We've moved to New York City to plant a church—and we invite you to partner with us in this mission.

The Intrigue

Since coming to faith in 2008, I (Tyler) have felt a deep connection to the city.

Our first visit to Manhattan was during our honeymoon in the fall of 2013. Over the years, as we've visited the city numerous times, we’ve been prayerfully discerning whether our attraction to New York was simply romantic or if there was a deeper purpose.

The Discernment

In spring of 2024, we, along with our close counsel, earnestly sought God’s guidance.

We devoted a month to prayer and listening, asking the Holy Spirit for clarity, guidance, and unity as a couple. Over the handful of weeks, we dialogued regularly with our prayer counsel and copiously journaled. While we both filled pages with numerous thoughts, emotions, and potential indicators from God, I (Erin) asked God for vision to see my place in the city. Rather than going wherever the other would lead, we both strongly desired unity in vision and purpose for serving New York. After a few significant impressions from God, it became clear to me: God was leading us to New York City.

In addition to our extended period of prayer, our growing relationship with Trinity Grace Church (TGC) in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood affirmed our sense that the Spirit was leading us to relocate to the city for ministry. We began sharing our story with friends, family, and church communities, inviting people to prayerfully consider partnering with our family in this endeavor.

On the rainy evening of May 13, we landed at La Guardia Airport and sought to begin our new lives in the city. Over the next few years, we will train to plant a church in one of the city’s five boroughs. This training includes a church planting residency with TGC, participating in the Incubator program with City to City NYC—a diverse urban planting network—and additional training from Stadia, another church planting organization. We also are prayerfully considering and seeking another network or denomination to join for extended support and communion.

So, why New York City?

Home to an estimated 8.5 million people, NYC is the largest city in America. (Its metropolitan area boasts 22 million residents.)

From commerce to culture, markets to medicine, it is considered the most influential city in the world. As urbanization continues to rise, many Christians are moving away from cities to the suburbs and countryside. We believe that to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations, we need to be where the people are: in the heart of the city. Given the dynamic work God has been doing in New York in recent years, we are eager to join this movement.

Partner with us

Although this is our family’s mission, we don’t want to undertake it alone.

There are three main ways you can partner with us:

  1. Prayer & Encouragement - We warmly invite you, your household, church, denomination and/or network to partner with us in prayer and encouragement. This season will be filled with both challenges and opportunities, but also with immense excitement and hope. Any texts, letters, emails, and phone calls are sincerely welcomed!

  2. Share Our Story - Whether it’s sharing our story with your church community or posting a link on social media, commit to telling others about the work God has led our family to in this season.

  3. Financial Support - Relocating to one of the most expensive cities in the world—and laying down roots here with two young children—is no small task. Building a life, investing in a neighborhood, and cultivating community will take time, energy, and resources beyond what we currently have. We don’t yet know how all the financial details will come together, but we’re stepping forward in faith, trusting that the God who called us will continue to provide.

Timeline

Phase 1 / Getting to the city

  • Date: February 28, 2025 (Postponed to May 13, 2005)

  • Goal: $5,000 (100% covered as of 09/18/2024)

  • Purpose: Airplane tickets (4), ground transportation, moving expenses (U-box or Pod depending on availability)

  • Details:

    • Pack up our apartment in Redmond, WA

    • Relocate the family across country

Phase 2 / Getting Settled in the city

  • Target date: March 1 - April 1, 2025 (Summer 2025)

  • Goal: $5,000 (100% covered as of 09/18/2024)

  • Purpose: One to two months of a Vrbo or Airbnb to allot time to find a job and an apartment, groceries among other basic living expenses

  • Details:

    • Find a job for Erin

    • Find a neighborhood and apartment

    • Move into our apartment

    • Get acclimated to the city

    • Find a preschool for the girls and and register them for 2025/2026

    • Get involved in the life of Trinity Grace Church

    • Keep our partners updated

Phase 3 / Getting started in the city

  • Target date: Late Spring of 2025

  • Goal: $60,000 or $5,000/month (74% covered as of 01/20/2025)

  • Purpose: Supplements our income to support the cost of living for a family of 4 in the city, supports Tyler’s income in order for him to train and prepare to plant a church with City to City NYC and Trinity Grace Church.

  • Details:

    • Get involved in the life of Trinity Grace Church

    • Begin residency with Trinity Grace Church

    • Continue Stadia training

    • Prepare for City to City training which will begin in Fall 2025

    • Keep our partners updated

Fundraising Goals

Ways to financially partner:

  • One-time gift

  • Weekly contribution

  • Monthly contribution

  • Bi-monthly contribution

Goals:

  • Upfront expenses: $10,000 [Phases 1 and 2] (100% covered as of 09/18/2024)

  • Annual salary: $60,000 (74% covered as of 01/20/2025)

Here’s a brief update on our fundraising progress:

  • Anticipated amount needed through 2025: $70,000

  • Amount raised: $33,408.60 or 48% (as of 01/20/2025)

  • Anticipated additional amount via monthly giving and misc: $22,056.54

  • Total amount raised through 2025: $55,465.14 or 79%

  • Remaining need: $14,534.86 or 21%

Financial Partners at a Glance:

  • 33 financial household partnerships

    • 19 of which are monthly contributors

    • 3 of which are annual contributors

    • 16 of which are one-time contributors

  • 4 one-time local church partnerships

  • 1 regular local church partnerships

In addition to partnering with us in prayer, encouragement, and sharing our story, we also invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us monetarily. All support will be received through Trinity Grace Church and, thus, will be tax-deductible.

Cities, quite literally, have more of the image of God per square inch than any other place on earth. How can we not be drawn to such masses of humanity if we care about the same things that God cares about?

Timothy Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City

FAQs

Who is Trinity Grace Church?

TGC is a non-denominational local church in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn seeking to join God in the renewal of all things. For nearly two decades, Trinity Grace has faithfully served the city and developed planters and pastors for the work of ministry in New York.

Who is City to City?

CTC is an ecumenical and diverse urban church planting ministry that was founded by Timothy Keller’s church Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. Since 2016, CTC NYC has planted nearly 200 churches. Notably, Trinity Grace Church is one of CTC’s early church plants. “CTC exists to multiply churches and Christian leaders committed to a shared vision for gospel movements in the great cities of the world. To that end, we humbly aspire to embody diverse and culturally appropriate expressions of the following core commitments, postures and practices wherever CTC is at work.”

I (Tyler) will participate in City to City New York’s nine-month Fellows program where I will receive “focused exposure to urban ministry experiences, exploring topics such as theological vision, gospel framework and renewal, ministry longevity, and discipleship.” Following the Fellows program, I will partake in the Incubator Collective which “is a church planting program designed to train church planters and replanters serving in New York City’s five boroughs, as well as New York City-facing urban centers. The program combines elements of City to City’s proven church planting curriculum with new insights from multicultural leaders who understand the nuances of ministry in New York’s boroughs.”

Who is Stadia?

Stadia Church Planting is another ecumenical and diverse church planting organization “designed to help guide new-church leaders through the beautiful, but sometimes difficult journey of launching and leading new churches that thrive, grow, and multiply for the next generation— so that the world may know Jesus.”