New site renews vision, purpose for Valleydale Baptist

Traffic stopped and flags flew Feb. 29 as more than 1,500 members of Valleydale Baptist Church, Birmingham, paraded one mile down Valleydale Road. They were headed to the church’s new site as part of a unique dedication service.
   
During the service, church members worshiped, read part of the church’s vision statement for the 21st century and prepared for the grand opening celebrations.
   
Once the multipurpose building was completed in early January, its doors have hardly closed as Valleydale immediately began expanding ministries and reaching out to unchurched community residents.
   
“Valleydale is a church for the unchurched,” said Senior Pastor Calvin Kelly. “Our people come from all walks of life and they accept everyone else with no conditions. … We think of this as church like it was meant to be.”
The new facility houses recreation and worship areas with plans to build a worship center later.
   
Based on John 10:10, the 90,525-square-foot building called the Point seats 1,600 for worship and houses educational space, two full-size basketball courts, an indoor walking track, recreation areas and preschool space with indoor and outdoor playground facilities. Valleydale plans to build a separate worship center later.
   
“We would like for our community to see that we have built a facility that can not only be a house of worship but a place for family nurturing that includes spiritual and physical growth,” said Phil Brannon, the church’s business manager.
   
“This facility also allows an attendee the opportunity to develop an extended family through life connection classes, small groups and sports activities,” Brannon said. “We realize that this building is only a tool that we hope will be effective in reaching people for Christ.”
   
Valleydale hopes to use the 44-acre site — twice the size of its old location —  to impact the community through new ministry opportunities.
   
“We don’t like to focus on our building. We like to focus on the people we will now be able to extend a heart of acceptance and a hand of fellowship to because of the additional space and amenities,” Executive Pastor Keith Stanley said.
   
Missions Pastor Saint Green has seen the benefits of the new building firsthand. “We’ve already welcomed many new children and their families through our Upward Basketball Leagues,” he stated.
Single adults also experienced the new building March 12–13, during a single adult conference based on the book, “The Power of Passion.”
   
Author and national speaker Rob Eagar  shared an intimate message on the challenges of single life, encouraging single persons to see Jesus Christ as the ultimate passion in their lives.
   
“Because statistics show that approximately one-third of adults in the Shelby County area are single, Valleydale recognizes the importance of providing designated ministries to this group,” said Jerra Dooley, the church’s communications coordinator. “Due to response at the conference, Valleydale has added a new single adult Bible study on Sunday nights based on the book to encourage fun and fellowship with other Christian singles.”
   
Seeking God’s leadership throughout the relocation process, church members began 40 days of prayer for the transition Jan. 26 and concluded with a five-hour prayer walk through the new building March 6.
  
Members also spiritually reinforced the building’s foundation. From its humble beginnings as a house church in 1970, Valleydale Baptist Church has stressed the importance of staying grounded in God’s Word.
   
This was demonstrated as more than 100 church volunteers read the entire Bible aloud in the new facility 24 hours a day over a four-day period, March 8–11.
   
“We felt it was important to lay the foundation for ministry in our new building by declaring God’s truth through the reading of His Word,” said Kelly.
   
Valleydale’s call to expanding ministry sounded again during opening Sunday March 7. More than 2,100 church members and guests were urged  to join the search for the unchurched.
   
Valleydale also presented a video featuring numerous local and regional personalities including pastors, radio show hosts, Sen. Jeff Sessions and Gov. Bob Riley. Concluding with a baptism and Lord’s Supper evening service, more than 25 made decisions that day to follow Christ through baptism.
   
The festivities continued the next Sunday as more than 2,200 celebrated Valleydale’s grand opening services with food, fun and bluegrass music on the new church grounds.
   
The church has begun phase 2 of its master site plan and hopes to complete it by August 2004. The project will add education and ministry space, extra parking and expanded recreation facilities.