About
Elder Letter
Thank you for spending a few minutes with Living Hope Bryan. We are excited to share the story behind Building Beason. We hope you like reading about paradoxes for, you see, this is a story about a building and yet it is a story not about a building. It is a story about a people, but really it is a story about a single relationship. It is a story about an unconventional earthly action, yet it is really a story about a divine plan.
Curious?
In the following pages you learn of a piece of land that had a questionable history and environment that is now at the center of unprecedented growth and investment by the City of Bryan. It lies in the center of the Midtown area connecting downtown Bryan with Texas A&M University. As the story unfolds, you will learn about 9.3 acres of land redeemed for an eternal purpose.
You will also see a story about a redeemed people desiring to share the story of the Redeemer with those in the Beason St. area, in Bryan-College Station, in Texas, and the world. Living Hope Bryan fully embraces its biblical mandate to share the gospel and make disciples.
Finally, the pages will reveal a story about a building that is more than. This is not an uncommon thread weaved in Scripture. Noah built more than a boat. The ark was faith in action and a vessel used to restart the world. Moses built more than a tabernacle. The mobile dwelling place for God was an act of obedience and a tent used for the spiritual transformation of a nation. Solomon built more than a temple. It was a fulfilled promise and God-glorifying sanctuary where God and humanity intersected and a house of worship where the watching world would come to know God. Nehemiah built more than a wall. It was stones and erected gates representing faithful prayer and a wall used to protect a city and rebuild a nation.
Likewise, Living Hope Bryan is constructing more than a church building on Beason St. It is a vehicle for amplifying the church’s current ministry efforts and for celebrating and investing in the Beason St. community. It is being constructed as a ministry hub for Living Hope Bryan’s proclamation of Jesus Christ. At the same time, it is intentionally being constructed with the Beason St. community in mind, providing a space for birthday parties, weddings, after school programs, ESL classes, family picnics, local sports and play, etc.
Our prayer is that after reading about Building Beason, you will desire to join a redeemed people on redeemed land sharing the story of the Redeemer. May our story become part of your story.
Praying, giving, and sharing together,
Matt Moore | Bill Moss | Allen Palermo | Charles Patrick
And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good...And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
Nehemiah 2:18
Why Building Beason
The answer is simple – it is not about a building; it is about a burden. Specifically, it is the burden for the lost souls in the Beason St. neighborhood and Midtown area of Bryan that motivates the initiative. Paul refers to this burden as “sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart” for the lost (Romans 9:1-5). Building Beason is a means to amplify Living Hope Bryan’s current ministry in the area and a means to invest in the community.
The burden for the lost is immense and the opportunity to share the gospel and make disciples is great. Only 43.3% of Bryan residents consider themselves religious and there are ~1,400 residents within a 1-mile radius of 1812 Beason St. That’s a minimum of 800 lost people just in a 1-mile radius!
Moreover, Bryan is realizing a population increase of 1.25% per year, with a current population of more than 88,000. The combined the Bryan/College Station population is more than 250,000 people. In addition, Bryan is part of an educational/sending hub. Bryan is next to both Blinn College and Texas A&M University, with combined enrollment of nearly 83,000 college students in the two schools. Living Hope Bryan can impact the world by connecting students to Jesus Christ and equipping them to be sent out with the gospel.
“Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest”
John 4:35
God's Story, Our Story (and Your Story?)
God asks His people to obey Him and make disciples. It is His story to redeem the lost and then have the redeemed participate with Him in making disciples. Living Hope Bryan is committed to “Loving God and Loving People.”
In 2009 Living Hope Bryan was planted in the Midtown area of Bryan. It was an area of questionable past not being reached by other churches and a multicultural area of low economic development. Others thought Living Hope Bryan was “crazy” for church planting in an area where seemingly a church would not thrive. To be sure, it did not align with any church planting strategies espoused by books or church growth organizations. What it did align with was a redeemed people having a burden for the lost in an unreached area of Bryan.
Our hope was to make a lasting impact in the community for years to come and for this vision to one day come to fruition, the decision was made by the church to search for a piece of property where we could establish permanent and visible presence in the community. In 2014 we discovered 9.3 acres of land which had carried with it a questionable history. More than 30 years ago, the land was originally designated to be a neighborhood, but these plans were abandoned due to contamination by a pesticide plant. As news of this unfortunate incident spread it created a negative outcome that has contributed to the decline in the neighborhood, causing minimal development, and leading to higher crime rates. Living Hope Bryan’s burden for the people in the area was unwavering. After much prayer, investigation, and deliberation, Living Hope Bryan moved forward with the purchase of the property.
On November 11, 2018, Living Hope Bryan broke ground on 1812 Beason St. Since then, two phases of construction have been completed, leading to the current Building Beason initiative. Unbeknownst to Living Hope Bryan, when the land was purchased in 2014, the City of Bryan had also begun looking at the possibility of turning Travis B. Bryan Municipal Golf Course into a regional super park and by 2017 plans were set in motion to make Bryan Midtown a major focal point of the city connecting Downtown Bryan with Texas A&M campus. From the chemical contamination in the 70’s and 80’s, the remediation of the Beason St. land, Living Hope Bryan’s church launch, the discovery of 1812 Beason St., and the City of Bryan’s revitalization initiative we can clearly see that God has been at work to preserve this piece of property to continue to reach people in Bryan/College Station and beyond with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Building Beason is the story of a redeemed people on redeemed land sharing the story of the Redeemer.
Is it your story too? Continue reading to see if God leads you to join your story with Living Hope Bryan.
Major Milestones for 1812 Beason St.
Initial 7-year investment
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Countless hours of prayer
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$565,000 ($0 debt)
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Immeasurable Living Hope Bryan “sweat equity”
Outcomes
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Spiritual lives transformed – building God’s kingdom
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God’s provision – building faith
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Serving together – building church family
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Site improvements – building ministry and the community
How 1812 Beason St Has Been Used To Date
Ministry in the Community
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Outside worship services
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Evangelistic outreach events
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Spring Break Bible Camp
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Awesome August Days
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Fall Festival
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Bethlehem on Beason
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Community BBQ
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Door-to-door evangelism
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Community prayer box
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Service workdays
Investing in the Community
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Purchase of property – place of worship provides stability for community development
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Detention pond – solved neighborhood’s flooding problem
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Community garden
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Landscaped property – provides play area for the neighborhood children
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Parking lot – provides area for neighborhood children and youth to scooter, skateboard, and play basketball
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Athletic field – provides area for neighborhood children and youth to play football and soccer
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Prayer trail- 1/3-mile walking trail for the neighborhood
The Vision for Building Beason
Building Beason involves constructing a 9,800 square foot building to establish a permanent structure for Living Hope Bryan and the surrounding Beason St. community.
The building is envisioned to include:
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200-seat auditorium for worship services and community events
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Classrooms for adult/preschool Sunday school
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Multipurpose classroom space for the community
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Church offices
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Playground for preschool and children of the church and surrounding community
Provision Principle
Living Hope Bryan believes it is not biblical to be in debt nor to secure a large loan for Building Beason. Go here for the complete Scripture-based rationale. Construction will not begin until at least 90% of the goal has been met. Scripture is clear that God will provide what is needed and when it is needed by working through the generosity of His people.
Join The Vision
We invite you to join the Building Beason vision. There are three ways you can help:
PRAY
First and foremost, Building Beason, is a spiritual journey – about seeing people’s lives changed and transformed. It’s more than a building, it’s a house of transformation. A place where the lost are found, the spiritually sick are healed, and where believers grow and serve.
More than anything, we ask you to pray for Building Beason and Living Hope Bryan. Without God and His supervision of Building Beason, without a people seeking and following His will, the Building Beason effort collapses to just another building of concrete, steel, and sheetrock.
View our PRAY GUIDE listing specific prayers of affirmation, praise, and supplication regarding Building Beason and its associated ministry efforts.
Ephesians 6:18
…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…
GIVE
God owns the cattle on a thousand hills…and He owns the hills (Psalm 50:10-11). Yet, in His sovereignty God generally chooses to work through His people to meet their needs. The Bible is clear that He can use and multiply any offering (sacrificial gift that is over and beyond the normal tithe) whether that be two fish and five loaves (Matthew 14:13-21), a widow’s mite (Luke 21:1-4), or a larger gift (Acts 4:36-37). It’s the heart behind the gift that’s important to God.
Ask God how He would like you to assist Building Beason by making a tax deductible gift at buildingbeason.com/give.
2 Corinthians 9:11
You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
SHARE
Help share the exciting story of Building Beason – a redeemed people on redeemed land sharing the story of the Redeemer.
Share this storybook with others by copying the link buildingbeason.com/about and then share the website, Building Beason buildingbeason.com.
1 Chronicles 16:8
thanks to the LORD… make known his deeds among the peoples!