What Is Meta?
Meta is the Greek word for change, and it also means more than and beyond. And that’s 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.
At Meta, 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.
Our Story
Meta Church began in May of 2017 when Pastors Ricky and Krista Ortiz launched as a Bible study in an apartment with just $300 and one other couple. But despite our small beginnings, we’ve seen God work through our community in significant ways! Not only have seen people’s lives impacted and transformed spiritually, but we’ve also been to affect change in a tangibly.
Over the years, we’ve given away over $175,000 to support people in times of need (such as COVID-19 relief), and through various initiatives like providing free haircuts weekly for children and seniors at the Washington Houses, or partnering with Project 12.31.
But our commitment to change isn’t limited to our own initiatives. We’ve also financially supported other church plants in Queens, Harlem, and The Bronx. And through our partnership with Freedom Church in the UK, we’ve also been able to help plant churches in Raleigh, NC, Kigali, Rwanda, and Siem Reap, Cambodia.
We might be young, but we know we’re called to change the city and change the world!
Our Pastors
God gave 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.
While their journey has been filled with steps of faith and adventure, 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.
God has used their experiences to shape the heart and vision for Meta Church. It’s through this lens that Krista and Ricky are committed to proclaiming a message of hope and transformation authentically and vulnerably to help others step into their own “meta” story.
Our DNA | This Is Who We Are
This is both who we are and who we're becoming as a community. Our DNA stems from the intersection of how transformation happens and who Jesus is. Scroll across to read about each of our DNA.
WE ARE DISTURBED
We’re disturbed by the cultural norm and the status quo, and we’re committed to crushing it in us and around us.
WE ARE TENACIOUS
We don’t just have the grit to hold on, but we’re relentless in taking ground and advancing the Kingdom of God.
WE ARE PRESENT
We’re not consumed with what’s ahead of us or what’s behind us, but we’re committed to being fully engaged in the moment with who and what God has placed before us.
WE HOLD NOTHING BACK
Recognizing how much we’ve been given by God, we look for every opportunity to release our words, our finances, our resources, and our time back to God and others.
WE LIVE TO LOVE
The greatest measure of success in our lives is not a position we attain, a status we gain, or an account we fill, but whether or not we live our lives loving others the way Jesus has loved us.
Why NYC?
New York City is one of the most influential cities in the world and its potential for good is limitless! People from all over the world move here in pursuit of their dreams and in search of life-changing opportunities. This city is truly the intersection where the world meets.
We believe we have an incredible opportunity as a church to tap into that potential by helping people like you step into and experience the “more than” and “beyond” that Jesus has for you. For us, it’s about change and transformation in your life that produces change and transformation in your world.
When we change this city, we change the world!
What We Believe
Jesus Christ is completely human and, at the same time, completely God. He is God’s only plan for bringing humanity back into a right relationship with God. He lived a perfect life, so that He could be a perfect sacrifice by dying on a cross. He defeated death in His resurrection so that we can have abundant life.
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. God is loving, compassionate, and faithful to His people and His promises.
The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make humanity aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with comfort, the power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He fills and empowers every believer with spiritual gifts when they are saved to fulfill their God-given calling.
You are made in the image of God. You are the supreme object of God’s creation and love. Although you have tremendous potential for good, you are marred by an attitude of disobedience towards God called “sin.” This attitude separates you from God until the relationship is restored through a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment anyone receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
You were created to exist forever. We believe that forever is spent in one of two places: in union with God because of His forgiveness and salvation or eternally separated from God because of sin. When you die, you will either spend eternity with God or apart from God.
The Church is a community of believers unified through faith in Jesus Christ. The Church is committed to living out the teachings of Jesus, and it seeks to bring the Gospel to the world. The Church works together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of revealing God to the world and glorifying Jesus Christ.
The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to all people. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it was inspired by God, we believe the Bible is the basis for truth and it is completely relevant to our daily lives.