June 2023 Update
Family,
This ministry update is intended to keep you informed of all that is happening with the Serra’s ministry journey planting New City Fellowship this coming January. It is my prayer that you keep in mind that everything you read is made possible because of your sacrificial and generous contributions toward our gospel mission in this city. I pray that as you read this letter, your affections would be stirred, and encouragement would guard your heart in Jesus, for His fame.
The last few months have been exciting and eventful. In May we crossed the one-year mark since we began our bible study. For one year, God has been working in the hearts of everyone here; turning the de-churched into church planters, the church hurt transformed into church healed. Currently, we have tabled our conversations about Core Values and membership for the fall since a lot of our people will be traveling in and out of the state for vacations, work trips, etc. And so in the meantime, we are going, slowly, through the book of Ephesians under the title “How God Used the Church to Change the World”. We are three weeks in and I can already testify that God has been meeting us in wonderful ways so keep us in prayer that the Lord would continue to show up and do work in the hearts of our people, including myself.
Last week I challenged our group to come and worship together at our sending church, CrossPointe Church Orlando, as I am going to preach for the next 4 weeks. Last Sunday we had almost everyone show up and even bring their relatives. It was such a humbling and wonderful gift to see all of us together worshipping together as a foretaste for what is to come. I truly can not wait for the next couple of weeks to do it all again!
Financially, there hasn’t been a difference in position since my last update in April. We are still 25% funded, with 11 active partners and 5 more joining this fall. We have received wonderfully generous one-time gifts in the last few weeks and have also made significant relationships with other Orlando churches we hope will translate into a financial partnership. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we pursue more external financial partnerships and call our people internally to consider giving as well.
To close, we are currently engaging in talks with a local church here in Hunter’s Creek to host us for one Sunday night a month beginning in July. This is the same church that we partnered with during Good Friday when we rented their chapel. We are hoping that the success of Good Friday, the assumed success of these once-a-month gatherings would translate well to launching out of their building in January. We are very grateful for how they’ve served us so far and have treated us in meetings and regularly friendly check-ins. We hope to utilize these Sunday night gatherings in different ways; Interest Parties, Worship Nights, and prayer nights.
Be encouraged in the Lord, family. This is your story too.
Numbers 6:24-26
Pastor Justin
