Church of the City New York

This past Sunday, Pastor Jon taught on Christ's words of blessing over those who are persecuted and His calling to rejoice in the midst of it. In a world that is offended by righteousness and claims of Christ's exclusivity as the way to freedom, our efforts to follow Jesus and cling to His words will increasingly set us against the current of our culture. Yet in this we rejoice, remembering that we are exiles in this world and following Christ's example of enduring persecution with joy and humility.

This past Sunday, Pastor Jon Tyson preached about Jesus' call to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). At a time when the world thought leadership meant violence and military prowess, Jesus declared that peacemakers were the children of God.

A preacher explores what it means to have a single-hearted devotion to God. Personal testimony and cultural traps illustrate why purity is hard. Practical practices focus on aching for God, fleeing sin, and honest confession. The talk connects inner transformation to broader social renewal.

A sermon on mercy amid cultural divisions and cancel culture. A look at the Good Samaritan and what it means to love those society deems unlovable. Practical stories of rescuing enemies and mercy that costs time, resources, and reputation. A call to embody compassion across ethnic and political lines and let mercy reshape community life.

This past Sunday, Pastor Jon examined the fourth beatitude and its vision for righteousness as both personal holiness and social justice. In the midst of our current cultural decline, he exhorts us to become people who are desperate to see biblical righteousness break into our world today.

A deep dive into what meekness really means and how Jesus models gentle, controlled strength. Discussion of Psalm 37 and first-century context shows meekness as trust, not passive weakness. Reflections on Jesus’ humble kingdom, his path to the cross, and how believers inherit a promised future. Practical steps offered for growing meekness through trust, rest, and imitation of Christ.

This past Sunday, Pastor Olivia, our new pastor of discipleship and formation, shed light on Christ's blessing and invitation to enter into redemptive mourning. As we mourn the brokenness of this world, as well as our individual and collective experiences of it, we are comforted by the promise and hope of Christ's resurrection life.

This past Sunday, Pastor Jon reminded us of the importance of maintaining our relationship with God by recognizing our spiritual bankruptcy. Being welcomed into the kingdom of God requires us to relinquish our pride and choose humility, else we are blind to what is above us.

A season kickoff exploring why Jesus' Beatitudes matter amid cultural crises. He argues for resetting discipleship away from cultural signposts toward a kingdom-centered life. The talk contrasts shallow secular values with countercultural Beatitude wisdom and invites a practical renewal of Christian identity and witness.

This week, Pastor Jon cast a vision for our church as we head into the fall season. We are tired, but resolved to regroup and rebuild through pressing deeper into our core values--Presence, Formation, and Mission. However, in this season, we are taking these values to a deeper level. We are pursuing the tangible presence of God, understanding that no human solutions can rescue us from our cultural trauma; we are committed to counter formation, recognizing that there is no neutral ground and fighting against culture's attempting to pull us away from becoming like Jesus; and we are pursuing sacrificial mission, adopting the "I sacrifice, we win" mentality of Christ and embracing the high cost of living for the good of this city. New York needs a community of champions, and now is not the time to shrink back but to rise up.