Wednesday, August 8, 2007

The temperatures are in the mid 90s today, so hot and humid! Charlotte and I are both off this week on vacation, although Charlotte had to work Monday and Tuesday. Michelle is home. She flew in from Central Asia a week ago and it has been so nice to have her back. This Friday we are driving her out to Michigan and then Indiana. She will be in the Midwest for the next three months. Eric is busy working at Barnes & Noble and taking a summer school class.

Yesterday I closed out our storage space that we have had since moving to Manhattan. We are in the process of downsizing. We have things that we have not seen in five years and figure the money we were spending on storage can go to a better cause. In between trips to Yonkers to bring our "stuff" home I met with Jon Tyson who is our pastor--pastor of Origins Church of NYC. We have been attending Origins since April 22 of this year and it has been an amazing experience for us. Origins is just over a year old and meets in two locations in Manhattan. We attend the service on the Upper West Side that meets at the Triad Theater. The vision statement for Origins is "Living in the way of Jesus, in the context of the city, with a heart for the world." Jon is a native of Australia who studied for the ministry at Toccoa Falls (GA), was on staff at a church in Orlando, FL, but has had a passion for New York City and a heart for church planting. The story of how we got to Origins is long, but definitely of God, and we look forward to following our call to "live in the way of Jesus, in the context of the city, with a heart for the world."

What motivated me to write this diary, and hopefully and intentionally be in more regular contact was reading through some of the things that were in our storage--copies of our "Wileys' Weekly Wrap-up" and "Every Nation Updates." The call that God placed on our lives to come to Manhattan has not changed in the five years that we have been here. While it is true that the church we hoped to plant did not come about, God did not remove the burden for this city from our heart. This past Sunday as Jon began a new series on "Christ and Culture," he mentioned that only .05% of the population of Manhattan are believers--that's less than the percentage in Japan! Our plans have changed considerably, but our call hasn't changed, nor has the God who called us!

Charlotte is still working on the Upper East Side for a dermatologist. The work is challenging and opportunities to share Christ are more in actions and attitudes than in words. Most recently she is ministering to the office manager who just lost her mother and has been bitter toward God for over 20 years. Gary is a department manager at Barnes & Noble on the Upper West Side. Recently one of the booksellers experienced an irregular heartbeat and while waiting for EMS asked Gary to pray for him. It seemed somewhat surreal praying for him right beside the information desk.

God is giving opportunities to connect and minister through the church family at Origins. We have been intentional in meeting with people after worship--seeking to create a culture in which Christ is exalted and people find their truest expression in Him. That calls for us to be fully present--to be shapers of culture. People in our circle of influence are in all walks of life and are learning to take seriously the call to represent Christ to Manhattan and beyond.

Just recently Charlotte and I were talking about why we are still living in Manhattan. I mentioned that there are few places as challenging to be a follower of Christ as Manhattan--a lot of raw life--up close and personal (especially in the subway)--people constantly in your face, but at the same time, nothing more rewarding than living for Christ here. We believe we have found the place where God wants us to live, grow and minister--touching lives and creating a God-honoring culture that will make a difference in our world and for eternity.

We would love to interact with you about the challenge and privilege of creating a culture where Christ is exalted and people find their truest expression in Him.

Until next time,

Gary and Charlotte