As many of you know, we were incredibly blessed to receive the former “Live Bait/Sharkys” restaurant with a vision to transform it into a space for small groups, addiction recovery, outreach, offices, and more. We began demolition and early construction with great anticipation. However, as often happens with older buildings, we uncovered several unforeseen challenges—particularly around bringing the sprinkler system and other elements up to code. Rather than rushing forward, we felt it was wise to pause, pray, and carefully consider how to best steward both your generosity and our collective time. During this season of seeking wisdom, something unexpected—and truly incredible—happened.

The same business owners involved with the Live Bait purchase, John McInnis and Cam Price, were presented with an opportunity to purchase another building on behalf of our church. After prayerful consideration, the Elders, Trustees, and myself are thrilled to share that this opportunity will allow us to move into a “turn-key” facility… the Posh Furniture Building. We will continue to use the current Ministry Center as is until we are able to start the move in process in Mid-June.

This means that instead of investing heavily into updating an older building, we can now direct resources straight into ministry impact. In this new space, we will be able to:

• Install brand-new walk-in freezers and coolers for our food pantry

• Update portions of the HVAC system

• Install new bathrooms

• Prepare to start a state of the art coffee experience

• Build out dry food storage with shelving

• Create functional office spaces

• Purchase sound equipment for leadership luncheons, after school care, prayer/worship gatherings, as well as move forward in our outreach and weekly small group gatherings

We truly believe this is a gift from God and a testament to His provision and timing. We also recognize that, as a church with a history like ours, transparency matters deeply. We want you to know that every step has been taken prayerfully and with a commitment to steward what God has entrusted to us with integrity and wisdom. You’ll also know we are navigating potential donors who would like to step up to the plate to support everything listed above!

We know you have questions and we want to do our best to answer them. We cannot wait to show you what God is doing and we would like to invite you to join us for a special walkthrough:

May 3 at 5:00 - 6:00PM

Posh Interiors - 25150 Canal Rd, Orange Beach, AL 36561

Come celebrate with us, see the new space, and hear more about the vision ahead. The best is truly yet to come.

With gratitude and expectation,

Pastor Ben Ragsdale