Southland Christian Church

Southland has come under a lot of scrutiny lately over the new Richmond Rd  Lexington Mall purchase/expansion.  -Southland doesn't pay property taxes, so property values will plummet;  Why does Lexington need another church;  Why would anyone want to go to a mega-church;  Why not put the money into Africa;  Does it really need to cost $30 million, etc. With that said:  We live in a country that has 300,000+ churches and more wealth than any other time in history, and while America is in a terrible recession, we still have it better than most of the people of the world.  1/2 of the population of the world lives in poverty, 24,000 children per year die from starvation, over a billion people do not have access to adequate water supply, 40,000,000 Africans have HIV/AIDS, 1 million people die from malaria each year, and a large population of the world are muslim, buddhist, or hindu (info from compassion.org). We love that we are involved in a church that "Loves God and Loves People."  Southland's goal is not to give people what they need, but to give people what they're worth.  It's time for Christians to step-up and start living as Jesus, to cast nets out and fish for men (from Jon Weece).  I believe Brian and I are living in the right city at the right time.  I believe God has a plan and a purpose for us to be in Lexington.  It took me a long time to realize that, I was constantly looking at other cities around the country to move to.  The first year we lived here I was sad, and for 3 years I was miserable in my job, so I was really ready to move.  But I was absolutely in awe of what I saw God doing at Southland:  Jesus Prom, Bruised Reed, The Medical Refuge Clinic, the community garden, Room at the Inn, Helping Through Him, Feed My Starving Children, the supplies donated to Haiti, the backpack program, Celebrate Recovery, support of missionaries, etc. I believe God has opened several doors with the new location, and I know the leaders of the church and thousands of members have been praying about this for years, and I trust the leaders of the church to make the best possible decision.  We also believe that if we can get more people of Lexington to follow Jesus, it will then in return have a global impact.  So we're on board with the new Richmond Road expansion.   We're excited to help serve in any way needed.  We can't wait to see what God has in store for the old mall.  We're taking that step in faith. 

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20