September 2014 ServeDC Team

I loved being at Windmill Hill Park in Alexandria, VA this past Saturday morning as part of our first ever ServeDC experience as a church.  It was insanely hot, humid and fun!  As our team was busy power washing, scraping and clearing brush, I kept silently praying “Thank You, God” over and over.  I loved seeing so many from our church plant serving.  I loved how hard everyone was working – we seriously would be an amazing landscaping crew!!  I loved how much fun people were having and I loved seeing new faces.  To top it off, we were able to have several conversations with people from the neighborhood and county staff about who we are as a church, Jesus and the gospel.  It was a great day!

It’s also very much in keeping with what God calls Israel to do during their exile in Babylon, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7)  At Restoration City, we want to live this out as people God has sent to DC.  We want to pray for our city and we want to seek the welfare of our city.  We want DC to be better because we exist as a church.  We want to be a blessing to our city and show DC the kind of grace we have received from Jesus.

Yes, our ultimate prayer is for spiritual awakening in this city – the kind of awakening that comes only through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We love preaching that gospel in our sermons and in our daily conversations.  We do it joyfully and without apology.  But if we preach it without living it, we shouldn’t be surprised when our city takes little notice.  ServeDC is one small way of living the gospel we preach; the gospel that makes dead men come to life through faith in Jesus.

DC has plenty of critics and haters.  I love being a part of a church that loves this city and seeks its good.