Jose Humphreys

For several years Mayra and I have worked in the nonprofit/social services field. We originally had plans to start a consulting firm to nonprofits and eventually a nonprofit-research institute. God had other plans. After serving as part of a launch team at a church plant about a year ago, we were totally transformed by the experience. We felt the tug in our hearts to pursue the formation of a community of faith.

What do we envision a church to be in New York City? Well first of all, there are alot of great churches in this beautiful city doing wonderful work. We see our church simply contributing to what God has in mind for the city (the Missio Dei or Mission of God). Our plans to plant a church are not a reaction to what churches are not doing. Nor do we believe we can do it better than others. The call to begin a gathering of faith is about feeling compelled in our hearts to do so.

We imagine a people that:

• Desire to be faithful followers of Christ. Church therefore goes beyond just being a place. Rather, it’s about people on a journey with Jesus. Imperfect, yet striving. Broken, yet held together by his grace. Seeking, yet progressively becoming more like him in love for God and others.

We imagine a people that:

• Love the city because God loves the city. We don’t simply live here to tolerate the city, but to serve it, pray for it, and imagine it as God would see it. We love the city because it is a mosaic, a cultural center, and through God’s redemptive work a potential glimpse of what heaven will be like.

We imagine a people that:

• Find themselves in a story. In a world where identities and ambitions constantly shift, we can locate ourselves in God’s story. His story is one of a “furious pursuit” of his creation. Our story is not of a God who is some distant figure sitting on some throne with arms folded. No way. He came to this world and died for us. It is in this story that we find ourselves loved, situated, and forgiven. Yes. We are a community that has a story of being forgiven and restored.

We imagine a people that:

• Act justly as a call and a way of life. The word justice can often be mired in controversy. It’s often associated with picket signs, or court proceedings. Justice is somewhat broader than this. It’s about as theologian N.T.Wright put’s it, “putting the world to rights.” The world is a broken and fragmented place due to sin. Seeking justice is participating with Christ in the redemptive mission of making things right, seeking the shalom or peace of our world. We strive against those ideals that would fragment or pit neighbor against neighbor, or would keep out “the least of these.”

We imagine a people that:

• Embrace the beauty of diversity. Cultural diversity goes beyond occupying space with people that are different. Jesus himself was Jewish. So we realize that because God embraced both humanity and culture, we embrace one another. It’s about allowing ourselves to be changed by people of other cultures. Change occurs when we go beyond just understanding, into actually identifying with. That’s what God did for us when he became human. He identified with us.

We imagine a people that:

• Are co-creators with God in using their artistic, vocational and academic talents to shape culture. This can take place in different segments of society (i.e. workplace, art studio, local police precinct). We realize that being salt and light in our culture happens through passionately using our talents to make our city a better place.

1. Over 1.5 million people live in Manhattan
2. The Total population of all 5 boroughs is 8 million.
3. Only 0.5% of residents in Manhattan are of the evangelical tradition.
4. In NYC there are only 3,000 churches for 8,000,000 people.