zack

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Welcome to our facility update page, where we can keep our members and attendees up to date with the progress on our facility at 4050 Main St. 

In early March, we were thrilled to see the Norwood Company, our trusted contractor, mobilize at our site and kick off construction. We’re still in the early phases of the project, with much of March dedicated to crucial planning, assessments, and some necessary demolition work. The best way to describe the process going on right now is that they are working on the “bones” of the building. There is work being done to reinforce the core structure or “shoring” to continue to prepare for more construction ahead.

As construction progresses, we’ve also begun envisioning the layout and design of each room within our new home. From furniture choices to signage placement, every detail matters, and we’re grateful for the valuable input from our church members in shaping these decisions. We’re enlisting teams of experts from within Citylight to help us make these crucial decisions.

For the timeline, we are still on track to finish the project in December. However, many things can happen between now and then that could delay the timeline. Which is why we still need your prayers! One of our bold prayers for this year is that Citylight will have a worship gathering inside our new home by Christmas. Here are some specific prayer points:

• For the safety of all our contractors and vendors working on this project. 
• That the supply chains of the materials needed for this project are not hindered.
• Pray for discernment and guidance for our pastors, staff, and project managers as they navigate decisions.
• That there are no delays to our timeline so that we can worship in our new home by Christmas.

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Dear Downhearted,

This year, 2020, has been one of the toughest and most troubling. It doesn’t seem to be ending well either. We are seeing a far greater number of Covid-19 cases than before. With new lockdown measures in Philadelphia, many have new concerns about their job security. It seems that the waves of troubles are far from over. It can be all too easy to slip into fear.

In Matthew 8:23-25, we see the following events: 23 And when he (Jesus) got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

This is a terrifying storm, one that strikes fear in even the most experienced fisherman among the disciples. It is in this storm that they have fear on their faces and terror in their eyes that they cry out to their Messiah: “Save us, Lord; WE ARE PERISHING!” Then we see Jesus rebuke them for their fear. Why? What was so wrong with their statement? We know that crying out for salvation from Christ is always the right thing to do. It wasn’t the first part that is the issue; the issue is with the second part of their plea. It is with the certainty they had of their fate, “We are perishing.” Their fear led them to believe that they were about to enter a deep dark abyss, lost forever. Fear can make us think that the worst of the worst possible outcomes is going to happen. 

But they had Christ in the boat with them. It is through this same Christ that all things have been created (Hebrews 1:2). We also see in John 3:35 that, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.” When we have Christ with us, we have nothing to fear because we can have comfort knowing that the King of kings and the Lord of Lords is with us. Neither waves, nor a virus, nor a storm can escape his authority.

It is also interesting to see that the disciples were shocked at how Jesus rescued them. When they asked for his help, did they think he was going to help them swim to shore? Perhaps he had stellar rowing abilities that would get them to land? Whatever they thought, having the power to stop the storm was not one of them. Friend, Christ is far more powerful than you and I can possibly imagine.

Does this mean that we are free from storms with terrifying waves? No, because, even with Christ in the boat, the disciples still went through the storm. The waves still crashed against them. But with Christ in your boat, in your heart and in your life, there is no need to fear an impending doom. Christ is far more powerful than we realize.

In Christ,

Zack