The Church On The Move

Dear Friends of Agape Christian,

In a post last Friday, Agape minister Steve Harvey let you know we would be moving; let me explain. Nineteen years ago we moved from the Motel meeting rooms to the Palms Office Complex and grew until we took up the whole west wing. When we moved here there were not many places available; this has been a good home even it we fought the neighborhood reputation. When we moved here my insurance man asked, “Why are you moving to the high crime side of town?” I told him, “I thought that described the whole world.” We worked at changing our neighborhood and it became a much better ‘hood. Along the way, we chartered to be a Cub Scout and scout sponsor organization, and after a couple of months the parents refused to bring their kids to this neighborhood, and that idea went out the window. We have had homosexuals break up morning worship service because we were working with people with sex identification problems, drunks interrupted our services and one of our van’s and a car destroyed by druggies with a hammer and pipe to break all the glass out and destroy the vehicles. We have paid high insurance to deal with where God had placed us. We are an ALL PEOPLES CHURCH, and it has cost us normal Christians that have moved to Las Cruces and loved our programs, missions and preaching, but could not feel safe in our sanctuary. I have been struggling with God about moving for a number of months. But I don’t change or give up easily.

As we moved into December, God gave me a boost. In fact he kicked me out the door as of Dec. 31st, 2015. We must be in new quarters, moved and gone. We were given the news that our lease would not be renewed. The Elders met, and one was assigned to go looking. There were a number of buildings for similar money we were now spending, but no room for growth that is coming with a team ministry with Steve and I working together, no room for the mission offices or church offices, no room for children’s church as we define it here.

Thirteen or 14 years ago, Mike Telles came to me with dream for a youth and Christian center on this side of town but in a more normal neighborhood about a mile away. We helped get the Dream Center going and have shared in programs there and used it a number of times, including our Cecil Todd Rally this past June. Now we are going to rent space to use their large complex where we could grow ten times and still fit in, with an enclosed large patio and outdoor amphitheater that will seat 350 AND an event center that can seat 350 as well as office spaces and youth church centers and Sunday school rooms. The cost will allow us to reestablish our CDF savings and look for a larger and better-located place of our own in year or years to come.

Our Wednesday night Bible class went going over to mark out spaces and relationships this past Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM. Pray for us; we feel this is God giving us the boost we need right now.

Love,

Herb

Teaching Pastor of Agape