Communications Director
 
Part Time: Approximately 12 Hours Per Week (Hybrid Work Environment)
Salary: $1,000 Per Month
 
City on a Hill Church is seeking a qualified and industrious person to fill the role of Communications Director.
 
The Communications Director will develop and implement a robust and comprehensive  strategy for church communications.
 
The Communications Director will be responsible for both internal and external communications and will work with volunteer leaders, elders, and staff to gather and disseminate pertinent information about all church activities. Attendance at the weekly staff meeting is required.
 
The successful candidate will have experience in communications, proficiency in the written word, basic graphic design skills, and a high level of competency in social media and other web-based communication platforms.
 
The successful candidate will be able to gather a volunteer team and empower them to help further the church’s ability to inform our members, regular attenders, and the community at large about City on a Hill’s vision, ongoing ministry opportunities, and upcoming events.
 
The Communications Director will also be required to provide some administrative assistance in church operations.
 
If you are interested in this position, please e-mail apply@cityonahillabq.com with a resume and cover letter.

Hey City on a Hill Church!

What a great last couple of weeks we have had in our new building!

This week is our Grand Opening for the building at 3715 Silver and Easter! Please invite friends and family to our services this weekend. The details are below:

Good Friday (April 15th)
Service is a 6:00pm and childcare is available. Please RSVP for childcare HERE

Easter Sunday (April 17th)
Services at 8:30am and 10:30am with baptisms at both services (family style, no childcare).

• After the 8:30am service, we will have an Easter egg hunt for the kids and a sno cone truck with free sno cones for anyone who wants one.
• After the 10:30am service, we will have an Easter egg hunt for the kids and hamburgers, hotdogs, and sno cones for everyone.

If you would like to be baptized on Easter please send me an e-mail – ryan@cityonahillabq.com

Looking forward to celebrating new life in Christ with all of you this weekend!

In Him,

Pastor Ryan

Friends,

The day we have been praying for and working toward is upon us.

On April 3rd, just two Sundays from now, we will hold our first services in our permanent home at 3715 Silver Ave SE!! Our new service times will be 8:30 am and 10:30 am. And we will have Kids Ministry for both services. Please invite your friends and family to join us for this great occasion.

Not only are we crossing a finish line on April 3rd, but in many ways, we will cross a starting line too. Yes, we are going to be in our permanent home that we have worked so hard to get into, but we will also begin the marathon of faithful ministry, by treasuring the gospel of Jesus Christ through gospel witness, care, and service to our neighborhood and one another for, God willing, many decades.

In so many ways this is a story of redemption for our church and that building. 3715 Silver Avenue housed faithful Christians for many decades before it closed its doors in 2014. It then became a place of darkness and a detriment to the community. In the last year we have retaken the name City on a Hill and restored that building, desiring to be a local church that brings the light of Jesus Christ to the darkness of our beautiful, yet broken-by-sin, city.

Friends, I am so hopefully expectant for all the Lord has in store for us. It will not be easy – there will be challenges – but the glory of the Lord Jesus and his work in the lives of those who will come to know him, grow in him, and have their legacies changed by him is worth our all.

To him who has been faithful to us in the past, is faithful to us in the present, and will be faithful to us in the future, be glory and honor and power now and forevermore. For our great joy and his glory over every square inch of creation. Amen

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan

P.S. Moving day will be next Sunday (3/27). If you are an able-bodied person in our church, please be at 3715 Silver Ave at 3 pm on Sunday March 27th for our move. We are hoping to have most things moved by 5 pm. If you have a truck or trailer, please bring that too.

Friends,

As many of you have already heard, the Governor has ended the indoor mask mandate today, Thursday February 17th, effective immediately. As such, we are no longer required to wear masks inside for church services.

As with all the COVID mandates over the last two years, we have done our best to comply with those that do not directly contradict Scripture.

I know that mandates and COVID rules have been a point of contention for all of us in our workplace, family, church, and community whether being for them or against them. In it all we have encouraged you to be kind and gracious with one another no matter where you land on their importance, efficacy, or inferred political meanings.

This holds true now as this mask mandate is ended.

If someone chooses to still wear a mask, love them.
If someone chooses to not wear a mask, love them.

“Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” – Romans 14:3-4

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday, 10:00 am, Lobo Theatre.

In Christ,

Pastor Ryan
On Behalf of the Elders

Hello friends,

Last Sunday we held part 2 of our Neighborhood Assessment meetings.

For those of you who don’t know, for the last 11 months a group of volunteers from our church has been working with an organization called “Seed to Oaks” to conduct a deep study of our church and our new neighborhood in Nob Hill. As a result of that deep study, which you can access HERE, the team cross-referenced the strengths of the congregants of our church with the needs of our neighborhood and proposed that we, as a church body, engage in four different ministry areas:

• UNM/College Ministry
• Community Events
• Homelessness
• Public Schools

Over 55 people attended Sunday’s meeting – which was so incredibly encouraging – and now we want to invite you to be involved in the next steps.

Please be in prayer, asking the Lord to direct your heart in the areas you could serve. Listed below are the names of those who volunteered to coordinate theses ministries as they get started, their contact information, and the next meeting time for those specific outreach programs.

Please reach out to the coordinators, introduce yourself, learn more details about what the plan is as it relates to these new ministries, and get involved in the exciting work the Lord is doing at City on a Hill Church.

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan

College/UNM:

• Shawn Weeks: shawnjamesweeks@gmail.com
• Katarina Hernandez: kruby22300@gmail.com
• Next meeting: last week of February (no specific date set)

Community Involvement/Events:

• Amber Weeks: amber@vrapiweeks.com
• Next meeting: February 6 afternoon (by Zoom or equivalent)

Homelessness:

• Natalie Herr: natalieherr@gmail.com
• Next meeting: February 27 at 2pm, location TBD

Public Schools:

• Bob Paulsen: bobpaulsenabq@gmail.com
• Next meeting: week of Feb 10 (no specific date set)

 

Family Ministry Director

The primary role of the Family Ministry Director at City on a Hill Church is to oversee and execute all responsibilities of multiple ministries that impact and affect children, youth, and their families at City on a Hill, under the direction of the Elder Team.

As Family Ministry Director, you are responsible for managing part-time staff members and volunteers who currently lead or serve in our children and youth ministries. You will also be responsible for developing and implementing family discipleship resources and training for in-home discipleship under the vision of City on a Hill Church.

The successful applicant will be highly gifted in administration skills, leadership, and should have a keen mind for theological clarity in content and practical discipleship application.

Full time
Salary: 50k + Benefits

Job Description:

• Leads in a Christ-like manner in relationships – exhibiting love, humility, and a readiness to serve.
• Will work with City on a Hill’s elders to implement a clear vision for children’s, youth, and family ministries.
• Oversees, under the direction of the Executive Pastor, a budget for all Family Ministries.
• Attend weekly staff meetings
• Recruit, train, schedule, and equip Family Ministries Coaches and Leaders across all ministry responsibilities.
• Assume responsibility for implementing Gospel-Centered Curriculum in various Family Ministries.
• Responsible for the planning and execution of special events, retreats, and weekly gatherings for children, youth, and families.

Required Skills:

• A committed and growing relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
• Communication skills in teaching and applying Scripture in both small group, family, and 1:1 pastoral/discipleship situations.
• A demonstrated ability to connect with families, children, and students.
• Ability to lead, develop, and disciple leaders through coaching, mentoring, and example.
• Strong literary and computer skills including traditional written messages and social media engagement.
• Ability to work well under an established vision while using initiative and creativity to achieve goals.
• Strong administrative and personnel management skills including strong and clear communication with leaders, volunteers, and members including cross-functional leadership and coordination between ministries, as needed, to support the Family Ministries.

Please send a resume and cover letter outlining relevant experience and why you believe that you are a good fit for this position to: apply@cityonahillabq.com

Dear City on a Hill,
 
As 2021 closes and our “movement” (our word for 2021) slows down, I invite you to join me in prayer for our church in 2022. The word for this upcoming year is “Momentum” and we will hopefully experience Holy Spirit-empowered momentum in 2022.
 
Please join me in lifting before the Lord these requests: 

• For the swift finish to our building project.
• For God’s provision of finances to finish phase one and prepare for phase two of the building project.
• For favor with our neighborhood to share the love of God with them.
• For the right candidate for our soon to be advertised full-time Family Ministry Director position. 
• For the discipleship training and development programs we will launch once the building space is open.
• For our community groups – that they would be places where people can grow in their knowledge of Christ, know one another, be known by one another, love one another, and be loved.
• For the Lord to burden men and women of our church to increase their service to the church, potentially even in the office of Deacon.
• For the Lord to call and raise up men with shepherd’s hearts for the role of pastor/elder.
• For God’s continued kindness upon the staff and elders of City on a Hill in giving us vision, passion, and Spirit-empowered power in the work of ministry we have before us.
• For God’s protection of his people here at City on a Hill and around the world.
• For open doors to share the Gospel to the great and plentiful harvest of souls who do not know Jesus as Lord in Nob Hill and in your own neighborhoods.

May the Lord in his abundant kindness hear and answer our prayers,
 
In Jesus’ name.
 
God bless you,
 
Pastor Ryan

Hey Church!

If you were at service today, you would have heard that we are endeavoring to read through the New Testament together as a whole church body this Fall.

Here’s how it will work:

Beginning September 13th, Monday-Friday there will be 3-5 assigned chapters of the New Testament to read each day. As you read, if something stands out to you or impacts you, I encourage you to go to the online discussion group and share under that day’s heading. The online discussion group will be moderated by the elders.

As we go through this reading, if you’d like to get together with a group of friends from the church to talk through how the Lord is working in you through this reading and to open your Bibles together, please do. If you’d like to lead a group like this and want to open it to other people to join you, please contact Pastor Greg (greg@cityonahillabq.com) so we can make your group details available on the discussion group.

We hope that while we are unable to host classes and ongoing men’s and women’s ministry events this Fall, you will still be able to be shaped, encouraged, and grown in your faith through reading Scripture together.

We will have cards with the reading plan on it available each Sunday, or you can request one be sent to you by e-mailing Pastor Jay at jay@cityonahillabq.com You can also access the reading plan at this LINK.

I look forward to beholding all that the Lord will do in our church during this time.

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan

Friends,

As I am sure you may have heard, as of Friday, August 20, 2021, New Mexico will again be under an indoor mask mandate, per order of the Governor of New Mexico. This mandate applies to all people (ages 2 and older) no matter their vaccination status.
Houses of worship are not exempt under the new order and can be fined up to $5,000 if they are found to be out of compliance with the order.
Amongst our diverse congregation, I know there are strong feelings towards this mask mandate in both support and opposition. One thing that cannot be denied is that New Mexico hospitals are filling up and there is a surge of COVID cases in our state. I hope we can all agree that we want the sick to receive treatment for any ailment and not be denied due to a lack of space in our hospitals.
The Governor has said that she believes the best course of action to prevent this from happening is to temporarily enact this mandate. To be clear, I do not, nor do your Elders, believe this mask mandate defies the Word of God (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17) or that compliance with it would be sinful in any way. .
As such, City on a Hill will be complying with this mandate at our Sunday Services, including kids ministry. We don’t like that we are taking what feels like a backward step in our communal desire to return to some level of normalcy, but we choose to submit to this mandate because it shows that we believe it is truly important for us to conform our lives and worship to the Word of God.
Some of you may have drawn a line in the sand about mask mandates saying, “If the church requires us to wear masks, we will leave.” I implore you to not leave the church over this issue. This is not worth breaking fellowship over. This is a matter of submitting to Scripture over all things and there is no strong biblical case to be made for our civil disobedience to this particular order. We must be careful not to equate things that we don’t like with things that are sinful or are in violation of the Word of God.
Finally, we are all weary. I get it. Please be gracious with one another. One of City on a Hill’s pronounced strengths is our unity on the essentials and our charity in the diverse views that we hold in non-essentials. Please continue to strive to keep your eyes upon Jesus. Trust in Him, growing in knowledge and grace as He works in our lives and in the life of our church through what may feel like a setback.

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan, on behalf of the Elders of City on a Hill Church

Friends,

This Sunday marks the opening of a new chapter for our church. City on a Hill rides again! We will meet in the Lobo Theater (3013 Central Ave NE) for one 10 am service. Over the summer months we will keep to this same rhythm as we await the completion of renovations at our new home of 3715 Silver Ave SE.

Please keep in mind the Lobo Theater is a TEMPORARY location that serves other uses outside of our presence on Sunday mornings. As such, some aspects of a usual Sunday service will be a bit less than polished, but will still meet the needs of our church.

Below is more information and additional details:

Parking: Street parking is your best bet. We will open a conversation with some of the businesses/schools in the area to use their parking lots on Sunday morning but as of this Sunday 6/6, we don’t have anything in place.

Service: begins at 10:00 am. We have the whole lower floor available to us in the Lobo Theater. Some of the restrooms are currently under construction but there are definitely facilities available for us to use.

Livestream: There will be no livestream while we are at the Lobo Theater. Most of our audio/visual system is set up/tear down and we don’t have the capability to livestream as we did at 4700 San Mateo.

Safety: Our safety team leader Luther Shelly has met with security professionals to walk through the building and kids’ space to develop a plan for both he and the safety team volunteers so we can safely meet together.

Kids: Jess Kennedy and her team have been working hard to create systems and structure for your children. Here is a link to a video showing you where to go when you arrive to check your kids in:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q7OL54grsubfLs9iZ-8HPgnvJACf7EGm/view.
 
There will be a drop off area for families in front of the Lobo. Please note that children must be accompanied by a parent so if you are arriving on your own with your children, park your car and walk to the kids check in area. Follow the partition to the door between Buffalo Exchange and Zinc Wine Bar. At the top of the stairs you will be able to check your children in. Then accompany them to their classrooms and head back down to the Lobo for service. You will still pick them up after the sermon so please have your check-in tag with you when it's time to pick them up. Then, you may all return to the Lobo together for worship and the close of service.

Jesus: Still alive, still on the throne, the same yesterday, today, and forever and his Gospel, the one we treasure, is still changing lives (ours included).

Looking forward to worshiping with you all at the Lobo this Sunday!

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan

You have heard it 1000x times......We Treasure the Gospel.

How do we do this.....Believe, Live, Love.

We have 2 opportunities to Treasure the Gospel by putting what we believe into action. Part of the way we "Live" at North is by learning how we can serve our new Nob Hill community and by serving our church family.

So....join us for some serving opportunities.

1.  What: Neighborhood Assessment - surveying
When: Saturday - April 3 - 10AM
Where: 3715 Silver parking lot
Duration: 2 hours
Other Info: Training provided on-site - Please wear a mask out of love for our new neighbors.

2. What: Decorating for Easter
When: Saturday - April 3 - 10:30AM
Where: 4700 San Mateo
Duration: 2 hours

We also have additional opportunities to serve in our new neighborhood and at the new building all throughout April! We will be conducting a second neighborhood survey on April 11 followed by building cleanup and BBQ at the new location. Then, on April 17, we will have another Neighborhood Survey.

The Lord is moving in our congregation and is preparing the Way to our new home in Nob Hill, and we could not be more excited. 

Questions???  Email me: j.kennedy@northchurchabq.com

Pastor Jay

Friends,

I am inviting you to join your fellow church members in undertaking a short 4-week journey through the Bible to help us make sense of the world we inhabit.

This Worldview class will help you put into practice the second point of our church’s identity: "Live -- As people freed from sin -- we now live new lives in the power of God."

This class is designed to help you make sense of the world around you and also answer the question of how, as a Christian, we can now live new lives in the power of God in it.

Our new lives that were purchased for us by Christ require us to see the world around us in a renewed and redeemed way, but sadly many of us leave our renewal and redemption at only a personal holiness level. When we do this, we fail to see the cosmic level of renewal God is doing and how he invites us to be a part of his work in his world.

Our Introduction to Christian Worldview class will be held on Wednesday evenings beginning February 17th at 6:30pm, both in-person and online, and will continue each Wednesday until March 10th. Our time together will be comprised of some teaching and then we will break up into discussion groups after that.

Here’s how to register for the different options:

• In-Person – Sign up HERE
• Online (teaching only) – Live streamed through You Tube. Click HERE
• Online – Discussion Group lead by Tim Shields. E-mail Pastor Jay (j.kennedy@northchurchabq.com) for the details of this group.

Please join us for what I pray will be a helpful and insightful time of teaching and learning together.

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan

As we seek to love one another and all people with God's love that abides in us, we have implemented the following COVID Safe Practices based on the recommendations from the NM Department of Health and a desire to protect and care for those in our church family and our community. Below is a list of our current COVID policies and practices:

• We are holding our standard two services: One at 9am and one at 11am.
• The 9am service is streamed online using the online church platform or our YouTube channel.
• There is no need to RSVP for in-person services as our current 25% occupancy limit allows for 206 individuals per service.
• Individuals 3 years old and up must wear a mask at all times unless a medical condition prevents them from doing so.
• The front doors, auditorium doors and outer bathroom doors are open to reduce contact with surfaces.
• Coffee/tea are not being served.
• Communion is served using individual packages that are handed out by a volunteer wearing gloves to further reduce contact.
• Offering baskets are not passed - Giving can be done online or dropped off in the offering baskets in the back of the auditorium.
• Hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies are available throughout the auditorium and foyer.
• The back doors of the auditorium are open to increase airflow and provide additional traffic flow options during worship and after service.
• Chairs in the auditorium are distanced and tables in the back are available for families. You may seat yourself, but please respect distancing between groups.
• Niños (kids ministry) is available for all ages at the 9am service. There are no kids programs at the 11am service. Children 3+ must wear a mask.
• ICON (youth ministry) is meeting on Wednesdays. Masks are required.

Friends,

Disconnected, that’s how many of us feel right now.

It’s hard to feel connected after the ways we’ve connected our whole lives have been interrupted for going on nine months now. To help bridge that disconnected gap, I thought I’d give us all an end of the year church recap that doesn’t involve Zoom (shudder).

There’s literally thousands of amazingly beautiful things the Lord Jesus has done in our church and his people this year, but looking back, these are what stand out to me:

·  Moving Online – At the drop of a hat we moved our service and whole church experience online. A big shout out to Tyler Sawicki for all his work behind the scenes with this!!

·  Family Worship Resources – Jessica Kennedy and the Nino’s team provided great resources and coaching for families locked down with young children.

·  Served People in Our Local Body – Pastor Greg managed our ability to meet many practical needs in our local body.

·  Prayer Meetings – All the elders ran daily prayer meetings throughout the week during lockdown to lift up the needs of one another.

·  Navajo Nation Food Donations – You made huge donations of food to meet basic needs in the Navajo nation as COVID ravaged their community.

·  Devotionals – Our elders wrote and led devotional times three times a week to care for your souls.

·  Encouragement from Christian History – I made some short videos that were meant to encourage you as we explored different writings from Christian history.

·  First Light – Navigating COVID-19 restrictions, we engaged in a generosity endeavor that saw over 100 families commit to bring light to darkness through our church.

·  Core Convictions Class (5 Solas) – Over 100 people participated (in-person and online) in our first ever C3 (Core Convictions Class) class looking at the theological distinctives of our church through the lens of the Protestant Reformation.

·  New Preachers - Pastor Jay and Pastor Nathan both preached their first sermons and did an amazing job proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to you all.

·  My Beard - I grew a quarantine beard, which became a quarantine mustache which my wife hated so I shaved it off.

See friends, 2020 wasn’t all bad.

I end this note with deep thankfulness for the elders, staff, and leaders of this church who love you very much with the love of Christ.

Let’s look forward to 2021 when we’ll move back to the Nob Hill neighborhood, return to be known as City on a Hill Church, re-engage with local mission, and, as a church, prepare our first-ever permanent home.

See you there,

Pastor Ryan

End of Year Giving 2020
Dear North Church,

Thank you for your faithful commitment to our church over this last year. It certainly has been a challenging year like none most of us ever experienced.

As we approach the end of this year, I want to invite you to make a year-end financial contribution that will serve your church in what will be a coming year of movement to equip us to not only move geographically but also philosophically into more mission, service, and permanency as a church in 2021.

The mission we explored in the First Light sermon series is to bring the Light of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the spiritual darkness of our city, state, nation, and world.

We are doing that by freeing up finances in our budget to financially support missional endeavors we are presented with. We have set aside $120,000 or 14% of our budget to support these endeavors to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed to those who need it here in Albuquerque, in Las Cruces, NM through supporting the Coram Deo Church plant, around the United States through our partnership with the Acts 29 Church Planting Network, and by supporting our Spain Team in Burgos, Spain.

Over 2021, Pastor Bob will lead a team from our church to assess our new neighborhood by completing a thorough assessment of not just the needs of the neighborhood, but also the strength of our own church body so we can effectively be the hands and feet of Christ to those who are truly our neighbors. We hope that by doing this assessment corporately we will then be able to help equip you, a member of our church, to also think about what mission might look like in your own lives among your physical neighbors.

Finally, we are still moving forward on purchasing a permanent home for our church at 3715 Silver Ave SE. This will, by the grace of God, establish us in our city as a hub for beginning new gospel-centered churches throughout Albuquerque, New Mexico, and to the ends of the earth. The renovation project at Silver will run through 2021 and we invite you all to participate in it through being generous towards the church with your finances and your time.

I know that 2020 has been a challenging year for us all, but as we end our time in it, I invite you to make a contribution to your church as we embark on what will be an exciting year.

Ways to Give:

By Check:   Address to North Church (4700 San Mateo Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109)
   Make sure to postmark by 12/31
Online: northchurchabq.com/give Follow the prompts on screen
In-Person: On the final Sunday of the year 12/27 at either our 9 am or 11 am service (give   boxes are in the back of the auditorium).

Thank you all for sticking it out this year. We join you in praying that 2021 will bring a brighter day.

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan

Zoom Member’s Meeting December 13th at 1 PM

We are holding the final Member’s Meeting of 2020 via Zoom on Sunday, December 13th at 1 PM. All are welcome.

Click here to join

We will be communicating our proposed budget for 2021 as well as the next steps in bring light to darkness as we move forward in the calling the Lord has for our church.

The Christmas Store

In the midst of the complications and complexities of this season, we will not be having a Christmas Store event this year. Having said that and knowing that the strain on families is greater than ever this holiday season, we will be donating the over five hundred toys we currently have to New City Church in support of their Christmas Project.

New City is the church body that has purchased and will be moving into the 4700 San Mateo building. We have connected them with area schools and the apartment complexes we have served over the years to begin to introduce them to the neighborhood. If you are interested in serving with the Christmas Project contact Carolyn Rush at chrisandcarolynrush@gmail.com. If you wish to donate a toy you can bring it to the church during Sunday service times or Monday through Thursday during normal business hours up until Thursday, December 17th. Contact Greg Bump at g.bump@northchurchabq.com to drop off items during weekdays.

Winter Clothes Drive

We will be collecting winter coats, socks and blankets for the homeless in the areas around our current location and in Nob Hill. We have made a connection in the Nob Hill area that will help distribute the items to those in need as we begin to bring light to darkness in that area of our city. You can drop off items at the church during Sunday service times or Monday through Thursday during normal business hours. Contact g.bump@northchurchabq.com to drop off items during the week.

Christmas Eve Service December 24th at 4PM

We will be having an in-person, family-style service at 4 PM on Christmas Eve. It will also be live streaming on our YouTube channel as well as through Online.Church. These links can be accessed via our website at northchurchabq.com.

We would love for you to take a short family video to be played during the Christmas Eve service saying Merry Christmas and whatever else you would like to say. We will be making a compilation video with submissions from those who have been quarantining and anyone who would like to send one in - it will be super fun and encouraging! Please send your 20-30 second videos to j.kennedy@northchruchabq.com by Friday 12/18 @ 12 pm!

Friends!

Although we couldn’t be together in person for Commitment Sunday, the elders and I are so thankful for those of you who were able to participate with us online. If you missed the service you can watch it in its entirety HERE or you can catch the sermon on the website.

If you consider North Church your home church, we invite you to make a financial pledge for the coming two years to bring light to darkness in our city, state, and to the ends of the earth through the work of your church. Whether you’ve given to the church regularly or this is your first time, all are encouraged to complete a Commitment Card online or turn one in to an elder on Sunday so we can plan our budget for the next two years to: purchase the new building, complete renovations so we can hold services there, do community outreach, and raise up leaders and church planters. Being able to plan our budget to do these things is important. Thank you for your diligence in prayerfully considering your commitment to your church.

Baptisms and Advent

This coming Sunday (11/29) will be a time of great rejoicing as we prepare to baptize those who have been saved from sin and death by Jesus and are now ready to declare that fact publicly. If you have never been baptized as a professing Christian and want to be baptized to publicly share the hope of your salvation in Christ, we still have spots open for you to do so. Click HERE to sign up to be baptized and a pastor will be in touch with you this week.

We will also be kicking off our Advent series titled “The Offices of Christ.” In this series we will explore the offices of Prophet, Priest, King, and Sage established in the Old Testament and how Jesus is the perfect fulfilment of each of them. Please remember to RSVP for services by following the link on our website starting Wednesday at noon.

Pledges and Baby Dedications

On the first weekend of December, we will celebrate all the Lord has done through the First Light Sermon Series. In this service, we will share how much money was pledged so far in the First Light Generosity Endeavor.

We will also be doing Baby Dedications. If you would like to have a baby dedicated at any of our services on December 6th, please sign up for that HERE 

This is an exciting few weeks for the life of our church! Whether you are joining us online or in person, I am so glad we can enter into this time together of Thanksgiving and celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In Him,
Pastor Ryan

Friends,
 
It’s with a heavy heart, but with a settled spirit, that I am informing you that we are going to be moving our Commitment Sunday services to online-only this weekend.
 
Today we were informed of a few potential COVID-related developments that we are taking seriously.
 
·  There was an attendee at our 9am service this past Sunday, November 15, who had no symptoms at service but recently has tested positive for COVID-19. This individual’s children were in our Niños ministry that day, and while they currently have no symptoms, we want to be wise and cautious in how we proceed.
·  Another attendee learned they had been exposed to someone who recently tested positive for COVID-19.
·  A third attendee has developed symptoms of sickness and is awaiting results of a COVID-19 test.
 
While we have not identified any interactions from last Sunday with these attendees that would be considered “close contact” (being within six feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes), we want to act in the interests of safety for you our people and for the greater public welfare by moving to online-only this week.
 
This decision was a hard one because of the importance of this Sunday’s gathering in the life of our church. But the Elders are in agreement that this is the right course of action to take.
 
We will still be holding Commitment Sunday, but it will now be an online Commitment Sunday! Please familiarize yourself with the online Commitment Card HERE and be prepared to submit that during the service.
 
If you’d like to drop off your Commitment Card physically, we’ll have a drive-by Commitment Card drop off set up from 1:00pm to 2:00pm on Sunday at 4700 San Mateo. We will continue to accept Commitment Cards over the coming weeks also.
 
Here are the details for online services this week:
 
·  We will hold online services at 8:30am, 10:00am, and 11:30am.
·  Our online services will be accessible at northchurch.online.church and via our YouTube Channel.
·  Niños resources are accessible at northchurchabq.com/firstlight.
 
Friends, please don’t feel disheartened! We trust that our King Jesus is sovereign, wise and good. Because the bible tells us so, we believe that this disruption is not out of His control or even outside His plan for us.  We trust that this change will ultimately be for the glory of Jesus, and for our abundant joy (Pro 19:21, Jer 32:17, Rom 8:28, 11:33, Rev 4:11).
 
I cannot express this strongly enough. I believe that even though the turn of events over this whole year is so far from ideal, our great God is working something greater than I could have hoped for had our whole First Light Endeavor happened at the time I would have considered the most opportune. God works mightily when the challenge and the darkness seem the greatest. I invite you to believe that with me too.

In Christ, who is sovereign over all things,

Pastor Ryan

Friends,

This coming Sunday will be one of the most important Sunday services for our church ever! It will mark the time when you, those who call North Church home, make your financial commitments to the future work of your church.

North Church is your church. We are a local church made up of redeemed saints from all walks of life called together to enjoy the Lord, grow in the Lord, and to be used by the Lord for his glory and our joy. It is not run by someone outside of the body or whose survival and flourishing is dependent on a centrally run agency -- it is yours. Jesus is the head of it and we are his body.

Our primary goal continues to be that all who call our church home would practice faith in Jesus by being invested in this endeavor. This Sunday is the time for you to engage with the mission of our church by submitting the Commitment Card you received in the First Light Packet a few weeks ago to express your financial intent over the next two years. (They will also be available at service and online if you do not have one.)

Please, focus your personal devotional time over the coming days to seek the Lord as to what he would have you give over the next two years. If you have any questions about filling them out see this VIDEO or e-mail Pastor Jay Kennedy at jkennedy@northchurchabq.com.

Your family’s pledge will help us assess our budget going forward so we can determine whether we will be able to purchase the building on Silver. Your gifts will drive our ability to efficiently remodel it so we can meet there, and more aggressively pursue ministry through outreach and church planting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the ends of the earth. If you’ve already given your Commitment Card, thank you. If you haven’t yet done so, you can do this in a few different ways:

• In-Person – At service on 11/22 at any of our three morning services: 8:30, 10, or 11:30
• In-Person – After service on 11/22 between 1 pm and 2 pm
• Online – By visiting (northchurchabq.com/firstlight) and filling out the online Commitment Card.

As is always the case, Sunday’s service will be available to stream online here at 8:30am, or you can view the service on our YouTube Channel.

This is a great opportunity for us to not just grow corporately but to grow individually in faith and trust in the provision of God for each of us and to practice new levels of generosity. Your generosity in this endeavor is directly linked to our financial ability as a church to fund mission work, benevolence, and further our hopes of planting new churches.

Friends, what a joyous and momentous occasion we have before us!

I look forward to celebrating the work of God amongst us with you this Sunday and in the coming weeks as we behold what the Lord has done in and through us.

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan

Friends,

As I’m sure many of you know beginning on Monday (11/16) the Governor has updated the public health order in New Mexico to re-lock down the state in response to the current rise in COVID cases.

The public health order will impact “Houses of Worship,” which includes churches, to varying degrees depending on their size as gatherings over 75 people are in violation of the order. This does impact North Church slightly as our 9am gathering in the last few weeks has been over that number while our 11am gathering has been under that number.

I want you to know that we will continue to gather together for Sunday service as we have for the last six months. We have met safely up until now and will continue to meet under the guidelines that we have been safely following. We will continue to stream our services online for those who choose to stay home and/or need to stay home because they are at high risk.
In light of this updated order, the changes to our gatherings beginning on November 22nd will be threefold:

• To manage capacity, we will for the interim move to holding three services on Sunday morning. Services will be held at 8:30am, 10:00am, and 11:30am.
• We ask you all to RSVP for the service that you will be attending on our website so we can track capacity.
• Niños (our children’s ministry) will be offered at the 8:30am and 10:00am services, with 3rd-5th grades offered just at the 10:00am service. There will be one RSVP for the entire family, whether your kids are attending Niños or going into service with you.

Overall, we believe that reducing our gathering capacity is a reasonable request for us to comply with and that we will continue to gather safely as we have done for the last 6 months.
We believe that we can continue to meet together safely and wisely and that continuing to be able to meet together is deeply important for the spiritual, mental, and emotional health of those who are a part of our church.

I also want to reiterate that I know that some of you do not feel that we should comply with this order at all, while on the other hand some of you think we should shut down completely. We are seeking above all things to honor the Lord Jesus by submitting to scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit. And then by doing our best to respect the ruling authorities except when their commands contradict scripture. In this understanding, we believe that our decisions are a reasonable and wise, God-honoring, path forward in this contentious time.

As your elders, we know that this time as COVID spikes might be bringing forth fear, anxiety, and other emotions. Please know that you are not alone and that the Lord Jesus knows what you are feeling and is near to you (Ps 34:18). If you’d like to talk with a pastor as you process, we would love to chat with you.

Let us continue to lift up our broken world to our loving Heavenly Father in prayer, asking him to hasten the day when all things will be made new and to sustain us in the work he has for us building his Kingdom with faith and love expressed in good works to our neighbors.

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan on behalf of the Elders

Friends,

As we prepare to move into our first ever permanent location, the call has gone out to you, those who call North Church home, to endeavor together to see the light of the Gospel brought to the darkness of our city.

This Wednesday, November 11th at 6:30 pm, we will fill our new location at 3715 Silver Ave SE, with prayer, praise, and preaching for the first time. These sounds have not filled that building for over six years and we as a church have not worshipped together in Nob Hill for over eight years.

At this service, attendees will commit to our church’s generosity endeavor for the next two years by placing their Commitment Card into the First Light Giving Box. We aren’t asking people to announce their finances or make a big show, the idea is for those who attend to prayerfully consider and physically write down what a two-year financial commitment to the church looks like. Your elders will lead out by placing their Commitment Cards for the future of our church in the Giving Box and attendees will follow.

If you don’t feel comfortable attending the service, but would still like to make an advanced commitment, the building will be open from 4 pm - 6 pm with a few pastors there to welcome you and show you around the building as you make your commitment to generosity.

If you can’t make it to Advanced Commitment Night this Wednesday, on Sunday November 22nd will be our church-wide Commitment Sunday (at our current location on San Mateo). At this service, the congregation as a whole, will prayerfully consider and write down their two-year financial commitment to the church, much like what will happen on Advanced Commitment Night.

Here are some logistical details for Advanced Commitment Night:

-               Dress warm, the building has no functioning heat
-               The service will run for 45-60 minutes
-               There will be no childcare
-               There will be port-a-potties on site, but no running water
-               After the service we will have hot chocolate and snacks available

I am prayerful and hopeful to see as many of you that can make it this Wednesday evening.
In Christ,

Pastor Ryan

Friends,

This Sunday marks the launch of our First Light Sermon Series! If you were at Vision Night last Wednesday, you know how big a deal our First Light series is as we set out on a two-year endeavor to bring light to darkness in our city and our communities.

Here are the details for this Sunday:

Service times: 9 am and 11 am. Adults do not need to RSVP, but please register if you plan to use Ninos (potty trained 3 year olds to 5th grade) during service. Registration for Ninos is first come-first served and is active until noon Saturday. As a reminder, 3rd-5th grade is only available at the 9 am service. There is a brand new Ninos curriculum for this series as well!

What to Expect: A recap of the vision shared on Vision Night, a sermon from Pastor Ryan out of Matthew 5:14-16 -- “A Light to Others”, and a momentous announcement!

How to Prepare: Pray! Ask the Lord to stir not only your own heart to where he is leading our church but also the hearts of all who attend our church.

Pick Up the Torch: Invite friends, family, and co-workers to church this Sunday!

After service we will hand out First Light booklets to every adult. These booklets outline what the whole First Light endeavor is about and contain a place for sermon notes and Community Group curriculum for the series.

If you can’t make it to church in person this Sunday, we will host a drive-by booklet and Kids Ministry curriculum pick up from 1-3 pm that afternoon at the church building (4700 San Mateo).

After service this Sunday and throughout the First Light series, a First Light information table will be set up in the foyer where you can get any questions you might have about the endeavor answered. Also going live on Sunday will be the First Light section of our website, which will have all of the content from the series available for you to download.

I want to be clear and not understate the importance of this series in the life of our church. For 21 years we have been a gathered body of believers and this might be the most important series thus far in the life of our body. You do not want to miss this time.

I look forward to seeing you at either our 9 am,11 am, or live streamed services!

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan

Friends,

This year's Vision Night will mark the beginning of a monumental time in our church’s history. We are set to embark on a two-year endeavor beginning tomorrow night (Wednesday, the14th). Join your family, friends, and the rest of our church community as we gather to worship the Lord Jesus, hear the exciting and encouraging direction our church is heading, and learn the new location for our church, which we will move to in 2021.

We will begin the night at our current location, 4700 San Mateo; childcare will be provided for potty trained 3 year olds and up starting at 6:15 pm on a first come first served basis and will follow the same safe gathering guidelines as for Sunday morning. You can also livestream this portion of the Vision Night on our YouTube channel. After the first part of the evening, you are all invited to join us as we travel to our new building for a tour and to pray for the upcoming endeavor, for our church, and for the faith to follow where Jesus is leading us. If you make use of the childcare tomorrow night, please pick your kids up before heading over to the new location. There will not be childcare for the remainder of the evening at the new building.

The other elders and I are looking forward to seeing you tomorrow evening!

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan

Hi Friends,

If you attended church last week, either virtually or in person, you heard the announcement that we are going back to holding two services Sunday mornings -- one at 9 am and one at 11 am starting on Sunday, October 11!

By God’s grace, more and more of you are returning to in-person services as you feel comfortable. God has been abundantly gracious to us with many new families and people coming to check out and plug into our church. As a result, we opened up limited Ninos children’s ministry a few weeks back and added the 3rd - 5th-grade room a couple of weeks later. We also have families in attendance during service as well.

As we prepare to go back to two services, here are a couple of assurances and reminders. Nothing has changed with rules around church gatherings from a government perspective --  we must continue to abide by our Re-Gathering Guidelines (https://northchurchabq.com/blog/2020/05/19/in-person-service-re-gathering-guidelines) in order for us to meet safely. This will include sanitizing high traffic areas between services.

Ninos will be offered at both services for potty trained three year olds to 2nd grade children with 3rd to 5th grade ministry offered only at the 9 am service.

RSVPs for Ninos will open weekly at noon (12 pm) every Thursday.

Please RSVP for Ninos and/or your own attendance HERE - https://pastorstoolbox.com/save-a-seat/020d2e0b-b2de-4c60-a371-aa6ea95af143/177/6070

If you have any questions about our in-person gatherings, please reach out to connect@northchurchabq.com.

While I have your attention I want to specifically invite you to join us for Vision Night on October 14th. We will begin at 6:30 pm and, along with other news, will be announcing the location of the facility that we now have under contract to purchase and are planning to move to in 2021.

The first half of our evening will be at our current location (4700 San Mateo) and then we will all travel to our new location around 7:15 pm to have a quick tour and then a time of prayer. We hope to conclude by 8 pm. Childcare will be provided while we are in the San Mateo building.

Please join us for this historically important evening in the life of our church!

May the Lord bless you all deeply,

Pastor Ryan