New City Notes

July 2002

For more than four years now Christians from around the city have shone the light of Christ in Knoxville's Old City. July 4th marked our four year anniversary. Through a variety of artists, speakers, and initiatives, God's people have established a witness in one of our city's most struggling districts.

Thank you for your part in making this vision a visible reality through the ministry of New City Café.

When New City first began in 1998, people expressed reservation and concern about the suitability of the Old City for this project. Today, more than 100 volunteers from an array of Christian traditions contribute more than 400 hours of service-ministry every month in the Old City!

During the school year, Fulton Young Life meets at the Café every Monday night. A couple college ministries now utilize the space every Sunday and Wednesday evening. Thursday remains protected as our singer-songwriter night/open mic. Friday and Saturday night, we host local, regional, and nationally known christian artists--all of whom are committed to sowing seeds and painting pictures through music and dialogue for the furtherance of the Gospel.

At various times during the year, we offer workshops and issue-specific seminars. This Fall, author-pastor Doug Banister will lead a three week series on "The Emerging Church" with New City. Dr. Paul Stevens (Regent College) is scheduled for a workshop on marketplace integration February 2003.

And so while some consider the Old City only as a struggling business district, through the efforts of New City, we see it emerging as a strategic location for Christian ministry.

For your partnership in this pioneering mission, we say thank you. None of what we do is possible without support from the community. We are not a church, nor are we a part of any particular church or denomination. Rather, we are an extension of every church in Knoxville, an inter-denominational gathering place for all God's people and a neutral site for ministry aimed at Christians and non-Christians, seeking to bridge the gap between skepticism and belief.

Kenny Woodhull Director, Old City-New City Community