I Left Something in New York…

David Manning
Jul 21, 2017 · 4 min read

I left a black ankle sock at the Days Inn in Brooklyn and I really like these socks so if I could get it back that would be great. Now I’m stuck with a lone ranger sock and I’m not even sure what to do with it. Do I turn it into a puppet or do I put out an ad on sockharmony and see if I can find it a new mate? I’m just confused and forlorn over my missing sock. OK, back to reality. In all seriousness, the thing New York took from me that matters the most, was a large chunk of my heart and soul. You showed me the life of the city, you showed me the brokenness, you showed me a group of people that are charging into a mission field desiring to make a difference in the creation for the Creator. A group of missionaries that have a true care for the people in the community and see a need to bring the Gospel to them. As they forge into unsafe waters they put their faith in God knowing that whatever happens, it is in His will and they desire to do nothing more than to follow Him.

For CBC it was a chance for us to begin placing a missional footprint outside our immediate location. It gave us the opportunity to see a place that is completely different from our norm, yet the need is the same. We saw people that loved God with their entire being and we saw people that had no clue they were in need of His saving love. It gave us opportunities to step outside of our comfort zones and live out the teachings we love to talk about. It made us put our money where our mouth was and everyone stepped up and walked His walk and gave glory to Him. From getting to know the neighborhood and the people that live and work there, to promoting the incoming church, to getting to just serve a community that isn’t used to just being loved on through all things a good old fashioned cook out we walked intentionally living as His disciples. Now our church is in a position that we can continue this, both here and outside our immediate area, or we can step back and live in a shell. My prayer is that from the stories we share, the change in those that went, and the Holy Spirit moving that we see the need to be a mission-minded church outside our immediate area of life.

Life comes fast, even in Alabama, but there is always time to stop and share the Gospel; we proved that in New York. We were able to get people to stop for a few seconds and we listened to them, something that a lot of times I am bad at, and heard their story. We heard their pain, their fears, their desires and most importantly, we made them feel like people. New York is full of people but lacks in true relationships. That is something the church can show, both through the vertical relationship with God and the horizontal relationship with fellow believers. Pray that these relationships start blossoming and growing at unbelievable rates; that people see the need to grow close to each other and through that grow closer to Christ.

Keep the Bridge Church and its leadership in your prayers. As they continue to run the race, the race we are all called to, that they have the endurance and fortitude to finish strong. That they can break down barriers that have built up over time and share the Gospel with those in need. Keep their families in your prayers as they continue on this journey, trusting in His plan. Pray for the events they have coming up and the new church location, that God will move big and open the doors needed to bring people to a loving relationship with Him. Pray for the members as things change and the church grows, which can be scary, but Kingdom growth is a goal we should all push towards.

Pray for those that went, that over time we don’t forget the great work God has already done in the Flatbush community. Pray that we can make the need known clearly and that we can match the drive and intentions that we had in NYC here in Alabama. Pray that as trips come up, and possible moves for some, that we listen to what He has to say and follow His commands. Lastly, pray for His Church, because in the end we are all part of His Church, despite location, despite the community we live in, we are all family in Christ.

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