Frisbees, Open Houses, and Fresh Starts
Dear Friends,
Today is a special day for me.
For the past year, I’ve been slowly transitioning out of my role at Pataskala Grace Church and giving more and more of my time to the work God has called us to in Newark. Today, September 1, that transition becomes official.
Today is my first day serving full-time as the lead pastor of Newark Grace Church.
That sentence feels a little strange to type.
For years, Newark Grace existed mostly as a prayer, then as a conversation, then as a plan scribbled into notebooks and discussed over countless cups of coffee. Slowly, God began turning those prayers and plans into something tangible. People joined us. Churches partnered with us. Doors opened. And now, by God’s kindness, I get to wake up each morning and give myself fully to the work of planting this church.
God has been very kind to me.
He has been kind through the pastors, churches, friends, and partners who have encouraged us along the way. He has been kind through Pataskala Grace, which has loved our family and helped prepare and send us for this work. He has been kind through every person who has prayed, given, asked questions, shared our posts, attended a meeting, or simply told us, “We’re excited about what God is doing in Newark.”
And He continues to give us opportunities to love the city long before we ever hold our first Sunday morning service.
Friday night was another one of those opportunities.
We were back downtown for the Downtown Newark Association’s Final Friday on the Square. A couple thousand people came out on a beautiful evening to see the Budweiser Clydesdales and participate in an event that honored and celebrated our first responders.
Before the evening was over, a few hundred people had stopped by our Newark Grace booth.
We gave away all 200 Newark Grace frisbees, around 130 compasses, and roughly 30 Bibles. More importantly, we got to meet people.
We don’t want Newark Grace to suddenly appear in January and announce that we are here to serve a city we’ve barely bothered to know.
We want to show up now.
We want to be present at community events. We want to meet our neighbors. We want to listen. We want to learn what people love about Newark and where they see needs. We want our city to know, long before our first service, that we are here and we love them.
The church is not primarily an event we host once a week. The church is a people redeemed by Jesus and sent by Jesus to make disciples, love their neighbors, care for one another, and bear witness to the gospel.
That begins before January.
And this Sunday is another important step.
This Sunday, September 6, we’re hosting our first Open House at Newark Station from 5–7 PM.
I’ll admit there is a particular kind of pastoral anxiety attached to hosting something called an “Open House.”
You spend weeks planning it, talking about it, inviting people, preparing the room, and then somewhere in the back of your mind is the very spiritual question:
What if nobody comes?
Church planting provides many wonderful opportunities to grow in faith.
It also provides opportunities to repeatedly check an RSVP list.
But the Lord has been reminding me that our responsibility is faithfulness. We prepare. We invite. We pray. We open the doors. And then we trust God with who walks through them.
We don’t need the biggest crowd.
We want the people God intends to bring.
So would you pray with us that the Lord would do exactly that Sunday evening?
And I’d also love for you to come.
Some of you reading this are already committed to Newark Grace. Some are praying about whether God might be leading you to join us. Some are supporting us from other churches. Some are pastors and ministry partners. Some are simply friends who have encouraged us throughout this journey.
You are all welcome.
Even if you have absolutely no intention of attending Newark Grace when we launch, come spend some time with us Sunday evening. Come see what God is doing. Meet some of the people who are becoming part of this church. Pray with us. Encourage us.
We’d genuinely love to see you.
And after Sunday, another milestone is coming quickly.
In November, we will begin gathering for preview services on Sunday evenings at Pataskala Grace.
These evenings will give us our first opportunities to begin worshiping together as Newark Grace Church.
We’ll sing together. We’ll open God’s Word together. We’ll pray together. We’ll begin learning what it means to actually function as a church family rather than simply a group of people preparing to launch one.
There is something wonderfully strange about planting a church. You spend months talking about the church that will be.
In November, Lord willing, we begin to gather as the church God is already forming.
Then, in January, we move into Newark and begin our regular Sunday gatherings.
I can’t wait.
There is still plenty we don’t know.
There are still decisions to make, people to meet, support to raise, details to work through, and probably a few things we haven’t even realized we’re supposed to be worried about yet.
But today, I’m grateful.
Grateful for the church that is sending us.
Grateful for the people walking with us.
Grateful for a city we are growing to love more every week.
And most of all, grateful for the Savior who promised, “I will build my church.”
That promise allows us to work hard without pretending the outcome depends on us.
Christ builds His church.
Jesus is the center of everything,
Josh
Today is a special day for me.
For the past year, I’ve been slowly transitioning out of my role at Pataskala Grace Church and giving more and more of my time to the work God has called us to in Newark. Today, September 1, that transition becomes official.
Today is my first day serving full-time as the lead pastor of Newark Grace Church.
That sentence feels a little strange to type.
For years, Newark Grace existed mostly as a prayer, then as a conversation, then as a plan scribbled into notebooks and discussed over countless cups of coffee. Slowly, God began turning those prayers and plans into something tangible. People joined us. Churches partnered with us. Doors opened. And now, by God’s kindness, I get to wake up each morning and give myself fully to the work of planting this church.
God has been very kind to me.
He has been kind through the pastors, churches, friends, and partners who have encouraged us along the way. He has been kind through Pataskala Grace, which has loved our family and helped prepare and send us for this work. He has been kind through every person who has prayed, given, asked questions, shared our posts, attended a meeting, or simply told us, “We’re excited about what God is doing in Newark.”
And He continues to give us opportunities to love the city long before we ever hold our first Sunday morning service.
Friday night was another one of those opportunities.
We were back downtown for the Downtown Newark Association’s Final Friday on the Square. A couple thousand people came out on a beautiful evening to see the Budweiser Clydesdales and participate in an event that honored and celebrated our first responders.
Before the evening was over, a few hundred people had stopped by our Newark Grace booth.
We gave away all 200 Newark Grace frisbees, around 130 compasses, and roughly 30 Bibles. More importantly, we got to meet people.
We don’t want Newark Grace to suddenly appear in January and announce that we are here to serve a city we’ve barely bothered to know.
We want to show up now.
We want to be present at community events. We want to meet our neighbors. We want to listen. We want to learn what people love about Newark and where they see needs. We want our city to know, long before our first service, that we are here and we love them.
The church is not primarily an event we host once a week. The church is a people redeemed by Jesus and sent by Jesus to make disciples, love their neighbors, care for one another, and bear witness to the gospel.
That begins before January.
And this Sunday is another important step.
This Sunday, September 6, we’re hosting our first Open House at Newark Station from 5–7 PM.
I’ll admit there is a particular kind of pastoral anxiety attached to hosting something called an “Open House.”
You spend weeks planning it, talking about it, inviting people, preparing the room, and then somewhere in the back of your mind is the very spiritual question:
What if nobody comes?
Church planting provides many wonderful opportunities to grow in faith.
It also provides opportunities to repeatedly check an RSVP list.
But the Lord has been reminding me that our responsibility is faithfulness. We prepare. We invite. We pray. We open the doors. And then we trust God with who walks through them.
We don’t need the biggest crowd.
We want the people God intends to bring.
So would you pray with us that the Lord would do exactly that Sunday evening?
And I’d also love for you to come.
Some of you reading this are already committed to Newark Grace. Some are praying about whether God might be leading you to join us. Some are supporting us from other churches. Some are pastors and ministry partners. Some are simply friends who have encouraged us throughout this journey.
You are all welcome.
Even if you have absolutely no intention of attending Newark Grace when we launch, come spend some time with us Sunday evening. Come see what God is doing. Meet some of the people who are becoming part of this church. Pray with us. Encourage us.
We’d genuinely love to see you.
And after Sunday, another milestone is coming quickly.
In November, we will begin gathering for preview services on Sunday evenings at Pataskala Grace.
These evenings will give us our first opportunities to begin worshiping together as Newark Grace Church.
We’ll sing together. We’ll open God’s Word together. We’ll pray together. We’ll begin learning what it means to actually function as a church family rather than simply a group of people preparing to launch one.
There is something wonderfully strange about planting a church. You spend months talking about the church that will be.
In November, Lord willing, we begin to gather as the church God is already forming.
Then, in January, we move into Newark and begin our regular Sunday gatherings.
I can’t wait.
There is still plenty we don’t know.
There are still decisions to make, people to meet, support to raise, details to work through, and probably a few things we haven’t even realized we’re supposed to be worried about yet.
But today, I’m grateful.
Grateful for the church that is sending us.
Grateful for the people walking with us.
Grateful for a city we are growing to love more every week.
And most of all, grateful for the Savior who promised, “I will build my church.”
That promise allows us to work hard without pretending the outcome depends on us.
Christ builds His church.
Jesus is the center of everything,
Josh
Give thanks for God’s provision. Over the past month, Newark Grace has received several incredibly generous gifts. We are deeply grateful for every person and church that has chosen to invest in this work. Church planting requires resources, and again and again the Lord has provided what we need at the right time. Please join us in thanking God for His kindness and for the generosity of His people.
Pray for healthy transitions. Over the coming weeks, many of the people who will be part of Newark Grace will begin transitioning out of roles and responsibilities at their current churches. For some, these are churches they have loved and served for many years. Pray that these transitions would be marked by humility, gratitude, and grace. We want to leave well, honor the churches that have invested in us, and preserve relationships that matter deeply to us.
Pray for a meeting place. We continue to explore several possibilities for where Newark Grace will gather when we launch in January. There have been encouraging conversations, and there have also been doors that closed much more quickly than we expected.
As I write this, we are waiting to hear back from both a church and a hotel about the possibility of using their space. Would you pray that God would make His direction clear? Pray that He would open the right door, close the wrong ones, and provide a space that allows us to faithfully gather, worship, and serve the Newark community.
Pray for our team. As we move closer to launch, we are continuing to build our team and identify people to serve in important roles throughout the church. Pray that God would raise up the right people with the right gifts and hearts for ministry. Pray especially for wisdom as we organize teams, develop leaders, and make sure we are prepared to care well for the people God brings to us.
Thank you for praying with us. We really do believe that one of the most important ways you can partner with Newark Grace right now is by bringing these needs before the Lord.
Pray for healthy transitions. Over the coming weeks, many of the people who will be part of Newark Grace will begin transitioning out of roles and responsibilities at their current churches. For some, these are churches they have loved and served for many years. Pray that these transitions would be marked by humility, gratitude, and grace. We want to leave well, honor the churches that have invested in us, and preserve relationships that matter deeply to us.
Pray for a meeting place. We continue to explore several possibilities for where Newark Grace will gather when we launch in January. There have been encouraging conversations, and there have also been doors that closed much more quickly than we expected.
As I write this, we are waiting to hear back from both a church and a hotel about the possibility of using their space. Would you pray that God would make His direction clear? Pray that He would open the right door, close the wrong ones, and provide a space that allows us to faithfully gather, worship, and serve the Newark community.
Pray for our team. As we move closer to launch, we are continuing to build our team and identify people to serve in important roles throughout the church. Pray that God would raise up the right people with the right gifts and hearts for ministry. Pray especially for wisdom as we organize teams, develop leaders, and make sure we are prepared to care well for the people God brings to us.
Thank you for praying with us. We really do believe that one of the most important ways you can partner with Newark Grace right now is by bringing these needs before the Lord.
We're excited for a full fall of gathering, serving, and connecting throughout Newark. Whether you're interested in learning more about Newark Grace or simply want to serve alongside us, we'd love to see you at one (or several!) of these events.
Open House Interest Meeting
This Sunday • 5:00–7:00 PM
Join us at Newark Station for an evening of vision, fellowship, and conversation as we continue preparing to launch Newark Grace.
Downtown Newark Chocolate Walk
Friday, September 25 • 4:00–7:00 PM
We'll be participating in this Downtown Newark Association event, giving away chocolate and connecting with our community.
Pastor Josh Preaching at Pataskala Grace
Sunday, October 18
Join us as Pastor Josh returns to preach at our sending church, Pataskala Grace, and share what God is continuing to do through Newark Grace.
Trick-or-Treat on the Square
Friday, October 30 • 5:00–6:30 PM
We'll once again have a booth in Downtown Newark, handing out treats to children and adults while serving our community during this family-friendly event.
Preview Services at Pataskala Grace
November 8, 15, 29
December 6, 13, 20, 27
5:00 PM
We're launching preview services on Sunday, November 8 in the Main Auditorium at Pataskala Grace Church. We'd love for you to join us for these special evenings as we meet to worship, pray, and open the word together.
Open House Interest Meeting
This Sunday • 5:00–7:00 PM
Join us at Newark Station for an evening of vision, fellowship, and conversation as we continue preparing to launch Newark Grace.
Downtown Newark Chocolate Walk
Friday, September 25 • 4:00–7:00 PM
We'll be participating in this Downtown Newark Association event, giving away chocolate and connecting with our community.
Pastor Josh Preaching at Pataskala Grace
Sunday, October 18
Join us as Pastor Josh returns to preach at our sending church, Pataskala Grace, and share what God is continuing to do through Newark Grace.
Trick-or-Treat on the Square
Friday, October 30 • 5:00–6:30 PM
We'll once again have a booth in Downtown Newark, handing out treats to children and adults while serving our community during this family-friendly event.
Preview Services at Pataskala Grace
November 8, 15, 29
December 6, 13, 20, 27
5:00 PM
We're launching preview services on Sunday, November 8 in the Main Auditorium at Pataskala Grace Church. We'd love for you to join us for these special evenings as we meet to worship, pray, and open the word together.
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