City on a Hill Church | Brookline, MA

• Bland Mason
• Jan 14, 2011
• Series: Church Profiles
• Categories: Church Planting Articles, Latest News

Mission, Vision, Values of Church 

Our mission is to be a gospel-centered, missional church for the glory of God and the good of our community, city, and the nations.

Values: Gospel, Community, Mission

Church Profile: City on a Hill Church
Launch Date: February 2009
Location: Brookline, MA

What are some examples of God's grace that you have seen in your life and/or the life of your church?

I could share so many (really) but here are just three:

First, I had a cardiac arrest on Oct 14, 2009 at 12:10 a.m., just 6 weeks after our core group spun off of our sponsor church and began worshiping regularly. I was gone for about 8-10 minutes and by should all accounts (dr's in my church) should be dead or severely brain damaged). 95% of people who have a cardiac arrest never go home from the hospital. By God's grace not only did I survive, but I have no side effects from the whole event. I have no restrictions on food or activity and the only thing I have to show for the whole event is a small defibrillator that I have in my chest A glorious side effect in our core group was that God united people together in community and prayer in a way that I (and most of them) have never witnessed. There is much more to say, but at some point I will write a book called "Dying to Plant a Church" that will chronicle the whole event and how God used it in beautiful ways for his kingdom.

Also, Boston has been a graveyard for anglo church planters over the last 25 years. Southern Baptists plantd 22 churches here in 2002 and only 1 is still around. By God's grace, we have not only survived, but thrived and multiplied. We are already interning, mentoring, and investing in multiple church planters around the area.

Finally, only God could orchestrate for a guy like me to serve as chapel leader to the Boston Red Sox. I don't even really like baseball. I quit little league at 8 because I had a bad average. I had just moved to Boston and could not have named more than 4 guys on the Red Sox when I get a call. Long story short, I now serve as chapel leader to the Sox. City on a Hill is only a mile from Fenway and we have ended up connecting with several players/coaches, and their families. Because CoaH is made up mostly of grad students at MIT, Harvard, and Boston College and young medical and business professionals, very few people even recognize the people from the Red Sox, which they love.

How can we pray for you?

God is doing amazing things at City on a Hill that I could have never anticipated. This year looks like it could be an incredible ride. Pray that God keeps me balanced, helps me maintain time for Sabbath/family, and walk by radical faith in Christ.