Crossroads Permanent Home: Part IV

Over the last week or so, I've been sharing a series of Blog posts about our journery as a church from portable to permanent.  This is the final post in this series until the Fall of this year.  Make sure you read all the posts in the series.  Thanks for connecting!

Today, as I write this post, there's some things that we know, and some things that we don't know.  We know that God has chosen to bless the work at Crossroads in ways we never imagined.  We know that with God's blessing we have already beaten some very daunting odds: (80% of all church plants fail in the first 18 months, and 80% of churches that do not reach 200 in attendance within the first two years, never do).  We know that we CAN do portable church.  We know that we have a great place to do it with a landlord who has never raised our rent, or fussed at us in any way for something we didn't deserve (a few minor things).  We know we have a great (and exclusive) relationship with Clark Theatres.

We know we have a permanent home for our growing Children's ministries, Youth ministry and administrative functions.  We know that Clark's intention is to build a new movie theatre complex sometime within the next 18 months, and we know that we have entered into a formal agreement to purchase the College Cinema when he does.

But we also know that plans change.  And that opens the door to talk about what we don't know.  Here's a biggie:  Can I promise you with absolute certainty that Clark will build and move out within the next 18 months?  No, I cannot.  I don't KNOW that he absolutely positively will.  But I CAN promise you that if he DOES (in a timely manner), Crossroads will secure a mortgage on the building and take possession of it.

Because plans change, we felt it was important to explore other options.  Because we now own a building (a mortgage) in the College Plaza, we feel those options include building right where we are.  Because we feel strongly compelled to remain at our current location, we are comitting to securing the property (17,500 SF) immediately adjacent to our existing building.  Should Clark move as planned, we have room to expand on the other side.  Some possibilities for that expansion might include a fellowship hall, cafe, workout facilities, educational facilities, but most importantly, a place from which to distribute food and other essential items to people in trouble.  Should Clark opt not to move, we have room to construct a 700 seat auditorium, lobby, restrooms, and expanded children's and youth facilities, and tie them to our existing building.  Either way you look at it, it's a smart play for us to acquire that land. 

Additionally, since the College Plaza is our home, we feel it's important to make a modest investment in making the place more appealing.  We're going to start that when the weather cools down a bit (say mid-August, LOL), by having a couple of Clean-up Weekends, getting a roll-off dumpster, assembling some volunteers (are you up?), and clean up all the flippin' garbage, trash, building materials, and other junk that is laying around all over the College Plaza.  New signage comes next (look HERE for an example of why that's important).  We want to raise the bar on what it means to be a tenant in the College Plaza - so we're going to have to lead big to make it happen.

Something else we don't know - but we suspect may be all too true - is how many people come through our doors, only to find that their Cinema One experience is a bit dark, and a bit smelly, and a bit worn out.  And as a result, choose not to come back to Crossroads.  The condition of Cinema One is something we've overlooked for the past three years, but I don't think everyone is willing to overlook it.  We can do better.

This Fall (best guess on the exact date is Sunday, September 18th), we will be RE-LAUNCHING Crossroads main service down the hall in Cinema 3.  Cinema 3 is newer, and nicer, and brighter, with exactly the same number of seats (that don't squeak) as Cinema One.  The difference is, it's wider and makes for much better sightlines for those in attendance.  The staging will be better, the sound will be better, the lighting will be better - the entire Sunday service experience will be better.  We're going to renovate the hallway that leads to Cinema 3 as well, to make it brighter and more modern.  We're also repainting the worn out, faded and raggedly looking metal awning on the front of the building.  As long as we're in the College Cinema, we're going to make every effort to make it a place that people are PROUD to call their church home!  

Well guys, that's it on this topic for now.  Coming this Fall - in conjunction with our RE-LAUNCH and move to Cinema 3, we'll be announcing a new Capital Campaign with specific goals and specific timetables.  Thank you for everything you have done to honor God with your special giving over the past year.  It has born an abundant harvest of fruit for the Kingdom of God in the people that you have influenced for Christ, and the lives that have been changed as a result.

One day Crossroads WILL have a permanent home.  It will happen on God's timetable and not ours.  In the mean time, we're going to do everything we can possibly do, with the resources God has given us, to grow His Kingdom on the earth.  We want MORE people to know Jesus!  We want His Church to grow and grow and grow!  And while we're doing that, we believe and we understand that people, not buildings, come first.  We also believe and understand that:

"A church isn't a building, it's a family..but every family needs a home."