The Jefferson City corner of Dunklin Street and Clark Avenue is developing a new identity.
Where once might have been associated with crime and questionable behavior now sits the Joshua House Church.
A church plant mission from Second Baptist Church in Columbia, the growing congregation will celebrate its fifth anniversary Sunday.
The Rev. Adrian Hendricks and his wife, Andria, dreamed of the Joshua House for more than a decade before it opened at its first, brief location at the Jefferson City Community Center. A rough start did not deter the young ministers from the vision God had entrusted to them.
Three years ago, the Joshua House found its home at 1136 Dunklin St. The Hendricks, with their three children, have invested prayer, time and effort into transforming the former business office into a welcoming place of worship.
Currently, they are converting the basement into a youth and children's space, not only for worship and Bible study, but also for fun activities and after-school programs.
As they have given of themselves to this spiritual outreach, the Lincoln University alumni also have received support from the community and other churches.
In addition to the support and partnership with several nearby black churches, such as Quinn Chapel A.M.E. and the Church of God in Christ, the Joshua House has benefited from regular collaboration and support from local Southern Baptist congregations through the Concord Baptist Association.
Sunday's anniversary celebration will bring together the current congregation with its supporters and collaborators. With services at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., the Hendricks are expecting more than 400 people to fill their sanctuary that day.
The Rev. Brandon Hansberry, an early member of the Joshua House, will preach at 11 a.m., and the Rev. Clyde Ruffin, minister at Second Baptist Church in Columbia, will preach at the 3 p.m. service.
Joshua House today includes eight ministers, two licensed in March and some who have come from other churches. Hendricks shares what he has learned from the seminary and day-to-day experiences at the church plant through a one-year training program with the young ministers.
As ministers from his home church at Second Baptist Church in Columbia did with him, Hendricks said, "we want to teach what we have learned."
"We've compiled a method comprehensive for a young minister; it helps them to be grounded."
The sanctuary space is as flexible as the Hendricks' 21st-century church approach.
The open area with a central stage, video cameras, hanging speakers and inspirational wall art provides a cozy space for worship services for the average 150 in attendance. However, it also can accommodate up to 450 people for large events, such as a strongly attended memorial service after the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson.
Technology is a key to reaching people in today's culture, he said. Before Periscope or Facebook Live, the Hendricks were using the early YouStream platform to extend its weekly worship meeting to hundreds across the world.
Members of their congregations also take advantage of the wireless connection to post selfies from church to their Facebook pages and/or record the sermons to share later.
Just as they are pioneering a church plant in an area of need, the Hendricks feel they are pioneering new ministry strategies that will benefit the broader church community in the future.
When the Joshua House idea was planted 17 years ago, early in Hendricks' ministry, cutting edge use of technology in worship amounted to Power Point and a projector.
Today, visitors stay in touch with the congregation long after their visit, and strangers from half a world away are contacting Hendricks to partner in ministry after being introduced to him through social media.
"We're just getting started," Hendricks said of exploring what means are available to disseminate the Gospel. "Ministry must be outside the box and outside the building.
"We want to promote the Gospel in every single vehicle we see moving."
However, the Joshua House is far from a cold, dark server farm.
"Everyone who walks in here receives at least five hugs," Andria Hendricks said.
The Hendricks are using the tools available to them, but at the end of the day, ministry is still person to person.
"Love still has to be transmitted; we're still human beings," Hendricks said.
Most of those who find a church home at the Joshua House are single parents or college students, aging from 18-40.
"They may get their only hugs at church," he said.
Knowing many in the black community struggle with economic strains and parenting, the Joshua House's primary mission is beyond the Sunday morning worship service.
They do a lot of one-on-one work with members and provide classes in parenting and personal finance.
"We've seen complete turnarounds," Hendricks said.
When the basement renovation is completed, they look forward to adding after-school programs for youth, especially tutoring in math and reading.
The church strives to provide a social structure for struggling families to both hold them accountable to making good choices and also encouraging them.
The three-fold goal of the Joshua House is evangelizing, edifying and empowering.
Already, the Joshua House has defied the odds of church planting in the African-American community, Hendricks said. Most new congregations start as the result of conflict and a split inside a church, he said.
"Church planting is not a vibrant option," he said.
The Joshua House is the first church plant for Columbia's Second Baptist Church in its 150-year history.
Part of the National Baptist Convention USA, or the Missionary Baptist denomination, they have benefited from the southern Baptist denomination's goal to come alongside African-American churches.
"We couldn't do this without their help," Hendricks said of churches like High Point Baptist Church and pastors like the Rev. Glen Golden.
In addition to financial support, fellow pastors come on site to pray for the ministry and for Hendricks.
"Our families deal with real limitations," Hendricks said. "We're assured to know what we're doing and our ability to do the work is strengthened every day."
On the web:
http: thejoshuahousechurch.org