Helping people see the beauty of Jesus more clearly so they can live on mission more fully

Come Join Us!

Join us Sunday's

Prayer gathering - 3:30pm
Worship service - 4:00pm

269 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

The Why

New York City is and will always be one of the most influential cities in the world and our hope is to help people grow and be formed by the gospel for however long God calls them here. We believe now is the perfect time to plant and establish a church that is rooted in the gospel, dedicated to making disciples, fueled by the power of the Spirit, and anchored by the strength of the reformed tradition.

The Vision

The vision of Common Grace Presbyterian Church is to exalt Christ through being an authentic, gospel-centered, disciple-making, multi-ethnic, multi-generational community with a sincere love for God, for people, and for the city. We want to look like Revelation 7:9 ("a great multitude...from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, worshipping the Lord") and to feel like (and be) family!

The People

The Values

1
Love - 1 Cor. 13:2 - "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." CGNYC will be an authentic and loving community centered around and built upon the fact that God first demonstrated His own love for us in this - while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). We will respond to this perfect love by seeking to love God, seeking to love one another, and seeking to love everyone that God puts in our path.
2
Truth - John 17:17 - "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." CGNYC will be a church known for its love of God’s word. We will read it, we will preach it, we will teach it, we will memorize it, we will apply it, we will pray it, and we will filter every decision we make through it. God’s eternal truth is the only thing in this fading world that will escape entropy - it is the only thing in this world that will last forever - we will value it as such.
3
Action - 1 John 3:18 - "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but with actions and in truth." CGNYC will be a church on a mission. We will seek to make disciples of all people and we will serve the poor and marginalized within our church community and outside of it. We will be active in prayer, active in service, active in local and global missions, and active in church planting.
4
Beauty - Ps. 27:4 - "One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple." CGNYC will be a church that values beauty because all beauty is ultimately a shadow of the perfect beauty that we all long for and that can only be found in the Triune God. Broadly, we will value the beauty that all people possess as image bearers; specifically, we will integrate beauty (music, art, poetry) into our worship as it often moves the heart in ways that words alone cannot. We will also support local artists by creating spaces for them to share their work and gifts both inside and outside of our church family.
5
Authenticity - Ephesians 4:22-24 - "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." CGNYC will be an authentic expression of God’s kingdom - we will seek to be genuine, transparent, real, and true in all we do and say. We will seek to be honest in our relationship with God and honest in our relationships with each other, we will seek to be honest when things are good, and honest when things are bad. We will remember that if God saw us in all of our sin and brokenness and yet still loved us and was willing to die for us (Romans 5:8) - then there is no good reason to ever hide from Him or each other.
6
Perseverance - Philippians 3:12-14 - "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." CGNYC will be a church that is resilient - we will remember that life this side of heaven is marked by brokenness and, while our victory is certain, we will need to persevere, pray, and fight alongside one another as we join God in the renewal of all things. We will continue to support and encourage those among us who are hurting, we will continue in prayer for those who need Jesus, and we will always remind one another that because we are His, our labor and service is never in vain.
7
Wellness - 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." CGNYC will recognize the importance of the Spirit, the soul, and the body and will seek to create and promote practices that benefit them equally. We believe balance in all three areas is essential to human flourishing.

The Denomination

The Evangelical* Presbyterian Church (EPC) was founded in 1981 and is comprised of over 600 global, gospel centered churches. It is a denomination that is rooted in scripture, adherent to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, and whose motto is:

In Essentials: Unity.
In Non-Essentials: Liberty.
In All Things: Charity.

Presbyterians believe the Bible teaches that churches are to be lead by elders—not just a single pastor, a set of co-pastors, or by a vast church hierarchy. The original Greek word for “elder” is presbyter, which is where we get the hard-to-spell word “Presbyterian” - see Titus 1:5-9, 1 Timothy, 3:2-6.

For more information, see www.epc.org

The Pastor

Rev. Michael Smith is 52 years old and has been married to Kristyn for 25 years. Kristyn owns a small business in SoHo, and they have 2 sons - Cade (23) and Rider (17). Michael has served as a pastor for over 20 years in both California and New York City and holds two Masters Degrees - one in Biology from the University of Saint Joseph, and another in Biblical Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary NYC where he graduated with the very first cohort at that campus. He has planted a church in Northern California (Refuge Christian Fellowship), has led two ministries in New York City (Redeemer Lab and Apostles Downtown), and is currently an ordained teaching elder with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. In addition to his work in ministry, Michael has been an adjunct Biology professor for over 10 years, a professional model for over 25 years, and is a licensed personal trainer/gym owner.

Michael Smith
Michael's Family

The Teaching

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Recommended By

Tim Keller Dear Friends:

I am glad to write this letter of recommendation for Michael Smith. Michael was in the first cohort of students to go through the M.A. in Biblical Studies we now offer in New York City in partnership with Reformed Theological Seminary, as well as going through our City Ministry Program in which I teach preaching, pastoral ministry, and urban mission. Over three years I had Michael as a ministry student in ten courses and intensives. I got to know him very well as a keen student of theology both believed and practiced. I’ve evaluated his preaching and evaluated his ministry projects—all done with excellence.

Michael brings a great variety of life and church experiences to his ministry today, and that is one of his great strengths. Professionally, Michael knows from the inside the very secular world of fashion, one filled with idols of sex, money, and power. He has functioned as a believer in that world for years. He also has had many years of ministry experience in California before beginning his theological training in in New York and working at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. This breadth of experience across different urban North American cultures and theological traditions serves him well. He combines the strengths of a number of ministry models in his preaching, pastoring, and leading.

I strongly recommend him for church and ministry leadership positions, especially in New York City. I hope we can keep him here as part of what God is doing here in the City.

Tim Keller
Pastor emeritus, Redeemer Presbyterian Church

The Partnership

  1. GIVE - 2 Cor. 9:7 - "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Generosity has always been a key characteristic of the people of God - if you would like to support our mission in NYC, click on the link below. All donations are tax deductible and much appreciated!
    2. Donate

    Or

    For Checks - Address to:
    Common Grace Presbyterian Church
    Mail to:
    Common Grace NYC
    c/o
    michael smith
    157 route 100
    Katonah, NY
    10536
  2. PRAY - Colossians 4:2-4 - "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." When one reads the book of Acts, the connection between the expansion of the church with the prayers of the saints and the power of the Spirit becomes quickly evident. If Common Grace Church is to gain any ground for the kingdom in New York and beyond, it will due to the grace and power of God and the prayers of the saints.
  3. PARTICIPATE - Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." We would love to have you be a part of this new work!
    1. Join us in person or on zoom at one of our bible studies or prayer meetings this summer.
    2. Join us for worship - Sundays at 4pm!
    3. Join our newsletter.
    4. Follow us on Instagram.
    5. Meet up with Michael or Louis