Valleydale Baptist sponsors new Helena church

By the beginning of 2003, another Baptist church will begin meeting in North Shelby County to help reach the rapidly increasing population of families in the area.
   
Recently in a Wednesday night service, members of Valleydale Baptist Church, Birmingham, voted to sponsor Perimeter Pointe Church, which is targeted for the Helena area.
   
“God placed the vision for a new church in the area in the heart of Mark Gainey, our outreach director,” said Calvin Kelly, pastor of Valleydale. “Mark and Tasha (his wife) have prayed about this for over eight months, and he came to me with the desire to begin this new work. It was only after we processed the opportunity that the church decided to sponsor it.”
   
In September, Gainey will leave his position at Valleydale to become senior pastor of the new church.
   
After acquiring a business management/entrepreneurship degree at Troy State University, Gainey graduated from Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School in January 2001 with a master’s degree in theological studies. Married for five years with a 15-month-old daughter, he has been on staff at Valleydale since September 1999.
  
“I will be the lone staff member … for a few months,” he said. “In the initial stages, … we will hire a part-time worship leader and a part-time administrative assistant. All other positions will be filled by laypeople.”
   
In order to spend every penny on reaching people in the area, Gainey anticipates renting a facility for the church for the first several years. After building a strong foundation of members, plans to purchase a church home will be explored. To facilitate transforming people into fully committed followers of Christ, both Gainey and Kelly believe Perimeter Pointe will be a contemporary, purpose-driven church.
   
“While our specific goals have not yet been determined, our general goal is to reach primarily young adults who are either not yet believers or are disconnected from church,” said Kelly.
   
“We want to create something different, something unique in Helena,” said Gainey. “There is no one-size-fits-all church. People are different. Perimeter Pointe will be a church targeted for the post-modern generation.”
   
A core group of Valleydale members and staff will begin meeting in September. Three preview church services are scheduled for January, February and March of 2003. On Easter, Perimeter Pointe will launch its weekly services.
   
“We’re trusting God for something big, bigger than we can imagine,” said Gainey. “Our goal is to get 200 people there that first service in January. God can do more. No matter where it leads or what it costs, seeing God bring people into His kingdom is worth it.”