Southland Blog

Sometimes the greatest form of construction is destruction.

-Not a real ancient proverb from any culture, but maybe some day.

Work on the Richmond Road Campus is moving along great. The dollars you've already generously given to the ONE Campaign are turning into visible progress for the planned 2013 launch of the third Southland campus. We're encouraged and thankful to see so many people being faithful to what God has called us to as as individuals and as a church to futher the Kingdom in our city.

Seriously. Thank you.

If you want to see more like this, we'll keep posting updates about the launch of the RIchmond Road Campus to the Lexington Mall category of the blog. You can also check out the construction cam at anytime on the Richmond Road Campus page.

As demolition begins on the physical property at Richmond Road this weekend, how we will operate as a church is already being built up. Gary Black has been named Campus Pastor for the Richmond Road Campus. Gary has served faithfully and fruitfully at our Harrodsburg Road Campus in several roles for several years. He is the right man to receive the high honor and heavy responsibility of overseeing this campus.

While he has hours of thoughts in his head, Gary summarized God’s calling to Richmond Road with five simple points:

1. It’s not about me; it’s about Jesus. All of life, is about Him. We’re just afforded an opportunity to serve.
2. It’s not about Southland; it’s about the Kingdom of God on this earth, and we’re gonna be diligent in doing our part to usher that in.
3. It’s not about our strength; it’s about His.  It’s about the Spirit, not the flesh. If we’re able to explain what happens at Richmond Road apart from the work and presence of the Holy Spirit,  then we won’t be relying on HIM at all!...and none of us want that.
4. It’s not about buildings; it’s about unleashing a revolution of love. Buildings are just tools for that greater purpose.  
5. It’s about helping people get to heaven. I met with a woman on Friday who is dying, and I asked her, “Do you know God? Do you know His love?...because I don’t want to go to heaven without you.” I’m happy to report that she did. We want 1000’s of others to be able to say the same thing.   

Gary is just one brick in the church Jesus will build on Richmond Road. Remember, we’re asking 2,000+ of you to consider making Richmond Road your home campus once it launches in early 2013. Maybe God is tapping you on the shoulder to go love and serve the east side of Lexington?

If you have any questions for Gary about further developments on Richmond Road, you can contact him at richmondroad@southlandchristian.org or (859) 224-1603.

Last weekend Jon challenged us to clear our calendars for a surprise assignment. He didn’t give us any details other than asking for 15 minutes of our time somewhere between 5-8pm Thursday night. We just signed up for a text message and waited. Thursday afternoon, a text message went out to hundreds of people letting them know that we’d be meeting at our Lexington Mall property from 5-8 that night. What was in store? No one knew.

So what did we do?

For three hours that night we read through the entire Bible. Over 1,000 people showed up and were given pages of scripture to read as a family, couple, group or individual. It was quite a sight. We were able to read every word of scripture twice in our time together.

What a way to start a campus. Before the first brick was laid for this new church building, we became the Church (n.). Thanks to all who showed up. And for those of you that missed out, be sure to sign up for the next text and wait for this week’s challenge.

The past few months have been full of prayer and listening about how we should proceed with the Richmond Road Campus. You may remember back in December we talked about the importance of pausing before taking a step forward.

Now, after many months of praying, listening and looking at all of the options, it's exciting to say that we have a construction plan in hand and will begin the first phases of construction on the Richmond Road site in May! Here's the full announcement in case you missed it last weekend.

Thank you for your commitment to the ONE Campaign. Opening a Southland campus on Richmond Road will impact this city in ways we never could have imagined.

Back in December we talked about how we would be pausing from making any decisions until the new year. Currently, the leadership is continuing to pray and evaluate construction plans and numbers for our next campus. We ask that you would join with them in prayer as they are seeking the best way to move forward with the Richmond Road Campus.

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Patience is a hard thing for most people to grasp these days. After all, we live in a world where everything is available to us in an instant: information, mail-order items, and even food. Waiting just seems to be a foreign concept to many of us. But, back in November, we were told we were going to be doing just that with the Richmond Road project.

You may remember that earlier in November Jon told us that we had raised over $17 million through the One campaign. Since then, more pledges have come in and the total is now closer to $18 million. And while $18 million is nothing to scoff at, we are still short of what we had wanted to raise. If you were there that day or watched the video online, you remember Jon challenging us to pause in the middle of this process - to pray, rest, evaluate all of the options in front of us, and be patient.

The beautiful thing the Bible shows us about patience is that it's something God honors. He has honored it throughout history and he will continue to honor it in the future. So right now we are being patient; we are seeking His leading as we evaluate the options that stand before us. But as we pray and listen, we need you to pray with us - and for us - as we sort out the path forward.

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Last week we started a page called What's Your Story?" where we began posting amazing stories of how people have been catching the vision and making sacrificial steps for the Richmond Road Campus.  We've been receiving some beautiful letters from people in our community - both our Southland family and even members of other Church families!

One of the themes that has been begun to stand out in people's stories in the way they have been led to give up their "stuff" in order to help make the new campus become a reality. From coffee to sports cars, people are realizing that a temporary sacrifice of convenience right now can make a substantial impact for the Kingdom for years to come! I wanted to share a section from a letter we received this past week that I feel highlights that truth.

You see, I like stuff. I don't worship stuff, but I do have more stuff than I need. There was this particular item of stuff in my garage. It is a showroom new 2007 Corvette Convertible that I had put only 2000 miles on. Just a sunny day car. That is truly a good definition of stuff. So we made a commitment on our ONE card, and I put the car up for sale last week. I'm pleased to report that it sold last night, and we have committed the sales price of the car to the ONE campaign! ... Thanks for challenging us. I know those funds will be put to good use for the Richmond Road Campus. We believe that being a part in the hands and feet of Jesus on Richmond Road are more satisfying than those 4 Corvette tires on the roads of Lexington!

If you're sitting there saying "Well, if I had a sports car I'd sell it...", then you're missing the point. See, we haven't been called to give equal gifts - we've been called to give sacrificially. For some, giving up their trips to Chik-Fil-A or McDonalds during the week is way they've been called to make a sacrifice - and that's okay! I encourage you to read the rest of the letter over at the stories page as well as some of the others. And remember, this isn't just about Richmond Road - it's an ideal that goes much deeper! Ultimately, it's about living a life of sacrificial giving and sacrificial love to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus to the community in which we live!

If you're looking for the ONE Campaign online commitment card, it can be found at SouthlandChristian.org/commit/.

If you don't call Southland "home", this might not make any sense.

During the weekend services we've been talking a lot about the Richmond Road property. There's a lot to be said about the opportunities this property holds. The prevailing opportunity encompassing all the ministry that will take place out of this location is seeing communities unified, built-up, healed, restored, redeemed and transformed by the message of Jesus through his bride, the church. The opportunity for impacting the surrounding communities in Lexington is great, and it's only a foreshadow of the opportunity of impacting the kingdom of God through this campus on Richmond Road.

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It's a story about beauty, favor, and justice; but when most people think of the book of Esther, there is probably a single phrase that comes to mind. By the end of the story, everything can be traced back to what Esther decided to do with the truth that she had been created and called for "such a time as this."

This past weekend, many of you accepted the invitation to go the old Lexington Mall site and walk through the building and pray for the opportunity there that God has given. As the parking lot began to fill with cars and the building became flooded with people Sunday afternoon, it was easy to begin imagining the lives that will one day be impacted through through this campus. From Helping Through Him to weekend services, what has been empty for so long will soon be a place overflowing with the hope and life of Jesus!

If you're anything like me, it's easy to be excited about what God is going to do through the Richmond Road campus, but helping make it happen is another step entirely. Just like Esther, taking action in what God has called and created us for won't be without sacrifice. For her, it meant risking her life to save her people. For us, it may mean a change in our lifestyle or something as simple as a few less coffees during the week. Just like the stories we've already been receiving, I believe we will look back one day and realize that the end result was worth so much more than the sacrifices we made.

If you missed visiting the mall this past weekend, stop by this week and just sit in the parking lot and pray for the lives that will one day be impacted by Jesus through this campus. It may be easy for you to say that Southland has been called for such a time as this; but the truth is, so were you!

Well, it's been an awesome few months, but we've finally made it to closing. Yesterday, we closed on the portion of the Lexington Mall property we'd been in negotiations over. That's right. God owns a mall (Technically speaking, He owns all things, including malls. I'm just using this phrase for illustrative purposes) If you haven't heard, we're planning to put our third campus there and expand the ministry that's currently happening at Harrodsburg Road and in Danville.

God has done some amazing things in the last several months and we're giving all credit to Him. So lift up a hand of thanks. Say a prayer of gratitude. And, by all means, hold on tight. We have a feeling He's about to take us on a ride.