Grand Old Day 2009

Grand Old Day 2009

June 7, 2009 was a cool cloudy day, but the day was still grand.  The 36th annual Grand Old Day was fun to experience for the first time.  By living on Grand Avenue, I was able to check out the parade, bring my daughter to Family Fun Zone, and a small team from Trinity City Church helped tear down the Teenage Battle of the Bands.  There was not much to do for tear down, but it is a joy to be able to serve the community any way we can.  We look forward, as a church, to be even more involved with this one day festival.

Here is some interesting numbers about Grand Old Day, which is the largest single day festival in the Midwest (from the Grand Avenue Business Association):

• Average attendance: 200,000
• Percent who have attended before: 73
• Percent female: 55
• Average age: 37
• Average times attended: 8
• Average hours spent at festival: 4.5

• Volunteers: 300
• Festival vendors: over 200
• Police and safety personnel: over 100
• Parade entries: 70
• Bands performing: over 30

• City blocks: 22
• Shuttle buses: 5
• Information booths: 4

• Trash and recycling bins: 1,000
• Portable rest rooms: over 250
• Hours to clean up afterward: 12

- Pastor Bryan

Community Committee and Community Groups

I enjoy being a pastor who lives in the community he is planting in.  Living here gives me the opportunity to get plugged into various community events, including the MacGrove Community Outreach Committee.  This committee is doing a lot of good work for the city of Saint Paul.  I met a woman who has raised close to 400,000 pounds of food for the community, and another lady who directs a youth mentoring program for the Twin Cities.  In addition, this committee organizes the Battle of the Bands for Grand Old Day.  It will be a priveldge to help out with these events. 

Picture from media.decider.com

Throughout the summer, I am also facilitating two community groups that meet in order to talk about worldviews.  In this group we talk about some of life’s most fundalmental questions, such as: What is reality?  Where is history going?  What is evil?  Each person brings a different perspective to the table, and I get to talk about Jesus.  So everyone in the group gets to articulate their thoughts and challenge one another.  Also, you can’t beat meeting at places like Coffee News Cafe on Grand.

The Lord continues to bless this new church richly, and I am excited to see how the Spirit leads throughout the summer!

- Pastor Bryan

The Thoms are Moving to Town

During the end of April, Ryan Thom and his family were able to visit Saint Paul and find a place to live.  For those of you who do not know, Ryan is the co-planter of Trinity City Church.  His last Sunday at Evanston Bible Fellowship, which is where he serves as the Worship Director, is May 17th.  Then during Memorial Weekend, the Thom family will be residents of Saint Paul, right in the Highland Park neighborhood south of Saint Thomas and near St. Kate’s.

Be praying for them as they transition from Chicago to Saint Paul, and as they start to connect with this community.  My family and I will also be traveling to Evanston for the Thom’s last Sunday, and we are excited to be with EBF to celebrate their ministry there and their future ministry in the Twin Cities.

- Bryan

Hope Spring Retreat

Big Sandy Camp

This weekend my family and I will be going on the Hope Spring Retreat at Big Sandy Camp in McGregor, Minnesota.  We are looking forward to this time of fellowship with our local supporting church.  It is important  that connections are made at this retreat so that the kingdom of Jesus can be advanced in Saint Paul.  Please be  praying for us this weekend as those who support, pray for and join this plant grow!

In addition, co-planter Ryan Thom and his family are in Saint Paul this weekend in order to look for places to rent.  Please be praying for them as they prepare to move from Chicago to Saint Paul this summer.

I had a great time at the National New Church Conference in Orlando, and thank all of you for your prayers.  It was exciting to be at a conference where over 3,000 church planters are getting ready to go out and spread the glory of Jesus!

 - Pastor Bryan

National Church Planting Conference

On Sunday, I will be leaving for Orlando, FL in order to attend the National Church Planting Conference, which is called Exponential.  I will be going with other church planters and pastors from Hope Community Church.  This conference is large and diverse.  It brings together many different pastors from many different types of churches for one large conference.   Please be praying for me as I attend this conference.  Pray that the Lord will give me relevant information that can be applied to the context of Saint Paul so that more people will worship Jesus here.

- Pastor Bryan

Community Meeting and Campus Speaking

On Thursday, I will be going to two meetings on the campus of Macalester.  The first is the Annual Neighborhood Gathering for Macalester-Groveland Community Council. Attending this meeting will be a blessing to me since I live and am planting a church in this community.

The second meeting will be with Macalester Christian Fellowship, which is the campus ministry of InterVarsity.  Both myself, and Brad Kindall, will be giving a talk on church planting within this community.  Be praying for this ministry on Macalester’s campus.  I have spoken to a couple of the leaders of this group, and I am encouraged by the work Jesus is doing through this ministry.

Finally, be praying for me as I network with each group, and that Jesus would be made much of as a result.

- Pastor Bryan

The Name of the Church Plant is …

After a REALLY long process, and looking at about 100 good and bad names, we have decided on a name.  The name of this church plant will be TRINITY CITY CHURCH.

We are in the process of developing a logo and website for the church (www.trinitycitychurch.org).  The above graphic is merely an example.  For now, Between Two Cities will function as the blog for Trinity so that you can keep updated on the latest information.  We will keep you posted on when this blog will merge with trinitycitychurch.org.

Why did we pick this name?  It communicates our vision and identiy as a church.  Here is how:

Trinity - we are a church with historic convictions about Jesus.  The Trinity is the central belief of all Christian churches, and it is what separates Christianity from cults and other world religions.  It is a belief that stats there is only one eternal God, who exists as the persons of the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God.  This is the theology of the Nicene Creed, and it is historical theology that fundamentally declares Jesus is God.  This church plant affirms historic convictions about Jesus.

City – we are a church with holistic compassion for the city.  This church is an urban church that is located between the downtowns of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and located in Saint Paul proper.  The middle name of the church shows not only our location as a church, but also our commitment and love for this city.  This church wants to bear witness to Jesus in both what we say and what we do.  We want to not only share the message of God’s grace to all people, but also to love the city through social compassion and cultural engagement.  

Church – we are a Christian community.  The word “church” is still significant for our culture, and it refers to a community of Christians who gather to worship Jesus.  We are a community of people who love Jesus.

In summary, Trinity City Church is Christian community with historic convictions about Jesus and holistic compassion for the city.  We hope you like it!

Preaching at Sanctuary in Woodbury

Be praying for me this week as I prepare to preach at Sanctuary in Woodbury.  The sermon text is Acts 5.30-33.

The connection I have with this church is through the Brad Kindall, who is the pastor of this site of Crossroads Church.  Brad is in the process of planting a Evangelical Covenant Church in Saint Paul, which will be called The Gallery Covenant Church.  Be praying for this plant, and our partnership, as both this plant and The Gallery continue to show the glory of Jesus in Saint Paul.

- Pastor Bryan

Preaching Sunday at Hope

This week I will be preparing to preach at Hope Community Church on March 15th.  Hope is going through the book of 1 Corinthians, and my text is 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.  Be praying for me as I prepare to speak from God’s word to his people.

 - Bryan

UPDATE: listen to this sermon at http://www.hopecc.com/sermons/031509.mp3

Hope Community Church on YouTube

Hope Community Church is starting to post YouTube of their membership process.  Check them out if you want to know more about the main supporting church of this plant in the Twin Cities.  The one I am posting is about Hope’s values, but you can follow the YouTube links to see more videos: