What A Crew!
This past Saturday, with the winter temperatures dipping into single digits, what better way to spend the morning than painting and sprucing up an old church building.
We have been using the basement level of the CORE Church building for many outreach events over the past few years. There is plenty of room for a wide variety of activities here. However, when we took the building over from the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church at the end 0f 2005, this basement level was barely useable. We removed some rotted, wooded partitions, along with the majority of the wood and tile flooring, which was also rotted and seriously deteriorating. We brought the floor down to its original cement base with the plan of putting a new floor, either wood or poured cement, at some point in the future. For now we are using it as is, with some indoor/outdoor carpeting placed over the cement floor. We have held many community and/or children's events in this room, partnering with other churches, our local neighborhood association, and most recently with the Missing Link Street Ministry in hosting a three day per week feeding ministry. Our plan is to continue using this room for free community events, including the Feed-a-Kid ministry, CORE/Kids events, holiday parties, movie nights, teen nights, etc.
The vision God gave me three years ago, when we came back to Troy to re-start a dying church, recontexualized for inner-city ministry, is that of a community of Christ-centered faith that goes beyond the four walls of our God-given facility, reaching into the surrounding community with the love, grace, peace and hope of Christ. This facility provides ample community space for gatherings, giving us opportunities to connect with people and families living in the North Central/South Lansingburgh community. Collabortive partnerships with other local churches and ministries, along with neighborhood groups, local schools, businesses, etc. is a necessary component of planting churches in our inner-cities. Church planting is really "People Planting." By partnering with others the CORE Church of Troy will be successful in carrying out the mission God has sent us here to fulfill; which is to make Him known in the hearts of people living in the heart of the city.
By continuing to renovate this century old facility, we will see the vision of a seven day per week ministry unfold. As God gives the increase, we will have front row seats to watch what He is doing in this community through His people. My deepest passion and desire is to see this community transformed by the hand of God. Being a part of this transformation is a tremendous blessing that I desire not to take for granted. Every hand and heart God has moved to join us in this effort has not gone unnoticed, and we thank God for ever one of them.
Perhaps you, your church, or someone you know would like to join us in this great commission vision of reaching the people of this community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You may join us prayerfully by lifting us up in regular prayer. You may join us physically by co-laboring with us (please contact us for more info). You may also join us financially, by sending us your best financial gift; either one time giving or regular support.
You can make checks payable to the CORE Church of Troy. Our address is 6th Ave & 101st St. Troy, NY 12180.
Additionally, I do not take a salary or even a stipend from this new work called The CORE Church of Troy. My personal/family support comes through the missions agency that I serve with, Missions Door . If you or your church would consider supporting the Lewis family in the Great Commission vision God has appointed us and anointed us to, we would consider it a tremendous blessing. You can check out Pastor Dave's online bio HERE.
