Covenant News

Two New East Coast Churches to Conduct Services

NEW YORK, NY (March 24, 2004) - Two East Coast Conference congregations within 10 miles of each other are holding their first public worship services on April 4, according to East Coast Conference Associate Supt. Judy Swanberg.

Queenswest Covenant Church is being planted in the New York City Borough of Queens under pastor Peter Sung. Sung planted Highrock Church in Somerville, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, where he was lead pastor for a portion of the four years he ministered in that area before heading to his home city.

A five-member core group from Highrock Church began the ministry at Queenswest Covenant, which has expanded to include 40 people. About 60 individuals have attended previous worship services in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, Sung added.

"The plan was always to plant a church in New York," said Sung, who also pursued his education in the city. "We're basically trying to reach people who are disenchanted or disillusioned with the church - people who grew up in the church but stopped going after a while."

Just across the New York State line (via bridges crossing the Hudson River and East River) in Fort Lee, New Jersey, is another Covenant church plant. Metro Community Church, under pastor Peter Ahn, began ministry in October and conducted its first preview service in January. The church held its third preview service March 11 with 65 people participating.

"We're very young - our average age is 26 or 27 - and 70 percent Asian and about 30 percent Caucasian," observes Ahn. "The great thing about what's going on is that most of our core group is unchurched and have found church to be a good experience. God has been really moving and is doing great things. During our three previews, we've had 11 people come to Christ and we're connecting with our generation."

Distinctive features of the church include unique worship music and the use of arts in worship. A Hip Hop group called The Funk Project participated in a preview service and the congregation has used songs by the popular secular band U2 in worship. "We're really about transforming the culture, but the only way to do it is to embrace it," said Ahn, who recently finished a Passion of the Christ sermon series.

To learn more about Queenswest Covenant Church, call Sung at 646-369-6232 or email him at petersung@qnswest.org. The church's website, which is still under development, is www.qnswest.org. To learn more about Metro Community Church, call Ahn at 201-403-5028 or email him at pahn@metroc2.org. The church website is www.emetro.org.

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