LIGHT+LIFE | MAY 2025
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. (Rom. 8:11)
First Easter at Bright City
On Easter, we celebrate the most important event in history—the resurrection of Jesus. But resurrection isn’t just something that happened 2,000 years ago. It’s something we can experience right now. The resurrection of Jesus doesn’t just save us—it redefines us. It’s not only the center of our faith but the pattern for how we live.
True resurrection life begins with surrender: letting go of the things we hold tightly—like comfort, control, or possessions—and entrusting them to Jesus. Mark 8 and 10 show us that new life doesn’t come from adding more, but from laying things down. When we surrender fully, Jesus gives us something better in return—real life, now and forever.
This first Easter celebration was a milestone for us. It was the largest Sunday attendance we’ve had, but it was also a milestone for people giving things over to God. We have seen people continuing to seek more of Jesus and open themselves to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in their lives. This trajectory is the most exciting of all—more people experiencing life in Jesus!
Meet Elijah
We’re excited to welcome Elijah Alt to Bright City this summer as a ministry intern! Elijah grew up immersed in Christian community—attending church, a Christian school, and helping at a Christian sports camp that helped shape his relationship with God. His faith deepened significantly during his time in Tampa last year, where he began sharing the gospel downtown and serving as a youth group leader. A mission trip abroad further opened his eyes to the realities of the world and God’s heart for people everywhere.
Elijah is eager to step into a new church environment and help Bright City become a strong community in Sunbury and beyond. With a God-given gift for communication and a passion for connecting with people, he’s excited for this opportunity. He values team culture, authentic conversations, and feedback from leaders who care. We can’t wait to see how God works through Elijah this summer!
This summer, he will get experience helping lead in three key areas: Kid City, young adults, and local impact events. His first Sunday is May 18th!
You can email Elijah at elijah@brightcitysunbury.com.
Internships are part-time roles at Bright City designed for someone exploring vocational ministry and passionate about helping others experience life in Jesus. They offer hands-on experience, leadership development, and personal mentorship for the next generation.
BREAD Bible Reading Plan
At the beginning of the year, we shared a Bible reading plan that our whole church could use to walk with Jesus daily. It’s designed to be able to be started, paused, or restarted at any time. It also is something many people in our church are walking through together—so you’re not alone!
This Bible reading plan incorporates lectio divina through a modernized rhythm called BREAD, guiding participants in a daily practice of stillness, reading, meditation, and prayer. Each step—Be Still, Read, Encounter, Apply, Devote—mirrors the traditional movements of lectio divina, creating space to not just read Scripture but to personally engage with God, reflect deeply, and respond with intentionality. The method invites spiritual formation through regular, Spirit-led encounters with Scripture.
Download the BREAD Bible Reading Plan. Part 2 starts this week!
The SixtyOne Building
When we were preparing to launch last fall, a church in our area reached out to learn more about Bright City. We were just in the beginning phases of building our team and investing in our local community. Christ Fellowship had been in Sunbury since 1991 as a faithful gospel presence. But through various circumstances, they were feeling called to join with Bright City. This took several conversations and much prayer for us to discern if God was in this. In December 2024, Christ Fellowship unanimously voted to close and join Bright City.
This brought a bunch of positive momentum. They brought passionate volunteers for worship, Kid City, connect team, and local impact. Many had young adult children or grandchildren, which made us into a multi-generational church! They also have spent years building relationships with people in our community who need to experience life in Jesus. We have been able to “water and harvest” what they have “sowed and planted.”
It is truly amazing! How often do you hear of churches coming together to build God’s Kingdom in new ways? It’s not the Bright City story—it’s God’s story, and how he uses the local church to create an ongoing gospel legacy in communities.
A tremendous gift Bright City received was a 5-acre property with a building. Big Walnut Intermediate School has remained the best option for our Sunday Gatherings as we have grown. But we see this as an amazing space for Bright City events during the week and for the community to use. We have slowly been able to make improvements so the building can be used in that way.
We are calling this space “The SixtyOne.” First, it exists on State Route 61. Second, along the lines of Isaiah 61—we want it to become a space for freedom, favor, and flourishing. We hope to see more community events, prayer & worship gatherings, and Spirit-led counseling happen here in the years to come. It will also become our new mailing address.
New Mailing/Physical Address: 2545 SR-61, Sunbury, OH 43074
New Phone Number: (740) 936-5040 (call or text)
If you would like to donate so we can continue to renovate The SixtyOne Building, you can give to Bright City. If you would like to rent/reserve The SixtyOne Building for an event, email Josh Taylor at josh@brightcitysunbury.com. You can also volunteer for building needs and projects by emailing Josh.
What’s Happening in May
The Table: May 18th | 11:00am–1:30pm
Ready to explore what it means to be part of the Bright City family? There’s a seat at the table for you!
The Table is your next step to discover the mission, heartbeat, and family culture of our church. Join Josh and Sarah Taylor for lunch, meet others in the community, and connect with our team in a relaxed, welcoming setting. You’ll hear how you can belong, contribute, and grow in your faith here.
Summer Kickoff Picnic: May 23rd | 5:00pm–8:00pm
Berkshire Community Playground & Pavilion (1454 Rome Corners Rd, Galena)
Let’s kickoff the summer by having some fun together! Bright City will provide hamburgers, hotdogs, and pulled pork. Please use this link below to RSVP and bring an item to share.
Summer Circles | Coming May 18th
As Missional Communities take a break for the summer, Summer Circles are a great way to stay connected and build relationships. Whether it’s a Bible study, kids play date, pickup sport, or just simple hangout—there is something for you.
Explore the summer circles already being planned, and share if you want to start your own.
How to Pray
Pray for our leadership team (staff, elders, team leaders, and MC leaders) working to scale and strengthen our church as it grows. We need to raise up new leaders, apprentices, and volunteers to help alongside us. We also need to make wise decisions, strategies, and systems to help keep moving toward our goals. Many of us will be on a leadership retreat from June 12-14. Pray it is refreshing and beneficial!
Pray for our local schools as the school year wraps up. The first week of May, we were able to celebrate Big Walnut staff and teachers by providing two meals for the Intermediate school’s appreciation week. We will also have the opportunity to serve them over the summer and continue meeting on Sundays at the school. Pray we find ways to continue to partner with our schools.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to help people engage him in the ways God is inviting us. We have seen an increased desire to know and experience God’s presence and power. We’ve been explaining how the Holy Spirit is at work and how to be open to him in the ways we’re guided in Scripture. We have laid the ground work in a new series “You Are Spiritual” and have been introducing simple practices for our church to engage the Holy Spirit along the way. Pray for renewal, openness, and for people to see God’s power at work in their life.
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