THE STORY OF APOSTLES CHURCH BROOKLYN

Apostles Church launched as a small group of people meeting in Midtown Manhattan in 2005, growing into a small network of congregations from which Apostles Brooklyn was planted in September 2013. Since then, it has set out to be a missional, multicultural and multiplying community. Over ten years, ABK fostered a flourishing, God-loving, community-driven home just south of Barclays center. Across Brooklyn, 7 community groups meet on a weekly basis, 2 weekly gatherings join in prayer, and various meetups and outings bring our congregants together regularly. As a church we sought to serve our neighborhood as we served each other.

We have witnessed friends and family being saved and baptized; needs being met with radical generosity; people of diverse cultures, races, and backgrounds reconcile; communities multiply across our borough; and children and parents dedicated to Jesus.

In 2023 we experienced leadership upheaval. We are still navigating the hurt both personally and as a church family as we exist to love Brooklyn with the good news of Jesus! We are seeking a new lead pastor to help us move forward, heal and rebuild as a church.

THE VISION OF APOSTLES CHURCH BROOKLYN

Apostles Church Brooklyn exists to love Brooklyn with the good news of Jesus Christ. You can find our Core Values on our About page.

 You can learn more at What We Believe.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OF APOSTLES CHURCH BROOKLYN

Our church is seeking a pastor who would particularly and prayerfully lead us in these areas:

• Provide pastoral care and spiritual direction

• Have a leadership vision and compelling plan for the church’s future

• Develop avenues for discipleship and spiritual formation

• Develop and empower leaders for ministry

MEMBERSHIP AND ATTENDANCE

Apostles Church Brooklyn has fluctuated in size over the years. As of October 2024, it has 69 members and an average of 65 weekly attendees at Sunday service.

LEADERSHIP

Elders, deacons, and, at present, an Advisory Council make up the leadership of Apostles Church Brooklyn.

ELDERS: Elders are to prayerfully look after the church’s health, govern the church’s direction, teach the church sound doctrine, defend the church against false teachers, encourage faithfulness among God’s people, equip the church for ministry, example faithful membership, and confront and gently deal with the presence of sin in the faith community. At Apostles Church Brooklyn, they shepherd, teach, protect, equip, and care for our people. As the church experienced leadership change in 2023, the 5 elders of Apostles Uptown, our sister church of the Apostles Network, have stepped in as interim elders until Apostles Brooklyn obtains more elders from their own congregation.

ADVISORY COUNCIL: When Apostles Brooklyn lacked a plurality of elders in 2023, the Advisory Council was formed in 2023 to provide counsel from spiritual leaders of the congregation to two elders. It is the aim of this council to be a temporary feature. There are currently 5 members on the Advisory Council, who provide counsel to the Apostles Uptown elders on matters of Apostles Church Brooklyn.

DEACONS: Deacons at Apostles Church Brooklyn are secondary leaders under the elders/pastors who lead by serving. The church currently has 7 deacons who serve by overseeing our benevolence needs, assimilating new people into our community, and assisting the pastors in caring for the physical and spiritual needs of our congregation.

MINISTRY AREAS

These are the ministries that make up the life and functioning of our church body.

SUNDAY SERVICE: The gospel changes our relationship with God from one of hostility or slavish compliance to one of intimacy and joy, fueled by our corporate singing, exposition of the Bible, prayer and observance of the Lord’s Supper on Sundays. It is run by various volunteer ministry teams: Operations, Worship, Projection, Sound, Hospitality, Communion, and Kids. These teams rotate through volunteers on a weekly basis.

COMMUNITY GROUPS: This is a weekly gathering to study the Bible, share a meal, stories and pray together, our Community Groups are a proximity-based multicultural family sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. These groups strive to meet each other’s needs, seek Jesus and serve their local neighborhoods inviting others in and equipping each other to live out the Gospel to their neighbors, friends and colleagues as they expand the reach of the Kingdom. We encourage all members to be part of a group, and this is the major way we live out our lives together as a church.

DNA GROUPS: These are small 3-4 person groups of the same gender committed to pursuing Jesus and serving Jesus more deeply through Christian friendship, bible study, accountability, and mission. These groups form among CG members and peers and commit to meet regularly for friendship and peer-to-peer discipleship while working to share rhythms of life together. Members of DNA Groups commit to 3 things: Discovering, Nurturing, and Acting. Discover truth in the gospel by studying the Bible, Nurture their spiritual life with transparent confession and gospel-centered accountability, and Act out their faith together by sharing the gospel and serving Jesus.

JUSTICE AND MERCY: As Christians, we try to practice active love to demonstrate God’s care for his creation. This team identifies opportunities for the congregation to leverage its resources to better the community we’re a part of, whether that is through service events or targeted donations to selected ministries.

FINANCE TEAM: This team creates the annual budget and presents it to covenant members to vote on. They manage and audit the financial decisions of the church.

PRAYER TEAM: This team hosts meetings on Sundays and midweek to pray over the needs of the church, each other and the wider world.

CHURCH PARTNERSHIPS

While Apostles Church Brooklyn is not closely affiliated with any denomination, we are glad to partner when opportunities arise for the sake of the gospel. For example, we are financially partnered with various organizations: Samaritan’s Purse, PS. 133 William A. Butler School, and Safe Families, as well as with a number of Cru, individual missionaries, and neighboring churches.

We are part of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network, and are an affiliate of Hope for New York.

ABOUT BROOKLYN

Apostles is located in Brooklyn, one of the 5 boroughs of New York City. With a population of close to 3 million, Brooklyn would be the 4th largest city in the United States if it were independent. Neighborhoods in the borough vary from a bustling downtown to waterfront suburbs, but it is perhaps best recognized by its tree-lined streets of brownstone townhouses. Brooklynites are incredibly diverse and come from all over the world. Close to half of the population speaks another language, and less than half the borough is white. We celebrate our cultures, and a couple subway stops will take you through a wide array of ethnic and religious enclaves of every stripe. And we do take the subway! Unless you live in the outer neighborhoods, a car is more of a hassle than a benefit - many native New Yorkers never even learn how to drive.

Life in Brooklyn - and New York City in general - offers a lot. We have plenty of large and beautiful parks, a ton of museums, and every kind of restaurant or cafe you could possibly want. There’s always something new to explore. Brooklyn neighborhoods have a slower pace of life than much of the rest of the city, and you can find everything you need within a few blocks of your apartment. We love living here, and are sure you will too.

CHURCH CONGREGATION

The congregation has 68 members, out of which there are 28 males and 40 females. The age range is 20 to 55, with a median age of 30. The church is made up of 65% singles and 33% married individuals, out of which there are 9 families with children.

66% of the congregation identifies as White, 25% as Asian, 5% as Black and 5% as Hispanic, including mixed race individuals. They commonly work in arts/culture/media, finance and tech, as well as some in healthcare, education, ministry, architecture, and more.

They ommonly work in arts/culture/media, finance and tech, as well as some in healthcare, education, ministry, architecture, and more.

This data was last updated on November 25, 2024.

Our Pastoral Search Committee is made up of 7 congregational members with a wide array of experiences representing the church members: Brent Buterbaugh, Ian Korn, India Balyejusa, Koby Jackson, Lenia Haili Moore, Leticia Mosqueda, and Nicole Ng.

If you are a potential candidate who would like to apply, or if you are a member of the congregation and have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to the Pastoral Search Committee by emailing us at psc@apostleschurch.nyc.