September Highlights!
As I write this, we are just 4 days away from our Grand Opening!! So much has happened in the last year on our journey to start a church but we believe the best is yet to come! Here’s what life was like on the church plant journey the month before launch!
The construction is finished!
When we started on our journey to plant a church, we didn’t imagine that pulling off a major remodel would be part of the plan! Like most new churches, we imagined being portable to start. God had something entirely different in mind! We are so thankful for our building and location. And after a month and a half of tools, dust, and messes everywhere, all of the construction is finished! The contractors packed up and left on the 15th. We are so happy about how everything turned out and honestly can’t believe what was accomplished in such a short time. None of this would be possible without our awesome supporters, our amazing team, and the many friends - old and new - who have been part of helping us paint, clean, and get everything ready!
Lots of visitors!
Before moving to NY, we spent 9 months at Grace Church in Kansas City. During this short time, we made some amazing friendships that we continue to treasure. Grace Church was exactly what we needed in the season before planting and they continue to support us even after we left. All throughout September, we had visits from friends we made while in KC. At the beginning of the month, we enjoyed time with our sweet friend Lyndsey! Then a few days later, we had 5 friends from Grace come out on a mission trip to help us with whatever we needed to prepare for launch. Finally, our dear friends Nate and Roxanna spent a weekend with us. Nate and Rox were in the church planting residency with us and are currently living as missionaries in Brazil! The fact that they made it to one of our preview services meant the world to us. Our time spent with all of these friends was life-giving, restful, and encouraging!
Street Fairs
Long Island LOVES its street fairs. Any given weekend from spring-fall you can find one somewhere nearby. We decided that we would participate to love and serve our community and also get the word out about Local Church. The first weekend in September, our team set up a tent and gave out almost 500 ice pops, tons of water bottles, 200 free shirts, Starbucks giftcards, mugs, and information about Local Church. So many people were surprised just to be getting something for free - let alone from a church. We loved getting to meet so many people in the community!
In fact, we loved it so much that we immediately signed up for another one that took place right in front of our building last weekend! We gave out water, sodas, and even brought many people into the building for a tour. This was such a great opportunity to answer questions, meet many of our neighbors, and get the word out right before launch day.
Preview Services!
Planning for our launch day has been interesting! We originally planned to open on September 19th. However, with all that had to be done, we thought it would be best to change the date to October 3rd. THEN we found out that the street our church is on is closed to traffic that day for the street fair. So October 10th it is! In the meantime, we have used every Sunday in September to have a preview service. Basically, we have had a full run-through every Sunday morning to work out all the kinks, pray, and share bits of our vision and the story behind Local Church. These services have been great! Lots of friends and family have been able to attend, our team has gotten stronger, and with everyone’s feedback, we have made lots of adjustments.
4 Days until LAUNCH!
We are just 4 days away from our Grand Opening on October 10th! We are expectant and excited for what God has planned. Will you please take some time and pray for this coming Sunday and the months ahead as we start Sunday services at Local Church? Pray that people who are on the fence about God and church would decide to come and give it a try. Pray that people who misunderstand God and religion would come and have their minds changed. Pray that people who are lonely would come and find a community where they feel known. Pray that people who are just going through the motions with church would be inspired to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. Pray that lives would be changed and that God would move in mighty ways! Click here to let us know you prayed!
This was our first sermon review! Mike shares his upcoming message 11 days in advance to get feedback before he shares it on a Sunday morning.
One more way you can help!
God continues to provide for Local Church in so many ways. We are continually thanking God for the generosity of so many of you who are helping get this church started! If you are interested in giving but still not sure how, we are currently raising money to purchase children and adult bibles that we will use in church and give away to those who would want one.
A few weeks ago, we opened our bibles together during a small group gathering. Someone there told me afterward that this was the first time in their life they had opened and read a bible! You can be part of making this happen for more people on Long Island. Each bible costs approximately $15 and we would like to purchase 75. Use the link below to donate directly to Local Church. Or you can mail a check to Local Church, 154 Hewlett Ave, Patchogue NY.
Here’s how you can pray 🙏
CLICK HERE to let us know you prayed!
Prayer requests:
- Please pray for our health, energy, and endurance through launch Sunday and the busy months ahead!
- We are asking God for kids team volunteers! Thankfully we have people for launch day, but we really need a more permanent team. This is our biggest need at the moment.
- For launch Sunday and for people to discover Jesus through Local Church!
Answered prayers:
- Construction finished on time and the building feels like home!
- We are feeling great about our Grand Opening! Our team is excited and ready as well.
- We have made great relationships in the community and lots of positive response at street fairs!
- We are 75% funded for our low-impact budget!
Thank you for following us on our journey 🎉
We are looking forward to all that God has for us, for you, and for Long Island! ⛪️🌱
