches can no longer meet in public schools. We will need to be out February 19.
Many of you have been praying for the many New York churches who heard back in December that they will need to find a new place to congregate. This has been a difficult challenge for many churches, since space is an expensive and limited commodity in this bustling city that needs the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our church is one of more than 60 affected by this decision, which has provoked discussion about cultural definitions of worship and church-state relations. Churches, civic leaders, and legislators have pushed back at the local and state level. There have been demonstrations on the steps of City Hall, peaceful displays of disobedience, and "pray-in's." Pastors and city councilmen have been arrested for protesting, and Mayor Bloomberg's annual prayer breakfast was an awkward one, to say the least. Tim Keller has written in opposition to city's decision.
Hopeful legislation has been proposed in the New York State Senate intended to overturn the city's ruling. It's likely the New York State Assembly will soon follow suit by considering a similar bill. However, none of these decisions will be made before February 19. In fact, it's likely that nothing will be decided even in the next several months. Moreover, there is much pressure from outlets such as The New York Times for Governor Cuomo to veto such legislation, even if it passes.
Despite these challenges, many churches in the city that own space have flexed their hospitality muscles. Many churches that met Sunday mornings in public schools are now making plans to meet Sunday evenings so they can share these buildings.
Congregations such as First Baptist Church, which meets in the Upper West of Manhattan, are adapting not just for charity but also for the sake of the gospel. Pastor Matthew Hoskinson has planned to forfeit their Sunday school hour at 9:30 a.m. to allow for a congregation to meet during that time, even as he has arranged for another congregation to meet Saturday nights, and still another Sunday evenings.
Our own congregation has benefited from First Baptist's hospitality and pastor Hoskinson's leadership. Starting February 19, we plan to meet on Sunday evenings at First Baptist Church. This effort to welcome churches takes more time and manpower than what you might first assume.
Other churches in our position are benefiting from the hospitality of congregations who have the blessing of their own meeting space in a city built for commerce, not churches.
As churches race for space and labor for their constitutional rights, we have at least two strategic opportunities to adjust our expectations for what a worship gathering looks like.
First, there is a unusual unity that comes from sharing space among evangelical churches. Many evangelical pastors meet for prayer and planning service projects. These are hugely strategic and a blessing. But there is something different that happens when you have to figure out how two (or three) churches are going share space. We have been blessed by First Baptist as they help us cope during this season of shared space. They don't just want us to manage---they want to help other churches flourish.
Second, many churches now planning for evening services have already found this is a more strategic time for many New Yorkers to meet. Few skeptics in this city wake up Sunday morning eager to check out a church service. And on the Upper West Side, where our congregation meets, many family sporting events have been planned for Sunday morning. So we've grown excited about planning for these new opportunities for outreach on Sunday evenings.
We trust that the Lord is sovereign in all these things. This is certainly a challenging time for many churches in New York. But we have every reason to rejoice, as we hear of new, faithful, gospel-proclaiming church planters coming all the time and evangelical churches that continue to grow and multiply around the city.
Many of you have been praying for the many New York churches who heard back in December that they will need to find a new place to congregate. This has been a difficult challenge for many churches, since space is an expensive and limited commodity in this bustling city that needs the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So What Are Churches Doing Now?
Our church is one of more than 60 affected by this decision, which has provoked discussion about cultural definitions of worship and church-state relations. Churches, civic leaders, and legislators have pushed back at the local and state level. There have been demonstrations on the steps of City Hall, peaceful displays of disobedience, and "pray-in's." Pastors and city councilmen have been arrested for protesting, and Mayor Bloomberg's annual prayer breakfast was an awkward one, to say the least. Tim Keller has written in opposition to city's decision.
Hopeful legislation has been proposed in the New York State Senate intended to overturn the city's ruling. It's likely the New York State Assembly will soon follow suit by considering a similar bill. However, none of these decisions will be made before February 19. In fact, it's likely that nothing will be decided even in the next several months. Moreover, there is much pressure from outlets such as The New York Times for Governor Cuomo to veto such legislation, even if it passes.
Despite these challenges, many churches in the city that own space have flexed their hospitality muscles. Many churches that met Sunday mornings in public schools are now making plans to meet Sunday evenings so they can share these buildings.
Congregations such as First Baptist Church, which meets in the Upper West of Manhattan, are adapting not just for charity but also for the sake of the gospel. Pastor Matthew Hoskinson has planned to forfeit their Sunday school hour at 9:30 a.m. to allow for a congregation to meet during that time, even as he has arranged for another congregation to meet Saturday nights, and still another Sunday evenings.
Our own congregation has benefited from First Baptist's hospitality and pastor Hoskinson's leadership. Starting February 19, we plan to meet on Sunday evenings at First Baptist Church. This effort to welcome churches takes more time and manpower than what you might first assume.
Other churches in our position are benefiting from the hospitality of congregations who have the blessing of their own meeting space in a city built for commerce, not churches.
Strategic Opportunity
As churches race for space and labor for their constitutional rights, we have at least two strategic opportunities to adjust our expectations for what a worship gathering looks like.
First, there is a unusual unity that comes from sharing space among evangelical churches. Many evangelical pastors meet for prayer and planning service projects. These are hugely strategic and a blessing. But there is something different that happens when you have to figure out how two (or three) churches are going share space. We have been blessed by First Baptist as they help us cope during this season of shared space. They don't just want us to manage---they want to help other churches flourish.
Second, many churches now planning for evening services have already found this is a more strategic time for many New Yorkers to meet. Few skeptics in this city wake up Sunday morning eager to check out a church service. And on the Upper West Side, where our congregation meets, many family sporting events have been planned for Sunday morning. So we've grown excited about planning for these new opportunities for outreach on Sunday evenings.
We trust that the Lord is sovereign in all these things. This is certainly a challenging time for many churches in New York. But we have every reason to rejoice, as we hear of new, faithful, gospel-proclaiming church planters coming all the time and evangelical churches that continue to grow and multiply around the city.
