From its earliest days, City Church has sought to be more than just a church; rather, to be the catalyst for a movement of new churches and ministries that would renew the city spiritually, socially and culturally. Newbigin House of Studies is a ministry that will dramatically increase our ability to see that dream become a reality.

This year City Church entered into a historic partnership with Western Theological Seminary (Holland, Michigan), a 165 year old graduate school affiliated with our denomination, the Reformed Church in America. Together we have formed Newbigin House of Studies (NHS), an accredited graduate program of study for men and women seeking theological education and deeper spiritual formation. As City Church seeks to be a church for the city, following Christ to renew the city, Newbigin House will provide multiple pathways of spiritual formation for leaders who want to lead wiser, more influential and distinctively Christian lives in our increasingly secularized culture. City Church will become a sort of "teaching hospital," a center that seeks to train men and women called by God to lead the church in mission, whether as lay-leaders or ordained ministers serving as church planters and pastors.

We are named in honor of Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998) a missionary and theologian whose life legacy was a call for the church to re-engage in mission. Newbigin taught that "the church is mission." It "exists by mission as a flame exists by burning." The contemporary church is in desperate need for leaders who are capable of planting new churches or revitalizing churches in decline.  According to Newbigin, spiritual renewal will only happen when "local congregations renounce an introverted concern for their own life, and recognize that they exist for the sake of those who are not members, as sign, instrument and foretaste of God's redeeming grace for the whole life of society."

NHS has already launched the Newbigin Fellowship, a year-long intense journey into Christian theology, spirituality and community designed for lay-leaders. We currently have over 30 fellows in 4 cohorts  (2 in San Francisco, 1 in Berkeley and 1 in Sacramento). In the Fall of 2012 NHS will offer a 4-Year Master of Divinity (M.Div.) through our partnership with Western Seminary. Western has been the leading provider of accredited distance education for more than a decade. This new program will incorporate the best of WTS coursework and distance learning technology, combined with key courses and immersion experiences in San Francisco complete with face to face mentoring, cohort community, and more. Chuck DeGroat and I will continue to teach, preach and counsel at City Church (to keep some ministry "skin in the game"). We'll wear two hats: one as "Teaching Pastors" at City Church, and another as Professors of Theology at Newbigin House.

You are all invited to our inaugural conference this November 17-18, "Leadership for the Church in Mission" featuring the world-renowned New Testament scholar, N.T. Wright. This conference will give you a deep immersion into City Church's philosophy of ministry and vision for the future.

For more information about Newbigin House, visit our website www.newbiginhouse.org.