Back to the Grind

I really mean to use that term in the most positive way. Planting a church is hard work and now that September is over I think it's fair to say we're back to the grind.

Our kickoff event for our home fellowship groups was Wednesday evening, our youth program is moving right along, our young adults ministry has made a few plans for the Fall. We've got lots of exciting things brewing this fall and we've certainly gone a long way at rekindling the flame of ministering to our neighbors. Michael and I talk all the time about loving and serving our neighbors and transforming Central Queens with the Gospel. Re really believe it too. Our parent church, Redeemer Presbyterian has a vision for church planting than put a lot of wright on active church planting in order to reach the whole city for the Gospel. We're in the trenches here in Queens, living out the Gospel in word and need.

Please keep Ascension Church in your prayers, as we move forward with our ministries, evangelism, and outreach projects. It keeps us busy and bold, but it also keeps us humble as we seek the Lord's guidance in all we do.

Bringin' it Home
You didn't actually think that the New York Mets could win the Division title without a mention of it in my blog, did you? Of course, the inevitable church planting comparison follows. Pardon me while I gloat.

On Monday night the Amazin's captured the National League Eastern Division Championship with a win over the Florida Marlins at Shea... and they did it right here in Queens. It's great to see the title go to another team than the one owned by that media mogul in Atlanta who doesn't like God.

As I've said before on this site, I'm all about building a winning team in Queens and the Mets get me excited. We've been building a winning team since April, just like the Mets. Last week, we broke the previous week's attendance record, and the hits just keep on coming. Our home field, like Shea Stadium, is in Queens. In a town that seems to gravitate to another team, it's great to see a different one getting some credit for a change.

Since I mentioned the other team, I have to say something else. They managed to win their division title too. Unlike the Mets, however, they did it by loosing a game in Canada. I'm sure they have a fan out there who's blogging and making comparisons between baseball and foreign missions. I'm sure his readers are as annoyed by his comparisons as my readers are by mine. Next week, I'll return to my regular church planting updates without the baseball tie-ins.

Back to Normal

The word normal is probably not the best term I could use for anything related to a church plant. After all, some outside observers would look at what we're doing here and say it's anything but normal. However, if "normal," is a term used to describe how things ought to be, given all contributing circumstances, normal may just describe what's going on at Ascension Presbyterian Church right now.

During the Spring, we were experiencing a surge in attendance and had several ministries, social activities and Bible studies rolling well. The Summer was a little light with vacations and other summer scheduling conflicts, but by God's grace we pressed on.
This past Sunday, we witnessed record attandance and this week we began to bring our ministries back into the picture. Our youth program kicked off on Wednesday evening, and our home fellowship Bible studies will be starting over the next two weeks, and our young adults ministry will also be reintroduced with new ideas for events and outreach. We're beginning a few new things like a parent's ministry, a women's group to boot. We've got a busy Fall ahead, and would greatly appreciate your continued prayers.

On another note, representatives from all over the world invaded Queens two weeks ago in an attempt to conquer the world... the tennis world at least. The big show was played for many years at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens before the USTA established the tennis center in Flushing Meadows. Hey, it brings the attention of the world to Queens. Hopefully, come October, the eyes of the sporting world will focus on Queens when my Mets hit post-season baseball. I just want to keep that World Series trophy out of the Bronx. It's spent way too much time there. Who wants to spend that much time in the Bronx anyway. Queens is so much nicer.

Jack, The Working Stiff

I started my new full-time job this week and let's just say it'll take a little getting used to. If you read this blog regularly, you know that my last year has been full of adventure as Michael and I, with God's direction, somehow managed to get Ascension Presbyterian Church off the ground. My full-time service to the church was facilitated by a combination of generous ministry gifts and a generous stipend from our parent church, Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. Now that the stipend is gone and my strange part-time gigs are behind me, I've returned to my former line of work in order to pay the bills.

I now work as a Technical Writer for a consumer electronics company. My job is to write those thrilling user's guides that come with your DVD players, plasma TVs, etc. Yes, I'm sure it'll be as exciting as it sounds... especially since I sit in a room with two other Korean men who say almost nothing all day. The only conversation is a few brief statements in Korean between the two of them. I'm used to general inter-office banter between co-workers, but there's none of that here. Those of you who know me can see the irony of me working at a job in virtual silence for a 40 hour work week. I certainly will be missing the excitement of church planting full time, but hey, the bills won't pay themselves.

All this to say that I have increased incentive to step up my fundraising efforts with an eye to returning to full-time ministry. If any of you know of any churches or individuals I can speak to who might be interested in Gospel ministry in Queens, please point them in my direction. Some of you may already be on board with support, for which I'm humbled and grateful. Perhaps you can prayerfully consider increasing your giving. Others of you may be considering support. If God directs you, now is a great time to get on board. In the meantime, God has provided me with a full-time job and continues to meet my needs.

We have a busy Fall planned at the church, and I'll fill all of you in about what that's shaping up to look like next Thursday right here. Stay tuned.