There is something special about the people of God coming together for worship (Hebrews 10:24-25). Thus, we hope that Sundays at New City are a highlight of your week. In an effort to help you get more out of it, we're posting a short preview of the upcoming Sunday gathering each week.

We're continuing to use the Apostles' Creed as a springboard for talking through key doctrines in the Christian faith and worldview. This week we'll be focusing on the second coming of Christ, and particularly that he will "come again to judge the living and the dead." Read Psalm 98:1-9 to prepare for the message. We'll be asking the question: Is the notion of God's judgment good news? And if you really believe in this, how will it change your life.

We're excited to celebrate the baptism of Jack Samad this week. Baptism is one of two Sacraments we observe at New City (the other being the Lord's Supper). Baptism is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, a picture of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, and also a picture of the community that God is forming. You'll see two kinds of baptisms at New City. Adults who place their faith in Christ come to baptism as an expression of their faith and as a sign of their entrance and participation in the covenant community. Children of believing adults are also eligible for baptism. For a child, baptism conveys the grace of being included in God's covenant community and acts as an engagement to be the Lord's. In neither case does baptism save a person. We are saved by grace through faith. Adult baptism reflects back to the work of Christ in bringing one to faith, and infant baptism looks forward to a day when a child can embrace the gospel by faith. In both cases, we rejoice in the saving work of Christ calling out a people for himself.

Songs we'll sing this week include: Come and Welcome, I Need Thee Today, You Are The Light (see below), Rejoice the Lord is King, Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending, and Let Your KIngdom Come. You Are the Light is a new song by Matthew Smith that we did for the first time last week, based in part on lyrics by Charles Wesley. You can click here to listen to the song and read the lyrics.