Next Steps

next steps at citylight church

Next Steps - Salvation
Salvation

salvation

Scripture gives bold confidence that, “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). Once you are saved, you have nothing to hide from God because “…your life is hidden with Christ” (Col 3:3)! When God looks at you, He will not see your sin; He will see His Son. The best news of all is salvation is a gift! Jesus died willingly for your sins. He took on the eternal punishment you deserve so you can receive the infinite reward only He deserves. All you have to do is open your heart and receive Him.

Baptism

baptism

Water baptism is the next step for anyone who has made a decision to follow Jesus. Through baptism, we identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We publicly proclaim our faith in Jesus and show the world that our old sin nature has died with Him. When you come up out of the baptismal waters, you are identifying with Jesus’ resurrection and the new life He has given you. The only biblical prerequisite to baptism is to believe in Jesus. Don’t wait to be perfect to get baptized! It’s your next step. “If you believe with all your heart, you may” (Acts 8:37).

Sign Up for Baptism
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Next Steps - Baptism
Next Steps - Lifegroups
Lifegroups

life groups

Life Groups are small, weekly get-togethers that meet outside the church. Join one of our Life Group leaders in their home to discuss a relevant Christian book along with the Bible. You will get the chance to meet and spend time with other people from CityLight, make life-long friends, and experience genuine community in New York City. Life Groups are the best way we have to meet new people and get connected to your new church family.

“So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.” – Acts 2:46-47

Join a Life Group
Membership

MEMBERSHIP

At CityLight Church, we’re not just friends; we’re family. We love to worship together and celebrate the finished work of the Cross. Membership is a covenant whereby you commit to playing an active role in our church community, and we agree to welcome you into our church family with open arms. Life should not be lived alone, and the local church is the primary means Jesus gives us to connect to His body. Get connected with us!

Start the Growth Track
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Next Steps - Membership
Generosity

GENEROSITY

At CityLight Church, we don’t just donate to charity; we give to honor the King of kings. Giving is a form of worship, and God is a generous God. God wants you blessed so you can bless other people! We believe in biblical prosperity, which means that God will give you everything you need to accomplish the unique mission He has for your life, and enough left over to go out and bless others in theirs. God loves a cheerful giver, and at CityLight Church, our members tithe with joy. We honor the Lord with the firstfruits of our increase, knowing that as we do, God will, 
“…open…the windows of heaven and pour out…such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Mal 3:10).

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Baptism

Does baptism save me?

Scripture gives bold confidence that, “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). Once you are saved, you have nothing to hide from God because “…your life is hidden with Christ” (Col 3:3)! When God looks at you, He will not see your sin; He will see His Son. The best news of all is salvation is a gift! Jesus died willingly for your sins. He took on the eternal punishment you deserve so you can receive the infinite reward only He deserves. All you have to do is open your heart and receive Him.

What if I’m not ready to get baptized?

That depends on how you define “ready.” If you define “ready” as being perfect and having overcome sin, then you’ll never be ready! If you’ve begun a relationship with Jesus Christ, then you’re ready! Jesus commanded us to be baptized (Matt. 28:19). It was a commandment and not a suggestion. Also, Peter commanded it (Acts 2:38, 10:48). Throughout the book of Acts (which shows us how the first century church functioned), we see that believers were baptized immediately after salvation. There was no waiting around! If you are mature enough to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you are mature enough to be baptized!

What about infant baptism?

Infant baptism is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. It is a doctrine that was introduced hundreds of years after the first century church. Since the prerequisites for baptism are 1) believing (Mark 16:16) and 2) repentance (Acts 2:38), then obviously that disqualifies a baby since a baby cannot repent or believe. However, mature children as young as 5 years old that are making the decision for themselves may be baptized.

Is baptism done by immersion or sprinkling?

The very word “baptize” means “to immerse,” or “to submerge.” It comes from an ancient Greek recipe for pickling pickles. We love that because that means that you’re going to go in a cucumber and come out a dill! A transformation will take place! Therefore, sprinkling is unscriptural. Jesus was immersed in the river Jordan (Matt. 3:16) and the Ethiopian Eunuch was immersed by Philip (Acts 8:38-39).

What happens when I get baptized?

Baptism IDENTIFIES us with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). The benefits of the cross and the resurrection become more real to you! There is powerful deliverance that takes place during baptism. After you get baptized, EXPECT a closer walk with the Lord. EXPECT greater freedom from sin, bondage and other things that have plagued you. The reality of Romans chapter six will become clearer to you.

If you would like to sign up to be baptized at CityLight or have further questions, please e-mail us at info@citylightnyc.com.

Membership

WHY DO YOU NEED A SPIRITUAL FAMILY?

Relationships

You Need Healthy Relationships…

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the one who falls and has no one to help him up!” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Grow

You Need A Place Where You Can Grow…

“They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, sharing in the breaking of bread and prayer.” – Acts 2:42

Gifts

You Need A Place Where You Can Use Your Gifts…

“Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you…”
– 1 Timothy 4:14

Belong

You Need To Belong To Something Bigger Than Yourself…

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” –Romans 12:4-5

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” – Hebrews 10:25

If you would like to become a member at CityLight or have further questions, please e-mail us at info@citylightnyc.com.

Membership

growth track

Experience Love. Grace. God.

We are excited to invite you to the CityLight Growth Track. The Growth Track is a 4-week growth and development program combined with a personality and spiritual gifts assessment workshop that will help new guests and members at CityLight to:

Know God • Find Freedom • Discover Your Purpose • Make A Difference

*First Sunday  – Step One: Become A Member
*Second Sunday – Step Two: Discover Your Design
*Third Sunday – Step Three: Develop Your Leadership
*Fourth Sunday – Step Four: Join the Team

Growth Track sessions will take place via Zoom
on Sunday evenings at 7:00 pm.

Click to Sign up
Growth Track

Generosity

Why should i Tithe?

Tithing reflects a grateful heart that wants to give back to God a portion of what He has given us; in reality, what is already His. Tithing is our opportunity to show God that He is first in our lives. James 1:17 says that “every good and perfect gift is from above…,” so we have an opportunity to tangibly show God He is the “owner” of our finances by giving back to Him the first of what He gives us.

3 reasons to Tithe

1. Tithing reflects our hearts…

What is the most important thing to you? Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We can see the reality of that in the world today and the exaltation of the financially successful, and more personally you can see that by looking at your own checkbook.
Malachi 3:10

2. Tithing is biblical

Long before tithing was a practice of the Israelite people, Cain and Abel, the second generation of the human race, brought an offering to the Lord. The Lord blessed Abel’s offering, but rejected Cain’s. Abel brought the “firstborn of his flock,” while Cain brought “some of the fruits of the soil” as an offering. God wants to be first. The following scriptures show how tithing is biblical.
Genesis 14:18-20, Genesis 28:22, Leviticus 27:30, & Deuteronomy 26:1-2

3. Tithing is a benefit

God’s kingdom is built on multiplication, not division. God uses the tithe as an investment where everyone involved gets a return on the investment. Obviously, the church and the kingdom are blessed, and yet God’s nature is to also bless the giver. This principle is highlighted in the passage below.
2 Chronicles 31:4-10

Statement of Financial Accountability

Thank you for donating to CityLight Church.

At CityLight, we do not take your giving for granted. God commands us to tithe and give to the local church. He also exhorts the local church to use donated funds wisely, prudently, and for the purposes He chooses. Accordingly, we go to great lengths to make sound financial decisions.

Funds designated as “Tithes” and “Offerings” will be used for general church expenses. Such items include living expenses for our pastors and staff, operational expenses to run the church, and other administrative expenses. We endeavor to keep our overhead low every way we possibly can so we can sow into our city as much as possible. “Tithes” and “Offerings” may also be used for CityLight Local Compassion, our local outreach arm, and for donations to other partner organizations in New York City.

All funds designated for “Missions” will be deposited into a separate account created specifically for CityLight Global Compassion. We will never use “Missions” donations for operating expenses. If you’d like your donation to go to a specific ministry, please let us know and we will designate it accordingly.

We pray that God blesses you in your finances. God wants you blessed, so that you can be a blessing to others. Thank you for your radical generosity. It does not go unnoticed, and it will not go to waste.

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” – Mal 3:10

Start giving today

Online Giving:
You may choose to give online through our secure online giving site. It’s safe, simple and secure: just click the Give button below to begin the process.

Giving by mail:
Simply send your check or money order (cash is not recommended) to CityLight Church P.O. Box 1025, New York, NY 10276

All contributions are 100% tax deductible. If you have any questions about giving to CityLight Church, please e-mail info@citylightnyc.com.

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