It’s a classic story of a church that started many years ago, grew in its heyday and then found itself struggling more recently with an unclear purpose in an aging building with a large mortgage. However, the story of Shawnee Park Community Christian Church (formerly Shawnee Park Christian Church) in Shawnee, Kansas, doesn’t end there.
Theirs is a story of a courageous congregation that “got it!” Realizing that the church is not the building, they went through the intentional process of discernment about their future (with the help of Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation’s New Beginnings service), resulting in a bold decision to sell their property and relocate to a rented space (with the help of Disciples Church Extension Fund’s relocation service). A year ago, they moved into their new Holy Place, starting over as a new church (Pastor Johnny Lewis is a former Hope Partnership Leadership Academy participant). In their new leased Holy Place, they’re dedicating themselves and their resources to mission for their neighbors in need.
No one tells the story better than Shawnee Park itself. Read “Our Story (Why we left the building)” and more on their web site.
Moreover, nothing illustrates their story better than how they plan to celebrate their first anniversary as a congregation. On Sunday morning, they will worship and then partner with the local Youthfront’s Something to Eat™ program in a Feed the Need Food Packing Event to package meals for hungry neighbors near and far.
Sometimes, it becomes clear to a congregation that something has changed. Maybe God’s calling on the church’s mission has evolved, or their vision no longer fits the community surrounding their building. Or, the building is just too big, too inaccessible, or too costly to maintain. Perhaps visibility is limited because city development did not move as expected and a church is too “off the beaten path.” If any of these scenarios apply to your congregation, request a consultation.