It is quite common for churches to dissolve or to hand over their building to another church they trust in their area. What is entirely uncommon is when 2 churches in a city join together to become one church.
Through some friends I recently heard about 2 churches in the Phoenix area who are large, financially sound, and growing, yet are going to be joining together in a short time. When I first heard about this, I thought it was a cute concept but it didn’t really make sense to me. I remember thinking, “what’s the point?” Here’s a great video on why Praxis Church and East Valley Bible Church are joining together in Phoenix:
Their stated reason for combining is, “From the very beginning, our churches have been about changed lives through proclamation of the Word. Over the years, God has blessed our efforts. Through much prayer and discussion, we’ve felt God’s strong call to come together for the good of his Kingdom. By doing so, we have faith that more people throughout Arizona will be changed by the Gospel. As churches with a shared vision, shared values, and shared theology, we have an opportunity to be a church united for the good of Arizona and ultimately the good of the Kingdom” (read more about the church here).
Local churches often become known more for failing than succeeding, but this is a story worth sharing. We need stories about churches like this.
Be praying for this body as it comes together to be truly one instead of two.
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