New York City is great. Fun town to visit. There is so much to see and do that actually doesn’t cost a cent! On a recent trip, part of the thrill was attending some churches that are certainly on target, Brooklyn Tabernacle, led by Pastor Jim Cymbala, and Redeemer Presbyterian, led by Pastor Tim Keller.

Here are some takeaways from my trip to these dynamic ministries:

1. Bloom where you’re planted. Both of these churches are flexing ministry muscle despite church plant issues. One has transformed an old concert hall into a restored beauty for worship services, and another has opted to meet in a variety of rented spaces. Their strength is in the gathering for worship services, while having individual spaces for small groups is simply not possible. Home groups and the like are offered, but that is not the thrust. The point is, they are using every bit of what they have. Because of this, I believe there is a refining of “what we’re here for.” Congregational time for them is extremely important, whereas for other churches it may be a balance of Sunday School space and Worship. Either way, know who you are. Use what you’ve been given. If you’ve been blessed with a storefront building, are you using it? If you’ve been blessed with 100 acres, are you using it?

2. Powerful leadership teams. At both churches, there was a backbone of some very fine pastors and leaders who gave great direction. We were able to meet with many at Brooklyn Tabernacle that lead in very clear passionate ways. Behind the scenes there is apparently a very strong group of staff and lay leaders that make what happens at these places very special.

3. At Brooklyn, where we spent more time, there is a huge emphasis on prayer. This probably impacted me the most. Leaders earnestly, genuinely, and consistently seek the Lord together before meetings. One special time of worship is every Tuesday night which is dedicated solely to prayer. I was moved! I am motivated to earnestly pray again before times of meeting/leading.

4. The trip reinforced a powerful tool that I need to tap into more often and that is rounding out my seminar, conference, convention experiences for leader development with trips to churches. It is one thing to hear someone talk about what they do, it is an entirely different thing to walk through their doors. I couldn’t help but reflect on what I do where I serve each moment we were there!