A year ago (January 2025), I followed God’s call to move from my lifelong home of Alabama to New York City in complete leap-of-faith fashion – no job, no plan, just faith. I have had a heart for NYC since I was four years old – when I visited for the first time and became enamored with it – and moving here has been not only the fulfillment of a lifelong dream but the thing through which God has revealed the call He has placed on my life – to serve Him in a full-time, missional capacity!
When God called me to move here, it was obvious that He was calling me for something very specific, but I knew that I wouldn’t discover it until I got here. Within just a few weeks of moving to the city, God connected me to a church plant – in a crazy, only-God kind of way – that was set to launch later that year: Spirit Church NYC. After meeting the pastors, I followed God’s prompting to join the church’s Launch Team, where I served on a volunteer basis throughout the year. Spirit Church launched in October 2025, and we have already seen God do incredible things in our church and community!
At the start of this year, God opened up the opportunity for me to step into a full-time role with Spirit Church, and I have eagerly said, “Yes, Lord!” God has given me a deep love for this city and this house, and He has made it abundantly clear that Spirit Church is what He had in mind all along when He called me to NYC. I feel there is truly nothing else I could do or want to do other than to serve the Lord fully in this capacity!
The phrase that often echoes in my heart is: where else would I go?
“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” John 6:68
Keep up with the church planting and NYC adventures on @emma.in.new.york on Instagram!