What a year! In the last twelve months at The District Church, I’ve:
- preached the first seven sermons of my life;
- continued to lead worship regularly; and
- led a small group that, over the course of three semesters, involved almost 50 people, and saw three new small groups start out of it this fall.
But perhaps more gratifying is what’s happened in, through, around, and beyond myself, as the church itself has:
- welcomed over 500 people at our Sunday services;
- grown from a community of 50 to over 200 (and a second service);
- multiplied from two small groups to eight, involving the vast majority of our church community;
- combined with matching donors to raise over $100,000 for famine relief in the Horn of Africa;
- put on a Kids Festival in the spring and a Fall Festival just last month that each connected us with several hundred people in our community; and
- most recently, joined with other churches in our area to kick off an urban youth ministry program.
All of this comes down to your generosity–that helped me raise enough support to work part-time at the church–and your prayers–that, among other things, led me to my current part-time contract with ONE. I can’t offer a precise “dollars invested : lives impacted” ratio, but know that you have been and continue to make a difference in Washington, DC.
This next year, I’m sensing that God is calling me to this work full-time. Because our church is still young (at almost 18 months, I’d say we’re toddler-aged) and is reaching mostly young adults and unpaid interns, there’s a need for all of us to continue raising support. This year, I’m trusting God to provide $40,000 and I’m asking you to be a shareholder in this vision.Will you pray about how much of this you can give to help change lives, communities, and neighborhoods here in DC?
My ordination is only a week away. This is such a confirmation and affirmation of the calling God has for me. I know many of you won’t be able to make it to the actual ceremony, but one of the ways you can support me is by pledging your financial support for the next year.I also just want to issue an open invitation to you to come visit: come see the church that you (through me) have had a hand in planting here in the nation’s capital; come see the work that we’re engaging in; come see me in the place that God has called me to be, doing what I feel like I was always created to do. There’s guest space a-plenty!
Thankful for your part in my life and journey,
Justin.
P.S. We were just featured in the latest edition of the Religious Herald! Check it out. (Photo credit to me, my iPhone, and my Hipstamatic app.)
You can give online via Auto-Tithe. Please make sure to select “For the Ministry of Justin Fung” in the drop-down menu. Or you can make checks payable to “The District Church,” with “For the Ministry of Justin Fung” in the memo and send them to: The District Church, PO Box 3116, Washington, DC 20010.
All gifts are fully tax-deductible.