y Rev. Todd Jones
Hope Chapel, Greensboro, NC
When we planted Hope Chapel three years ago, we were committed to pro- claiming and demonstrating the Gospel in the Sunset Hills, Starmount, Lindley Park, and UNCG communities. We knew that in order to build God’s Kingdom and bring about renewal in these communities, not only would we need to purchase homes in the neighborhood, we needed to worship in the neighborhood. In the summer of 2008, we began meeting at Lindley Elementary School, right in the heart of our target area. For three years we saw God develop an incredible relationship and partnership with the school and the community.
But, as we continued to grow, we began to see the need to put down more permanent roots in our community. So we prayerfully began looking at different rental properties. After months of searching, we found an old abandoned 9,000 square feet diaper factory that was less than a mile from UNCG, and less than a quarter of a mile from the center of Sunset Hills and Lindley Park. The lo- cation was perfect and the rent and up-fit costs for the building was reasonable. So we signed an eight-year lease and began the renovations. Over the past four months we have been taking an empty abandoned space and transforming it into a worship center, offices, a counseling center, nursery, children’s discipleship, and multi-purpose rooms.
On December 18, we held our first worship service in the facility, and since being in the building, we have had tons of new visitors. I told our congregation that this building is a visible demonstration of God making all things new. Just like we took an old run down building and turned it into something beautiful and new, God takes sinners like you and me and makes us into something beautiful and new.
What a privilege it is to be missionaries in our city. When people ask us where is Hope Chapel is located, we tell them we are the bright yellow warehouse right behind the Blind Tiger, a local bar, and a tattoo parlor. I cannot think of any other place Jesus would have us be.
