We are on the move.
If you missed last night’s announcement, our Sunday gatherings are moving to the historic Lyric Theatre beginning December 3rd! And that’s not the only change. We are moving the time of our services from 5:30pm to 11am!
This is obviously a big change for our church, so let’s talk about the why. If you don’t know our story, we planted Restoration…well, kind of by accident. At this time last year, we had no idea this church would exist! We landed at Grace Baptist Church on Sunday night’s because this is where and when the previous community that many of us were a part of met. They were gracious to allow us to continue as we sensed the Lord’s leading to continue as Restoration.
Why The Lyric?
But it wasn’t long before we knew that this space and time wasn’t our home in the long term. So as leaders, we began looking and praying for God to open a door. We wanted a place that was (a) in downtown Lexington, (b) was a welcoming environment for everyone, and (c) fit our values and size as a community.
And that, in essence, is why the Lyric made perfect sense. An iconic downtown building, a welcoming, community-minded environment, and a perfect set-up with room to grow. As a historic building with a rich history in the African American community, we knew it would be a great launchpad for our continuing value of being a multiethnic church.
Why Move To Sunday Morning?
In a Bible-belt culture like Lexington, Sunday mornings are about the last “set apart” time we have left. And Sunday nights? They are filling up with events, family activities, football and basketball games, and everything in between. On top of that, our parents often remind us how tough it is on bedtime routines. All and all, we knew we needed to get to Sunday morning to get into a healthy rhythm together and welcome more and more people into our story together.
How Can I Help?
We believe this next chapter of our church’s story is going to be the best yet. Our move is a way to open the doors even wider for our city, welcoming them into God’s restoration story. And we need your help! Over the next month, we’ll be sharing some practical needs we have moving forward, but in the meantime, here’s some simple ways to join us.
Pray. Pray for God to continue to open doors for us in downtown Lexington. Pray for our leaders that we would have wisdom and insight on some of the next steps we need. Pray for the community in and around the Lyric theatre, that we could build a reputation of trust and service to our community there. Our commitment in these decisions has been to allow God to open doors instead of forcing our way through. Keep praying for his provision!
Give. The move to the Lyric comes with some costs. We were blessed to not have many of the start-up costs when we started 10 months ago thanks to being in Grace, but our move means there are purchases we will have to make for sound, signage, and kids ministry to make sure we are creating a safe, hospitable, and inviting environment for everyone. You can give online at www.restorationlex.com/give.
Spread the word! Between now and December, we are going to be hard at work behind the scenes making sure we can welcome more and more new people into our restoration story, and we need you to get the word out to your friends, neighbors, classmates, and everyone in between. This means inviting people, sharing on Facebook and Twitter. All of us, inviting our friends, neighbors, classmates, and families into not just a service, but a mission of restoring people who restore the world.Â
Stay tuned over the next few weeks for more news and opportunities to make a difference. We can’t wait to continue this journey with you!