Celebrating God’s Wins in the Summer of 2022
Dear City Church,
We all know how quickly time flies. Lisa and I experienced this in a fresh way this past Monday as our “baby girl” Emersyn went to her very first day of preschool. This small step in her life was a milestone for us and a huge win that we personally celebrated with God. Similarly, this past summer has included some major milestones for City Church. Let’s take a minute right now to reflect on some amazing wins for the Lord that happened in our midst.
- 6 baptisms. That’s 6 people who said yes to Jesus. 6 people turned from death to life. 6 people on a path to change their world for Christ. In a world where fewer are turning to God every day, we rejoice in these lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- A parking lot dreamt up and (nearly) fully funded within two months. The need was obvious but unfortunately the price tag was high. It all started with a $20,000k matching gift that lit the flame of generosity that followed. We are at almost 95% of the funds raised. We still have to seal/stripe it one more time in the next month or so. After that, it will be complete and God-willing, we will be funded at 100%. The swift completion of this project is a testimony to God’s faithfulness to build HIS Church and your obedience to do what He asks you to do.
- 25 junior/senior high school students sent to camp alongside 4 leaders (+and OVER-funded camp budget). Getting students to camp is one of our biggest priorities every year. God has always met His people on mountains and He continues to do it every time we make it a priority to get there. It’s also a catalyst for the entire year of youth ministry. We know God will continue to use the bonds that were made that week for His glory. The icing on the cake was this church generously stepping up to the plate AGAIN on this one. We were able to fund raise to the point that we think we probably won’t have to (or perhaps minimally) next year. Praise the Lord.
- The BIGGEST SUNDAY EVER for City Kids! We celebrated our biggest kids’ ministry Sunday since “pre-pandemic” times. What makes it even cooler is that it happened on July 3rd. Typically church leaders treat that weekend as a “down weekend” when folks will be out of town and uncommitted. God chose that to be one of our largest of the entire summer!
- A fun little “viral video.” Pastor Chrizle pranked a bunch of dads for Father’s Day and arranged for all of them to walk into church wearing the same shirt. It’s pretty hilarious. Watch it here if you haven’t seen it.
These five things are just some of the highlights from what has been a phenomenal summer of ministry. We have so much to look forward to in the second half of 2022. In fact, just in the next month we’ve got some great plans ahead.
- Our backpack drive. This Sunday August 14th will be the last to bring school supplies for our drive to bless Anaheim High School. More info here.
- Pastor Chrizle’s Farewell weekend celebration. The formal “Farewell Party” will take place Saturday August 27th from 2-4pm. Additionally, we will have a send-off in service on the following Sunday August 28th at 10:10. More info on that here.
- Some exciting announcements about new staff roles/transitions. We are still working on this so we are not ready to say anything just yet but… stay tuned!
- City Church’s Birthday Bash on September 11th (and the return to two services). We plan to have a big party on Sunday September 11th to celebrate 13 years of ministry and our return to two services. In case you haven’t heard, the new times will be 9:09am/11:11am. You can expect great food from Gonzo’s Tacos, an inflatable obstacle course, and an all-around good time. Be sure to bring some friends.
- Small groups will be restarting the week of September 11th. After a summer break, we’re excited to bring back the hub of our church.
I could go on and on about all the fun stuff God has in store for us but that’s enough for now. Suffice it to say, I hope you’ll make it a priority to be a part of the fun.
In Christ,
Pastor Kyle