Our new address is:
117 Withers Street, Apt. 3R
Brooklyn, NY 11211
I’ve (jokingly) decided to vacate our current apartment because I can no longer sit still and relax in it. Yes, we are in the process of moving again – an exciting process, but packing is a little scary. We are ecstatic about beginning life and ministry in Brooklyn, NY. Yet it means another move – another resettling period – another round of goodbyes.
Our family has lived in Lawrenceville, GA (this time around) for close to 2 ½ years. It’s hard to believe that is possible.
This move back to Lawrenceville began as a visit to see how David’s mom was doing when she was ill. We’ve communicated often about the tragedy of losing her as well as David’s father.
Yet our time here has become much more than a visit to extended family. God has shown us much mercy here and His Church has given us great love. We have been well-cared for here, by so many of you – our dear family and friends. You have grieved with us, you have loaned us household goods, you’ve taken care of Jonah, a few of you gave us jobs. You have welcomed Hannah, you’ve celebrated with us, you have given us gifts, you are using or storing our excess belongings, you have prayed for us, many of you are supporting us, and you’ve given us a place to worship and serve the LORD. We are profoundly grateful. Thank you.
The irony of it all is that I’ve so often looked at this time in our lives as extremely hard. And I don’t want to downplay the difficulties of our experience. Yet, in the midst of that hardship, perhaps because of it, we have received grace, peace, and joy which I have found truly surprising.
Many of you want to know what our daily life will look like in Brooklyn, and I can’t wait to find out. Certain things there will be harder – like laundry, for example. But other things might be easier – we’ll be walking a lot, so we won’t have to set aside time to exercise.
We’re excited because, though our lives will look quite different in NY, we feel that we are responding to God’s call on our lives to mission. Brooklyn is full of all kinds of people that God made in His image. Please pray that we would know and love them well. Jesus has saved us and brought us into His Kingdom service. May our lives and your lives speak the gospel to the people among us and in the places He has given us in which to live.
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
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
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.
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!
