I also know that I am a part of an amazing Church community, who follow God and will Go where He takes us next.
I want to start by giving a few reflections on the Union Station location. It is definitely one the most unique locations to do church. In the heart of Washington, DC, blocks away from the US Capitol building, one of the most visited destination in the US. I beautiful building and diverse culture that walks through Union Staion everyday.
On any given weekend at our service we can have our homeless community in attendance alongside of a former Attorney General, Congressmen/women, Senators, Interns, Government official. I Sunday morning are always unique and diverse at Union Station.
We can have snorers in service, mice & roaches running around on the floor, someone snorting cocaine during the service, homeless guys taking a bath totally naked in the mens room and our tamborine guy. Union Station location is definitely an unigue worship experience for all those who attended an NCC service at the location.
The sights and smells at the theaters is unforgettable (definitely not the cleanest or the the best smelling). The Phoenix Theaters at Union Station was our home for the last 13 years. It was a place where NCC served the community that lived there and lived around there, it was a place that put National Community Church on the map as THE Theater Church.
I had both the honor and the great opportunity to serve as the Campus Pastor at the Union Station for just over a year. It was not about the location, it was all about the people, the community that gathered there each weekend. I loved every moment that GOT to serve there, because it has given me an experience that I would have never received any other way. To be quite honest, it was a dream come true for me to serve as the Campus Pastor at NCC's Union Station location (the mothership/flagship location for NCC) it was definitely bittersweet when we launched NCC Kingstowne back in February (another dream come true).
So when I heard last week that the theaters at Union Station would be closing down and that we will no longer be gathering there as a church community...I was sad and a little heartbroken. Afterall it is an end of an era, it was a door closing on the past history of National Community Church.
With all that said...while do not know what is in the pipeline or where our next location will be, I do know God will provide and He totally in control and we will certainly GO where He takes us next. Afterall, the Church isn't about a building, a location...it is all about the community of people that gather together. I am looking forward to what God has for us next! We will continue to move forward, we will continue to serve the community around Union Station and we will continue to gather as a community of faith. While this is a temporary setback, God has something greater for us! I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THIS! Where He closes one door, He will open another door. And GOD will work a miracle during this situation...trust me on that!
Yes, I will honor and celebrate NCC's past as a community at Union Station...but I will invest and celebrate in NCC's future as leads to our next location where we can gather again...not sure if it will be days, weeks or months, but I am going to celebrate as we move ahead and give God ALL Glory He deserves. His fame and glory is the desire of my heart on the desire of the leadership team's heart and the desire of every NCCer's heart as we look head. We want to continue to make Him known. - Isaiah 26:8
Psalm 40 has been on my heart and in my prayers as we go through time as a Church community...I take the I's, my's and the me's out out and put in We, Our and Us.
1 We waited patiently for the Lord to help us,
and he turned to us and heard our cry.
2 He lifted us out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set our feet on solid ground
and steadied us as we walked along.
3 He has given us a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.
5 O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If we tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
we would never come to the end of them.
6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made us listen,we finally understand
you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then we said, “Look, we have come.
As is written about us in the Scriptures:
8 We take joy in doing your will, our God,
for your instructions are written on our heart.”
9 We have told all your people about your justice.
We have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O Lord, well know.
10 We have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in our heart;
We have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
We have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.
11 Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from us.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect us.
12 For troubles surround us—
too many to count!
Our sins pile up so high
We can’t see our way out.
They outnumber the hairs on our head.
We have lost all courage.
13 Please, Lord, rescue us!
Come quickly, Lord, and help us.
14 May those who try to destroy us
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in our trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, “Aha! We’ve got them now!”
16 But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
17 As for us, since we are poor and needy,
let the Lord keep us in his thoughts.
You are our helper and our savior.
O our God, do not delay.
The following is a blog post from our Lead Pastor and Leader during this time...I appreciate Pastor Mark, his spiritual leadership is INCREDIBLE and we led by an amazing leader during this time in NCC's history.
Direct from Pastor Mark's blog Evotional.com
The Cloud is Moving!
Thirteen years ago I got a voice mail telling us that the DC public school we were meeting in was closing because of fire code violations. It knocked the wind out of me. I didn't feel like a pastor yet. The church didn't feel like a church yet. We could have ceased to exist and only a couple dozen people would have known the difference. But those are the moments you need to hang in there so you can see what God is going to do! And God opened an amazing door of opportunity at Union Station. We initially met in the smallest theater and my big dream was that we would fill half of it so it didn't feel awkward.
Last week I got a similar call, but this time I was informed that Union Station management is closing down the movie theaters. So Sunday I preached my last sermon @ Union. Hard to believe. We did the math and I've preached at least a thousand sermons at Union Station.
Still processing lots of mixed emotions. I'm sad because Union Station is the locus of so many amazing spiritual memories. But I'm also grateful. God took us from a ragtag group of fifty people and turned us into a multi-site church with five locations. We've seen hundreds and hundreds of people find Christ there. And we've touched thousands and thousands of lives. But a chapter ends. And a new chapter begins.
We're exploring a variety of options. All of them would take a miracle! But who knows what God is up to. In the meantime, thank God we have a coffeehouse one block away.
On a interim basis, we'll move our three Union Station services to Ebenezers Coffeehouse starting next weekend. Despite the sadness and craziness, I have a holy anticipation about what's next. I'm sure of two things. I'll grow as a leader through this. And I embrace that challenge. And we'll grow as a congregation. It's not the way I would have written the script, but it's good for us. We're gonna follow the cloud and the cloud is moving! One of our core values is expect the unexpected. And I've been praying, "God, surprise me." This is part of God's plan. That is the one thing I'm sure of.
"Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped."
Numbers 9:17
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