Met with the Mayor last night..

I met with the Mayor last night to share with her our church's vision for a Joy Center and to get her help in making it a reality. We'd like to purchase an old bakery in town (40,000 sq. ft.). Our vision is to turn it into both a facility for our church to use for worship and ministry. And to give 21,000 sq. ft. to a ministry partner who will use it to help resource street folks so that they can break the cycle of homelessness. Part of the vision would be to bring to the Joy Center, the resources (medical, job skills, life skills, mental health, addictions counseling) to help them chart a course out of their current situation. Another part of the vision is to turn part of the facility into a transitional living arrangement. Salisbury lacks transitional housing for folks who just need a little help to get back on a more solid foundation.

Please join me in praying for God's guidance for the Mayor and our church as we discern direction in this situation. I must say after meeting with the Mayor, I am not hopeful that the politics of the city will allow us to do this... BUT I know God is bigger than any of that and will work out the details if it is where he is leading us.