As Christians, we celebrate baptisms as a core tradition, and one that we enjoy celebrating together. More than that, we believe that as a symbolic statement of faith, a baptism has a transformational effect on the individual believer who follows Jesus’ example in taking this life-changing step.

In a recent message, our Soho Community Pastor Rhema Trayner explained, “Baptism confirms your identity as one who belongs to God…The insinuation of baptism is that there is a fundamental change that takes place that’s irreversible.”

Ask your community group leader about baptisms or read testimonials of Christians who have been baptized at Liberty Church: Fabienne’s story, Mat’s and Kristine’s stories, Gallery

Biblically, the decision to follow Christ and baptism go hand-in-hand. For this reason, Liberty Church gathers periodically at the Grace Hotel in Midtown to cheer on taking this important step into a life devoted to Jesus. Following acoustic worship, anyone who makes the decision to be baptized is given the opportunity to pray with their community pastors and community group leaders and take the plunge in the pool. The atmosphere is joyful, and there’s a freshness and excitement for each person that crosses the line and begins a new stage in their life with Christ.

“The image of baptism is a symbol of being given a new start, a fresh slate, the image of walking into a new life.” –Rhema Trayner, “Public Identification”

Our next opportunity is coming up on Friday, September 19 at 7:30pm at the Grace Hotel pool, 125 W 45th St. If you would like to participate or if you have any questions about baptism, please email [email protected].

A movement started last Friday night in New York City that has been described as “a cry rippling across the Earth to shift an eternal balance.” The ripple was not meant to be contained in the walls of Scholastic Theater, because it did not really begin there either.

Find out more about She is Free at sheisfreenyc.com.

In February the church staff was gathered at Paul and Andi’s for a community group. Andi had just returned from speaking at a conference in Hawaii where God had entrusted her with some bold visions for her ministry and the women of Liberty Church. With discussions scattered across their living room, Andi sat at the table across from two or three other women who were prodding her with questions, suddenly aware that she had a secret she was holding back.

“She is free.”

The moment she spoke the words aloud, the women in the room instinctively stepped away from their conversations and took positions around the table, like birds gathering on a wire. What was in all of our hearts at the time was a dream—not a specific idea for an event but a vision of the change that could happen if individual women were set free to what God was calling them to do.

Matthew Arnold, the Bible commentator, said, “If there ever comes a time when the women of the world come together purely and simply for the benefit of mankind, it will be a force such as the world has never known.”

Imagine if that force were released in New York City, a city that influences the world.

Personally, I had already begun to struggle with what a free woman is. Being more reserved, I had always wondered if what other people pictured as freedom did not really fit the ticket for me. Being a modern woman who tries to see myself through my relationship with God and not through the broken cultural lenses of church history, I had also bee
n challenged by what Biblical womanhood actually speaks to “shifting the balance, restoring femininity, and freeing the enslaved: body, soul, and spirit.”

Read Andi’s response to the launch of She is Free on her blog.

For me, what began in February was an ongoing dialogue about what it means to be free for every woman, without creating further barriers by trying to paint diverse women with the same brush. At the same time, if what the Bible had to say about women had universal significance, it had to be true across cultures: in New York as it is in Zimb
abwe as it is in heaven.

I began reading books about churches that God had called to release women, and the spectacular result of women running in their lane. I began telling my own story as a story of freedom for the benefit of the community around me, giving permission to other women to step into their freedom by paving a way. I began to pray with the women of our church for specific plans to come into place so that we could gather women in New York City next Spring. And I began writing several versions of a script that the women of Liberty Sisterhood would film to spread the call of She is Free.

“When she awakes to that dream, when she hears the invitation, she is empowered to administer deliverance, healing, justice, and freedom in Jesus’ name and to claim them for herself. She is above her circumstances, ahead of her past, aware of her purpose, attuned to her destiny.”

The words of this video are very personal to me, but I believe God wants to connect with each woman in the same way to show them how to walk in the freedom he gives them.

Perhaps there is a woman to whom you know this video would speak directly. We encourage you to share this and the invitation it brings. But perhaps also your story is a story of freedom to be shared, to ignite something in the woman sitting next to you, to release a song of freedom in your city, to allow the cry of freedom to ripple out across the Earth.

To find out more about She is Free and to register for the gathering on April 23^rd to 25^th, visit sheisfreenyc.com.

You can now sign up for a community group in your community: Soho, Brooklyn, or Union Square.

“All the Lord’s followers often met together, and they shared everything they had.” -Acts 2:44 (CEV)

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If you are a business person, we invite you to attend the 3rd Annual Visionaries Retreat on November 14-15 in Tarrytown, NY. Space is limited and Early Bird Pricing is limited as well. Be sure to register soon!

The theme of the Visionaries Retreat is “Greater Things: Equipping You with Clarity, Courage and Capacity to Live Out Your Calling in 2015″, and it will be a time for you to hear great speakers, meet with other business leaders, and set your course more firmly for the year ahead.

We are pleased to announce that our keynote speaker will be author, speaker, and pastor, Kris Vallotton. Kris is not only a gifted teacher, but for many years he ran his own business before joining the ministry full-time. He is the senior associate leader of Bethel Church in Redding, CA, and has written seven books including the best-selling Supernatural Ways of Royalty. Paul Andrew, lead pastor of Liberty Church and leadership training expert, along with additional speakers to be announced shortly will bring their business acumen seasoned with their relationship with God.

The retreat is more than just great speakers. Through interacting with other business leaders both informally and in breakout groups, you will have the opportunity to sharpen your plans, make bold decisions, receive prayer, and move ahead in 2015.

Visionaries is the business community of Liberty Church, and exists to equip, encourage and enable those whose primary sphere of influence is in their marketplace or industry.

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Paul Andrew preached this message, titled “Let’s Do This” at our services in Brooklyn, Soho, and Union Square on September 7, 2014.

Subscribe in iTunes to the LibertyChurchNYC podcast to receive new teaching automatically.

Sunday Services-
Brooklyn – United Artists Cinema 9:30am
Soho – Scholastic Auditorium 11am
Union Square – Union Square Ballroom 5 & 7pm

Sign up for Community Groups here!

Community Groups are a great way to get plugged in and build relationships. They are the primary way we care for and disciple those who would consider Liberty Church home. There’s a range of focus from book studies, financial stewardship, entrepreneurship, and social groups.

Each Community Group meets once a week on various days across each of our church communities. We’re excited to launch this 11-week Fall Season. There is truly something for everyone!

Visit the Connections Desk in The Lounge or sign up here beginning September 7th. Groups begin the week of September 29th.

Sunday, September 7th - Grow Kicks Off

Have you been thinking about making Liberty Church YOUR home? Join us for Grow, a 4-week course beginning right after each service designed to help you learn more about Liberty Church, discover your calling and purpose, and find out how to get involved. A light meal will be provided.

Sign up at the Connections Desk in The Lounge, online, or by emailing [email protected]

Friday, September 19th - Baptisms

Baptisms are a public declaration of a private commitment to God. It symbolizes the death of your old self (submerging in the water) and being raised again as a new creation in Christ (rising out of the water).

If you have never been baptized and would like to, or if you have before but didn’t fully understand it at the time, we invite you to sign up to be baptized on this night. To all who have already been baptized, join us as we hear stories of transformation and celebrate the new life that is given in Jesus Christ. Baptism sign ups will be at the Connections Desk in The Lounge or by emailing: [email protected]

7:30pm at The Grace Hotel, 125 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036

November 14th - 15th - REGISTER NOW! Visionaries Retreat

Our 3rd annual Visionaries Retreat is coming up. This year, our retreat will be at the beautiful Tarrytown Estate, just 25 miles north of Manhattan and easily accessible by Metro-North.
The Visionaries Retreat is a time of pouring into our business community. We are particularly excited for this year’s theme: “Greater Things: Equipping You with Clarity, Courage and Capacity to Live Out Your Calling in 2015,” taken from John 14:12, where Jesus calls believers to greater things. Likewise, we believe God is calling this group of Visionaries to do the same, individually and corporately.

We are also delighted to announce that Kris Vallotton will be our keynote speaker. Kris is the senior associate leader of Bethel Church in Redding, CA, and an internationally known speaker, author and co-founder of the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. Kris has an extensive business background and his words will help propel you forward. It is an opportunity not to be missed.

We are finalizing other great speakers as well, who, along with Kris, will uniquely equip, encourage, and enable our Visionaries community.

To register please go to the Connections Desk in The Lounge or for further information please email [email protected]

Friday, September 5th - Liberty Sisterhood

The women of Liberty will be gathering to hear from guest speaker Sarah Dubbeldam of Darling Magazine and to be among the first to hear an exciting announcement from our lead pastor, Andi Andrew. You won’t want to miss it. We would LOVE to see you there!

Tickets for the event are $20. Registrations can be made online or by texting “$20 Sisterhood” to 646-350-0705. $25 at the door. For more information, email [email protected]

7:30pm at Scholastic Theater, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012

You won’t want to miss our meeting tonight, September 5 at 7:30pm when we welcome guest speaker Sarah Dubbeldam of Darling Magazine to Scholastic Theater and hear a special announcement for our women from Andi Andrew. You can purchase a ticket for the event here. To watch live tonight starting at 7:55 pm EDT click here. Continue Reading