We have the keys - a new building, a new season...

Friday 17 September 2010.  What a day!  The day when we, The King's Church Mid-Sussex, got the keys to our new building in Burgess Hill. 

I had the joy and the privilege of opening it for the first time - it was very humbling to walk around the massive spaces again dreaming of all that God might do through this resource.

Its been a long journey - I have a file in my office with letters dating back to June 2003 which mark the start of our search for our own premises. 7 years later and we now own 27,000sq ft of warehousing.

Of course, there is much still to do.  We need to turn a tired industrial warehouse into a contemporary church centre with cafe, meeting rooms, office space and auditorium.  There is at least a years worth of building and development ahead of us (though we hope the offices and some meeting space will be ready for use before Christmas).

However, last Friday felt like a hugely significant day. In February 2009, Julian Adams was with us and he prophesied over our church saying:

As I’ve been praying for you I believe that God wants to break off an old identity that this church has had, and it’s almost like I could see your signs changing; it’s almost like I could see letterheads changing; I could see a change in image; I could see a change in the face of this church.  There will be a greater release of creativity, there’s going to be a greater release of the presence of God, there’s going to be a greater release of the identity of this church. It’s almost like, and I don’t mean this in a horrible way, this church has been known as a safe church, a good place where people can come and receive and get pastoral help and be cared for but I believe God is about to propel this church into a place where you begin to have an authority in every sphere of society and begin to bring dramatic change as the Kingdom of God breaks out…..he’s going to cut through some old tradition, even in this church, some old tradition in this town, some old wine skins really, God is going to give you faith to break right through and propel this church. And I believe there’s something right at the foundation of this church where God is going to put a missional heart in this church, God is going to begin to release something, even for church planting in a new way. I believe you’re to get ready for that because God is going to break open some incredible opportunities of favour and faith for you. 

A change of image, new signs, greater release of the identity of this church, a place where you begin to have an authority in society...these things seems so huge but so exciting.  I am convinved that the permanence and presence that we will have with our own building will be a key factor in seeing some of these things take place.  A new season is ahead of us.

We are not simply re-locating, we are beginning the next part of our adventure together as a church.  God is very faithful indeed.