August Prayer Update

Prayer Update August 2009

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life. - Romans 6:4

                          Hannah's Baptism                          

                    Jonah started Pre-K

   A view from inside Resurrection Presbyterian Church

Greetings from Lawrenceville, GA! The page is turning. We are closing out a chapter in our lives and opening a new one. We will be moving to Brooklyn on October 1. Please pray for our apartment search during our visit to Brooklyn from August 28 – September 1. Please also pray for our preparations to move to Brooklyn.

New Beginnings: Hannah was baptized on August 16! We were excited to celebrate the love Christ has for her and the union he desires with her. Please praise God with us for Hannah’s baptism. Please pray that Hannah and Jonah would be identified with Christ and his work for them. 

Many people will walk through the doors of Resurrection Presbyterian Church for the first time this fall. Each person, believer and unbeliever, will bring their own particular joys and struggles to be met with the gospel. Please pray for God to use Resurrection Presbyterian Church to serve and love all of the people who come in such a way that Christ may be glorified.

NO SLEEP TIL BROOKLYN CHALLENGE: Please praise God with us that over 50% of our financial support has been raised! We are so thankful for many of you who have already partnered with us through prayer and giving in our mission to Brooklyn. We are in most need in the areas of $50 and $100 monthly commitments. You can follow weekly updates at http://stancils.blogspot.com about Brooklyn and us. Please pray for our financial support and consider giving to us in one of the following ways. 

1. Monthly Commitment

We are seeking people to give:

$250 monthly     $100 monthly

$50 monthly       $25 monthly

              $10 monthly

2. One-Time Gift

We are seeking people to give:

$1000               $500

$250                 $100

Giving: Please make checks payable to Brooklyn Church Project. Indicate “Stancil Support” on the memo line. Send checks to the following address:

Brooklyn Church Project

c/o Park Slope Presbyterian Church

174 Prospect Park West, Apt. 1L

Brooklyn, NY 11215

You can also give online at

http://resurrectionwilliamsburg.com

Click on Give, then Give online. 

Type in your information and select the category: Pastoral Intern.

We will continue to contact you about financially partnering with us. 

We are grateful for your love and support.

Peace to You,

David & Mia

Hannah's Baptism

Dear family and friends,

Please praise God with us for the baptism of Hannah Elizabeth! She was baptized today, August 16th, at Ivy Creek Church, our church home in Lawrenceville, GA. We ask for your prayers as we seek to raise her and Jonah to love our Savior Jesus.

Thank you,

David & Mia

God Hates the NY Yankees!

Here is a selection from a report given by Matt Brown (Senior Pastor, Brooklyn Church Project) at General Assembly (the PCA denominational gathering) about Brooklyn:

I’m sure most of you know that Brooklyn is one five boroughs in New York City, but many of you might not know that Brooklyn is God’s favorite borough—and I can prove this beyond any shadow of a doubt. You know that God loves people more than he loves anything else and with 2.5 million people we have more than any other borough by far. Queens is the second largest borough and Manhattan is a distant third. Given this logic you might assume that God loves Staten Island the least because it has the fewest people, but the Bronx is dead last because, like Esau, God hates the New York Yankees.

Ebbets Field, God loved the Brooklyn Dodgers!

All kidding aside, Brooklyn is an exciting and challenging place to do ministry.

• Brooklyn teaches us how to love our neighbors: there are 35,000 people per square mile. I’m often asked at GA why I love raising my kids in the city and I always say its because they learn how to share. They share their walls and ceilings, sidewalks, recreation, transportation with people from every walk of life. Just on our block, we have rich and poor; gays and lesbians; whites, blacks, Latinos and Asians; Christians, Jews, Buddhists, agnostics and atheists.    
• Brooklyn cultivates our imaginations. In the 19^th Century, it was nicknamed the Borough of Churches because vibrant faith led to the construction of many beautiful church buildings. A century later, some of those buildings have been torn down or converted into condominiums or civic theaters. Those remaining are often empty on Sunday mornings. They are constant reminders of what was and what could be. We hope and pray that Brooklyn will again be known for its vibrant Christian faith. We want to see these churches come back to life. We want to see justice come to our borough in the name of Jesus. We want to see artists and writers and musicians working for the glory of God. We want to see the Gospel going into all the world through our immigrant communities. This is what we imagine and we know if this happens God will accomplish it through his people. 

Getting Started - Brooklyn Church Project Internship

Here is a reflection I wrote for the Summer Newsletter of Brooklyn Church Project:

The Call: Excitement fills my heart and mind as I prepare to move to Brooklyn and start the church planting internship. I have experienced much loss recently in my life that has opened my eyes to see the brevity and futility of life in this world. The entire world is crying out for new life. The Christian hope in the resurrection has opened my ears to hear the groans all around me for redemption, and it has renewed me in mission. God has shown me that one place where the groaning of the world is audible to me is the city. Therefore, I have envisioned starting an urban church for the sake of bringing hope for new life.

The Context: Brooklyn needs the hope of the gospel, and I am thrilled that God has called me to Brooklyn to begin the process of training and preparing to start a new church. The amount of diversity in regard to people and experiences and the uniqueness of Brooklyn’s highly populated neighborhoods stir up my sense of mission. Brooklyn has a rich history and God is at work there today.

The Church: The collegiate model of the Brooklyn Church Project deeply resonates with me. Perhaps what I anticipate most about my call to Brooklyn is joining this team of pastors who provide a great amount of support for each other. My philosophy of ministry and approach aligns with the core values of the Brooklyn Church Project, and I look forward to working with the network toward the common goal of planting churches in Brooklyn. May the church celebrate the gospel of Christ in word and deed throughout Brooklyn so that it might be a place that takes hold of the Christian hope.

The Challenge: My family will face many bumps in the road in our move to Brooklyn. The bumps are mainly a result of the transition to daily life in Brooklyn. We have a lot of rust to shake off after being away from city life for two years. Transportation, schools, smaller living space, and playing in the park are among many dynamics of life in Brooklyn that will be an initial challenge for our family. In addition, being away from extended family and having a newborn will also be challenges for my family. We are willing to face the challenges of the transition because mission directs our family life, not comfort or convenience. We are called to daily life in Brooklyn!