On the Discovery Church’s website there is a picture of the side of a storage facility with a “one way” sign featured in the foreground and in the background the shadow of a utility pole appears as the sign of a cross. It is the mobile church’s way of saying that there is a one-way path to God and the church will help guide the way. Church organizers, which for many years kept church belongings in a storage unit, have recently found a permanent home.
In 2008, a small group of people along with Rev. Chris Willis, started a mobile church, keeping all of its belongings in a storage unit and setting up and tearing down for worship services in rented spaces each Sunday. Today, the Discovery Church has a permanent home in Weymouth, Mass. In 2005, Rev. Willis started the church after being confronted with the notion that many Christian churches were either stagnant or in decline and that fewer people in the northeast as compared to other areas of the nation have a faith relationship with Jesus Christ. After moving to the Boston area, Willis rented a storage unit for the church’s belongings and began holding services in Braintree and then the Weymouth High School auditorium.
The church finally moved to its new, permanent location at 222 Libbey Industrial Parkway in Weymouth. During its time as a mobile church, using the storage facility was key to allowing time for the church to grow in size so it could find a permanent home. Since its inception, the church was involved in giving back to the communities where it held services. It regularly partners with Weymouth Youth and Family Services and has donated more than $5,000 to assist needy families in the area.
This summer, the church plans on working with the Weymouth Recreation Department and volunteers to provide KidsGames, a week-long, faith-based program that includes sports, arts & crafts and other activities for children ages six to 12.
“This is a huge undertaking for Discovery Church, but I am excited by the potential of reaching and serving so many of our local families,” said the Rev. Chris Willis, the church’s pastor. “Discovery is not your average church. It’s our desire to show people that church can be inspiring and enjoyable and that faith is more about having a vibrant relationship with God than keeping up with religious traditions.”
A new teaching series begins Feb. 20 at the church. “Winning at the Game of Life” will be held each Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. For a church that got its start using a storage unit to help it grow, it certainly seems to have won at the game of life now that it has a permanent home.
Sources Used:
“Discovery Church is Celebrating.” GateHouse News Service. Feb. 20, 2011.
Discovery Church. 2011.