Care During Coronavirus: A Letter from the Diaconate

New City Church Family,

We hope and pray first and foremost that you and your families are safe and well. As we near our seventh week of worshipping remotely, we know that the stress and anxiety of the moment can be a daily struggle. It certainly is for many of us. But we also have great hope—hope in a God who preserves the lives of his saints, hope in a people who are striving to make the kingdom of God visible, and hope in communities and neighborhoods renewed by acts of mercy done in the name of Jesus.

To those ends, we want to share two things with you: (1) How to request help from the Deacons of New City, and (2) How to help our community.

Receiving Support in Times of Need

If you find yourself in need in the coming months—whether physical or financial—please reach out to us. We have created this confidential form for requests for general assistance and encourage you to fill it out so that we can be in touch. Alternatively, you can email Pastor Ryan at ryan.zhang@newcitycincy.org. The Deacons Fund was created for this very time and purpose, so that in caring for one another’s needs, we can more fully embody the communion of saints. We have been honored to come alongside many in our congregation and help with housing expenses, utilities, food, medical bills, and other necessities. As we face significant uncertainty together, we are eager to help and eager to hear from you as well. 

The pastors and leadership of New City would also like to know how we can pray for you. We’ve created an online form that you can fill out if you have a prayer request you would like to share with us. You can also find the form by visiting newcitycincy.org/social. Whether your request is particularly heavy (job loss, illness, etc.) or a simple matter of “daily bread”, we welcome hearing from you. 

Providing Support for Our Community

We have been greatly encouraged by the care you are showing for one another. In March, we put out a call for volunteers to assist the Deacons in caring for the physical needs of our community—running errands, making face masks, delivering meals, and other works of mercy. Your response has been overwhelming. Thank you. We expect that as our community life continues to evolve over the months ahead, these physical needs will evolve as well. 

In addition, we expect that many in our church community and neighborhoods will experience significant financial strain. Please consider giving to New City at this time if you are able. If you do decide to give, we wanted to let you know that you do not need to designate your giving to the Deacons’ funds. The church makes funds available for the deacons using tithes and offerings made to our general funds. We're making more funds available for diaconal use as needs arise and giving allows. 

If you have any questions about how to give, you can contact Amy Samad (amy.samad@newcitycincy.org) or find more information at https://newcitycincy.churchcenter.com/giving

Thank you for the work you are doing to care for one another and serve our community. 

Grace & Peace,

The Deacons of New City Church