Announcement This Sunday on Land Purchase Recommendation

I remember sitting in our living room about five or six years ago. A few of us were dreaming about what a church could become. I don’t know if any of us fully believed these dreams would come true, but we dreamed anyway. We simply dreamed about a church that thought and acted like Jesus.

The Land at Sunset

We searched the Scriptures and discovered Jesus had a special place in his heart for children. We determined from our beginning children would be our priority. Last week I stood in front of the congregation with dozens of adult mentors and presented Bibles to thirty-five third graders. The dream is coming true. 

We learned that Jesus spent much of his time serving people. One of us said that we look most like Jesus when we serve. We dreamt of ways we could love and serve our community and the world. Last month we cancelled our morning worship experiences at Millard West and sent hundreds of men, women, and children into the community to worship God by serving people. It was God’s people being the church and was one of the great days in our short history. The dream is coming true. 

We looked at the early church in the book of Acts and observed that small groups and Christian community was at the center of their lives. We read how Jesus surrounded himself with others. We dreamed of hundreds of small groups that meet in people’s homes: learning, growing, praying, playing, laughing, crying, sharing, and caring. Dozens of small groups kicked-off last week. New friendships will be formed. People will grow in their relationship with God. The dream is coming true. 

An important announcement will be made this morning about more dreams and visions. After two years of prayer, examining thirty-five properties, negotiating with land owners, and some more praying—the Leadership Team and the Land and Building Team is ready to present a property to be evaluated by the congregation. Over the next few weeks, the congregation will have the opportunity to continue to learn, ask questions, and provide feedback to our Leadership Team and our Land and Building Team. 

The purchase of land was not something we dreamed about in the living room that night. The purchase of land is, in small part, because of necessity. The school does require us to have an exit strategy and we know of no other alternatives big enough for us to worship within miles of Millard West. The purchase of land is mostly about dreams and vision. We dream of a place where children can be developed, mentored, and coached. A place where middle and high school students want to come and hang out. A place where we can give food and clothing to those in need. A place for recovery and support groups and Christ-centered counseling. A place that the community feels welcomed and embraced. Simply, this will be a place where people throughout the metro area will worship God, connect with each other, and serve our city and the world. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig