church – Page 2 – John Markum

First Egg Hunt from LifeCity Church!

Posted on April 24, 2014 by johnmarkum

I wrote this earlier to all of the parents and families who came to our Easter egg hunt Saturday, the 19th. 56 families (150+ people!) came out for our egg hunt! We look forward to being a church that continues to engage families and bring community together…

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Dear friends,
Wow… wasn’t that fun?! We had an amazing time with our first ever Community Easter Egg Hunt! This wouldn’t have happened without the hard work of several volunteers, and we’re so grateful to all of those who committed time to making this event so successful.

This event is the first of many efforts our new church is organizing to bless our community and show the love of God. We know that you may have different preconceived ideas of “church” depending on your personal experiences. So I want you to understand something about LifeCity Church – we love this community! No matter where you are today with faith, God, or church, LifeCity is a place where you can feel at home.

Our church officially launches in September, but right now we are meeting every Sunday, 10:30am at Montague Elementary School, right here next to where we had the egg hunt. This means you can visit us any Sunday morning and see if LifeCity Church could be a place for you and your family to get connected. The same care and organization we put into our children for the egg hunt is exactly the way we treat children on Sunday mornings. We call it KidsTown, and we know your kids will have a great time there!

Let me give you four more reasons why you should consider checking out our church:

Relevant. We know what life in the South Bay is like! We get the pressures and demands of trying to balance work, family, and finances. That’s why we teach in a way that makes a difference in your weekday, not just a guilt trip on Sunday.
Casual. There’s no dress code. We trust that you know how to dress in public. So relax and come to church in sandals and board shorts for all we care! We’re more interested in what’s happening in your life than in your wardrobe. And if you feel compelled to “suit up” anyway, we’ll still let you in.
Upbeat. One of the things we say all the time about our church is “We speak life!” So we try to keep our church exciting, positive, and encouraging even when dealing with tough life issues. You should leave our church more encouraged than when you came.
Engaging. We don’t believe in pressuring people to do something they’re unsure about. So when you decide to take your next step, we’re ready for you! We have small groups, volunteer opportunities, and a vision to impact the entire Bay Area. Get involved however you would like.

Whether or not you ever visit LifeCity Church, you and your family matter to us just the way you are. From my family to yours, if we can ever do anything to be a blessing or encouragement to you, I hope you’ll know that you can turn to us. We’ll keep you in the loop about future events that we’re hosting, and perhaps I’ll see you and your family on a Sunday sometime soon.

Blessings,
Pastor John

My life these last few months…

Posted on November 30, 2013 by johnmarkum

So if you’re a faithful follower of my blog, you’ve probably been frustrated by the lack of new posts since about August. Hopefully, if you are a faithful follower of my blog, you’ve correctly assumed that I’m busy with the beginnings of LifeCity Church, the church plant we moved out to California to launch. Whether or not you’ve given me the benefit of the doubt, or if you’ve even noticed, I’ve come to the point where I’ve decided that it has been long enough, and this was something I should return to doing. So time to get back on the blog-wagon and update everyone! In a reasonably short post, here’s what’s gone down in our life and ministry in the last few months:

Our daughters started school at the local elementary school on our street. They’re doing great! Tiff and I have been able to connect with several parents in the school also, many of whom have begun getting connected to LifeCity.
Our church is excited about the future God has for us and our community! We’ve begun meeting weekly for an in-house Bible study (aka “house church”) to build our core group, identify potential leaders, and develop people who are becoming this new church. We’ve got several people coming, and our children’s ministry (KidsTown) gets rave reviews from the families who have come!
Tiffany has restarted her Pampered Chef business, something she use to really enjoy, and which also gives her more ability to connect with people in our city. It also gets me more kitchen toys to play with…
Our entire Launch Team who relocated here have all found jobs and housing and have done a great job, not only by serving in needed areas, but in bonding with one another and reaching out to strangers to build new friendships and connections.

Much, much more to share about all that God is doing in our family and ministry right now. But you’ll have to follow the blog to keep up with us!

Blessings,
Pastor John

Relocating to the South Bay

Posted on July 30, 2013 by johnmarkum

So a short, short time ago, in a state far, far away, we began the move of a lifetime. Since the first time I felt God leading me into ministry, I knew this day was coming – the day I would leave the “known”, comfortable, and familiar to take the Gospel to a new place and a new culture.
Now we’re here – and there’s nothing like being in the place you were called to, to do what you were called to do. I’m working hard to establish some routine, take care of basic obligations, and develop some early connections. So far, things are going GREAT! And God has been profoundly working on our behalf already:
1. Our entire Launch Team who has already moved out here has found housing in less than 4 days!
2. Most of them have jobs or solid leads including a second interview.
3. We were able to touch base with a good friend, Phil McGee, who works a lot in the South Bay.
4. We’re already planning and looking forward to our first couple of events to connect with people quickly!

Soon I’ll be posting more about our trip including pictures. In the meantime, on behalf of my family, and the four other adults who have already moved out here (we’re expecting a few more soon!), I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of those who are financially supporting LifeCity Church – you make it possible for us to bring the Gospel to this area. And also to our sending church family, Edgewood – you have all overwhelmed us with your love and appreciation toward us, and we are so blessed to be your church planting team to the South Bay area.
We can’t wait to share more with you in the coming weeks and months that lie ahead!

Blessings,
Pastor John