Market Avenue Church of God is partnering with God and the community to create new spaces where families can thrive.

By Carl Stagner | Read Time: 3 minutes

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When God planted Brian Mack and his family in the heart of East Saint Louis, Illinois, he definitely knew what he was doing. Sure, God could have used anyone—but he needed a willing spirit, obedient to the still, small voice of the Lord, whether or not it made sense, regardless of perceived difficulty, and no matter the degree of clarity for the way forward. After all, God’s plan to bless the community would be The Market Place—a vision Brian describes as “bigger than [he] could have ever imagined.” Thankfully, God is bigger, and numerous victories along the way for Market Avenue Church of God have demonstrated the Lord’s sovereignty over all the factors, the facilities, and the funding.

Intended as a hub of hope for the community, The Market Place certainly includes all the necessary components in its blueprints. But the backstory proves a remarkable symbol of God’s redemptive work. After all, the location in focus is a closed school on the brink of transformation into another space that can be repurposed and used again for the benefit of the neighborhood.

A Renewed Purpose

“It is incredibly cool to see a closed school potentially become something new,” Pastor Brian explains. “But I think the greater story is this: God can take something that looks like it has reached the end of its usefulness and give it a new purpose. That’s what the gospel does with people, too. Glory, hallelujah!”

Pastor Brian reflects on moments he’s encountered persons who now have grandchildren of their own, but once attended the school back when it was in operation. Senior members of the congregation who are former students. He beams as he considers the reality that a facility once welcoming neighbors young and old inside its doors is once again gearing up to do the same thing.

“We have an opportunity to take a dormant space and breathe new life into it,” he further reflects, “not simply by renovating a building, but by reimagining what that space can mean to the community. I remember standing in front of the building and asking God, what do you want to do with this?” In a whisper, the Lord then said to Pastor Brian, “The Market Place!”

“I think that’s where the name Market Place becomes so significant,” he continues. “A marketplace historically has been more than a place where people buy and sell things. It has been a place where people meet, exchange ideas, build relationships, create opportunities, and strengthen communities.”

A Vision in View

Nine years into the senior pastorate at Market Avenue, Pastor Brian Mack still sees, with remarkable clarity, the vision yet to be realized.

“Every week I drive or walk around the community,” he explains, “I’m stirred to hope that someday a 20,000 square-foot building will be restored and vacant lots will once again provide stable homes for the next generation. My heart breaks for this community because I believe God has called us not simply to have a church in the neighborhood, but to be a church that is for the neighborhood. Over the years, I’ve watched communities like ours experience disinvestment, declining resources, and a loss of places where people can connect, grow, and thrive. And yet, I also see tremendous potential. I see people who are still here, families who are still investing, children who need opportunities, and a community that is looking for hope and connection. That is why The Market Place Center and The Market Square Housing development are so important to me.”

When Vision Becomes Reality

Upon completion, the Market Place will serve as a “place of connection, convenience, and care.” It will be a “place where the church and community intersect.” It’s been further described as a place where “ministry meets mission, opportunity meets need, where businesses can grow, where people gather, and where relationships are built.”

But, it will take provision, partnership, and purpose. Pastor Brian Mack is fully aware of this reality. But the reality is God’s still on his throne and hasn’t abdicated his authority to anyone or anything.

“I would invite the broader Movement,” he concludes, “to pray, partner, and promote with us that God would open the right doors, provide the right resources, connect us with the right partners, and give us the wisdom and courage to walk through those doors when He opens them. We are praying that God would use the space to create opportunities, build relationships, restore hope, and connect people and ultimately connect them to him.”