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Near
the turn of every century something wonderful occurs under
extraordinary and sometimes bizarre circumstances. That
"something wonderful" is often disguised in a cloak of
chaos, or sometimes confusion. It has been known to come wrapped
in boxes of trouble. But when the dust settles, and the
surrounding storm subsides; when the sadness runs its course and
the sores progress to scars - that's when the progressive movement
continues and the restoration process revives.
In
August of 1998, something wonderful occurred in the middle of a
fiery trial and SouthCentral Church of Christ was organized. On
August 9th, we held our first service in the Days Inn Motel-North
in Tyler. There were 66 adults and children present. This number
also included two visitors who heard about our first service on
the radio. We sang and prayed and prayed and sang. We communed
together, and studied from the book of I Peter.
Our giving that day totaled $904.00. What happened in the
next 7 days fortified our faith even further.
Like
the saints of turmoil in the book of Acts, "prayer was
made." (Acts 12:5) When we began to earnestly intercede, God
began to seriously intervene. God began to let us see some
"whys" and some "hows." He began to show us
"why things happened," and He began to teach us how to
become more than conquerors through Him. . . (Rom. 8:3)
We
began to look for a more permanent location to worship from.
The property formerly occupied by Paradise Chapel of the
Roses Mortuary was vacant. Several local business people and friends, including the
mayor, made inquiries for us.
By the time we made contact with the building's owners, God
was already answering prayers. To simply say that the "man in
charge" of the property turned out to be a Christian, would
be a serious understatement. We believe that the Lord put a Christian in the right place,
in the right position and at the right time. The building that now
houses The Church of Christ at SouthCentral is a blessing from God
and adequate for our needs.
 There
are more than 10,000 square feet of building sitting on more than
two and a half acres on a major East Texas highway that we are
dedicating to the service of God. The facility has an atrium
auditorium that will seat 250 people. With a minimal expense and
maximum talent from brothers, we have been able to make most
needed minor adaptations as far as the structure is concerned. We
have space for 8 classes, 5 offices, a fellowship hall and a
meeting room (The McGowen Center).
We
knew at once that God was entrusting a mission into our hands. We
have prayerfully entered into ministry at this location.
Since our beginning, we have baptized many souls and have
reclaimed others who were lost in the world. We now number about
125, and have organized more than 15 different ministries and
programs designed to seek, save and serve.
SouthCentral has constantly been issued challenges, and has
answered all by faith and faithful work. Our contributions have
shown a steady increase, as have our attendance numbers.
We have engaged many workshops during the years of our
existence to equip the saints, for the work of the ministry and
for the edifying of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13). We have
also committed ourselves to the community, beginning with the St.
Louis area of Tyler. Since October of 1998, we have hosted 3
successful Fun-a-ramas for the youth. The first year our young
people and their friends canvassed the neighborhoods of St. Louis.
The community responded on the night of the event with 40 children
and their parents! We're proud to be a part of one of the most
progressive districts of our ever-growing city. By dedicating
ourselves, we also are dedicating this church to the community. With a prayer and our focus on Christ, SouthCentral Church of
Christ is moving forward by faith. We have a vision of what God
wants us to do. Our task is before us. Religious surveys in the
neighborhoods will always be a major focus. We are committed to
growth the Bible way.
We
ask that you join us in prayer, not just on this weekend, but
always. Great things
happen when saints of God pray.
There is much work to be done in the city of Tyler and in
Smith County. He has given the increase here because that was His
Divine purpose.
-
Darryl B. Bowdre -
Minister
Deuteronomy
6:10-12
"And
it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have ye brought thee into
the land
which
he saves unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to
give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not.
And
houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells
digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which
thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then
beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought
thee
forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."
-
Moses -
God's
Prophet |
