Pastor Darryl B. Bowdre,  Author

11/6/2018

It won’t be long now before we will be enjoying the space and amenities of our new multi-purpose building, “THE GATHERING.” We have been very excited the past several months as we have seen things taking shape and going from plans and dreams and becoming reality. I truly cannot wait until SouthCentral gets to walk in and experience what God has done through all of us. THE COFFEE ROOM, will comfortably accommodate 25 people at any one time, and will serve as a small coffee and tea shop as well as a suitable meeting area for classes, ministries in a beautiful casual setting. The efficiency of our commercial KITCHEN willenthrall our cooks and kitchen committee members. I look forward to thecountless fellowships and meals that will come forth from this attractive space with the most modern and up-to-date appliances. SouthCentral is truly blessed!

The attractive and striking FELLOWSHIP HALL will feature banquet tables with flat screen television on more than one wall to assure that every seat will be able to see displays. This space will seat 160 people, and the PATIO/PLAZA on the south side of the building will accommodate another 50, and will be a pleasant outside venue in pleasant or even the summer months.

I stress that we are not only making this investment in ourselves, but on behalf of our children, grandchildren and generations that will come after us. The Gathering is also dedicated to SouthCentral’s commitment of being a community oriented church. We will sponsor seminars and

workshops that help empower our friends in the neighborhood. There is no end to the events we can offer. And yes, when the SouthCentral family is not using it, The Gathering will be available to lease to for receptions,

parties and family reunions. Quite naturally there will be procedures and protocol that will need to be followed, and everyone is encouraged to cooperate.

We are still collecting monies for the furnishings of the facility. I want to thank everyone who is part of the 50 we are needing to give $100. Many of you stepped right up to the plate immediately. Our youth are involved by sponsoring and selling raffle tickets for a holiday turkey (Greenberg) and ham. Traditionally the proceeds go to the YOUTHCORE for their annual trip. This year, however, they are opting to using the sale of the tickets to help purchase television and tech needs in the new building!

This is the sacrificial spirit that embodies so much of the ministry here, which is what makes you such a special church! Some of the immediate plans for our church in the near future include the creation and operating of a FARMERS MARKET on our church property. The need for fresh fruits and vegetables in great in inner city communities, especially on the west side of Tyler. We are in contact with coordinators of several such markets that operate in the DFW area who want to come to East Texas. This is a consortium of Black farmers who want to sell their produce directly to the public, thus eliminating the middle man (grocery stores) and the costs and overhead associated with it. This will take some organizing and orienting, but I believe the effort will be worth it for SouthCentral and for Tyler.