Abbeville, South Carolina
and
Community Transformation
 A few years ago I found myself repeating the phrase, 

“It’s time for the church to take on the challenge of adopting their cities. To move beyond the walls of the church and solve their community’s problems. 

Imagine what you city would look like if all of the churches and nonprofits would not only advance their isolated endeavors, but collectively inventoried their combined leadership, skill sets and finances, all in an effort to solve the city's problems, eradicate poverty and advance the city's stature.

For believers to transform a city we have to start with a different end goal in mind, we need a new target other than building a successful church. It’s a huge mental shift and for it to work leaders and congregants alike will have to have a heart for change and a longing for something larger than they are experiencing in their local church.

If ninety percent of a churches vision, activates and budget extends only as far as the doors of their church, then change will never happen.


But if we can find pastoral and business leaders, who will demonstrate breaking small insular thinking and practices by taking innovative chances then a church wide season of re-envision itself can begin to take root.  Equipping and empowering will give a platform for repositioning people outside the walls of the church and into the community. Inspiring them to push them beyond comfort zones.

 

It’s the planting of a fresh vision beyond the walls of the church that will redefine identity and new identity leads to an expansion of destiny.


This heart beat, this conviction is finding a beautiful new expression in the small, historic city of Abbeville, South Carolina.


Some years ago if you were to build a new mall you needed to secure a few large historically successful stores and they formed what was called “anchor” stores. Their proven success enhanced the chances of other stores success. 

In Abbeville I would like to introduce you to one of those anchors, Stoll Industries.