When we think about “relationships,” our minds often jump to cupid-covered stories of dating, marriage and romance. However, some of the most important (and most plentiful!) relationships we’ll have throughout our lives are the relationships we build with friends.

Covenant friendships are different: they run deeper than chatting around the coffee maker at work or casual conversations about reality TV. They are inspired by God’s relationship with us, and they happen when two friends — fueled by their relationships with Jesus — commit to supporting each other on a spiritual level.

Gracie Gordon and Jessi Green met three years ago at a Liberty Sisterhood event. Their covenant friendship started with a humble baked good.

“Jessi was eating these blondies I had made, and she was like, ‘Oh my gosh they’re so good!’” Gracie recalls. “I told her thanks, and we pretty much instantly became best friends.”

Food continues to be a very important part of Gracie and Jessi’s relationship- brunch is one of their favorite things to do together.

But it’s the discussions that happen between pancakes that make their relationship so unique.

“One of the things that makes our friendship so strong is that whatever happens, whether good or bad, we have to talk about every single aspect of the situation,” Gracie says. “We call it ‘verbally processing.’”

Gracie explains that her and Jessi’s individual relationships with God are responsible for making their friendship different than others.

“Jessi was the first person outside my family I knew that I could truly trust,” Gracie says. “And that trust came out of our mutual relationship with God. We knew this friendship was based on something bigger than what we each got out of it, so there was never any competition between the two of us like in some girl friendships.”

Gracie and Jessi are there for each other on a spiritual level, too: they text each other prayer requests almost daily.

“Just because we love each other doesn’t mean we won’t call each other out on things, either,” Gracie says. “And when we argue, it’s because we want the best for the other.”

In fact, Gracie calls their friendship one of her “greatest evangelical tools:” when she and Jessi are out on the town, people almost always ask how they met.

We’re reminded that our friendship is part of a bigger kingdom purpose.

“When we tell them we met at church, it opens up a whole conversation,” she explains. “And every time that happens, it brings us closer together because we’re reminded that this is part of a bigger kingdom purpose.”

Gracie says her rock-solid friendship with Jessi is a result of getting plugged in to the Liberty community during her early days in New York. If you’re looking to develop more covenant friendships, Gracie recommends finding a community — especially in church — where you’ll be surrounded by positive people whose goal is to encourage you and help you grow.

Join the Liberty community for our Relationships Seminar next Saturday to learn more about developing covenant friendships and to hear more real-life stories from those in our church family!

by Suzy Strutner

You were created for connection! God’s design is for you to flourish in every area of life and that includes healthy relationships. Yet it’s an area of our lives we so easily forget to really invest in.

We invite you to join us for a very practical and highly motivating day that will equip you for success in one of the most important areas of your life- your relationships. From friendships to family, from dating to marriage & raising kids, there will be something for everyone at every stage of life.

Details:
Saturday March 29th
10am - 6pm
St Paul’s German Church, Chelsea
Register online

Guest Speakers: Steve and Sharon Kelly are the Senior Pastors of Wave Church in Virginia Beach. Since taking on the church in 1999 the church has experience rapid growth and today has multiple congregations across the region, and is a church with influence around the world including a TV program reaching 70 nations. Their passion is to help people live life well and together they’ll encourage, challenge and inspire you with practical teaching and a wealth of personal experience in building healthy relationships.

Registration

• Register online at https://relationshipseminar.splashthat.com or you can use the registration form at church and drop it in the offering container or bring it to the Connections Desk on Sundays.
• Registration includes all sessions & breakouts, as well as light refreshments at morning tea & afternoon tea (local lunch options will be provided).
• Liberty Kids United are having their own program too, especially designed to help kids build healthy relationships. Nursery to Grade 5. Free with their parent’s registration.

Early Bird (until Sun Mar 2nd)

Individual $35
Couple or Family $60

Regular Registration

Individual $45
Couple or Family $80

If you have any questions, please reach out to us! Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you there.

[email protected]
www.libertychurchnyc.com
646-202-2906

This year, the Superbowl takes NY…

So clear your calendar for the best Superbowl party yet! The Liberty Church Superbowl Party kicks off on February 2nd, and you’re invited to take part in the festivities. Come one, come all, bring a guest, and make new friends.

For this special Sunday:

The Union Square Community will NOT be having a 7pm Service. THIS SUNDAY ONLY -

SERVICE IS MOVED TO 5PM

Superbowl Party at 6:30 at Harding’s

2 steps to attend Superbowl Party:

Step 1: RSVP Here: http://libertychurchsuperbowlparty.splashthat.com/

Step 2: The party is being hosted by FreelyBe. Make sure to say “FreelyBe” at the door for entrance to the party + for food and drink specials!

It’s time to let your inner Paul Bunyan out again!

Our annual Christmas Tree Chop Down takes place November 30th, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and as always, it’ll be a wonderful & memorable outing for the entire family to enjoy.

Just imagine a day of:
hot chocolate
cookies
farm animals
shopping for specialty gifts
wreaths
mistletoe
TREES of all shapes & sizes
and more!

It’s also a great time to take fun photos and make new memories with your Liberty Church family.

Details:

We’ll be meeting at 11 am at Jones Family Farms in Shelton, CT.
For those who don’t want to cut down a tree, there’s a great selection of precut options, as well as a wine tasting room, gift shop & snacks to purchase!

Depending on the weather, it may be muddy or snowing, so be sure to wear heavy boots and dress warmly.

To sign up or get more info, including carpooling options, check out our Facebook page or talk to us at the Connections desk at either community. We’ll see you there!

On August 27th, 1776, General George Washington and ten thousand men of the Continental Army fought what became known as the Battle Of Brooklyn against thirty-two thousand British soldiers.

It was the first battle after the Declaration of Independence the month before. It was also the largest battle of the entire Revolutionary War in terms of soldiers fielded.Brooklyn was a strategic city then, and it is even more so today. In many ways, the Battle of Brooklyn is still being fought today in 2013.

In days gone by, Brooklyn was often referred to as the “City of Churches” but our enemy is real and he has waged a spiritual war that in many parts has taken a heavy toll. Yet, across Brooklyn, it seems that a wave of church planting is increasing in all kinds of neighborhoods, and Liberty Church Brooklyn hopes to be a part of seeing the tide turn.

Personally, I love Brooklyn. Andi and I have lived here with our kids since we first moved to New York City. It’s really like seeing a dream come to pass to plant this new Liberty community in the borough that we love so much.

In many ways, we’ve been pastoring Brooklyn all along. But now we’re “making it official” and launching Sunday services so the Kingdom has one more stake in the ground here… one more battalion sent into the fray for the new Battle Of Brooklyn.

Pastor Paul Andrew

- Brooklyn Pastor & Lead Pastor, Liberty Church

#thisismybrooklyn

“I don’t know anything about this church, what they believe in, or what they’re doing, but I do know this – I’m so drawn to these people. There’s just something different about them.” These are the words from a friend that first brought me to Liberty almost exactly three years ago, several months before the official launch.

Back then, we were an unlikely conglomeration of former Sydney-dwellers, freshto-the-city college students, business people, and insanely cute kids meeting once a week for dinner, dreaming of what could happen in a church called “Liberty.”

While this beautiful church is still an unlikely conglomeration of people from all over the world, we’re at least now a little more organized, much more sure of who we are and what we’re about, and we now take up much more space than the twenty of us used to in Paul and Andi’s first apartment in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

And it’s still just the beginning.

As the seasons change from summer to fall (to some people’s dismay and others’ celebration), Liberty’s Union Square community moves from New York Film Academy into the Union Square Ballroom September 15th, 2013. This transition couldn’t come at a more perfect time. We’ve been growing throughout this entire summer, when every statistic screams that our numbers should be dwindling. We’ve seen breakthroughs in provision, physical healing, and spiritual freedom.

Liberty Church Union Square is led by Lead Pastors Paul and Andi Andrew and Community Pastor Parker Green. The Union Square Community is alive with heartfelt worship, an eclectic crowd that represents the heart of New York City and inspiring messages that are both practical and inspirational.

I’m thrilled for this new venue. I’m even more thrilled to be a part of a community that, no matter where we are and what we’re going through, truly loves each other and pushes each other to higher highs and deeper depths in our individual relationships with God.

I’m so grateful to the New York Film Academy and its staff for serving us so well through our beginning phases. I am, however, looking forward to a venue that fits our community better both in atmosphere and in size.

The words of my friend still ring in my ear three years and many changes later: “I’m so drawn to these people.” Itwas true three years ago, and it becomes more and more true every day. I can’t wait to see the lives God adds to our unlikely conglomeration of dreamers as we make more space for him to add to our numbers.

By: Tia Brown
Twitter/Instagram: @TiaMorganBrown

Liberty Church Union Square New Venue Promo from LibertyChurchNYC on Vimeo.

This season’s Sisterhood Night In is ONE WEEK AWAY, and I couldn’t be more excited! There’s something so beautiful and unique that happens when the women of our church gather together to worship, learn, chat (and EAT) together, and I truly believe that every time we meet, we are propelled forward to new heights in our relationship with Jesus, and with each other as His daughters.