Dear friends and family.
Those who know the Bergmen’s well know that the story our life tells is one filled with adventure. This season is no exception. We find our story deep within the context of the one great story, the story of redemption. God has been seeking to redeem His creation in all of history, to call a people to Himself, to show them the riches of His kingdom, and to bless them in order that they might be a blessing to the whole world. This is the story we are in, and it is the story we are desperate to have told through all that we do as a family. To exist for His glory, and to enjoy Him every step of the way. That is the call the Bergmen family joyfully accepts.
We have been blessed to serve at Mission Community Church in Gilbert, AZ for the past 2 and a half years. What an amazing place Mission is. God has been using Mission to do justice in His name both locally and globally. People are joining that vision by the droves and it has been incredible to not only witness, but to participate in. It has been difficult to move on from Mission, and we have wrestled much to understand what God is doing in our lives. I have loved getting to serve as Worship Pastor, to hone my craft as an artist and develop my call as a shepherd. I am deeply thankful to the Lord for giving our family a space to grow in our gifting, and walk humbly through our grief. To say the least, we have learned a tremendous amount in the past few years there, and will miss Mission dearly. We want to thank the leadership of Mission, as well as all of the people, for loving us, and for allowing us to step out in faith and begin this new chapter.
The call we find ourselves in the midst of today seems surreal, and yet we are not surprised. We knew that God had something for us, but did not know exactly when or how it would be revealed. Renee’ and I have always loved the city of San Francisco. It began when we were dating and would visit there a few times a year. We were engaged in the city, and have made a stop at least once a year since being married. We always talked about what it would be like to live there, but those early desires were pretty steeped in nostalgia, something we were conscious of.
Tim Keller has been an author and pastor that has helped shape Renee’ and I quite a bit over the past few years. We listened to a talk he gave sometime last year that I can look back now and see had a profound impact on our thinking. Keller is a pastor of a church called Redeemer in Manhattan, New York. He makes a plea for church planters, and evangelicals everywhere, to move back into the city centers of America. Christians are leaving urban areas in staggering numbers. High costs of living, crime rates, and the inconveniences of city life are only a few of the reasons for this. I think that started a work in us that was more powerful than we knew at the time. Thought and prayer around those ideas would take nostalgia and transform it into call in a special way over the course of time. We now see how God was putting the building blocks in place to move us into the city of San Francisco.
So, we are going. Redemption Church is sending a team to plant a church in the heart of San Francisco, in the Lower Haight district, just west of downtown, north of the Castro district. There are 5 main neighborhoods that we are focusing on. Haight Ashbury (The birthing ground of 60′s psychedelia), Alamo Square (Full House anyone?), Cole Valley, the Panhandle (which leads into Golden Gate Park), and Hayes Valley. Lower Haight is a place where locals live. It is less transient, and is less likely to attract people who move from out of state to the city. In short, it is challenging, and epitomizes the unchurched landscape of the greater city. We can’t think of any place we would rather go.
The area that Renee’ and I are currently thinking and praying about landing is Hayes Valley. It is one of the more expensive spots out of all of the neighborhoods, yet there is a pull to that place for us. It is rich with culture, diverse, attracts artist types, and is a growing community. Here is a link to read more about Hayes Valley.
Essentially, there are a handful of couples going, and we are each looking to land in one of the 5 neighborhoods. We will do life with the people in our neighborhood, with the specific purpose of living out the gospel in a tangible way. Our goal will be to love and serve our neighborhood through an organic, grassroots discipleship model. Yes please.
We are excited, scared, and excited. Yes, mostly excited. We would covet your prayers, and would ask you to pray also how God would call you to participate with us. We have to raise our entire salary to be in the city. Our plan is to move to my parents house in Northern California (about an hour east of the city), and look for jobs and a place to stay until we have the means to move into the city.
Please visit Redemptionsf.com for more information.
Here is a copy of the prospectus that will tell you where we are going and what our main objectives are in the city. Prospectus
If you have any questions, please send myself or Renee’ an email or a facebook message. We would love to connect and share more of the details.
God has been faithful and good to our family. He has allowed us to endure many things for the sake of His kingdom and glory. We give Him all praise and honor for the work He has done and continues to do in us. This new season will prove to be another great time of learning and growing in Him. We rest in the faith of knowing that He is sovereign and guiding our every step. May our only aim be His glory.
With love and gratitude,
C.J. Renee’ and Keane