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Dear Friends of ACC, We have all learned how difficult it can be to make plans during a pandemic. From businesses, to schools, to local governments and individual families, we all know what it is like to make plans and then be forced to revise them because of changes in the public health situation. Because of this reality, it is difficult to say exactly what the coming se...

I once heard a radio interview with a retired elevator repairman. He reported that in 80% of the elevators in New York City, the "close door" button is not hooked up to anything at all. Pushing the button does not make the door close any faster than it would have anyway. Why do they have these buttons in elevator cars? According to this man, the reason is because people li...

Perseverance is an essential quality for those who follow Jesus Christ. We often face times of discouragement and distraction and feel tempted to give up. What can we do to increase our endurance so that, when the going gets tough, we persevere in our commitment to the Lord? Hebrews 12:1-3 provides good counsel for weary Christians. It says: "Therefore, since we are surro...

The Bible tells us that, as God's people, we are called to be holy. We are reminded of this calling in 1 Peter 1:13-25. Verses 15-16 say, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" To be holy means to view yourself as set apart for the glory of God with a consequent commitment to obey God's commands. ...

When I was a child, we were told in Sunday school to close our eyes for prayer. Though the Bible never gives this instruction, it is probably a good idea to teach this to a roomful of fidgety five-year-old's. Open eyes can easily present little ones with distractions that lead to a breakdown of classroom order. Besides this, praying with your eyes closed is a tradition tha...

On June 15, Governor Cuomo announced the lifting of many of the COVID-19 restrictions that had been in place in New York State. Social distancing, capacity restrictions, and mask-wearing are no longer required in stores, restaurants, offices, gyms, and other places. Unvaccinated individuals are still responsible to wear masks, as suggested by the CDC. As public health con...

Last week New York City reported its lowest COVID positivity rates since testing began, giving us the lowest positivity rates in the country. We also celebrated a day with zero deaths from coronavirus. Praise God for this wonderful news! With the increase in vaccinations and the improving public health situation, ACC is planning gradual changes to our Sunday-morning healt...

Of the many local churches mentioned in the New Testament, one of the most compelling congregations is the church in Antioch described in the book of Acts. The church in Antioch is notable for its resilience in the face of persecution, its commitment to personal evangelism, its spiritual giftedness, its prayerfulness, its missionary zeal, its compassion for the poor, and i...

Like many churches during the COVID pandemic, ACC has taken a hybrid approach to worship. We meet in-person following strict health protocols but also provide on-line access to our worship services so that people can participate remotely. We plan to continue with this approach for the foreseeable future, looking forward to the day when these measures will no longer be nece...

Since its inception, our nation has struggled with injustice, inequality, and racism. Often this struggle has resulted in violence. In recent years, we have witnessed examples of this violence in different forms: mass shootings that target ethnic minorities, police brutality against people of color, vicious assaults on Asian Americans, and the counter-violence of looting a...