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How I'm Learning

A few months ago, we announced that we’re moving to New York to start a new church. And since we’re not moving until the kids finish the school year, that’s given us a lot of time to learn and prepare. Here’s five ways I’m learning about life and ministry in New York.

1. Talk to people. There’s no substitute for talking to people who live in the area. In my case, I’m talking to pastors, church leaders, people who live in similar settings. As soon as I get there, I’ll talk to as many locals as I can, especially those who do not attend any church. If you’re trying to learn about an area, connect with people online and see if you can learn from them on the phone or in person.

2. Read blogs and websites. I found some great blogs and websites about Brooklyn and some of the neighborhoods we’re studying. I subscribed to a blog for parents as well as frequent a few websites and message boards. I’m learning about the pulse of the community and have picked up on a lot of local issues and inside jokes.  These aren’t ministry specific blogs.

3. Subscribe to local publications. In my case, I got a subscription to New York magazine. I also read the New York Times online. Newspapers and magazines are still great ways to learn about your new community.

4. Listen to sermons from pastors in the area. I subscribed to several podcasts including Forefront Church and Apostle’s Church. I’ve been listening to these sermons on a weekly basis. I also found as much audio from Tim Keller as I could and am working my way through lots of that. Preaching and teaching in the northeast is different than the south – I’ve already learned a lot by listening to people preaching in that context.

5.  I purchased a 7-part PBS special on the history of New York that was very informative.  I learned a ton from this documentary.

Those are just a few of the things that we’re doing to learn about New York before moving there.  Then, the real intelligence gathering will begin.