New York City and The Gallery Church

The Mission
During the July 4th weekend I had the opportunity to go to NYC. While there, I was able to reconnect with a dear friend, Freddy T. Wyatt, who is the Teaching Pastor at the Gallery Church of Manhattan. As I began spending time with Freddy just catching up, it became obvious God was up to something else quite unexpected as we chatted. Freddy began to tell me about the ministry he was involved with and the church's strategic plan to reach people for Christ. As he talked, and just by being there in the city, I began to realize how much of an impact NYC has on the world and it is in a strategic position for God’s global purposes. As Freddy began to share his heart and his burden for NYC, and more importantly the people that live within it, I began to notice that my heart was becoming overwhelmingly burdened as well. Since then Freddy and the Gallery Church have shared with me the following sobering statistics:

• 20+ million people that live in the NY Metro Area,
• 8.5 million people that live in NYC,
• 66,000 people that live on every square mile in Manhattan,
• 170+ languages are spoken in NYC,
• 40% of Brooklyn is foreign born.

Once the weekend was over I traveled back to Philadelphia where I was working as a summer camp staffer. I had told Freddy that I felt burdened for the people of NYC and passionate about the ministry that Gallery Church was undertaking. I told him that I was considering the possibility of coming back to NYC as a missionary and helping with the church's mission, but that I just needed some time to think it over and ask God if this was His will or mine. After another trip back to NYC and the Gallery Church, and getting to participate in their worship service, I now find myself with a definite answer from God.

The leadership at The Gallery Church has now invited me to move to NYC for a season of assessment and training for urban church planting. The Gallery Church is a Southern Baptist Church that was launched in late 2006 as part of the North American Mission Board's initiative "New Hope New York" They have a vision to see a church planting movement in New York as well as other strategic world cities. My assessment and training time will likely run anywhere from 6 months to a year, beginning this November. During this time, I will be working a secular job while serving in The Gallery Church in any way that I can, from leading worship to cleaning toilets. It is critical that I learn the rhythm and culture of NYC while being assessed for readiness and trained for future urban church planting myself. A website that you can now visit with lots of information about strategic nature of NYC and the vision for church planting movement can be found at www.sendnyc.com.

The Critical Part You Can Play
Please prayerfully consider supporting me through your encouragement, prayers and where possible, your financial gifts. As I am working as a missionary to this church with a long-term goal of hopefully coming on board as a church-planting minister, so it will be crucial for me to have a team that will be supporting me in this start up phase and possibly even further. In this request for support I hope to meet two equally important goals.

The first goal is to have an army of encouragement/prayer warriors that will commit to praying for me during the next six months starting in November. I am asking God for an army of at least fifty prayer warriors who would see this type of support as something they would be willing to do on a weekly and possibly even daily basis. There is no doubt that this type of ministry in this particular place requires the prayers of many fellow believers.

Secondly, I am asking God to raise up at least 15 people that would be willing to partner with me by giving $100 a month over the next six months starting in November. This level of commitment would significantly help me in meeting my housing need, as everybody knows it is quite expensive to live in NYC. Unless God chooses to open up other options, monthly rent for a one bedroom studio can run anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000. This would free me up to both serve at the church part time and work part-time and/or full-time at a secular job to pay for my other bills and cost of living. Do know that if you are unable to make such a commitment I would be eternally grateful to receive any type of financial support that you are able to give. To be sure, several small donations or commitments do add up! As we all know the smallest of gifts is many times the most sacrificial. If you are able to help by providing a monthly donation or a one-time donation, understand that after my assessment and training is complete I will also be looking for future ongoing help as I would then be coming on board with the Gallery Church as a church-planting minister. However, your donation(s) now are crucial in helping me get started in this journey.

If you are able to support me in this mission through encouragement, prayer or financial gifts I would ask that you let me know that by sending me an email at nycmills@gmail.com. As part of the email please let me know how and to what degree you will be able to partner with me in this mission. I will be prompt in returning this email and telling you of next steps that you would need to take. Please take the time to pray over this request and then respond as God leads. It would greatly assist me in making my final arrangements if you could let me know of your support by October 15th.