2025 REFLECTIONS AND 2026 RESOLUTIONS

Dec 24

Have you ever watched the movie, A Christmas Story? It’s about a boy named Ralphie who dreams and schemes of the ultimate Christmas present, an “official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.” It’s a mouthful, but he tells it to everyone he can, including the mall Santa Claus, who tells him, like everyone else, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.”

Coincidentally, a BB gun was what I wanted when I was eight years old. I was little Ralphie with a bowl cut.

Friends, what do you want for Christmas, more than anything else? And what are your hopes for the new year?

As we approach these final days of the year, we bring many unfulfilled hopes and expectations we had at the beginning of the year. As we get older, we learn to temper our excitement, but the deep desires of our hearts don’t just go away. Why?

Because we were created to hope. Phillips Brooks says to the newborn Christ in his classic carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” This is an echo of the teachings of the Bible, which tells us that Jesus is the hope of the nations (Isa 51:5, Mat 12:21, Rom 15:12).

Church, my earnest prayer for all you is that your deepest hopes and longings will be satisfied in Christ this Christmas, and that you will continue to delight in Him and His gracious gifts throughout 2026.

Now, it’s my pleasure to present to you our annual tradition: some reflections and resolutions from your staff and elders, some heartfelt, some tongue-in-cheek. I hope you enjoy reading them.

Merry Christmas, New City, and a happy New Year!

Moses

Reflections and Resolutions

Moses

I am immensely thankful for our beautiful church and all that God has done for us this year, including His gracious gift of a clear vision for the next stage of our mission.
I pray that God will make us a soul-winning church, starting with me.

I resolve to double, nay, triple the number of references to The Lord of the Rings in my sermons.

Catherine

I continue to be blessed and encouraged by our wonderful team of volunteers as well as all of the families that fill our church. God is good!
I would love to see more community members at our New City Kids events in 2026. I resolve to spend more time inviting the community. I pray that we all do!

Armen

I’m grateful for how wholeheartedly the members of New City support the work of the church through their joyful volunteering!
I’m excited to journal through the wisdom literature of the Old & New Testaments!
I resolve to attempt to read The Lord of the Rings for the first time but make no promises — it's a lot of words and Elves to contend with, Moses!

Dan

I’m thankful for a kind, gracious and patient community of believers in what has been for myself a turbulent and emotionally challenging year.
To explore new, creative and faithful expressions of corporate worship.
To build a 1:25,000 scale model of the Hamilton skyline out of LEGO for the next Supercrawl exhibit.

Varun

I’m thankful for the people and resources God has raised up, in particular interns and the $35,000 gifted to us from our sister churches.

Share the Gospel regularly in public spaces and invite church members to join me
Host a LOTR extended edition marathon viewing at church, with Armen as host

Hank

I’m thankful for Dan Kikkert and his leadership of our worship services each week.
Thankful for the growing ethnic diversity at our worship services
Commit to a Bible reading plan in 2026
Figure out when Lord of the Rings play their home games.

Allan

Coming at the end of what has been a challenging year in many ways, this Advent season keened my heart to Jesus’ promise: “I am coming soon”. I pray that God will continue to grow in all of us a longing and impatience to see God’s face and to reign with him forever and ever.
To get to know the names and stories of all the new people that God has brought into our community over the past year.
To find a little carrot-themed bowtie for Abel’s bunny to wear when he next comes along to church with us.

Darren

Thankful for so many new faces every Sunday morning.
"I found that it's the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love”
Find a strategic partner as a tenant and turn the building into a community hub.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

Steve

I’m grateful for faithful Gospel centered preaching week after week.
The unexpected gifts from other churches to our church this year made the idea of being “one body” much more real to me this year.
Grow in sharing the Gospel

New City Office

2025 REFLECTIONS AND 2026 RESOLUTIONS