Bailey Launch

 Well, Journey Church isn't exactly moving to Bailey, but we ARE going to launch a new satellite church there.  This expansion has been in the works for years, but we're finally ready to take the plunge.  God has already prompted six couples to be a part of this new church plant, and others are seriously considering it.  Daphne and I are leading the move into Bailey, which is a small mountain town about 30 miles Southwest of the Denver suburbs.  Bailey is often called the poor, redneck cousin of Conifer and Evergreen, the two other towns in our part of the front range.  This is an unfair depiction of the good people of Bailey, but there's no doubt that, economically-speaking, Bailey is sucking wind and has been for years.  Only a few viable businesses remain in "downtown" Bailey, and most  residents drive North to Conifer and Denver for groceries and entertainment.  What Bailey DOES have, however, is a real sense of community - and that's what we want to tap into.  What we need is some kind of community "anchor",  a 7-day-a-week venue that will give us proximity to the people of Bailey - particularly those who would not darken the door of any church. We need a place that will provide a real service to the people of Bailey, and that could potentially help revitalize this small, struggling town.

On that note, there's an historic building in Bailey (that shall for the moment remain secret) that has been vacant for years and that's in desperate need of serious elbow grease and love - kind of like the town of Bailey.  It's the perfect location for us to create a small business that could potentially draw people even from the neighboring towns.  We've entered into negotiations with the owner to lease the property, but this will require a miracle from God as we have almost no money to work with, and we've made him an offer that he can absolutely refuse.  But I see the tracing of God's finger in so many ways already that I believe He will provide us with the place that we need - whether this building or something else. Bailey doesn't need another church building, but maybe we can help this little mountain community, and somewhere along the way spread the love and hope that we've found in Jesus. 

As the Chronicles of Narnia say, "Aslan is on the move".

Stay tuned...