Contributing writer for The Canyon Weekly
Mill City Christian Church has a new home.
“God has truly blessed us with an incredible new facility that will provide endless opportunities for connection and growth,” said Pastor Paul Luna. “Imagine gathering together for fellowship barbecues, deep diving into discipleship groups, organizing service ministries, launching outreach and missions groups, and most importantly, coming together to worship our Lord and Savior.
“This new facility is the perfect hub to make all of this happen,” he added. “We are beyond excited to see all the amazing things that will take place in this space.”
People with every kind of story imaginable came together initially to form MCCC, a place to love God and love others, Luna said.
“We don’t care about how you dress or how many tattoos you have,” he said. “We care about people knowing how much God loves them and how much we love them, too.”
The church’s desire is to provide a comfortable environment where people can hear the life-changing message of Christ’s saving grace in a loving Christian community. Service is held at 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings at 400 SW Kingwood Ave. or stream live online on YouTube or Facebook.
“Our goal is to empower individuals to utilize the unique gifts and talents God has given them to fulfill their purpose in life,” Luna said. “To achieve this, we prioritize building and maintaining relationships that provide support and encouragement during all seasons of life.”
The decision to move to a new location was the realization that more space was needed for the expanding church, Luna said.
“We have initiated phase one of developing our 2-acre property in a location that will enable us to expand and provide more opportunities for community engagement,” he said. “Our new property allows us to host events such as our annual Easter Egg Hunt, Carnival, and Trunk or Treat for the community.
“Additionally, it provides opportunities to serve our neighbors by building a play area for children and a walking path around the property.”
According to Luna, the development of the property is a two-phase plan. Phase 1 was to prepare the land and construct a children’s education building to which the church recently moved. Phase 2 is now underway and involves building a worship center.
“There is still much work to be done, but we are grateful for the progress that has been made and look forward to seeing what else God has in store for us,” Luna said.
The goal is to make MCCC’s new facility a “valuable resource for our community,” Luna added.
“We envision it as a playground for children, a venue for community events, a place for neighbors to walk their dogs, a spot for friends to meet, an area for counseling, and potentially a daycare center to support working families,” Luna said. “It would be a waste for the facility to sit empty throughout the week, and we are actively working on a plan to utilize the space in the most effective way possible.”
Luna said currently church leaders are in talks with Santiam Hospital to explore potential partnerships that would allow MCCC to serve the community better.
The church community has overwhelmingly supported MCCC’s move to a new location, according to Luna.
“When I joined the church four years ago, I wasn’t sure how the older members would react to the idea of moving, so I was pleasantly surprised when many expressed excitement about the change,” he said. “They had fond memories of the old building, but they recognized it was time for the church to grow.
“We have also received support from our community at large,” he added. “We want to be good neighbors and make it clear that we welcome everyone to use and enjoy the property.”
After Christmas, Luna reported he saw a few kids flying drones in the church parking lot. They approached him and asked if they were OK being there. He replied, “Absolutely! I’m glad you’re here.”
Luna said the excitement of being in the new education building is palpable.
“It’s the perfect size to meet our current needs, yet small enough to push us out of our comfort zone,” he said. “This is a good thing, as it motivates us to constantly strive for growth and improvement. We are excited to see what the future holds for our community and church as we move forward to the next phase.
“As a church, we constantly dream and envision what God has in store for us,” Luna added. “After all, as soon as we stop dreaming, that’s when we start dying. Right now, our church is very much in the dreaming phase, looking toward the future with hope and excitement.”
For information, call Mill City Christian Church at 503-897-2716.
Mill City Christian Church
Where: 400 SW Kingwood Ave., Mill City
Service: Sundays at 10 a.m.
Contact: 503-897-2761, [email protected]
Online: www.millcitycc.com
