April 2023 Update
Family,
This ministry update, I hope, will catch you up on all that God has been doing here in Orlando over the last month. First, as always, I want to say thank you on the front end, because this report is made possible only through your partnership with us. It is because of your prayers, your generosity, and your sacrifice that my family and I have been able to be supported throughout this season. I look forward to your continued support throughout the year to keep us on track to continue the work the Lord has been so faithfully producing fruit in. I pray, that by the Lord’s grace, he’s displayed this month, this update encourages your soul and stirs your affections towards Him!
Last month, we experienced such incredible sweetness. It was our people, not my prompting that desired to take our Friday Night Bible Study and turn it into a full-on worship service for Good Friday. And so I had one week to plan a Good Friday service. At first, we planned for a service in my living room, however, we quickly saw the registrations increase. There was no way we were going to fit in my living room and so I contacted a local A/G (Assemblies of God) church to see if we could rent a space from them. We planned to use their kid's ministry worship room but the registrations continued to climb. We were not going to fit in that worship room. So we had to rent their detached chapel for a great price (see pictures attached).
By God’s grace, we filled the building with 65 people and held a full liturgy. As you pray for us, pray a prayer of thanks for Victoria Church which housed us and encouraged us. Pray a prayer of thanks for the Foti’s who blessed us with leading us in worship, and encouragement. Pray a prayer of thanks to the people of CrossPointe Church, our sending church, who also spread the word and encouraged friends to join us. We are so grateful for the support we have received.
Looking forward, we’re going to maintain the course of continuing our Friday Night Bibles Studies through our core values. We finished studying our first core value (Cristo-Centrality) by studying the entire book of Colossians. Today, we are in the middle of studying our second core value (Joyful Discipleship) by studying the entire book of Philippians. We’ll continue this course through the summer. Once we come to the fall, things will ramp up exponentially. We have big plans we’re praying for!
This month, I was actually able to come to Los Angeles to preach for one of our individual support partners, the Dabits. Sameer and his wife have been prayerfully and financially supporting us since day 1 and he had asked the family and me to cross the country and spend time with them but also to preach for the church he pastors, Story City Church Granada Hills. I will have already preached for them by the time you read this but please know that we thank God for the Dabits love, generosity, and spirit-filled affection for the 5 of us. As a personal request, would you pray a prayer of encouragement and gladness over them?
To conclude, financially we are still 25% funded for 2023. There is a significant need for us to close this gap and some larger partnerships and relationships are in the beginning stages of relationship building. We feel confident that these relationships will not only be monumental for us financially, but we believe more importantly, that these relationships with benefit us spiritually.
You can continue to expect updates and prayer requests like this one to come from me monthly. As January gets closer, there will be more and more to share. I want to leave you with a different testimony from one of our core group members. I pray that it blesses you and encourages you as you come to the understanding that what she writes, you have a hand in too!
Yours in the Greatest Cause,
Justin Serra
Planting Pastor | New City Fellowship
This year New City Fellowship has been the gift I didn’t see coming. It’s been years since my family and I have engaged in a community with fellow believers. My husband and I have been working through years of church trauma and have been hesitant to return. Thanks to NCF, we are finally at a point we feel safe enough to start congregating. Our Fridays with NCF have been a breath of fresh air. Their Christ-centered and human approach to ministry has been the differential factor that has kept me coming week after week. The combination of Gospel-focused teachings along with their genuine hospitality and rich fellowship has ministered to our family in life-changing ways. It is because of our times together on Fridays that my husband and I got a jump start in improving our communication. The candid check-in conversations about the group’s emotional and mental health created a safe space for us to share our hearts with each other. I love that we start our time together by turning inwards and in the process recognizing our desperate need for Christ and one another. The amount of sacrifice and dedication devoted to our time together has not only made an impact in my marriage but in our children’s life. It brings me joy and rest to know this space is as much for us as it is for our children to grow in Christ. I am eternally grateful for the privilege to grow in Christ alongside real humans. Humans that have the courage to gift their flaws and have the capacity to graciously hold mine. This is the true meaning of congregation…holding space for our humanity, eagerly coming to His presence through His word, witnessing it come alive, and Glorifying Him for it. I can go on and on…beyond blessed to be part of my family at New City Fellowship.
- J. C-R.
