BECOME

In December, we concluded the two-year fundraising portion of our five-year Become Initiative. Our goal for Become was to raise $2M in addition to our operational budget, for a total of $5.5M. In the end, through the generosity of our church, we raised $5.2M, which will enable us to become the church God has called us to be for His glory and the good of Durham. One of the priorities of Become was to find a long-term home in the heart of Durham. We were able to take a huge step in achieving this goal through our 15-year lease with Durham Nativity School. In the summer of 2021, we completed renovations and fully moved in. Our new space offers offices, children’s classrooms, an updated sanctuary for worship, and additional meeting spaces. We are also excited about partnering more deeply with Durham Nativity School to help them see their vision and mission come to fruition.

We sincerely believe that church planting is one of the best ways to reach people with the gospel and see people discipled and formed. We have spent $180,000, close to 50% of the allocation for the church planting pillar of Become, to support church plants thus far. We hope to plant a church in Durham in the next few years and partner with two global church plants. We have spent just under 40% of the allocated $400,000 towards mercy and justice as a part of Become. We desire to be a blessing to the marginalized and in need in our city. In 2021, we came alongside the DPS Foundation and the YMCA of Durham with significant grants to support students in our city during the pandemic. We also poured resources and renewed energy into outreach ministries – Repair, Educational Partnership Outreach, and the Adoption & Foster Care Ministry. When Become began, we believed God would move us out of the church-plant phase into more of an established church in Durham. Our prayer is that God would continue His gracious work of forming and shaping us to be His people in Durham; that we would become a faithful church in this city that continues to minister to Durham long after all of us have passed into glory.