Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
One Thing After Another Points Me Northeastward
For years I have been somewhat mysteriously guided toward the Northeastern United States, a region of rich history, dense population, and global cultural influence, the seat of our federal government and the nerve center of our economy.
ONE SUMMER IN BUFFALO
in 1991 I was assigned my mandatory undergraduate summer internship at a mid-size church in a small town in southeastern Indiana. However, the church went through a staff transition and decided it was not a good time to host a summer intern. I was left without an assignment. I still remember my professor saying that there were not many last-minute internship options left, but I could still could accept a summer assignment with an interesting albeit often overlooked church near Buffalo, New York. I accepted. The summer was a life-changing and eye-opening experience for someone who had never lived outside of the Midwest.
ONE WEEK IN NEW YORK CITY
A couple of years after my summer in New York, I registered for a grad school class entitled "Urban and Cross-Cultural Evangelism" which involved a one-week trip to New York City to learn first-hand from people ministering on the front lines in various urban environments. Once again, I was blown away by the new worlds that were before me and the urgent need for new churches in a region with a population many times what I was used to, yet less churched that any place I had ever visited.
ONE SEASON OF MINISTRY IN NJ & NY
All of this led me to devote several years in the 1990s to this region. I served on a staff team of a new church plant in New Jersey. I also worked with Orchard Group part time assisting with the start-up of several new church plants while also working part-time for a church on Long Island.
ONE WHO WON MY HEART ALONG THE WAY
Rebekah has also experienced a mysterious guidance to this region. Before I met her, Rebekah grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan but ended up in the exact same part of New Jersey where I lived in the 1990s. She moved there to be a live-in nanny with a family of New York City commuters. She showed up at the church where I was serving one Sunday morning. I was greeting people at the front door that day. I liked what I saw! Within a year we were married.
ONE WEEKEND & ONE WEEK IN 2010
Fast forward to 2010. In the spring, I was invited to return to Long Island, New York for the weekend to speak at a church's anniversary banquet. It was a great and memorable occassion. A few months later Rebekah, the kids and I spent our summer vacation at the New Jersey shore. We were able to stay at a house there that belonged to someone we met during our days living in New Jersey. What we intended as merely a vacation ended up, we realized a few months later, stirring our hearts for that region again.
ONE FULL-CIRCLE KIND OF STORY
Once again we realized God was mysteriously guiding us toward the Northeastern United States. When I was recently presented with an opportunity to use my specific gifts to work with Orchard Group to help plant new churches throughout this region and beyond, it really was not difficult to discern that it was part of that guiding.
New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and the places between are a vitally important part of our country and world. In many ways, culture flows from the population centers of the Northeast. What happens there effects what happens throughout our country. Yet in many of these places, you will not find a church on every corner like you will in other parts of the country.
We are committed to seeing churches of all forms, from the simple gathering of people in a living room of an urban neighborhood to the large congregation in the suburbs, taking the gospel to the post-Christian culture of this region.
ONE SUMMER IN BUFFALO
in 1991 I was assigned my mandatory undergraduate summer internship at a mid-size church in a small town in southeastern Indiana. However, the church went through a staff transition and decided it was not a good time to host a summer intern. I was left without an assignment. I still remember my professor saying that there were not many last-minute internship options left, but I could still could accept a summer assignment with an interesting albeit often overlooked church near Buffalo, New York. I accepted. The summer was a life-changing and eye-opening experience for someone who had never lived outside of the Midwest.
ONE WEEK IN NEW YORK CITY
A couple of years after my summer in New York, I registered for a grad school class entitled "Urban and Cross-Cultural Evangelism" which involved a one-week trip to New York City to learn first-hand from people ministering on the front lines in various urban environments. Once again, I was blown away by the new worlds that were before me and the urgent need for new churches in a region with a population many times what I was used to, yet less churched that any place I had ever visited.
ONE SEASON OF MINISTRY IN NJ & NY
All of this led me to devote several years in the 1990s to this region. I served on a staff team of a new church plant in New Jersey. I also worked with Orchard Group part time assisting with the start-up of several new church plants while also working part-time for a church on Long Island.
ONE WHO WON MY HEART ALONG THE WAY
Rebekah has also experienced a mysterious guidance to this region. Before I met her, Rebekah grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan but ended up in the exact same part of New Jersey where I lived in the 1990s. She moved there to be a live-in nanny with a family of New York City commuters. She showed up at the church where I was serving one Sunday morning. I was greeting people at the front door that day. I liked what I saw! Within a year we were married.
ONE WEEKEND & ONE WEEK IN 2010
Fast forward to 2010. In the spring, I was invited to return to Long Island, New York for the weekend to speak at a church's anniversary banquet. It was a great and memorable occassion. A few months later Rebekah, the kids and I spent our summer vacation at the New Jersey shore. We were able to stay at a house there that belonged to someone we met during our days living in New Jersey. What we intended as merely a vacation ended up, we realized a few months later, stirring our hearts for that region again.
ONE FULL-CIRCLE KIND OF STORY
Once again we realized God was mysteriously guiding us toward the Northeastern United States. When I was recently presented with an opportunity to use my specific gifts to work with Orchard Group to help plant new churches throughout this region and beyond, it really was not difficult to discern that it was part of that guiding.
New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and the places between are a vitally important part of our country and world. In many ways, culture flows from the population centers of the Northeast. What happens there effects what happens throughout our country. Yet in many of these places, you will not find a church on every corner like you will in other parts of the country.
We are committed to seeing churches of all forms, from the simple gathering of people in a living room of an urban neighborhood to the large congregation in the suburbs, taking the gospel to the post-Christian culture of this region.
Advance Scouting
This is not a stock photo of Times Square! Rebekah took this while she and Tori were on the road this week in Philadelphia, New Jersey, & New York. They met with a few people and spent time in some of the areas where we might land as our home base once we make our physical move this summer.
I was here in Indiana keeping Lucas and Niles out of trouble and working on setting up some opportunities to meet with people over the next several weeks and ask them to be among our monthly support partners.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
NYC Church Plants: Attractional & Missional
Two relatively new churches planted by Orchard Group, using very different approaches, to reach their neighborhoods in New York City:
More of an organic, missional approach: Church of the Incarnation
More of an attractional approach: Forefront Christian Church
Both impacting people in the very heart of what is arguably the most influencial city in the world. Just examples of what we intend to see more and more of in the months and years to come.
More of an organic, missional approach: Church of the Incarnation
More of an attractional approach: Forefront Christian Church
Both impacting people in the very heart of what is arguably the most influencial city in the world. Just examples of what we intend to see more and more of in the months and years to come.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Lots of Legal Issues, So Far
I actually never suspected the legal part of this position would be so prominent. So far, I've dabbled with immigration law (for an Indian church planter in New York), tax law, employment law, and corporate law as part of my role. All of those areas have one thing in common: they are not the areas in which I previously practiced! It is as if I am the podiatrist learning on the fly about cardiology -- well, perhaps not quite that dramatic.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Going West En Route to the Northeast
Spending part of this week in Las Vegas visiting old friends in order to share about our new venture and specifically asking them to partner with us. On the one hand, it will be strange asking friends for financial support. On the other hand, I am so compelled by this mission, both because of where it is and because of what it is, that I am excited to share it with people I have journeyed with and asking them to go with us on another leg of the journey together.
Please pray about all of the many conversations I'll be having in Vegas this week.
Please pray about all of the many conversations I'll be having in Vegas this week.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Vital Mission, Help Needed
We are passionate about New York City and the Northeast in general. We met in New Jersey in 1994 while Greg was part of the team of a new church plant and Rebekah was a nanny. We spent time on Long Island, New York after that with a local church and helping prepare for church plants in New York City. Tori was born there. Recent visits to the region (Greg to Long Island last spring, the whole family to the Jersey shore last summer) confirmed to us that our hearts had never left that region.
If we want to see the culture of North America transformed from a Kingdom perspective, we must begin in centers of influence (cultural, economic, arts, education, government, industry). New York City is the epicenter for such influence in North American (and arguably for the entire globe). As for the Northeast in general (Boston-NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC), over 60 million people live and work there. Percentages of church participaton are much lower than in other parts of the country.
We are also passionate about church planting in its various forms, including simple churches, regional impact churches, & non-English-speaking churches. See the post below, quoting Tim Keller (perhaps the most knowledgeable person regarding church planting in NYC) about that.
Orchard Group's mission is to plant growing and reproducing churches in New York City and the Northeast. This is a key time of potential expansion for Orchard Group. Greg's role with OG is a culmination of past church planting and legal practice experiences.
We're excited. But we also face a huge challenge right now in raising a significant percentage of funds for our support. We really need ongoing monthly partners who will give gifts as we head into 2011. Please prayerfully consider this -- not just to help us -- but to be part of a mission that is integral to bringing Kingdom transormation to North America and beyond.
You can give online at through the Orchard Group website (select e-giving and follow the links to make a General Fund gift, under the Sub Fund "Greg Hubbard"). You can also send checks to Orchard Group, Inc. (write "Greg Hubbard" in the memo line), 51 Middlesex Street, Unit 101, North Chelmsford, MA 01863. All gifts are tax deductible.
If we want to see the culture of North America transformed from a Kingdom perspective, we must begin in centers of influence (cultural, economic, arts, education, government, industry). New York City is the epicenter for such influence in North American (and arguably for the entire globe). As for the Northeast in general (Boston-NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC), over 60 million people live and work there. Percentages of church participaton are much lower than in other parts of the country.
We are also passionate about church planting in its various forms, including simple churches, regional impact churches, & non-English-speaking churches. See the post below, quoting Tim Keller (perhaps the most knowledgeable person regarding church planting in NYC) about that.
Orchard Group's mission is to plant growing and reproducing churches in New York City and the Northeast. This is a key time of potential expansion for Orchard Group. Greg's role with OG is a culmination of past church planting and legal practice experiences.
We're excited. But we also face a huge challenge right now in raising a significant percentage of funds for our support. We really need ongoing monthly partners who will give gifts as we head into 2011. Please prayerfully consider this -- not just to help us -- but to be part of a mission that is integral to bringing Kingdom transormation to North America and beyond.
You can give online at through the Orchard Group website (select e-giving and follow the links to make a General Fund gift, under the Sub Fund "Greg Hubbard"). You can also send checks to Orchard Group, Inc. (write "Greg Hubbard" in the memo line), 51 Middlesex Street, Unit 101, North Chelmsford, MA 01863. All gifts are tax deductible.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Why Plant Churches in Cities?
"The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city, and the reaching of new generations, new residents, new people groups & the unchurched.
Nothing else‐‐not crusades, outreach programs, parachurch ministries, growing mega‐churches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes‐‐will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting. This is an eyebrow raising statement. But to those who have done any study at all, it is not even controversial.
Why is church planting so crucially important?
Because new churches bring new ideas to the whole Body, new churches are one of the best ways to surface creative, strong leaders for the whole Body, new churches challenge other churches to self‐examination, new churches may be an ‘evangelistic feeder’ for a whole community.
Jesus’ essential call was to plant churches. The Apostle Paul’s whole strategy was to plant URBAN churches. New church planting is the only way that we can be sure we are going to increase the number of believers in a city and one of the best ways to renew the whole Body of Christ. The evidence for this statement is strong ‐Biblically, sociologically, and
historically. In the end, a lack of kingdom‐mindedness may simply blind us to all this evidence. We must beware of that."
- by Dr. Timothy Keller, Redeemer Church Planting Center, New York City
Nothing else‐‐not crusades, outreach programs, parachurch ministries, growing mega‐churches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes‐‐will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting. This is an eyebrow raising statement. But to those who have done any study at all, it is not even controversial.
Why is church planting so crucially important?
Because new churches bring new ideas to the whole Body, new churches are one of the best ways to surface creative, strong leaders for the whole Body, new churches challenge other churches to self‐examination, new churches may be an ‘evangelistic feeder’ for a whole community.
Jesus’ essential call was to plant churches. The Apostle Paul’s whole strategy was to plant URBAN churches. New church planting is the only way that we can be sure we are going to increase the number of believers in a city and one of the best ways to renew the whole Body of Christ. The evidence for this statement is strong ‐Biblically, sociologically, and
historically. In the end, a lack of kingdom‐mindedness may simply blind us to all this evidence. We must beware of that."
- by Dr. Timothy Keller, Redeemer Church Planting Center, New York City
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Central Phoenix Project
Phone conference today with Brian Kruckenberg, the planter for a new church project in urban Phoenix. He, like me, is an attorney, so it was an interesting conversation. Read more about "day twelve" church here.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
It All Begins in Buffalo . . . Again!
On the first day of December I will begin my church planting venture with Orchard Group by meeting with our church planting team in urban Buffalo, New York.
It is somewhat ironic that my new mission will begin with a day in Buffalo because my first ever ministry experience in the Northeast was in . . . Buffalo.
During the summer of 1991 I was the summer intern for a church in the suburbs just east of Buffalo. I was supposed to intern at a church in southeastern Indiana, but a last-minute change of plans landed me in Buffalo instead. It was more than a coincedence as my experience that summer planted within me the seeds that would grow into a passion for the Northeast.
Also somewhat ironic is this: During my summer in suburban Buffalo I lived with a family who had small children. One of the kids was a boy named Sean, who must have been less than five-years old at the time. I recently found out that Sean, who is now in his twenties, is serving on the urban church planting staff team for the new church in Buffalo - the same one I will be meeting with on my first real day of working with Orchard Group! It should be a very interesting, meaningful, and "full-circle" kind of day on December 1.
It is somewhat ironic that my new mission will begin with a day in Buffalo because my first ever ministry experience in the Northeast was in . . . Buffalo.
During the summer of 1991 I was the summer intern for a church in the suburbs just east of Buffalo. I was supposed to intern at a church in southeastern Indiana, but a last-minute change of plans landed me in Buffalo instead. It was more than a coincedence as my experience that summer planted within me the seeds that would grow into a passion for the Northeast.
Also somewhat ironic is this: During my summer in suburban Buffalo I lived with a family who had small children. One of the kids was a boy named Sean, who must have been less than five-years old at the time. I recently found out that Sean, who is now in his twenties, is serving on the urban church planting staff team for the new church in Buffalo - the same one I will be meeting with on my first real day of working with Orchard Group! It should be a very interesting, meaningful, and "full-circle" kind of day on December 1.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Before the Mission Begins, the Challenging Part . . .
This week we are sending out letters to many of our friends and family all over the country announcing our new venture and asking for financial support. If you are reading this, there is a good chance you will get one of the letters!
We hope you will prayerfully consider not only a year-end gift to help us get started (Greg begins full-time in about three weeks!) but also seriously consider partnering with us for monthly support. It is always a sensitive thing to ask for financial support from friends and family. I admit that I am sometimes tempted to run the other way when I see such a request coming my way.
But we really believe in this mission we are going on, and we really would like our friends and family to be involved with us in many different ways, financial support included. This mission is too important for us to think any other way about it. We are prayerful that the letters will be received with the same enthusiasm and genuine concern with which they are being sent!
We will be making ourselves available to meet with anyone who would like to hear more about this and ask questions, no matter where in the country that may be.
We hope you will prayerfully consider not only a year-end gift to help us get started (Greg begins full-time in about three weeks!) but also seriously consider partnering with us for monthly support. It is always a sensitive thing to ask for financial support from friends and family. I admit that I am sometimes tempted to run the other way when I see such a request coming my way.
But we really believe in this mission we are going on, and we really would like our friends and family to be involved with us in many different ways, financial support included. This mission is too important for us to think any other way about it. We are prayerful that the letters will be received with the same enthusiasm and genuine concern with which they are being sent!
We will be making ourselves available to meet with anyone who would like to hear more about this and ask questions, no matter where in the country that may be.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
How We Will Fit Into the Mix with Orchard Group
As we shared in the first post below, I (Greg) will start working with Orchard Group on December 1 with our whole family (Greg, Rebekah, Tori, Lucas, & Niles) moving to the Northeast sometime this summer. We're still praying and exploring the exact location where we will live.
Here's more about the current work of Orchard Group and where we will fit into the mix.
The churches planted by Orchard Group in the past two decades are flourishing all around the Northeast - in the metro areas of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and Pittsburgh. One church, planted ten years ago near Philadelphia, has already baptized over one thousand people!
In the next 12 months new churches are poised to start meeting in Pittsburgh, Annapolis, Buffalo and Upper Manhattan.
Orchard Group is also responding to opportunities to plant churches in other challenging, strategic, urban settings. Over the next year we will be helping planters start new churches in Salt Lake City, Central Phoenix, Ventura (California) and Seattle.
Looking further into the future, Orchard Group is preparing to raise up and support church planters in the cities of the Northeast, but to also in other US cities, and possibly even international cities.
My (Greg's) role is needed now in order to ensure that Orchard Group is able to serve the church planting teams well. I will be overseeing operations for the organization and project management for the new churches. My experiences with new church staff teams in New Jersey and Las Vegas, my degrees in both ministry and law, and my work experiences in both realms have helped prepare me for this new venture. I'll be involved in a wide variety of issues, including legal issues, corporate compliance, insurance, and fundraising. I will also be sharing my experience in simple/organic church planting through various training opportunities for projects that are geared more in that direction.
Please pray for the people of the Northeast and other urban areas in which we are working. Please pray for our family during a time of transition. Please pray for us as we are involved in fundraising for this venture as well.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The News
Change is in the air. The Hubbards will be moving to the Northeastern United States sometime this summer.
On December 1, Greg will begin working full time for Orchard Group, Inc., an organization that plants new churches in the New York City Metro Area, in the Northeast United States, and in other strategic urban locations. Orchard Group is already involved in several projects in places like New York City, Buffalo, Baltimore, Annapolis, and Pittsburgh.
This position is a culmination of our many past experiences: project management for new church planting projects, simple church training, using Greg's legal experience, presenting the organization's work and vision to churches and individuals, etc.
We will be sharing much more here soon.
On December 1, Greg will begin working full time for Orchard Group, Inc., an organization that plants new churches in the New York City Metro Area, in the Northeast United States, and in other strategic urban locations. Orchard Group is already involved in several projects in places like New York City, Buffalo, Baltimore, Annapolis, and Pittsburgh.
This position is a culmination of our many past experiences: project management for new church planting projects, simple church training, using Greg's legal experience, presenting the organization's work and vision to churches and individuals, etc.
We will be sharing much more here soon.
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