New Orleans Project
Aaron & Ashley hope and pray that this new church in New Orleans would help people to know God and tell His story.
The Vogels were born and raised in the New Orleans area and have always called it home. They were married in 2003 and have five children. Aaron became a vocational pastor in his early twenties at a local church after earning a degree in Biblical Studies at Gulf States Bible College. In 2013, Aaron launched an entrepreneurial journey in the restaurant industry in New Orleans, expanding the business to multiple locations across the city. Working in the service industry alongside the people of New Orleans has deepened his connection to the community and strengthened his bond with those who call South Louisiana home. Since his teenage years, Aaron has felt a calling and strong desire to plant a church in his hometown. Now, Aaron and Ashley are excited to see this longtime calling come to fruition as they prepare to plant a church in the community they have always loved and called home.
New Orleans is a melting pot of culture, tradition, and religion. The city has drawn richly from French, Spanish, African, and Creole culture which has given it a variety and beauty in architecture, music, and food. It is the birthplace of jazz music and home to some of the most exciting annual festivals, including the famous Mardi Gras. However, there are plenty of difficulties that accompany this great city. Louisiana regularly ranks as one of the most challenged states in major categories of living such as crime, economic advancement, healthcare, and education. New Orleans has endured devastating hurricanes over the past twenty years, losing roughly 20% of its population since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This great city has many reasons to be low on hope.
A new church for New Orleans will be a place that points to the greatest hope of all. After all, this city has a cultural mandate to celebrate, and the Vogels' prayer is that God would turn the hearts of the people to celebrate Christ at the center of all things.