Our new church, New Community Covenant Church in Bronzeville, is rapidly approaching the three-month mark of weekly Sunday services. A couple of Sundays ago we held a church picnic at Promontory Point where these photos were taken. The 40 or 50 of us that could make it had a great afternoon eating, playing and getting to know each other a little better.
I could write for a while about the things I’m learning and being confronted with in this church-planting process but, to be honest, church planting hasn’t left much time for writing. By the end of the day I’m ready to turn my attention elsewhere, though it’s sometimes tricky to keep the mind from wandering back to thoughts and questions about our emerging community.
On Sunday, before the sermon, I shared with the congregation my hunch that we’re leaving the honeymoon stage of this work. As enjoyable as a honeymoon can be, at some point the newly married couple must discover together their new normal. I think that’s the case for New Community Bronzeville as well. We can only run on adrenaline, idealism and good intentions for so long. The weeks and months ahead will require that we increase our dependence on God’s activity in order for the church to experience any sort of lasting transformation.
Not all of this blog’s readers are praying folk, but many of you are. Would you consider regularly praying for our church as we enter this next stage of ministry? There’s plenty to pray about, but to keep it simple please pray that our church would experience all of Jesus’ reconciling work.
Also, stop by for a visit sometime.
David W. Swanson 
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