A Little More Context and Update
It wouldn't be a Queens website without some pictures of the Unisphere. This monument was built for the 1964 World's Fair by the United States Steel Corp. to symbolize the work of the nations of the world to accomplish peace. More than 40 years later, that's still something of a pipe dream. Today the Unisphere is generally recognized as a symbol of Queens. Given the current ethnic make-up of the Borough, I can't think of a better concept.
The first picture here is of the hospital where I was born. Jamaica isn't just an island in the Caribbean, it's a neighborhood in Queens. It was originally simply known as Jamaica Hospital. The words "Medical Center," were added later so no one would confuse it for something else, like a theater or baseball stadium.
The next is a picture of the house where I grew up on 78th Street in Woodhaven. For about half of my childhood, it was yellow and brown and paneled in the original wood with which it was built. This became too much maintenance, and we installed the current blue aluminum siding seen in this picture. I don't know the current residents so there will be no plaque commemorating this as my boyhood home. My mother,however, would have never hung such ugly drapes in the porch window.
The third picture is of the Woodhaven Baptist Church on 80th Street where I was baptized when I was about six years old. I may be a Presbyterian now, but we were Baptists until I was eight.
This picture appears here because I need to explain some things to some people. This is a picture of Le Cordon Bleu, a catering hall on Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven. My sister Jane and I worked here one summer when we were in college. One of the managers, Tony, was a large man who's typical tone of voice was something of a yell. Tony never called me by my given name, preferring to call me "Glasses." I told this story to my friend Scott Lowe in seminary a few years ago and he has gotten a lot of milage out of it. So much milage, in fact, that people I know through my association with Scott generally know me only by this unfortunate nickname rather than my real name. Thank you, Scott. I love you, Brother.
These are scenes from the Austin Street fair in Forest Hills this past weekend. Michael and I were there with some others from the church plant community. It was a great opportunity to meet and greet... and eat.
Finally, for the past few weeks, all eyes of the sporting world were on Queens. The U.S. Open brings tennis greats from all over the world to the borough and is an opportunity for Queens to shine for the world. Now, if olny the Mets would pick up their game and bring the World Series back to Queens and take it out of the Bronx for a change.
Anyway, Michael is in the final stages of his ordination and the church plant is on the verge of starting up. Small groups should start next week. I'll be running Friday, Saturday, and Monday night groups. I'm also trying to coordinate with the other two PCA churches in Queens (Astoria and Flushing) on joint youth programs. This will not only broaden our youth ministry, but should strengthen our relationships with the other churches.
I have also been attempting to coordinate how our church plant will help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Even though we are not yet an actual church, Redeemer has been in touch with PCA pastors Mo Leverett and Jeffrey Lancaster in New Orleans, and I have contacted David Skinner, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Biloxi, MS. We hope to work through denomination aide to help those in need, many of whom have lost everything they have. I am glad, my friends in Jackson, Meridian, and Leakesville came out okay and with minimal damage. My friend Sam in Jackson described the scene there as "like a bad Stephen King movie." That helps bring a little perspective, I guess. Please continue to pray for the Gulf Coast region and for our efforts for relief.
Starting in October, our church plant will begin "rehearsal" worship services. These are real worship services, but they are only for our launch community. These will enable us to get comfortable worshipping together as a new church and will help us to work out any "kinks" before we officially launch in November.
Well, I've been here more than a month and the bills are finally arriving in the mail. They remind me that I still need to raise significant funds. For those of you who are excited about our ministry here in Queens, I encourage you to consider financial support. If you do, make checks out to Redeemer Presbyterian Church and put my name on the memo line. Send them to me at 83-44 Lefferts Blvd. Apt. 3C; Kew Gardens, NY 11415.
This blog is designed to generate interest and enthusiasm for our church planting ministry here in Forest Hills. To that end, I do not plan to ever run pictures of Manhattan on this website. If you absoultely must have a picture of the Empire State Building, give me your address and I'll send you a postcard.
It wouldn't be a Queens website without some pictures of the Unisphere. This monument was built for the 1964 World's Fair by the United States Steel Corp. to symbolize the work of the nations of the world to accomplish peace. More than 40 years later, that's still something of a pipe dream. Today the Unisphere is generally recognized as a symbol of Queens. Given the current ethnic make-up of the Borough, I can't think of a better concept.
The first picture here is of the hospital where I was born. Jamaica isn't just an island in the Caribbean, it's a neighborhood in Queens. It was originally simply known as Jamaica Hospital. The words "Medical Center," were added later so no one would confuse it for something else, like a theater or baseball stadium.
The next is a picture of the house where I grew up on 78th Street in Woodhaven. For about half of my childhood, it was yellow and brown and paneled in the original wood with which it was built. This became too much maintenance, and we installed the current blue aluminum siding seen in this picture. I don't know the current residents so there will be no plaque commemorating this as my boyhood home. My mother,however, would have never hung such ugly drapes in the porch window.
The third picture is of the Woodhaven Baptist Church on 80th Street where I was baptized when I was about six years old. I may be a Presbyterian now, but we were Baptists until I was eight.
This picture appears here because I need to explain some things to some people. This is a picture of Le Cordon Bleu, a catering hall on Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven. My sister Jane and I worked here one summer when we were in college. One of the managers, Tony, was a large man who's typical tone of voice was something of a yell. Tony never called me by my given name, preferring to call me "Glasses." I told this story to my friend Scott Lowe in seminary a few years ago and he has gotten a lot of milage out of it. So much milage, in fact, that people I know through my association with Scott generally know me only by this unfortunate nickname rather than my real name. Thank you, Scott. I love you, Brother.
These are scenes from the Austin Street fair in Forest Hills this past weekend. Michael and I were there with some others from the church plant community. It was a great opportunity to meet and greet... and eat.
Finally, for the past few weeks, all eyes of the sporting world were on Queens. The U.S. Open brings tennis greats from all over the world to the borough and is an opportunity for Queens to shine for the world. Now, if olny the Mets would pick up their game and bring the World Series back to Queens and take it out of the Bronx for a change.
Anyway, Michael is in the final stages of his ordination and the church plant is on the verge of starting up. Small groups should start next week. I'll be running Friday, Saturday, and Monday night groups. I'm also trying to coordinate with the other two PCA churches in Queens (Astoria and Flushing) on joint youth programs. This will not only broaden our youth ministry, but should strengthen our relationships with the other churches.
I have also been attempting to coordinate how our church plant will help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Even though we are not yet an actual church, Redeemer has been in touch with PCA pastors Mo Leverett and Jeffrey Lancaster in New Orleans, and I have contacted David Skinner, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Biloxi, MS. We hope to work through denomination aide to help those in need, many of whom have lost everything they have. I am glad, my friends in Jackson, Meridian, and Leakesville came out okay and with minimal damage. My friend Sam in Jackson described the scene there as "like a bad Stephen King movie." That helps bring a little perspective, I guess. Please continue to pray for the Gulf Coast region and for our efforts for relief.
Starting in October, our church plant will begin "rehearsal" worship services. These are real worship services, but they are only for our launch community. These will enable us to get comfortable worshipping together as a new church and will help us to work out any "kinks" before we officially launch in November.
Well, I've been here more than a month and the bills are finally arriving in the mail. They remind me that I still need to raise significant funds. For those of you who are excited about our ministry here in Queens, I encourage you to consider financial support. If you do, make checks out to Redeemer Presbyterian Church and put my name on the memo line. Send them to me at 83-44 Lefferts Blvd. Apt. 3C; Kew Gardens, NY 11415.
This blog is designed to generate interest and enthusiasm for our church planting ministry here in Forest Hills. To that end, I do not plan to ever run pictures of Manhattan on this website. If you absoultely must have a picture of the Empire State Building, give me your address and I'll send you a postcard.
posted by Jack at 11:39 AM
1 Comments:
The Unisphere looks like that ridiculous rotating globe that Joel Osteen has rotating behind him while he's "preaching" his "sermons"!
The moral of the story? If you want your church plant to be successful, you've got to preach in front of a rotating globe...and lose all your theological integrity. Before you know it, you'll be taking over Madison Square Garden!
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