What a Difference a Year Makes
It was a year ago when New City Macon first met and began talking with the deacons of Northridge Baptist Church, Now New City East Side. Renee Grant was on staff with Northridge at the time and remains on staff even now. Renee recently shared a few of her thoughts on the changes a year in. We are all thankful for God’s work over this past year and thank you Renee for being a part of the team and for sharing these thoughts.
Mar 11 Written By Renee Grant
What a difference a year makes. I've heard that saying over and over again my entire life, but I don't think I ever truly knew what it meant until this year. 2020 was a year of ups and downs and even more downs for a lot of people. Covid robbed us of our friends, our freedom, and even our loved ones. But even as covid was busy tearing things down, God was busy building churches up.
I have witnessed some incredible things in the last year. I witness a church grappling with following their savior or closing their doors. I witnessed leaders fall to their knees and ask God for grace and mercy. I witnessed those leaders ask God to give them the help they needed to be the church that they were called to be. They asked for his forgiveness and they repented. These men and women did something so astounding in this day and age... they admitted they had strayed and were wrong. No one admits they are wrong these days, but they trusted God. They humbled themselves before the Lord and He heard them, and he answered them. For it is only God who could have put two so unlikely of partners together.
Now don't get me wrong, it hasn't been perfect. Nothing on Earth ever is. But the bumps in the road have only been small and only Served to bring us all closer together. There is laughter in the children's ministry, and cheerful greeters at the door. There's a smile and an umbrella in the parking lot to help you in on a rainy day and music that glorifies the Lord and fills your heart. The Word of God flows, not only from the pulpit on Sundays but, in the conversations in everyday conversations. People of all ages are excited about their mission to help people live in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We have gone from a church ready to close the doors for good to a family of missionary servants ready to serve the community around us and we dream of seeing the gospel transform everything within our reach - ourselves, our church, our city and the world! And we believe that God wants to use us to do just that.
And it only been a year... Stay tuned... there's so much more to come!
