Posted by M. Wright | Filed in: Uncategorized
Would anyone from Highland Street Church of Christ care to explain why your church is moving to Cordova, to the intersection of Houston Levee and Walnut Grove, when Woodland Hills Church of Christ is fewer than two miles down the road?
Also, am I to take it that the stars on this map represent where your members live? Why are you moving the building so far away from them?
I understand that the suburbs are experiencing rapid growth, but there are church buildings out there already, specifically the one I just mentioned above.
In summary, you’re moving 1. away from your members, 2. away from the inner city populations you serve, 3. to an area that is already served, 4. just a few blocks away from another church of christ… in order to attract members who don’t live there yet?
What am I missing here?
November 29th, 2006 at 8:49 am
Many Highland Street members have the same questions you are asking. Good and bad answers have been given to both sides of the moving argument. The other location the church looked at was just a copule of miles from Sycamore View CofC.
My opinion is that Highland should have opted to stay in the city and if another church is needed elsewhere then do a church plant. So many churches have left the city. It saddens me to see that Highland is another one. Wish I had answers to your questions but I’m a confused Highland member who is trying to decide whether Highland will continue to be home or find another church family.
November 29th, 2006 at 9:30 am
That’s disappointing. I was hoping I had misunderstood something. Hang in there, J.
November 29th, 2006 at 10:49 am
Wow. This is my pet peeve with congregations today. Outgrowing the building and then leaving the community just to end up 10 miles from another congregation. Talk about unity and fellowship. Here’s the deal.
The HSCC website communicates that they ran out of space as God has blessed them with so much numerical (and spiritual) growth. Therefore, new, bigger facilities are needed to continue the high standard of edification and ministry to the members (and hopefully community). God’s guidance was asked for by prayer.
Perhaps they are truly following God in this and HSCC should be commended for a large step of faith.
What I read in the New Testament does not show the church growing then purchasing places to meet that are removed from the very community that supports them, “Well, we filled Corinth, lets all move from Corinth to Rome.” Buildings were used in the earlier centuries but they were not the norm. I am not against buildings (well, not entirely) but when your form cuts off function, something must be reviewed. If the church (this is not just HSCC) is so interested in MINISTRY, then why move away from the very community to which you minister?
My father had a saying, “Dance with the one who brung ya’.” Pulling out of the community from which you have grown raises suspicion as to the true intentions of any social service group, even if its members agree to the commute.
Here’s the bottom line. Look at Bellevue Baptist Church (or any congregation with thousands in membership). One congregation of 10,000 members is truly a blessing to the given area. However, 100 congregations of 100 members would truly bless multiple communities in a larger area, going into all the world a lot faster. Plus, you will have roots in those very places making it a real community, not a place you commute to in order to attend worship two days a week. It is a different paradigm that not many Christians want to commit to (planting smaller-but-more congregations than larger-but-few congregations).
Perhaps HSCC is being guided by God and prayerful elders to do great things to glorify Jesus. Amen to that. I hope that my church planting experience (good and really bad) and theology have not jaded my encouragement of good intentions.
I have probably failed at communicating what I really wanted to say, but there it is.
November 29th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
Well, we’ve tried many different options and this one worked out the best. We attempted to buy the old briarcrest building, we attempted to get something off of summer, but it was too near sycamore view, we’ve tried to buy more property near the church, but that didn’t work out either. Highland waited way too long to look somewhere else, even though its been certain that we were landlocked and would not be able to expand beyond the addition opened in 98 that was full a year later.
Woodland Hills and Highland might as not be in the same fellowship. WH dislikes Highland strongly and doesn’t even consider us a “true church of Christ”.
You live in Memphis Mick, there are churches of Christ everywhere. White Station was 8 minutes from where Highland was, as is Highland Park, Park Ave, etc. They are everywhere.
December 10th, 2006 at 8:56 pm
Question for Justin or whoever might know - what “old briarcrest building” might Justin have been talking about?
December 11th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
Well, Briarcrest still owns it. I was referring to the old high school building at Poplar and 240
December 13th, 2006 at 5:07 pm
The idea of HS moving has been thought/prayed/debated about for at least five years. The question is where to move if you are not able to expand on your new property or purchase new property next to where you are now. One of the major decisions for the site in Cordova is the price of the land. There is more land and also affordable land in the county area of Memphis. Therefore, HS can spend 5MM on 25 acres and a new building or spend 8MM on 10 acres and a used building that HS will outgrow in the next 5-10 years. The elders have decided that this is the best use of money for the long term. HS will still be a church that is commited to the innercity, it will just be a little harder.