Envisioning and Cultivating
Welcome, and thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned—we're just getting started with our site and beginning to envision and cultivate a new spiritual community in the city of Portsmouth, NH. Over the next several months we're going to be listening to the people in this area, attentively and actively responding to what God is already doing, and prayerfully seeking the Lord to establish a new reformed church that is Gospel-centered, City-positive, and Fellowship-focused.
The Real "Progressives"
"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive."
- C.S. Lewis
What's with the name?
Gospel-centered
We believe that the gospel of Jesus is the hope for humanity. This is the truth that sets us free. We also believe that the gospel is the power for lasting change for the non-Christian and seasoned-Christian alike. In other words, we never graduate from the gospel. We want the good news of God's remarkable grace for us in Jesus to be at the very center of all that we think, say, and do. There is good news that all of us need to hear, every day.
City-positive
We believe that the gospel brings us into the society and city of God which is meant to comprehensively intersect and positively impact the cities of our world. We want to respond to the blessing of God by being a blessing to the city of Portsmouth. Our desire is to be a faithful mediatorial presence of Christ in the way that we pray for the city, serve the city, and bless the city. We are in the heart of the city, for the good of the city.
Fellowship-focused
We believe that fellowship with God and with one another is the result of believing the gospel. The Christian life is never meant to be lived in isolation, but rather in community as the body of Christ. And the Christian community is meant to be the most truthful, loving, authentic, and generous community on the planet. Our focus will be on helping people experience this type of community by developing a strong sense of fellowship with God and with one another.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
Why start a new church in Portsmouth?
According to the latest research, the suicide rates in New Hampshire are currently 35% higher than the national average. People need hope, and we believe that the hope we're all looking for is found in the gospel of Jesus. Yet, right now, only 2.5% of the Portsmouth population acknowledge an understanding and commitment to the gospel. We believe a new gospel-centered and reformed church can collaborate with existing churches and ministries to bring more hope to this area.
Q:
Who is overseeing this new church plant?
As a mission church of the PCA, a temporary oversight session has been established to work alongside Rev. Jeremy A. McKeen. This temporary governing body consists of the teaching elder and one ruling elder from Exeter Presbyterian Church in Exeter, NH, Christ the Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Portland, ME, and Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashua, NH.
Q:
When do you plan to start services?
The timeline for starting services will largely depend on the timing and development of the interest group and launch team. We had our first interest meeting on February 29 in downtown Portsmouth. The 18 of us discussed and prayed over the vision of the church and what it would look like to get involved. Eventually those committed from this group will form into a family-style launch team that will learn together and discern when to hold services.
Q:
How can I financially support this work?
All tax-deductible gifts can be given electronically or by mail through following the steps on our official support page here. You can also text to give. Just text "MNA 1972" to 76959 and follow the prompts. Thank you for considering to partner with us in this way! 100% of all gifts go to support this new work with no admin fees taken out.
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Gospel City Fellowship is a developing mission church of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). We're in the very beginning stages of envisioning and cultivating a reformed community in the city of Portsmouth, NH that is Gospel-centered, City-positive, and Fellowship-focused.
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