Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Smith.
Hi Justin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My wife and I had dreamed of starting a new church in Austin for years. Both of our lives were changed by Jesus through the local church and we wanted to be a part of doing that for other people. New City Church started in our living room. We started inviting people to our house on Sunday nights, eating dinner together, reading the Bible, and praying for each other. The group eventually got so big that most of us were sitting on the floor. So we started hosting public events and the group continued to grow. Then last year we launched weekly Sunday Services and smaller, midweek groups that we call Communities. Our Sunday attendance has steadily grown over the last year and we’ve doubled the amount of Communities we started with. We now have a Community meeting in every part of the city.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been anything but smooth. Even though the church has grown fast and we’re seeing God do some amazing things, we’re very honest about how difficult it can be. We’re building a community of people and people can be a mess, myself included! That’s why we keep going. Because Jesus meets us where we are and can heal our mess.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a pastor. This means I have two main jobs. Love people well and point them to Jesus. Every week I (and our amazing team!) work very hard to make sure people know how much Jesus loves them. We teach the Bible and help people grow in their faith. New City specifically for how well we do community. If anyone reading this is looking for a group of people to belong to and grow with, New City is your place. Hundreds of people have found meaningful community here already.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
When I see someone’s life change because of Jesus! The greatest decision I ever made was to follow Jesus. We’ve gotten to see lots of people make that same decision and it never gets old. We’ve seen real life change over and over again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://newcityaustin.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/newcityatx
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/@newcityatx
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@newcityatx
