Matt Reed became a follower of Jesus Christ right before college eight years ago. Shortly after arriving on the University of Nebraska Lincoln campus, he plugged into the college ministry at Citylight Lincoln, the Salt Company. At Salt Co., he experienced community for the first time that was centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ. His years there transformed his heart and life including his relationships. Since then, it has been the basis of his vocational calling … Connecting and facilitating community all around the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“It was then that so many people helped raise me and encouraged me in the gospel,” Matt described. “Now, seven years later, I am wanting to see that story happen in other people’s lives. It is not possible without those people who said Yes to Jesus over the last decade.”
After college, Matt joined the Salt Company as a leader and then transitioned to Citylight South Lincoln’s staff team as a resident. For the past two years, Matt and his wife have been praying about church planting.
“We’ve prayed for when and where,” Matt shared. “We asked God to show us where to move us and lead us. At the same time, my wife teaches at Lincoln Northwest high school. Some students from the school started to come to youth group at Citylight South. It’s a 30-minute drive. That’s far to come to church and youth groups. We slowly began to see a big need in northwest Lincoln.”
With this new awareness, they considered northwest Lincoln, specifically Air Park and the NW 48th neighborhood. In their free time, they took time to drive around his wife’s high school. They prayed together and prayer walked in neighborhoods and around the school. They started conversations with their pastors at Citylight South and invited others into prayer and discernment. Citylight South’s lead pastors, Alex Leyva and Ricky Kennedy, both affirmed Matt’s calling to church plant. They joined Matt in asking God where to plant.
“About a year ago, on a drive back from a meeting with some leaders in Hastings,” Alex explained, “Ricky and Matt were driving by the high school at Air Park. Ricky suggested that we stop and go pray there. They asked Jesus where to plant for Matt. It was at that moment and through the timing of their trip to Hastings, the Holy Spirit did something towards confirming where to plant.”
God made it clear the need for a church in northwest Lincoln and for Matt and his wife to be a part of the community. Northwest Lincoln/Air Park is home to over 6,000 people with more people moving there. There are neighborhoods, apartment complexes, businesses and a community center. There is one church that serves the neighborhood and in a different language.
“If someone decided hey, I want to go to church today, it would be a 15-minute drive,” Matt explained. “ But the needs of the community aren’t a shorter commute; it is a place in the neighborhood that is intentionally reaching out with the gospel and gospel community. It’s not about people coming to a building, but the people of God going to people. My wife and I have bought a house and moved into the neighborhood. We are meeting people who are in our church who live there and learning about the opportunities in their community. We want to learn.”
Tanker Hill is in Air Park and is the highest point in Lincoln. Matt has a vision for this city on a hill.
“Imagine standing on Tanker Hill and you’re on top of the whole community,” Matt imagined. “You’re looking all around and down into the city of Lincoln. What would you want people to say? We want it to be that there is someone who radically changed our lives. That there are people who do not live for themselves but instead people who would give up everything because we have found true life in Jesus Christ. I hope that everyone would understand that our life has been designed by a designer for a purpose to know him and be in relationship in him. We can have access to that designer through his son, Jesus Christ. That the gospel would be felt and the truth of Christ would saturate the lives of Air Park and there would be radical transformation.”
The plan is to launch a City Group in Air Park this June. Matt and his wife are asking anyone who is interested to join them. They want to build relationships in the neighborhood and with the schools this year. From there, they’ll begin more formal monthly gatherings and discern what God wants. Matt and Alex invite everyone to pray.
“Pray for Air Park and that God would be preparing hearts and tilling the soil,” Matt confessed. “Pray that we can meet other believers. Believers in that part of the city who are bold to share the gospel with neighbors and coworkers. Pray for a co-lead pastor. Someone who wants to come alongside us with what God is doing there. Personally, pray for my growing family as my wife and I just had a baby and moved at the same time. Pray that God would use us where we are at.”
Alex added, “Pray for the people at Citylight South specifically to not just be excited to send, but thoughtfully consider going with them. That others would run towards the Air Park neighborhood and serve them. For the people at Citylight South to send and to be sent.”
Citylight, please pray for, support and help send Matt, his wife and all that are called to go to Air Park. Matt concluded with this encouragement to our network of churches:
“Jesus said that I’m with you until the end of the age. Citylight Family, you are not alone in the great commission. No matter what stage you are in with ministry or church planting, Christ is with you. Consider this: the best thing you can do is say yes or no and be open handed with where God is leading you. My encouragement is to be open handed with Christ because he is with you.”
Connect with Matt and the Air Park Church Plant:
matt@citylightsouth.church