Imagine . . .

In last week’s message at Mt Vernon (watch it online here), I cast a vision for what our church could look like if we truly united around this phrase “Creating Contagious Communities of Hope.” Here’s the text of the vision I cast for Mt Vernon:

Imagine . . . living rooms, soccer fields, work offices and classrooms becoming contagious communities of hope where the power of the gospel broke out of the four walls of this building.

Imagine . . . Mt Vernon becoming not just another gathering place or religious institution, but a beacon of hope that drew families in from all walks of life.

Imagine . . . expanding our amazing DiscoveryZone facilities to add new rooms to be able to care for the hundreds of preschoolers coming each week in a safe and secure environment.

Imagine . . . continuing to tear down walls for our ever-growing KidZone ministry so that our children have the best facilities possible to grow in their faith.

Imagine . . . a church so dedicated to pouring our best into the next generation that we raise up a generation of kids that will change the world.

Imagine . . . a safe, welcoming refuge where wanderers can come home, where skeptics can find answers, and the broken can find healing.

Now imagine . . . imagine if this didn’t just have to be confined to Columbus. What if we created contagious communities of hope beyond our city?

Imagine if hurting families in small towns throughout the South had a loving community like Mt Vernon to call home?

Imagine if we partnered with rehab facilities like Recovery House throughout Mississippi so that those battling addictions had a place to find hope and restoration.

Imagine if we created contagious communities of hope near other air bases so that when our Air Force family left Columbus, they didn’t have to leave Mt Vernon.

Imagine creating contagious communities of hope in Sturgis, in Macon, in Starkville, in West Point, in Tupelo, in Corinth, in Kosciuscko, in Meridian.

Imagine something happening here that went far beyond our ability to comprehend.

We’re embracing this idea “creating contagious communities of hope,” uniting around it, and seeing how far God takes this thing. Excited about the journey!