Troy UMC Prepares for The Boom
January 09, 2019
Boomtowns are not regulated to the history of the old west. They are very much still real today – many of which you can find driving up and down I-35. Of course, the “booms” of the old west were often the result of discovering precious shiny minerals like silver or gold or even the not-so-shiny-but-just-as-precious “Texas black gold” (aka oil). Today, however, boomtowns across the U.S. are often driven by folks searching for the good schools and slower pace of small-town America.
In the next 10-15 years, Troy is projected to triple in size. A projection that has not escaped the notice of Troy UMC, which is gearing up for the boom. In order to reach as many of the projected 4,000 new residents of the area, Troy UMC decided to move up a massive building project they had originally planned to start in 2020 or later. In the fall of 2018, they opened the Ministry Activity Center - an 11,000 sq. ft. building dedicated to missions and ministry, children and youth, and the community.
“This building affords us space to meet the needs of the mission field,” Pastor Leslie Byrd said joyfully. “We will co-host graduation for the High School, because there really aren’t many other spaces in town that can accommodate them. We plan to host events like a community concert, health fair, sports ministry, camps, and this is just the beginning of how we will use the space to reach others. For instance, we are thinking about how to provide respite for Alzheimer’s caregivers, an indoor walking and exercise program, and more. The sky is the limit.”The church, who partnered with the Texas Methodist Foundation (TMF) to secure the funds needed to complete the project, is confident that the new building will serve as a launching pad to help meet the needs of the rapidly growing community and continue the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The members and leadership of Troy UMC knew their town was growing and that the church was going to grow right along with it.
Half of Troy UMC’s average worship attendance consists of people under the age of 50, and in the last ten months, they have welcomed 40 new members.
“This is all about glorifying God and reaching the community,” Leslie shared. “As we dreamed about this building and made plans, the entire church was very supportive. Now that it is complete, people are on fire for the possibilities the space provides, and they keep thinking of ways to use the building.”
The preceding was adapted from an article that originally appeared in the Texas Methodist Foundation’s publication, Outcome Stories. Visit https://www.tmf-fdn.org/outcome-stories/boomtown/ to read the original article.