Hillsong NYC UPDATE #4 [PHOTOS]
28 October, 2010
"The Purpose behind the PARADOX…"
A paradox is generally defined as “something that seems to contradict itself.”
A white person that can dance could be considered a paradox. A New York City cab driver that actually knows where they are going, is most definitely a paradox... Joel Houston’s entire life is a fantastic paradox, as there is NO WAY a person who is basically a walking AVATAR with what would appear to be no coordination whatsoever, would still be able to write songs, lead churches everywhere and dunk on people during basketball games…(This really does happen. I have video.) And to continue down this thought train, unfortunately a church that is relevant, compelling and doesn’t make you feel like you just walked out of the movie 'Inception' due to complex concepts no human being was designed to understand, is also a paradox. I’ve heard so many times since we have been here that “church shouldn’t be as fun as we are making it!” And in that context, I couldn’t be happier with the paradox label. Hillsong Church is and should always be “a paradox.” It’s large, but it’s small. It’s about the lost, but it’s about the found as well. We preach the complex mystery that is the gospel, but it still somehow makes sense to our everyday lives. At the end of the day, simply being a Christian is paradoxical: we are sinners not worthy of a thing – yet, we are redeemed living in the blessing of an Almighty God…So with that in mind, it’s only natural that we would take the road less traveled for our next chapter…
Conventional wisdom would say that when extreme momentum is present, you need to keep doing whatever it is that is contributing to it. Suffice to say, our church has some powerful momentum. By the grace of God, we are growing and our opportunity to make a difference in our city is becoming clearer by the day. Our launch service was fantastic, our teams are way stronger than even we probably anticipated this early on and people are EXCITED to take this movement forward… But in true “paradoxical” fashion, instead of now moving to weekly services after our amazingly strong launch, we have decided to move to once a month “gatherings” and once a month “team nights” beginning November 4th until February, when we will begin our weekly Sunday church services.
The purpose behind this is vitally important to us. We are so passionate about being a healthy church that will stand the test of time that we want to intentionally and meticulously build our culture. Sometimes a great “service” can fool people into thinking that a foundation is strong. Thankfully, we know better. Somebody can get lucky on a few pop quizzes without truly knowing the material…but eventually, the exam will come! And if your not truly prepared, you simply cannot pass the test when it matters. There is simply too much at stake for us to rush into anything, when our goal is to win the WAR, not just the battle of the moment. So our team nights will be open to anybody and everybody and on these nights we will continue to teach our Hillsong DNA, praise and worship God together, get to know the people that are committed to calling Hillsong NYC their church home, explaining what we believe about Jesus and what this means for us as a church. We will also lay out the plan for our small groups, which are going to be such a vital part of our church creating community and strong relationships with like-minded people. Our gatherings will be inspirational, soul-winning meetings with preaching and powerful praise and worship that will keep us focused on the bigger picture and Cause, which we are committed to. What we may “lose” in momentum in the short term, we will “GAIN” in the quality and content of the people who have made the effort to truly be a part of this church, as opposed to simply attending a service. And therein lies the paradox… what could appear to slow us down, will actually be the very thing that propels us into our healthy and by the grace of God, influential future...
On the Sundays where we are not having official gatherings, we are encouraging people to build relationships, pray and study God’s word and prepare your heart for the season that is rapidly approaching. If you like, you could even call it the ‘calm before the storm…’ We believe for this ‘storm’ to be a church that is consistent, vibrantly active in our community, overflowing with new Christians and held together by those who have walked the journey for years…that is a ‘perfect storm’ in our minds.
The caliber of people that God is assembling for this church and this cause is overwhelmingly amazing. On behalf of our entire Hillsong Family, Joel, Laura and I - Thank you for your trust in this vision, your support and your passion to build a church that New York City can call home…
Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way…
Carl
PS Check out the video of our launch here: Hillsong NYC : Just The Beginning
For more information on Hillsong NYC please visit hillsongnyc.com
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