You’re probably thinking we came up with our name thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, but…we didn’t! We’re proud to say we were Meta first and we think it has a little more meaning that way…
Why Meta?
Meta is the Greek word for change, and it also means more than and beyond! And this is exactly what we’re all about! We believe Jesus has the ability to change any area of your life, and our desire is for you to experience His transformative power in a real way. God’s desire for your life isn’t just for you to change, but it’s for you to step into the more than and beyond that He has for you.
The word meta is actually used three times in the New Testament: once in Matthew 17:2 when Jesus was transformed, again in Romans 12:2 when the Apostle Paul gave instruction to the believers in Rome, and a third time in 2 Corinthians 3:17 when Paul explained what happens to us when we follow Jesus. In each instance, it’s clear that the change and transformation that occurs is supernatural and Divine. In other words, it’s far more than we could ask or imagine!
So what exactly is Meta Church?
At Meta Church, you’ll find a young church community where you can connect with other people, grow in your relationship with Jesus, and discover a life full of potential and promise. Our church is made up of people from different walks of life with a diverse range of experiences, but we all share one common desire: to experience the transformative power of Jesus in our lives!
We’re committed to building authentic community and cultivating a real-world faith that produces meaningful impact in our lives, our communities, our city, and our world.
Back to the Beginning…
God gave Pastors Ricky and Krista a vision to plant a life-giving church in New York City way back in 2004. He’s a native New Yorker (from the Bronx, NY) and she’s a Washingtonian (originally from Seattle) and their paths crossed while at college in Jacksonville, FL.
Their journey together has been filled with steps of faith and adventure, but they’ve also encountered difficulty and challenges with grief, loss, addiction and depression.
Through those experiences, God forged something deeper and more meaningful than either of them could have ever imagined! God had purpose that was more than and beyond what either Krista or Ricky would have designed for themselves. These experiences became their personal “meta story” of change and transformation.
God would use those experiences to shape the heart and vision for Meta Church so others could find hope and step into their own “meta story.”
So in May of 2017, Pastors Ricky and Krista launched a Bible study in their apartment with just $300 and one other couple – marking the beginning of Meta Church!
What’s happening at Meta Church now?
Despite our small beginnings, we’ve seen God work through Meta Church to impact our community, our city, and our world in significant ways over the years!
We have weekly gatherings for worship, prayer, and community service where people from across the city are invited to connect, grow, and experience transformation.
Not only have we seen people’s lives impacted and transformed in tangible ways, but we’ve also been able to give away nearly $150,000 to provide COVID-19 relief, pay for more than 1,000 free haircuts to children and senior citizens in low-income housing, support church plants in Harlem and The Bronx, and so much more!
Through our global partnership with Freedom Church in the United Kingdom, we’ve been able to help plant churches in Raleigh, NC, Kigali, Rwanda, and Siem Reap, Cambodia.
We might be young, but we believe there are better days ahead and the best is yet to come!