This building was the Calvary Baptist Church

This picture shows the building that once was the Calvary Baptist Church.  Now it is a nice place to pay $85.00 to have your hair styled, or buy some really nice makeup and dresses.  The owners of the building are kind people – and keep a photo album of the old church building and the process of its transformation to a place of commerce. 

I started thinking about this buildings transition from a “place of ministry, mission, and worship” to that of secular business.  The congregation had become old.  It’s energy depleted.  They are terrific people.  What remains of that church merged with another 20 years ago and become “The Patterson Avenue Baptist Church” – and I am blessed to serve with these people as their pastor and friend.  Still, it seems profoundly sad to me (and those who attended this old church) that all this has come about.

It got me thinking about a session I will be leading at a conference in September.  The session title is “Congregational Rebirth.”  The descriptive tag is as follows…

If you are weary of a “member’s only ministry” mentality and long to (re)discover a congregational future worth living for, then this session might be right for you.  Together we will explore ways to engage a church in a “spiritual journey” aimed at restoring a sense of energy and passion for God’s mission for the church. 

If you have thoughts, suggested books, or other resources you think might be helpful in preparing this session, your imput would be greatly appreciated. 

Please reply here on the blog.  I’ll review and approve each post as quickly as possible.

All imput will be appreciated.