“God always does the hard work of renovation,” says Nate Hamblin, pastor of Neighborhood Church in Adrian, Michigan. So when Neighborhood Church inherited the Church of the Good Shepherd building on East Beecher Street after the two congregations became one last fall, it is no surprise God provided the means to renovate the building. “If we were going to have a building,” says Nate, “we wanted to make it available as a resource for the people who live in this under-resourced neighborhood.”
“If you ask people who are familiar with Adrian,” Nate continues, “they’ll tell you that the neighborhood around East Beecher is one of the most challenging neighborhoods in the city.” It’s also a neighborhood where most people don’t have extra room in their houses for typical celebrations, such as birthday parties or Quinceaneras. Neighborhood Church is about to change that by opening the doors of its newly refurbished building to the community.
The transformation was made possible in part by Archbold Evangelical Church—the same church that launched the Church of the Good Shepherd congregation in the 1950s. This year, the Archbold congregation made a renewed effort to invest in the region in the form of a church “baby shower” for Neighborhood Church. In February, Nate shared his vision for the East Beecher Street property with the Archbold congregation. They responded in a big way, raising over $11,000 for the project and sending two work crews to carry out the vision.
Together, the two congregations cleared out the building, ripped up flooring, updated lighting and electrical outlets, and put a fresh coat of paint on all the ceilings and walls. These efforts, coupled with the generous support from two store owners who sold all supplies at cost, resulted in many needed updates to the building in record time.
The renovation culminated in a neighborhood block party and community open house. “We plan to hold monthly neighborhood cookouts at our East Beecher location this summer,” says Nate, “followed by our Sunday evening gatherings at the building. The newly refurbished building fits right into the purpose of Neighborhood Church,” he continues. “God does the hard work of renovation, and we want to mirror that in our decisions and processes as we minister to this neighborhood in Adrian.” To learn more, visit ncadrian.com.
