VOL.

03 / ISSUE 02/ 2009

2009: FIRST QUARTER SUNDAYS @ THE PARISH

The first quarter of 2009 flew by. Maybe it did for you? It’s so easy to get caught up in “busyness”. I
recently read that Jesus would make a really poor multi-tasker. Why? Because he was compelled by
love, and love requires that we focus on a person. We don’t love people “in general.” Jesus loved the
Father in focused times of prayer and people in focused times of community and ministry. Although,
we have a lot to learn about slowing down to love Christ, his Church, and our neighbors, ACL is expe-
riencing some remarkable things this quarter.

BAPTISM @ BARTON SPRINGS

We recently had our first baptism to corporately and individually celebrate Jesus as Christ and Lord.
It was fitting to baptize publicly, since the gospel calls us out of private individualism into public
faith and community. You can’t get any more public than Barton Springs in Austin! It was about 100
degrees, the springs were packed with people “keeping Austin weird.” Topless women, pot-smoking
hippies, dogs and dog owners, families, and right in the middle of it all—Austin City Life baptizing,
singing, and eating together. Onlookers asked questions. Jesus was worshipped. Please pray that
CITY GROUPS
God would rescue more worshippers from unbelief in Austin.

MISSION IN AUSTIN

Fortunately, the church is a statistic. Austin is home to hundreds of non-profits and ranks 2nd out of
50 cities in volunteerism. ACL is part of a growing number of missional churches that are meeting the
social needs of the city. Our City Groups are serving regularly through Angel Food Ministries, in the
projects, nursing homes, and cleaning the streets.

In addition, we have outgrown our location in the Hideout Theatre! We are now meeting in one of
6th Street’s best music venues, ironically called The Parish. The owners and staff are very supportive.
Church in a bar is helping us connect with the unlikely. Plus, we just moved into another bar, Friends,
just two doors down to host our Kids Life ministry. We are gaining favor with bar owners, musicians,
and the people of Austin. Answers to prayers prayed by many before we even moved to the city!
Please join us in praying that God would use us to redeem and renew the social and spiritual fabric of the city. LINKS

AUSTIN CITY LIFE IN 2009 Give Online

As ACL continues to grow, we’ve attracted some great musicians. The worship each Sunday is amaz- Austin City Life
ing, so amazing, that we just had to share it with you, so we put out a CD. It is theologically rich, musi-
Jonathan’s Blog
cally progressive, and gospel-centered. You can preview it online here. Email Miranda for a CD ($10).
Or buy it from iTunes (coming soon!).
Austin City Life Worship

Another sign of growth is that we are approximately 55% self-supporting. However, we still need
RECOMMENDED READING
outside support to continue to meet our meager budget. Unfortunately, our initial funding is steadily
declining. Would you consider supporting Austin City Life financially? A Praying Life
You can give online here or mail a check to:
Total Church
Austin City Life
P.O. Box 19594 Austin, TX 78760 Resurgence Articles

Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel. We have so much to thank God for together! May we all
continue to slow down enough to love the Lord and the lost in our cities.