New Church Possibilities

Salem owns 9.6 acres of land on Blairs Ferry Road. We have the opportunity to make that a base of operations for reaching out to new people.

In 2004 the Crosswinds United Methodist Church, a new church start, joined with Salem. Salem received many of the Crosswinds members as well as 9.6 acres of land on Blairs Ferry Road. Many prayers and dreams have occurred for the possibilities with this land.

Three years ago we made the decision to make 33rd Ave Salem’s new home. Choosing our new location, however, did not mean turning away from the Blairs Ferry Land. Many of us have remained very excited about the possibilities: it could be a multiple campus, a whole new congregation, or a retreat center, etc.

On Tuesday, April 16 at 7:00 pm, our District Superintendent, Rev. David Crow, will preside over a Church Conference. The Leadership Board is recommending to the congregation that we sell sell 1.8 acres on the north end of our land for missional reasons. The land is necessary for a road that will provide access for a planned housing development. This will allow for the creation of a large neighborhood right next to Salem’s property.

The developer is willing to pay $30,000 per acre for a total of $54,000. The Leadership Board is also recommending that we tithe that income to Imagine No Malaria. This would give us a $5,400 head start towards our goal of $20,000.

Furthermore, we have learned that the sprung building currently in use by the Center Point UMC is likely to be available about a year from now at a cost of about $40,000. It would cost us more than that to provide utilities, parking, and a foundation slab for the sprung building, but we would have nearly $50,000 towards the beginning of a new outreach to our neighbors there.

One of the healthiest things a congregation can do is start another congregation, reaching out to new people. It is so important that new churches are encouraged to do so within their first ten years. We have been praying and dreaming about the possibilities with the Blairs Ferry land. What a momentous time as God invites us to be a part of this awesome journey.

Comments

  1. John LoukMay 2, 2013 at 7:25 AM

    UPDATE: The Church Conference at Salem on April 16 voted unanimously to sell the 1.8 acres of the land on Blairs Ferry, and the Leadership Board is carrying out that decision.

    ReplyDelete

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