http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-most-expensive-places-to-live-in-the-u-s–163648923.html

Manhattan is the most expensive city in America to live. Average home price is $1.35 million. That explains why planting a church in this city is vastly different from planting one in the midwest where house costs less than $200,000. Currently we live in Queens, Forest Hills, which ranks # 6 most expensive place to live in America with the housing costs averages $630,000.

We need a strategy that actually brings in the incarnation ministry of Christ into the city. No use living remotely like 1-2 hours commute from Manhattan where our church is located and our target group is. I have learnt remote pastoring doesn’t work. I know that our church planting effort requires funding that’s higher than all other cities. 

6. Queens, New York

Forest Hills Gardens (COMPLICATED/FLICKR)Queens, the third borough in New York in America’s 10 most expensive places to live, in 2012 had a cost of living index of 148.3. The indexes of all three sections of the Greater New York metropolitan area rose from the previous year. Staten Island and the Bronx make up the rest of New York City.

Market prices in Queens, New York:
Half-gallon of milk – $2.58 
Monthly rent – $2,152 
Home price – $630,189 
Gallon of gas – $3.879 
Haircut – $17.79 
Movie ticket – $12.48 
Bottle of wine – $8.96

1. Manhattan, New York

Afton Almaraz/Getty ImagesManhattan, New York, once again ranks as the most expensive place to live in the U.S. The city in 2012 had cost of living index of 225.4 — more than double the national average.

New York has remained America’s most expensive city since 2007, when the Cost of Living Index released the first edition of its annual report.

Market prices in Manhattan:
Half-gallon of milk – $2.34 
Monthly rent – $3,902 
Home price – $1,303,421 
Gallon of gas – $3.967 
Haircut – $22.21 
Movie ticket – $13.33 
Bottle of wine – $9.67

Gospel is more than just salvation. Its not the ABC of Christianity. it’s the A-Z of Christianity. All young & older people (Christians) in America will love this more than the conventional theology/prayers.
“Sometimes my need to be right is more compelling than being righteous in Christ. Sometimes my desire of control over people and circumstances claims much more time and energy in seeking your face, savoring your grace, and serving your Son, the true King. These are just some of the things that bear the mark of idolatry in my heart.
Have mercy on me, Father, free my foolish heart from giving the attention, the allegiance, the affection, the adoration you alone deserve. In Jesus Name”
“-Scotty Smith (365 days prayer)

HOPE NEW YORK, AMERICA NEWS

 

 

Prophecy came in July 2012 by a few prophets during our North American Conference in Seattle that our church would experience a re-birth, as if we will start anew. Through the summer, it was a trying period as several leaders left us either due to work transfer or personal preference. For a 20-people church, that was significant. 

On top of that we went personally through the birth pangs of a rebirth. Doreen and I had tried for two years to no avail to move from Long Island to the city to be closer to the students and professionals. This summer, however, God spoke to me from Psalm: “Who will bring me to the fortified city? Except you O God!” I found strength in God as we applied to a few top private high schools in Manhattan for Rebecca, our 15-year-old daughter. We were in no position to pay the full tuition fees and after much research and prayer we decided to ask God for His favour as some schools do give financial aid. We thank God that Rebecca was accepted into one of the schools we applied with a bountiful amount of financial aid. God also opened the door for our house in Long Island to be rented out so that we can moved to the borough of New York city.

Pastor Ben and Dinah visited us this past week, partly to get to know Todd and Joan Heiniger, the new up-and-coming church planters passionate about working at the frontier and reaching unreached peoples for Jesus! They, with Pastor Ben & Dinah, discussed the road ahead for them. On Friday night gathering, Dinah spoke on 3 C’s- comparison, celebrate, and contentment. When we are contented and secure in what God called us and made us to be, we can be genuinely happy for others when they are successful. On Sunday morning, Pastor Ben touched the church as he shared from his heart on the paradox of our weaknesses and God’s strength . It’s good for them to connect with us, and I was personably was encouraged by them. They also gave advice to my family, too, which I greatly appreciated.

I am glad that God has started this new work amongst us; it is literally a NEW church. I feel God’s favour is turning upon us with the addition of new ones and the change of atmosphere as a consequence. Our challenges are big but our God is bigger and He is faithful and loving. New York city can be won. Pray for us and with us.

 Pastor Albert Ngu 
 Hope NYC church

Today is the wedding of Joan Collison & Todd Heiniger. ALl of Hope NY Church attended the wedding, a fabulous wedding reception & service. It was a great time and we all enjoyed it much. I got to dance with Doreen the first time and she enjoyed it too!

I also had the opportunity of praying for the newly wedded couple. As I opened my mouth to pray, the presence of God came down upon me and I choked with emotions. It was thick. Amazing. I begin to reminisce the old days when God’s presence will show up stringly during my time of ministry like an African pastor who told me the strong presence of God while I went up to prophecies during one of the Pastor COnference more than 10 years ago. Its still as fresh in my mind. The pastor sensed a strong sense of Go ‘s presence even as I started to pray and he sensed prophetic & apostolic anointing that was strong. I love those moments. May the Lord continue to show me such as I journey on building our church in New York.

God bless America. Thank you Lord!

Today I spoke about Desiring God. It’s amazing to note that though God is a mighty God with unlimited ability and power, he is really like a man looking for love. He is the God who is looking for our love. For love from us! On one hand he wants us to love him, He loves us tremendously as He demonstrated with all finality, on the cross, bleeding for us all. On the other hand, we want him to bless us and help us when we are in lack and in times of difficulty.

Desiring God and loving God is the number 1 commandment of God. To love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and might. But many times we come to God and seek Him because of the benefits we can get out of him or what blessings we can get out of him. That’s NOT the seeking that David described in Psalm 73. That’s the general seeking at the elementary level when we first come to know God. The authentic christian experience is when we seek Him and love him for who he is and not for what blessings he can give us.

Jonathan Edward said-Authentic christianity is we seek him for who he is and not for the benefits we can get out of him. Have you found God? You have found God when you start seeking him for who he is.

Great worship, prayer , teaching, sharing time last night. 1st House Group with 1st lesson on “Meaning of Anointing”. Small group but it’s going to cause ripples and fill the whole pond-as one prophecy was given last night. Awesome to have Todd Heiniger, Joan Collison, Peter Tunping Wang, Christina Chen with Doreen & I. It was a blast!

Prayer and worship started in a spontaneous way with everything flowing like a river. It’s really the Spirit of God with us. The presence of God was awesome. We then had a 40 min teaching on “Meaning and definition of Anointing”-MP3 shall be posted.

Anointing of God is given to those who are consecrated and for doing his work. Fulfilling His purpose. It’s a sacred thing. The oil of anointing of Aaron that flows down his beard. The anointing flows downwards from leadership and not upwards from bottom up. We need to change our attitude to be far more respectful and submissive to authority and eldership in America. Churches suffer from  alack of it because of our love for freedom which is misconstrued. Real freedom is found in submission to Christ!