If you’ve been around New City Church for long you’ve no doubt heard about our quest for a new location. Our current lease is up and we are out of space; yesterday, the first weekend in June mind you, we had a non-Easter/Christmas attendance record at 364 people!  It felt like a fall launch more than it did the first weekend of the desert summer.  We were reminded yesterday that it is the people that make the church what it is; a facility is a tool … not the focus. Yet, a larger facility can help us do more of what God is calling us to do in this city: being a place that intersects the message of Jesus with art, culture, commerce and education in our city’s center.

Today we had a conference call with the owner of the facility we are trying to lease.  Many of you prayed and fasted for our meeting time. THANK YOU for doing that. I was honored and humbled that so many would express your support in this way.   The meeting went well and I feel like we do have a better understanding of what the owner is asking for and the agreement they want to reach.  We have made them an offer that everyone tells us is a fair market offer, but, the owner hasn’t taken it yet.  We are awaiting some additional information regarding costs associated with demolition of the interior (there is a lot of work to do), abating the asbestos (most old buildings have asbestos that must be taken out) and putting in a sprinkler system that meets the requirements for assembly space.  Once we have these numbers solidified, we can move forward with a “final offer” and see how the owner responds. Again, we’ve been told we have already made a fair offer but we will reassess one more time and then submit another offer.  We want to be fair and at the same time be great stewards of God’s money so we will not, to the best of our ability, make a poor decision.

Whatever happens with this particular facility, we know God has plans for us; we trust in Him alone and we will continue to follow wherever He leads. Whereever that is, it won’t be a place where He is not.  He will be with us. Please continue to pray that we hear and heed the voice of God.

In humble service to you,

brian k.