Church Uses Home Within City Landmark to Help Community
By Nick G. Maheras, High Point Enterprise, N.C.
Mar. 11–HIGH POINT — It’s a part of High Point’s history, and now it’s a voice of hope ringing out in the community.
It’s Hope Outreach Center, located in the former YMCA building on S. Main Street. The former Grace Baptist Church occupied the facility from 1980 90 before moving to Surrett Drive. In 1991, local attorney Joe Floyd bought the building.
What is now Open Door Ministries got its start in the basement of the old Y building as a homeless shelter operated by Grace’s congregation.
“The shelter kept running for several years,” said Open Door Ministries Executive Director Steve Key. “The Urban Ministry and Open Door Ministries came together and incorporated in 1995.”
Since April 2003, the former gymnasium used by Grace as a sanctuary has been remodeled into Hope’s new sanctuary. — With the move of the Assemblies of God church into the old YMCA, a new vision also occupied the building.
“The nature of our church is hope,” said the Rev. Randall Reece. “We believe God has sent us into this city to speak hope into people’s lives — people who have lost hope.
“We’re really targeting the poor, the working poor, the underprivileged, those who have been sort of disenfranchised by life.”
From a core group of three couples — all pastors and their wives — the church has grown to an average Sunday worship attendance of 150, Reece said, adding thecongregation could double in size in its present facility.
“We started basically from scratch with a passion for outreach — hence, the name — to take the church out into the street,” Reece said. “We typically do a monthly outreach.”
Church outreaches include block parties, giveaways of backpacks and school supplies to youngsters and providing Christmas for 200 people, he said.
On March 17, the church will conduct a hot dog picnic lunch at Macedonia Park, said coordinator Dan Hodgson, a retired city police officer.
“If we’re going to honor Jesus’ word, we’re to feed the hungry and clothe the naked,” he said.
“With outreach, establishing relationships with people and taking the word to them, I feel like this church is ministering outside the walls of a building.
nmaheras@hpe.com|888-3534
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Copyright (c) 2007, High Point Enterprise, N.C.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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