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"Answering The Call"

South Campus Initiative Update

 

Mark Your Calendar ...All-Church Breakfast and Worship

9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 4

Dayton Convention Center

Very few Christians have the rare and wonderful honor of starting a church. In 1951, Christ United Methodist Church was established by church members from Grace United Methodist, South Park United Methodist, and other urban United Methodist congregations. From that small nucleus, the church grew rapidly and moved from meeting in a restaurant to building the present sanctuary with one Christian education wing. Later, they expanded the sanctuary and added yet another Christian education wing. More recently, in 1998, the $3.3 million Activity Center with adjoining classrooms was dedicated. For the most part, however, all of us have been “sitting in the shade of trees others have planted.”

Now the Christians of Christ United Methodist Church are “Answering The Call” of Jesus’ Great Commission to “go and make disciples.” Just as our founders came south to establish a church in one of the fastest-growing suburbs at that time, now we are following their example as we plan to establish an “extension campus” along the Lytle-Five Points Road corridor. This area along the Warren-Montgomery County line is the second-fastest growing area in all of Ohio and with the addition of the new South Campus, we will have the opportunity to meet the needs of local families looking for spiritual direction, community, fellowship and worship opportunities, as well as a place for their children to be nurtured and instructed.

To meet this challenge, current church members will be asked to form the nucleus of the new congregation. We will need to retool our resources as well as raise funds above and beyond the regular support by church members to the annual budget of the church. Therefore, with the blessing of the Church Conference, we are embarking on this capital campaign to raise $1.6 million ~ $1 million to purchase land in the Lytle-Five Points Road area and $600,000 to cover three years’ operation of the South Campus.

Most of our lives we sit in the shade of trees others have planted, but now we have a chance to plant a tree for others, give thanks for gifts given to us by our forebearers, as well as “Answering The Call” of Christ to spread the good news and make disciples. It is a rare opportunity and a high honor and calling. I trust you will want to be a part of something great, be a visionary, and be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

 

Barry DeShetler, Senior Pastor

 

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