Christ Concord: With the vote on April 14 to cease worship at Christ Concord and to put the land up for sale, we find ourselves looking towards the horizon for a new vision from God to emerge. Our greatest concern is to care for the people of Christ Concord and to make sure that their spiritual needs are met. Towards that end, each member has a choice. We have reached out to nearby Calvary Lutheran Church in Concord and encourage those members to attend that community of believers and help them grow their contemporary worship. However, some may choose to remain a part of Christ Online or even travel to Christ Providence. We would welcome that. We trust that the Holy Spirit will guide them to a place of belonging and growth.

Habitat for Humanity in Concord has provided us with a non-binding Letter of Intent to do their due diligence and return to us with an offer to purchase the land with the aim of building an entire community of affordable housing. We are thrilled with this possibility.  And what’s more, they would like to repurpose the sanctuary for this neighborhood as a community center or perhaps a childcare center. I hope that we can be a part of this transformation so that ministry continues at this sacred site.

When we get an offer, we will have another congregational meeting to review the offer and vote on the sale and how to distribute the funds. Stay tuned!

Southland: The other big initiative this year is the repurposing of Southland. On April 8, a small group and I met with the Weddington Town Council to show the proposed rendering of the site with the soccer fields and pavilion areas.

At this point the Weddington Town Council has said the concept has merit and that we should continue to work with the Planning Committee of Weddington as well as conduct a neighborhood meeting to make sure that we are heading in the right direction for all. I suspect that our task force will have something for the congregation to review probably toward the end of the summer.

As the one who cast the vision for both campuses and now am at the point of having to pivot because of Covid and leadership changes, I am encouraged by two things. First, that I serve a church that is bold in its vision, trying new things and taking the risk.  Thank you. I am humbled and honored by your trust. Second, that as we pivot from the original vision, ministry continues to happen in a way that I did not first imagine. With both campuses, I am thrilled that we will continue to reach out to people, meet their needs, and watch as the Holy Spirit transforms lives!

Come and See!

Pastor Scott