Twenty years ago today—February 16th, 1997—City Church San Francisco officially worshipped for the first time. Work had been going on behind the scenes for years, starting with Fred and Terely making the cross-country move and the help of a handful of new contacts who were excited about the idea of a new church in San Francisco. But it was on the 16th of February that City Church really began in earnest. Now, twenty years later and reflecting on all that God has done, we have a lot to celebrate.

City Church has been a constant presence in San Francisco over these twenty years. We have welcomed thousands through our doors, often drawing people in who vowed years ago they would never darken the doors of a church. Some have remained in the city all these twenty years; others have come and gone. We have seen the launch of the Newbigin House of Studies and its Fellows Program, as well as the founding of City Hope Community Center in the Tenderloin and the new City Hope House. We’ve developed a professional Counseling Center providing critical holistic care to those inside and outside our church.

We have weathered hardships, both internally and with the world around us. We have worked to open our doors more and more widely, as we made decisions to welcome women into positions of leadership (2006) and to extend full participation in membership to our brothers and sisters in the LGBT community (2015). We have mourned loss and sought understanding together, and God has guided us along the way.

In all of this, we continue to follow Christ to renew the City. We will have a Member gathering on Sunday, February 26th to talk about where we have come from and where we are going. On May 7, three weeks after Easter, we will gather to officially celebrate all that God has done and is doing in our 20 year history. In the meantime, the story continues to be written, and we are so grateful to participate together in what God is doing to bring renewal to San Francisco, and through it, the world.